Clayton may soon have a dog park.

For several years, the idea of a community dog park in Clayton has been a highly controversial issue.  Complaints of neighbors have repeatedly chased out proposed dog park locations including Oak Knoll Park and Concordia Seminary.  However, with the presentation of the Haddington Court dog park proposal at the Jan. 9 Clayton Parks and Recreation Commission meeting there is renewed optimism and hope for a dog park in Clayton in the near future.

Two years ago, the Haddington Court residential subdivision off Clayton road west of Brentwood Blvd. was declared an official flood zone due to serious, periodic flooding.

As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) joined the City of Clayton through a grant to help buy out the 12 residential homes in the neighborhood.

Today, after the demolition of the houses, Haddington Court is about three acres of empty land owned by the City of Clayton, posing as a possible location for a one and a half acre dog park.

“A significant number of Clayton residents have been focused on creating a dog park in the city, and we have been looking for an appropriate location that does not infringe on existing park land,” Mayor of Clayton Linda Goldstein said. “When Haddington Court became available for other reasons, it made the property a logical choice for the dog park.”

For Patty DeForrest, the Director of Clayton Parks and Recreation, the Haddington Court dog park proposal came as great news.  She explained how after searching and studying various proposals for many years, she finally feels that this is the appropriate location for a dog park in Clayton.

“It was an excellent surprise,” DeForrest said. “I was so excited that we might have an option that satisfies the majority of residents.”

With the support of the Clayton Board of Alderman and Parks and Recreation Commission, the proposed dog park is on track to be completed by mid-summer with funds raised by a group of residents according to DeForrest.

Nonetheless, Clayton City Manager Craig Owens noted that the proposed dog park has yet to clear several important hurdles. Those include permission from the FEMA and other government agencies involved, along with further analysis by Clayton’s Parks and Recreation Commission and the Board of Aldermen.

DeForrest explained how the Clayton dog park would operate like other municipal parks in the region. Dog owners who want to use the park would buy memberships that would offset the cost of maintaining the facility.

“I think it will be a wonderful dog park,” DeForrest said. “I cannot wait to see it come to fruition.”