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Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved moving forward with a land-use application by Waggin’ Tails Inc. for a dog park on city land next to the skate park. But Tuesday’s approval comes with one caveat — it must go back to the Parks and Visitor’s Services Committee for one more look. The parks committee had reviewed the site earlier in the year but did not have a quorum when it met prior to the council session and tabled the matter. “At this point it’s not quite set in stone, but we can taste it. We still have to jump through the parks hoop,” said Sarah Maple with Waggin’ Tails, a nonprofit that proposes to construct the park. The group would also maintain the site so costs don’t fall to the city. The area is in a Special Protection Zone that permits park and open space uses outright, a staff report said. In addition, the site is somewhat isolated, which will alleviate challenges with conflicting land use. The dog park area is north of a parking lot that serves the library, downtown area and the Britt Festival. Cemetery Road lies north of the site. In March, the City Council gave the go-ahead for a land-use application to create a .44-acre dog park that would have been located in Pheasant Meadow Park off Singler Lane. Wetlands that would have made construction unfeasible were discovered at the site during the pre-application process. Nearby neighbors had voiced concerns about noise, safety and traffic if a dog park were allowed. Both a large-dog and a small-dog area would be created at the new site. Water facilities for dogs and people would be included. Trees at the site would be left to create a shaded viewing and seating area inside the park that would have tables. Under the proposal, a 12-foot-wide unimproved roadway that leads from the parking area down to the skate park would be upgraded to ADA standards. ADA parking spots and a hammerhead turnaround would be installed at the bottom next to the dog park entrance. Most park users likely would walk down the roadway from the parking lot, said City Administrator Jeff Alvis. The road was initially put in to provide emergency vehicle access to the skate park in the event of an accident. “It’s not the ideal location, but we don’t have anywhere else,” said Alvis. “Everyone walks their dogs in town. It’s an off-leash facility. That’s really what they are looking for.” Once approvals are in place, Waggin’ Tails will seek donations of cash, materials and labor to construct the park and roadway. Because the facility would be on land allowing parks, it would not need to go through a conditional-use permit process, said Maple. She said the facility may need other permits and possibly approval by the city’s Historical and Architectural Review Commission. An estimate of $130,000 was made for creation of the park at the Pheasant Meadows location. Maple said costs may be less at the new location. The group expects to receive 501(c)(3) status in early August, at which point it would be able to accept tax-deductible contributions. But Waggin’ Tails has already received a $15,000 donation from a trust, Maple reported. A city commitment of up to $25,000 in assistance made for the previous location would carry over, said Alvis. The money would come from the system development charges fund. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].