Coxsackie officials set grand opening date for dog park

Featured video highlights when construction on the site began.

COXSACKIE, N.Y. (NEWS10)– A grand opening for Coxsackie’s new dog park is set for October 4. The park, located at 170 Mansion Street, will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony starting at noon.

Village Mayor Mark Evans said the dog park project has been the most presented petition submitted to the village board and has been in the works since 2023. Construction on the site began in December 2024.

According to Evans, the site was obtained with permission of the Department of Environmental Conservation through eminent domain in 2024. The site used to belong to American Valve Manufacturing. Environmental regulators spent years cleaning up soil contamination.

“To dispel any concerns about it being a contaminated site, there is 3 feet of clean soil that was brought in when it was remediated years ago and barrier under that, we then placed another barrier and 8 inches of shale, 3 to 4 inches of tailling’s or crushed roadway as another barrier and then finally 3 to 4 inches of pea stone,” Evans said.

The six-acre property will be used to create the dog park, offering pet owners a larger space to bring their pets than Catskill and Athens.

Officials describe the park as “a safe, clean, and community-focused space designed for dogs.”

In order to keep the park safe for animals, a set of rules have been issued to use the dog park. The rules include:

• Rabies vaccination is required
• No food is allowed inside the park
• No female dogs in heat
• No aggressive behavior towards people or other dogs
• Keep your dog attended at all times
• Keep your children attended at all times
• No outside toys allowed
• Clean up after your dog
• Keep barking to a minimum
• If an altercation does happen with your dog, a 7-day cool-down period is required before returning
• If altercations keep happening, officials will require a professional training evaluation

Evans said the dog park features two areas for pets. It features a section for larger dogs, encompassing 200 feet by 100 feet, and a section for small dogs that is about 50 feet by 100 feet.

It will also include a shed for supplies, multiple water fountains, an electric run-in, and a 20 by 30 foot pavilion with picnic tables and benches.

Since 2023, the village has been given a variety of donations towards the park, including a $50,000 donation from the Champlain-Hudson Power Express.

Evans said donations toward the dog park can be made on the village’s website. For updates on the dog park, can be found on the dog park’s Facebook page.