Funding approved for permanent dog park

The $126,830 needed for the construction of the long-awaited Dartmouth Dog Park has been approved following a transfer of end of year funds. 

According to Assistant Town Administrator Chris Vitale, the town awarded the construction contract to Ramco, a Bridgewater-based company that submitted the lowest-qualified bid. The base construction cost is approximately $388,000, but with contingency and administrative costs factored in, the project will come closer to $400,000.

The town previously received $291,670 in Community Preservation Act funds for the project, including $30,000 for design work. But with construction bids coming in higher than expected, Vitale said the town had to seek supplemental funding.

Finance Director Gary Carreiro credited the delay in construction and the escalation in material costs as the reason behind the project’s higher price tag.

Though there was some concern from the Select Board about needing Town Meeting approval, Carreiro stated the project is now the town’s responsibility now that funds have already been invested into it. He said had the cost been even higher, the Board could decided against it due to affordability. However, the transfer of funding was ultimately approved. 

Members of the Board expressed interest in inviting the Dartmouth Dog Advisory Work Group to give a presentation at a future meeting and further breakdown the project and how it has been funded over the years. 

The park, to be built within the Dartmouth Regional Park on Harry M. Reynolds Drive, has been over a decade in the making. The Dartmouth Dog Advisory Work Group formed in the early 2010s, has spent years advocating for the project and helped secure initial funding through the Community Preservation Committee.

The park has faced numerous delays, including a complete cancellation in 2014 that forced the town to abandon its original design plans. When the effort resumed, the project had to start from scratch, gaining new approvals and navigating staffing shortages, the pandemic and various budgetary challenges.

In 2017, the town opened a temporary dog park near the planned site. The permanent facility will be larger, with designated areas for small dogs, improved landscaping and outdoor lighting.

Once construction begins, the project will likely stretch through the end of the calendar year, weather permitting. Officials plan to open the park to the public in spring 2026 once the weather is nice and the mud has cleared.