East Ridge officials are eyeing property on the corner of East End and Oakdale avenues for construction of a dog park and animal control facility.
City officials have been discussing the possibility of purchasing the 3.29-acre property for $210,000 since late last year.
A vacant property near the intersection of East End and Oakdale Avenues is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in East Ridge, Tenn. East Ridge is seeking a new location for its animal control facility.As of now, the unofficial plan is to clear the parcel and install a fence in order to use the property as a temporary dog park while planners draw up preliminary designs for the animal shelter. Assistant City Manager Kenny Custer said the new facility could go into construction 12-24 months after the council approves the land purchase.
It will replace East Ridge Animal Shelter's aging headquarters on Yale Street and bring greater capacity so more animals can be helped.
With 18 dog kennels, six cat cages, a cat room and a cat shed, the current facility can comfortably hold only 40-50 animals, said Sarah Stageberg, senior officer at the shelter. In addition to more room, she said a new location would be a welcome change.
"We sit right next to the dump, and there's no grass, so the dogs don't get to run on the grass," Stageberg said.
A vacant property near the intersection of East End and Oakdale Avenues is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in East Ridge, Tenn. East Ridge is seeking a new location for its animal control facility.Still, that hasn't stopped the shelter's staff and volunteers from doing all they can to help local animals, she said. Last year, more than 340 rescue pets were adopted from the shelter.
"They do what they can with an aging facility, but we want to provide a better opportunity and a better customer experience for everyone coming in that wants to either participate or, hopefully, adopt a rescue animal," Custer said.
One of the challenges has been to identify a suitable property that sits far away from any single-family neighborhoods, in order to prevent complaints about noise from barking dogs within the facility. Other tracts of land were considered for the project, city officials reported, but many were ruled out because they would have cost more to purchase or develop.
A vacant property near the intersection of East End and Oakdale Avenues is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in East Ridge, Tenn. East Ridge is seeking a new location for its animal control facility.The original plan was to have both a dog park and animal shelter located on the property, but recent land surveys revealed that the Oakdale Avenue property would not be able to support both projects.
Because the parcel lies in a floodplain, the site itself would need to be elevated before any structure could be built on it, reducing the total acreage available for development, Custer explained. The findings mean that building the animal control facility would leave less than an acre for a dog park.
Still, citizens won't be left without a place to take their pups. Custer said the goal is to have one or two permanent dog parks established within the city by the time the animal shelter's construction begins. He listed Camp Jordan and property on Springvale Road as two of the areas under consideration for those future dog parks.
The city has been searching for a location to establish its first dog park since recent recreational surveys shed light on citizens' desire for the amenity. While the Oakland site will no longer be able to be that location permanently, East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams said he believes the long-term strategy proposed will be beneficial for all inhabitants of the city, whether they be pet owners or pets themselves.
"This is bigger than just a dog park," said Williams. "The animal control facility is in dire need."
City council members will vote on whether to purchase the Oakdale Avenue property at their next regular meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 24.
Contact Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.
A vacant property near the intersection of East End and Oakdale Avenues is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in East Ridge, Tenn. East Ridge is seeking a new location for its animal control facility.