Washougal dog park users prepare to relocate

People and dogs who visit the Donald and Angeline Stevenson Off Leash Area have little more than one month to determine which dog park they will go to, starting in November.

Aaron and Jeanine Tyger, of Vancouver, have visited the dog park in Washougal, for more than eight years. Their black lab, Kyra, is 8.

Before Kyra came along, the Tygers walked Aaron’s parents’ two dogs at the dog park located near Bi-Mart, at 3003 Addy St.

“There are a lot of people who come here,” Jeanine said, Monday night.

“I wish it could stay open longer,” Aaron said.

The 15.97 acres, owned by East Village Investors LLC, is being marketed for sale or lease.

The current dog park and the land that the Bi-Mart store is located on are zoned by the city as Town Center East Village. The district is envisioned to have a mixture of higher density housing and retail contained within low-rise buildings.

Lone Wolf Investment LLC is the governing member of East Village Investors LLC.

Wes Hickey, owner of Lone Wolf, has previously said the future sale or lease of the off leash area and surrounding land could create employment opportunities.

“If that area is developed as mixed use, including office and open space, in the long term it could accommodate up to 1,200 jobs,” he said.

Washougal currently pays $1 a month to lease the off leash area. The city provides labor and equipment for mowing and trail repair as needed, as well as trash removal.

Donations accepted for a future dog park

Dog Owners Group for Park Access in Washington has installed a sign about the upcoming closure in the dog park.

The sign mentions the potential construction of a dog park by Grove Field Airport, 632 N.E. 267th Ave., in Fern Prairie.

Donations to that endeavor can be made online at www.clarkdogpaw.org or by mail at 13504 N.E. 84th St., Ste. 103, PMB 303, Vancouver, WA 98682. DOGPAW is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

Questions can be directed to Mark Watson, a DOGPAW board member in charge of park maintenance and development, at 896-4341 or mwatson76@yahoo.com.