News

Would Covington support a dog park?

On the last day of the swim season each year, Covington Parks & Rec opens Goebel Pool to dogs and their owners. Now the City is asking whether residents would support a dog park.

Meeting tonight seeks input for ongoing Parks & Rec master plan

 
COVINGTON, Ky. - Does Covington need a dog park?
 
If so, where? How big? What should it look like? How should it be funded? Would residents support it?
 
These and other questions are among those to be discussed tonight during the first of targeted focus group meetings looking at various potential parts of a master plan being developed to guide future investment in facilities and programming.
 
The public is invited to give input at the meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. in the City Commission chambers at 20 W. Pike St., and is schedule for an hour.
 
The meeting is one of five scheduled over the next month as the City’s Parks & Recreation office continues working with consultant Brandstetter Carroll Inc. to write the master plan.
 
“This is the most exciting part of the process - finding out what people like and want,” said Parks & Rec Manager Rosie Santos. “There are a lot of good ideas out in the community, and we want to hear those.”
 
The meetings:
  • Focus Group (topic dog park): 5 p.m.-6 p.m., tonight, City Hall.
  • Focus Group (topic Goebel Park): 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Oct. 7, at Goebel Park.
  • Master Plan Kickoff: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Oct. 17, at City Hall.
  • Focus Group (topic Bill Cappel Sports Complex): 4 p.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 24, City Hall.
  • Focus Group (topic Devou Park): 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Oct. 24, City Hall. 
All meetings at City Hall will have an open house format, during which residents can stop in to talk with Parks & Rec staff or the consultant.
 
Residents are also encouraged to fill out an online survey that can be found on the master plan initiative’s interactive website, HERE. The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Recreation in Covington 
All told, Covington has nearly 1,000 acres of parkland and green space spread out over 40 different parks, playgrounds and facilities, including about 700 acres that make up the expansive Devou Park and its golf course and biking trails.
 
The City directly manages about 30 facilities on nearly 200 acres, including the Licking River Greenway & Trails, the Riverfront Commons trail under construction, the 54-acre Bill Cappel Sports Complex (with its baseball diamonds and soccer fields), two full-size swimming pools, a water park, and an array of smaller playgrounds.
 
Historically, its programs and events have centered providing affordable fun for families, with a wide array of activities.
 
Santos said the goal of the master plan is to create a long-term strategy for the agency that addresses a broad range of issues, concerns, trends, and questions that center on one thought: What facilities, activities, and sports do residents most want to see?
 
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