West Jordan group pushing for an off-leash dog park

WEST JORDAN — Dog lovers love a day in the park almost as much as their pets do. Residents here just wish they had a park a little closer to home.

A group has begun a campaign to have an off-leash dog park built in West Jordan, saying the Salt Lake Valley's other dog parks are great but just can't meet their needs. And if council members' early reactions are any indication, their wish may come true.

Liz McGuire and her husband, Tony, are heading up the effort, and they say the area's parks are all too far away, too small or too crowded. West Jordan, they believe, would be a perfect location for a new park.

There are currently four dog parks in the northeastern Salt Lake City area, one in Sandy and one in Taylorsville. The Salt Lake parks are too far away for dog owners in the southern part of the valley, according to a written proposal the McGuires gave the West Jordan City Council on Tuesday. The Sandy park is too small and lacks enough parking.

The McGuires have been taking their dogs instead to Taylorsville's Millrace Park, 1200 W. 5400 South. But Tony McGuire said that may not be feasible much longer, as Millrace has become more and more popular, and Taylorsville is looking at ways to slow down use.

Taylorsville City Administrator John Inch Morgan said the city has not made any decision about what to do with the busy park, but something needs to be done.

"There's a whole lot of options we're probably going to be looking at," he said. "The good news about the dog park is it's very popular, and the bad news is that it's very popular."

Among the ideas being discussed is a membership fee or dog tag that would be charged to residents and non-residents at different rates.

Meanwhile, West Jordan city leaders seem receptive to the McGuires' ideas.

"There was a very positive reaction from the council," City Manager Gary Luebbers said. "They asked that I bring back information on size, cost, time to build, locations that have been suggested by the landscape architect."

He said at this point the most likely choice seems to be adding the dog park to the city's Main Park behind City Hall, about 8000 South and 1800 West. That park was recently rebuilt, completely by community and business donations and volunteers, and a future dog park has long been seen as a potential element.

Luebbers said he expects city staff to go before the council in the next few weeks to give suggestions about how and when a dog park could be pulled off.