Shannon Fiecke of the Shakopee Valley News reports:

SHAKOPEE--An advisory board will recommend that the city of Shakopee make Tahpah Park the home of the community's first off-leash dog park. The site, located near the intersection of Adams Street and Highway 169, was the second choice of a citizens group that preferred about 15 acres of vacant land at the Blue Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant on County Road 101.

The Shakopee Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, however, gave the nod to Tahpah for two main factors – it's land the city already owns, and it's close to existing trails and parkland, said Mark Themig, the city's park and recreation director.

City Councilmember Matt Lehman, who attended the park board meeting, said at a city council meeting that both sites had pros and cons, but he thought a major downfall of Blue Lake would be trying to work with its owner, the Metropolitan Council. The city would have needed to secure permission from the Met Council to use Blue Lake for a dog park.

The advantage of Blue Lake is it could be used for a dog park longer than the Tahpah location, which is slated for a future ballfield. The Blue Lake land isn't expected to be used for expansion of the treatment plant for another 30 years.

The city estimates the Tahpah area wouldn't be used for a ballfield for at least another five years, given the sports facilities to be built at the new high school and neighborhood parks.

Themig said the city would discuss the issue further with the local baseball association before he presents the idea to the city council, probably this week. 

He said the park board also recommended allocating $15,000 from a small reserve fund toward construction of the park.

The citizen group had estimated it would cost $12,000 to build a bare-bones site, figuring volunteers and city staff would assist with the work.

Themig estimated that about 40 residents attended a meeting during which the park board considered the citizen group's proposal.

Attendees seemed about evenly split on which site they preferred, Lehman told fellow councilmembers.

The park board also directed city staff to refine proposed user policies for the dog site and develop a revenue source for the park, perhaps through raising the cost of all dog licenses or by creating a surcharge for license holders that use the park, Themig said.

City residents would be required to have a dog license in order to use the park, Themig said. Only about 300 dogs are licensed in the city, although licensure is required by city ordinance. 

The city will also consider how to charge non-residents who use the park, Themig said.

The parks director said the city will also look at future locations for dog parks as it updates the city's long-term park plan.

The city council recently hired the firm Boonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates to update the comprehensive park plan for a cost not to exceed $40,000.

The upgrade will be part of a 2008 mandated update to the city's overall comprehensive plan, which the city would like to have into the Metropolitan Council by the end of next year.

Shannon Fiecke is a staff writer for the Shakopee Valley News. She can be reached at sfiecke@swpub.com.