Dog park in Woodland Park is one-step closer to reality.

Woodland Park Dog Park Moves Closer to Reality; Opening Month Set for June
– by Bob Volpe –

Bianca Bryant’s dream of creating a dog park in Woodland Park is one-step closer to reality.

Bryant is a senior girl scout in Troop 3649, working on her scout gold award project. She is a
16-year-old junior at Woodland Park High School and has been working hard to fulfill her ambitious undertaking for over a year now.

At last week’s monthly Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours gathering, Bryant gave a presentation showing the type of fencing, amenities, and description of what the dog park will be like.

The dog park will be located at Meadow Wood Sports Complex and will open around June 19.

Bryant has weathered and overcome many obstacles to see her dream come true. She has appeared before both the DDA (Downtown Development Authority), and city council.

Bryant’s original proposal would have created the dog park at Fountain Creek Greenway behind Safeway.

When she presented that plan at a city council meeting last September, Bryant met with fierce opposition from local residents, despite have the support of the city parks and recreation advisory board. Most residents who opposed the project didn’t object to the concept of a dog park, but expressed concerns with its location near their homes.

Many companies and organizations have joined the campaign, including Foxworth Galbraith, Woodland Park Panthers, Focus on the Forest, the Girl Scouts, Do It Best hardware, the Teen Center, Pet Food Pantry, Compassion Animal Hospital, and  Teller County Regional Animal
shelter.

Undeterred, Bryant persisted and came up with the plan for the dog park at Meadow Wood. There was some discussion about having it located in the Woodland Station area, but Bryant said that wouldn’t work with her girl scout award bid

During the chamber forum last week at the Shining Mountain Event Center, Bryant and local chamber members held an informal fundraiser to help with the financial dealings. Chamber members had a chance to sponsor benches, signs, waste stations, and trashcans. She is also seeking overall sponsors. You can become a Gold sponsor for $5,000, a Silver sponsor for $2,500, or a Bronze sponsor for $1,000. A considerable amount of money was raised at last week’s event.

Park State Bank & Trust has been one of the key sponsors of the effort. Tony Perry, president of Park State Bank & Trust, praised Bryant for her willingness to overcome initial opposition. He encouraged business owners and residents to get involved in the project to bring a dog park to Woodland Park and Teller County.  

When completed, this will become Woodland Park’s first-ever dog park. Bryant, based on surveys and talks with many residents, has stressed the need for the facility. According to reports, Teller County is known as dog country.

The main issue has hinged on where to locate the facility. But after months of meetings, the search for a canine park site has apparently ended.