Dog park project takes puppy steps
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers STROLLING- Al Reddick takes his daughter, Janae Weise, 6, and son, Jeremy Weise, 1, out for a walk on Lost Canyons Drive with their dogs Tuesday. The park district board just approved the first of a seven-part plan to construct an off-leash dog park above the softball fields at Big Sky Park, not far from the family's home.

The initial phase of construction for Simi Valley's first dog park was approved last week when the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board of directors unanimously voted to begin soliciting bids for the installation of a 600-foot water line to irrigate the three-acre park.

The site, which overlooks the recently completed Big Sky softball complex on Lost Canyons Drive at the north end of Erringer Road, currently belongs to residential developer Shea Homes, who will turn it over to the park district after fulfilling a prior contract to grade the area and build an access road.

Ed Hayduk, assistant general manager of the park district, said they hope to start construction of the water line in May and have it completed by June.

"We are waiting for Shea Homes to turn the site over to the park district," he said. "They need to grade it and complete the access road. Then they'll turn it over to us and we basically build the park."

Initial plans for the longawaited Big Sky dog run- which was previously being used as a deposit site for excess soil during construction of the surrounding 700-unit residential development, were first approved by the park district in July.

Hayduk said that the park will be built in seven phases: installation of the main water line, construction of the parking lot and site drainage, building of perimeter fencing and entrance gates, installation of an irrigation system, fine grading of the site, installation of site furniture and signage, and hyrdroseeding of the park.

"We've been telling the developer that we'd like to move ahead with our plans as soon as we can," Hayduk said.

An opening date for the dog park has not yet been set, but park officials hope to have it completed by fall, Hayduk said.