The details
The event is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m at the Bark Park, 101 Grady Tuck Lane, in Bastrop and comes after Bastrop City Council approved an official parkland designation July 8 that will help protect the site from future land developments.
The Bark Park currently features:
- A dog shower station
- Two dog waste stations
- A small dog play area
- A large dog play area
- Benches
“My dog and I are there every morning,” she said during a Bastrop City Council meeting July 8. “I’m happy that we’re going to have a meeting with the Parks and Recreation Department. Their people do a great job. They’re out there in the morning picking up the garbage, which is not a pleasant thing at a dog park.”
How we got here
Leslie Cosby, a Bastrop resident, shared that sentiment and reflected on the camaraderie it took to open the Bark Park in July 2009 after three years of planning.
“The Bark Park was initially my vision with the help of a lot of the citizens here,” she said. “Once it was completed and opened, it was a success and has been a success.”
Cosby, like several other residents during the public comments portion of the meeting, emphasized how most of the amenities at the Bark Park, such as the fencing and benches, were paid for through donations from community members.
“So I know that there’s going to be huge improvements when the city takes over,” she said.
Cosby already identified one feature she would like to see incorporated at the Bark Park—the addition of a brick walkway where residents could memorialize a pet or loved one with an engraved brick.
Some context
Although council member Kerry Fossler suggested the city rename the Bark Park in honor of Jane Travis—one of the volunteers who helped launch and maintain the Bark Park—during a meeting in late June, several residents voiced their desire to keep the name as is.
“The Bark Park’s origin and success are the result of not one, but many strong-willed and impactful women who garnered support for the growth and well-being of this beloved community investment,” said Nancy Ravensburg, a past Bastrop Parks and Recreation and Tree Advisory Board member.
Public input from the July 15 meeting will be shared with Bastrop City Council at a future meeting.
