Northeast Miami-Dade

For the Dogs

Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura move forward with canine parks

By Randy Abraham

The construction of new dog parks in Waterways Park in Aventura and in Gwen Margolis Park in the city of Sunny Isles Beach is expected to be completed in a couple of months.

Last year, construction began on a seven-acre expansion of Waterways Park that will include a basketball court, dog park and playground facility. A dog park that has been operating at Veterans Park will be converted into a 1.75-acre park for children. The expansion project should be completed in March, said City Manager Eric Soroka, and the dog park should open soon after.

Many Aventura residents advocated expanding the existing dog park during the last two years, until the city reached an agreement with Gulfstream Park for seven acres just south of the border with the city of Hallandale Beach.

In the city of Sunny Isles Beach, city officials recently approved a pilot project that would locate a dog park in a fenced-off northeast corner of Gwen Margolis Park in the next two months. The measure passed 4-1, with Commissioner Gerry Goodman dissenting.

Goodman balked at the projected $46,000 cost each year for fencing, landscaping, trash cans and other items, as well as the estimated $26,000 annual maintenance cost. “I’m glad it’s just a trial period,” said Goodman, who also expressed concerns about owners not cleaning up after their dogs. “I love dogs, but people sometimes don’t pick up after them. My experiences with dog parks have been negative.”

Mayor Norman Edelcup said Sunny Isles has an increasing number of dog owners and suggested the city should “try to accommodate this request. If we have to clean up, we’ll clean up.” City Commissioner George “Bud” Scholl compared the need for dog parks to the need for recreational space for the city’s growing number of families with children.

Area dog owners also have another alternative: Last fall, a seven-acre dog park opened in Greynolds Park East, located on Biscayne Boulevard just south of Aventura. The $120,000 park features separate fenced-in areas for small and large dogs and a covered pavilion.

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