Velvety turf pans across four acres with multi-colored adirondack chairs sitting on freshly established pavement. Dogs, big and small, frolic around ramps as the uplifting song “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine plays.
To celebrate Pooch’s Bark Park’s reopening since its closure on June 16, Coppell Community Experiences hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 28.
Renovations by Cole Construction cost $1.9 million to execute designs by Teague Nall and Perkins. The City of Coppell’s Public Works department handled coordination regarding construction plans.
“It was a very detailed process for design to make sure we got what the community wants,” Coppell Community Experiences assistant director Adam Richter said. “We had two survey opportunities for the community to make their voices heard.”
With its renovations, the park presents four paddocks after expanding from 1.9 to 4 acres: one for small dogs under 30 pounds, two for large dogs and one for all dogs, open rain or shine.
To ensure safety, double-gated entries allow for easy entry between paddocks lined with six-foot Ameristar WireWorks fencing.
“Even if you have a shy dog, there’s four different paddocks and it will be great for all dogs now regardless of their temperaments,” Coppell Community Experiences Board member
Steve Harrison said. “It’ll be seen as a safe place for all dog owners to come.”
Per city reports with problematic flat-land drainage and irrigation systems, new installments allow for less maintenance while still keeping grass in good condition.
“One challenge with the original park was stormwater drainage,” City of Coppell assistant director public works engineering Aaron Tainter said. “The new park construction involved bringing in fill dirt to raise up the site, and underground drainage infrastructure was installed to allow the park to drain better after storms.”
Additionally, when the 102-degree Texas heat hits, owners and their dogs can utilize nearby seating areas with improved dog drinking fountains, three new shade structures and natural shading from trees planted.
Coppell resident Tracy Bruckler brought her pug, Boaz, to experience the park’s new additions after going to other parks in Flower Mound amidst closure.
“We see the same people here all the time, so everybody’s pretty regular and the dogs are usually pretty well behaved,” Bruckler said. “Coppell is finally caring about park upkeep and maintenance, so it just looks really good.”
Previously Waggin’ Tails Park, the Coppell Parks and Recreation board approved renaming the park to Pooch’s Bark Park on Feb. 2. Former volunteer fire department chief Richard and his wife Barbara Lee’s children found Pooch Lee as a stray dog who eventually became Coppell’s first official firehouse dog.
“The committee interviewed a family member from the Lee family and found out all about Pooch’s background and what a special dog he was,” Harrison said. “That’s why we picked him for the name.”
Coppell Mayor Wes Mays, who brought his 12-year-old Scottish terrier mix Penny, foresees more owners bringing their dogs to exercise with the park’s amenities.
“Pooch’s Bark Park is going to serve both our four-legged and our two-legged friends very well,” Mays said.
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