A two-year effort by a small group of volunteers is about to produce Medford’s first dog park.

The city announced last week it had received a $250,000 grant from The Stanton Foundation, a canine welfare nonprofit that helps fund dog parks.

The grant will go toward construction of a 12,000-square-foot dog park at Riverbend Park, between the Andrews Middle School and McGlynn School complex. Construction is likely to begin in spring 2017.

“This has been the work of a community group working very hard to raise money for a dog park in Medford,” said Alicia Hunt, the city’s energy and environment director, who has served as the group’s main contact in City Hall.

Volunteers learned about the grant in 2014 after forming the group Paws 4 Medford to advocate for a dog park in the city. Some residents had been advocating for a dog park since 2010, especially as more and more dog parks opened in surrounding communities.

Since forming Paws 4 Medford two years ago, members Jim Silva, Diana Gitner, John Sardone, Britt Fitch, Patricia Flynn, Gary DeStefano and City Councilor Michael Marks have worked on a volunteer basis to develop plans for a park.

Several members were at the Medford City Council’s meeting May 17 as the council voted unanimously to accept the grant.

“I want to thank this group for the remarkable amount of work they’ve done,” said Councilor Rick Caraviello, a dog owner for more than 30 years. “It just goes to show what a community group can do when they really want to do it.”

The grant covers construction of a 12,000-square-foot park, which will be designed for larger dogs. The city also has designs for a 4,000-square-foot park intended for smaller dogs.

“That actually is more than we can afford at this time,” Hunt said.

But Paws 4 Medford and the city plan to seek alternative funding sources to build the 4,000-square-foot park, which would be built within the boundaries of the larger park. Construction of the smaller dog park would cost $92,960, Hunt said.

The new dog park will include lighting for evening use, “poop bag” dispensers and an irrigation system to rinse the area, according to a press release issued by the city last week. The park will also meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, the release stated.

“I am extremely excited to be opening the first official dog park within the community that allows our residents to have an open space for their dogs,” said Mayor Stephanie M. Burke in the release. “Adding a dog park to the community enhances recreational value and I am very thankful for the dedication and support from Paws 4 Medford throughout this process.”

Site a central location

The Riverbend Park site was one of three locations recommended by Arlington-based landscape architect Andrew D. Leonard, who has designed dog parks in several nearby communities.

The city spent about $10,000 last year for Leonard to conduct a feasibility study in which he recommended one of three sites for a dog park: Riverbend Park, Carr Park or Dugger Park.

Paws 4 Medford, along with Hunt, decided on Riverbend Park, based on its central location and buffer from residential areas. Designs show the park will be separated from the McGlynn School complex and community gardens by a row of trees.

“It’s designed to be screened by the trees so you couldn’t see it from the schools,” Hunt said.

A double-gated system will prevent dogs from roaming toward the nearby schools, Flynn added.

“A dog isn’t going to be off-leash and run around where there are children,” she said. “Arlington’s dog park is right next to a playground and two fields where they play soccer, lacrosse and baseball — they haven’t had any incidents. They’ve been there for years.”

Even with the safety measures, Medford parent Cheryl Rodriguez said she had concerns about the park’s proximity to the schools.

Rodriguez also expressed doubts about the area’s parking situation.

“Anyone who’s been to that school campus knows that those lots are overflowing during school hours,” she said.

The project does not include additional parking spaces at the site. But Hunt said dog park visitors would be able to park at nearby Hormel Stadium.

“My understanding is that most dog owners take their dogs to a park like this before work and after work,” Hunt said, “and that the ones who are coming in the middle of the day tend to have the time to park at Hormel Stadium and walk down the pathway.”

First of many?

Currently, Medford lacks a space where dogs can roam off-leash — in fact, dog owners are subject to a $200 fine if their dogs aren’t wearing a leash in a city park.

While pursuing the dog park, Marks said Paws 4 Medford members conducted research estimating Medford has more than 5,000 dogs.

The group found only 350 to 400 dogs are registered with the city.

“I think it speaks volumes for the need to have a place where dogs can socialize and exercise,” Marks said.

The park’s development was welcomed by resident Rachel Tanenhaus. Chair of Medford’s Commission for Persons With Disabilities, Tanenhaus is blind and uses a guide dog.

“I have a really high-energy dog, and he needs to blow off steam,” Tanenhaus said during the May 17 meeting. “We have a yard; it’s not huge. But having a place where he can romp and play and just run and run and run — because my dog loves to run — it contributes to the quality of his work and therefore, to my safety.”

Tanenhaus said her dog has been attacked by off-leash dogs twice in less than three years.

“It is my hope that if people are able to use the dog park, then maybe they’ll be less likely to walk around with their dogs off-leash,” she said, “or maybe they’ll be less likely to have their dogs playing off-leash in places where it’s really a safety risk to other people and their dogs — particularly for those of us whose dogs are responsible for our safety and independence.”

In addition to the initial $250,000, The Stanton Foundation will provide about $10,000 for further costs related to the dog park for each of its first three years, Hunt said.

“This is really a centrally located park that allows everybody to come together,” Silva said. “And it’s a beginning, a template, for other opportunities in the city.”

Marks said the group hopes the park is the first of many dog parks in Medford.

“I think after we move forward on this and take one step further, we can really call ourselves a dog-friendly community,” he said.

— For more information about Paws 4 Medford, go to the group’s website, www.paws4medford.org.