By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Sandy and Molly became acquainted Tuesday morning.
With a few tentative sniffs and a brief touching of their noses, they introduced themselves while out for a walk with their owners on Pleasure Avenue near 85th Street in Sea Isle City.
Sandy, a bichon and poodle mix known as a bichon poo, and Molly, a black Labrador retriever, get their exercise during the summer by walking along the streets and sidewalks of Sea Isle. But this time next year, they’ll have a special place for their playtime.
After several years of planning and discussion, City Council on Tuesday awarded a $967,931 construction contract for Sea Isle’s first dog park.
“The construction of a dog park has been an item repeatedly requested over the years in Sea Isle. During the city’s last master plan re-examination process, we conducted an extensive communitywide survey, and there was an overwhelming response from community members asking that we get this done,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio said during the Council meeting.
The project will be built in the north end of town on Landis Avenue near Seventh Street. It will be in a secluded area away from residential neighborhoods, so homeowners will not be disturbed by barking or other noise.
Parking was another consideration why the city decided to build the dog park on Landis Avenue near Seventh Street. Two new parking lots were built in the same area in 2019 as part of a restriping plan to make the Landis Avenue corridor safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pet owners using the dog park will be able to use the same parking lots.
Construction of the dog park is expected to begin in the fall and should be completed by next summer, if not earlier, City Business Administrator George Savastano said.
“We’ll definitely get it done by next summer. We would like to get it done by next spring, but we’ll see,” Savastano said in an interview.
Karen Carola, Sandy’s owner, and Ed Ryan, who owns Molly, were elated to hear that the city is moving ahead with the dog park. Both of them said they plan to visit the park with their dogs when it is ready.
“Oh, she would love it,” Carola said of Sandy.
“Absolutely,” Ryan said of wanting to take Molly.
Carola lives in Swedesboro, N.J., and owns a summer home in Sea Isle on 64th Street. Ryan, a resident of Chester Springs, Pa., has a summer home in Sea Isle on 75th Street.
Both of them indicated that as Sea Isle summer residents, it is important for the town to have pet-friendly attractions.
“Our taxpayer dollars are going to good use,” Ryan said of the dog park.
During the quiet offseason months, the city lifts its ban of dogs on the beaches, giving canines and their owners a chance to get out and frolic on the wide-open shoreline.
But come summer, the vacationers take over the beaches and dogs lose their sandy playground. Without a place to call their own, dogs and their owners usually are out walking along the streets and sidewalks in the summer for exercise.
“It gets hot for them,” Carola noted of having to take dogs for walks on the streets and sidewalks.
The dog park, however, will have two shade pavilions to keep the four-legged guests nice and cool. Amenities will also include doggy obstacles, water fountains and double-gated entryways to provide a safe, fenced-in environment for all of the canines.
The park will be configured to have a section for small dogs and a separate area for larger dogs.
“Considering the fact that many residents and visitors in Sea Isle City are dog owners, which we see throughout the year with people walking dogs, especially in the summertime, we’re confident that the facility will get a great amount of use,” city spokeswoman Katherine Custer said.
While the focus will be on the dogs, a 24-foot-by-30-foot shade pavilion will be placed next door to the park to give the human visitors refuge from the sun and heat.
“This is an extensive project that includes three separate pavilions and a dog park with facilities for both large and small dogs; and we’re sure that the facility will serve not only the dog lovers of the community, but all those who want to take advantage of the open space and recreational areas offered at the park,” Desiderio said.
Desiderio also noted that the city has redesigned the project a number of times to accommodate the needs expressed by the public and to address the concerns of the Cape May County Open Space Committee.
The city has applied for funding for the project from the county open space committee. Desiderio said Sea Isle now expects to receive reimbursement of 75 percent of the cost from the county.
Fred M. Schiavone Construction Inc., of Malaga, N.J., submitted a low bid of $967,931 among four companies competing for the dog park contract. Schiavone Construction’s bid was significantly lower than the city engineer’s prebid estimate of $1.1 million.
With the project about to get underway in fall and be completed in 2024, excitement is starting to build among dog owners, such as Karen Carola and Ed Ryan.
“Maybe we’ll see you at the dog park next year,” Carola said to Ryan as both continued their walk Tuesday after Sandy and Molly met each other.
