Valley Stream dog park opening nears

Valley Stream dog lovers, get ready — the new dog park is nearly complete. The highly anticipated opening of the village’s own facility for canines is less than a month away, with a big celebration planned for May 5.

That will be the day when residents can bring their dogs out to see the new park, being built adjacent to Village Hall alongside the Long Island Rail Road tracks. There will be an area for small dogs measuring 60 feet by 60 feet, and a separate area for larger dogs, 60 feet by 200 feet. Once it opens, a park membership will be required for those who want to use the facility, but the first day will be free for all local dog owners.

Friends of the Valley Stream Dog Park, which is coordinating the opening-day event, known as Dog Day at the Green, has been meeting every Thursday night to finalize plans.

For the grand opening, there will be numerous adoption and pet rescue groups on hand, dog-related vendors such as obedience trainers, a dog bakery and a canine fence company, and information about the dog park and Friends group. Denise Accardi, a Friends member, said that vendors will be spread out around the parking lot in front of the dog park. “It’s kind of like how different towns have street fairs,” she said. “All the people who go are united in the fact that they love animals. I think it’s definitely a unique event.”

Accardi said that the group is still looking for more vendors for the event, including pet supply stores and dog groomers.

The village and dog park leaders have also decided on a surface for the facility — pebbles. Friends group leader Richard Infield said that several options were considered, including pea gravel and wood chips. The best surfaces, decomposed granite or canine grass, were too cost-prohibitive.

Pebbles, Infield said, are a good long-term option. “It’s round so it doesn’t hurt the dogs’ paws,” he said. “If you have sharp pebbles, dogs can get hurt. It drains really well, it’s easy to clean and it doesn’t stink.”

A decomposed granite surface would have cost upward of $75,000. The pebbles, on the other hand, will cost $5,600. Another less expensive option, wood chips, would need to be replaced every two or three years, Deputy Village Clerk Bob Fumagalli explained, adding that most dog parks have a grass surface, but that wears down after a while and turns to mud when it rains.

Entry to the park will be regulated by an electronic key system, according to Fumagalli. When residents sign up to use it, they will receive a small device that can fit on a key ring. Fumagalli said he hopes to have the system in place by the May 5 opening. The village’s electrical department still needs to wire the gates to the small and large dog areas.

Fumagalli said that access to the park is one of the few outstanding issues. The water fountains for the dogs are functional, and tables and benches have been installed for their owners. The village, he said, has invested about $38,000 in the project.

Several local Boy Scouts from Troop 368 have also been making contributions to the park. Jack Clifford built a shelter in the large dog area for his Eagle Scout community service project. His younger brother, Charlie, built obstacles for the dogs, including a 20-foot-long ramp in the large-dog area, and secured extra truck tires from the village’s Highway Department to create a tunnel for dogs to run through.

Peter Marin is building a 5-by-7-foot shed to store equipment for the park. Shaun Powers is building two kiosks that will have information such as the park’s rules and courtesies, membership applications and pet health tips. Powers received a check from Central Veterinary Associates to cover his costs.

Mike Powers, a scout leader with the troop, said that most of the scouts’ projects should be finished by next weekend.

Every day, Fumagalli said, he sees people at the fence of the park, watching its progress. People are already looking to sign up. “They can’t wait until it opens,” he said. “It looks beautiful. I think it’s going to do really well.”

Infield agreed. He said that despite moments of doubt and frustration along the way, he sees his dream of a local dog park becoming a reality. “Right now I feel like everyone’s pulling in the same direction,” he said. “The way it looks now, it’s a very attractive facility. The village should be very proud. They’ve made good on their promise.”