APACHE JUNCTION FUTURE DOG PARKS

APACHE JUNCTION PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING - DECEMBER 1st, 2004

On December 1st., 2004, Marta Saint-James, President and founder of Gold Canyon D.O.G. -Dog Owners Group- requested the City of Apache Junction Parks & Recreation 7-member Commission, to establish an off-leash dog park in their city. Jeff Bell, Director of Parks & Recreation was present, as well as many residents of the city supporting the creation of a dog park within their city. 144 signatures from Apache Junction residents in favor of a dog park in their city were collected.

The Apache Junction Parks & Recreation Commission unanimously approved a motion in favor of an off-leash dog park, as presented on December 1st., 2004. The proposal was presented before the City Council on January 31, 2005.

The Prospector Dog Park was approved at the City Council work session on December 1, 2008. The following is a portion of an article from the Apache Junction Gold Canyon News, December 8, 2008 edition:

Prospector Park would see new restrooms, parking, dog park
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News

Prospector Park will feature more restrooms and additional parking as well as an off-leash dog park if the city decides to include the project in the future capital facilities plan. The price tag is $2 million.Parks Superintendent Nick Blake spoke to the City Council during its Monday, December 1, work session and outlined the tentative plans for the park.
“As many of you know, the continuing development of Prospector Park has been in the city parks master plan for the last several years,” Blake told the council. “Prospector Park, in recent years, has needed an additional restroom and parking area in the northeast corner of the park.”
Restrooms, he said, are “badly” needed to accommodate large groups of people who visit the park for special events.
Last fiscal year, the City Council voted to accept the parks master plan update, which included giving top priority to an off-leash dog park.
“Prospector Park is, by far, the most used city park for citizens bringing their dogs to walk and to play with, with a dog on a leash,” Blake said.
The staff worked with an award-winning engineering firm to design the dog park, which includes four “pods” or grassy areas, as well as animal control officer Debbie Sullivan and Gold Canyon resident/dog advocate Marta Saint-James.
This facility will provide an opportunity for citizens and their dogs to recreate freely without limitations of a leash on their animals and provide venue for future dog shows and the opportunity for the police department to conduct training for their K9 units,” Blake said.
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to support the master plan for phase four during its October 15 meeting. “We understand that there are not fund available for this project at the present time,” Blake said. “We do ask that you give the project consideration in the next capital facilities plan.”
Reprinted from the Apache Junction Gold Canyon News, December 8, 2008

APACHE JUNCTION PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING - OCTOBER 3rd, 2007

Highlights (I am highlighting the topics for the dog park):

SHORT TERM GOALS
(1-3 Years)

EXISTING SITES
Complete the addition of an off-leash facility at Prospector Park
Gold Canyon D.O.G. – Dog Owners Group presented the Gold Canyon Kramer’s Run plans to the Apache Junction Parks & Recreation Commission on December of 2004, which were unanimously approved. The following steps were to include it in the budget, now the City is ready to have the first off-leash dog park at the Prospect Park location.

COMMUNITY PARKS
Create a Master Plan for Silly Mountain Park
An interactive discussion between the Commission Members, the large audience attending the meeting which included representatives from S.A.L.T. (Superstition Area Land Trust); Gold Canyon D.O.G. (Dog Owners Group) and Canine Companions Ltd. of Apache Junction.
J2 Design, is the engineering firm hired by the City of Apache Junction to create the Master Plan for Silly Mountain Park, a site with over 200 acres (J2 Design was responsible for the design of Cosmo Dog Park in the Town of Gilbert, voted the “Best Dog Park in the Nation”)

Master Plan for Silly Mountain Park:

1. Multi-use Trails (Hiking, Equestrian, Bicycling – NO motorized vehicles -)
2. Off –leash Dog Park
3. Picnic Areas
4. Traffic-Parking

On April 15th, 2008 the Apache Junction City Council unanimously approved the Silly Mountain Master Plan as presented.

The closest off-leash dog park is COSMO Dog Park, on Ray Rd,
between Higley and Greenfield, in the Town of Gilbert,
22 miles, one way, from Gold Canyon.
Visit the Favorite Links page for directions