Alison Bjork, the president of the Cape May Dog Friendly Association, said March 25 that City Councilwoman Linda Steenrod was overly optimistic when she recently suggested a new dog park on Lafayette Street would be open by the weekend.
Instead, she said, the park will be open 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5, when a special event is planned. Letters are to be sent out this week to Cape May officials, those who have licensed dogs in the city, and others who have expressed an interest in the park.
City Council March 18 approved a contract with land owners Jersey Central Power and Light to use the property as a dog park, where animals will be allowed to mingle off leash.
First, those interested need a membership tag, similar to a beach tag, for their dog’s collar. The dogs do not have to be licensed in Cape May, Bjork said, but they do have to be licensed. That way, she said, there is assurance that all the dogs have had their rabies vaccinations.
The cost is $20 a year, or $10 for a week for summer visitors.
In the near future, she said, residents will begin to see changes as the site of the park, a fenced off area in the Wise-Andersen park on Lafayette Street. She expected the licenses to be available as of Monday, March 31.