Photo Credit: City of Gilbert, Arizona
Instead of having an ugly drainage basin collecting water from the new highway, which was proposed by the Arizona Department of Transportation, community planners in Gilbert, Ariz., decided to make the most of the 16 acres by creating Cosmo Dog Park.
The idea-to-development task was assigned to Tami Ryall, assistant town manager. “The land was free, and we did our design before the freeway design,” she explains. “So we saved money by having the park excavated when the freeway was excavated.” System development fees then paid for the features and improvements, such as trees, landscaping and restrooms.
Putting Your Heart Into It
“We tried very hard to create a park with a lot of heart,” says Ryall. “Our memorial feature includes bricks that people purchased at cost. Over 1,100 bricks were bought in six months, which shows how important it is for pet owners to commemorate their pets, whether a current dog or one they had as a child.” The bricks were sold for $20 each, covering their cost and the engraving. The funds raised by selling the bricks literally allowed the memorial feature to pay for itself.