Our Community in Fairfax County, Virginia
New Dog Park Is Approved
By Dave Conway, September 2001
On 1 August, the board of directors of the Fairfax County Park Authority approved the construction of a one-acre dog park in a meadow inside Mason District Park in Annandale. It will be located to the east of Columbia Elementary School. The county has one existing dog park at Blake Lane in Oakton, and directors have approved a second park for Baron Cameron Park in Reston.
The final plans include modifications in response to concerns expressed by neighbors and others about noise, odor, dog bites, traffic, and soil and water pollution:
- The dog park will be more than 90 feet away from its nearest neighbors, a greater distance than originally proposed;
- The size of the parking area was increased;
- A planned garden plot was eliminated over concerns about parking problems;
- A tot lot was eliminated over concerns that a runaway dog could injure children; and
- Trees and shrubbery will be planted between the neighboring homes and the dog park.
The park can accommodate up to 80 dogs at one time. It will be surrounded by a five-foot-high chain-link fence. Children younger than nine cannot enter the dog run.