Last weekend on April 14, 2018, a ceremony was held at 22720 Vista Grande Road to formally open the City’s new dog park. This ceremony was long in coming, as the dog park committee was involved in many fund raising events early on to try and get the monies needed to get to where we are today. With the help from the members of the Grand Terrace Foundation at the beginning to provide seed money for the project, along with the Committee co-chairpersons Mike and Beverly Auld who spent many hours holding rummage sales, hosting Grand Terrace Day booths for many years, and other fund raising projects to get a firm foothold on the final creation of the dog park, it has finally all come together with the assistance of the City and Council. The current city manager, Harold Duffy, has provided the impetus for the dog park to reach its final goal, by working with the committee and council on receiving funding through the mechanism of Developer Park Impact Fees and Redevelopment Bond proceeds of nearly $400,000. The City Council has also established a dog park endowment fund to help support the annual maintenance costs of the park that is approximately $3,000.
The city officials believe the dog park will enhance the quality up of life of the residents within the city limits and beyond. There are currently two other dog parks nearby in the City of Loma Linda and the City of Redlands that have entertained Grand Terrace dog owners until now.
The Grand Terrace dog park is sectioned off into a small dog area and a larger dog area which are separated by fencing. The amenities of the dog park include picnic tables, benches, a drinking fountain, trash containers and pet waste dispensers. The operating hours of the park are from 7 am to dusk, every day, except for Wednesdays (maintenance is done at the park on that day each week). As was mentioned before, other surrounding cities are invited to utilize the facilities as well. The park is not exclusive to any dog or their owners.
The Grand Terrace Dog Park has now joined other parks within the City of Grand Terrace to provide a diverse entertainment network, from sports, non-organized play, and serenity. Please take time to visit the new dog park, even if you don’t have a dog. See how the dogs play peacefully with each other at this new park venue, and at the same time you may enjoy the view from the bluff of sister cities throughout the Inland Empire.