Work on accessibility improvements to the off-leash area for dogs inside the high-traffic Westgrove Park in Groveton will begin next week.
Half of the dog park at 6801 Fort Hunt Road will stay open while new amenities designed to make the park more accessible are installed, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.
As part of a public-private partnership, the area will receive new, Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant, engineered, wood-fiber surfacing and accessible picnic tables.
“The new engineered wood fiber surfacing will provide a more accessible, maintainable and resilient surface than the existing conditions, while the addition of accessible picnic tables will improve the experience for park visitors,” the park authority said in a press release.
In December, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board voted to spend just over $10,000 from the Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant Program to cover half the costs of the upgrades. The Westgrove Pumphouse Association for Canine Kindness (also called Westgrove P.A.C.K.) paid for the other half of the project.
The park has seen heavy use since its creation over a decade ago. The county has a memorandum of understanding with Westgrove P.A.C.K. that the nonprofit will cover the cost of maintenance while the Park Authority retains ownership.
Work is expected to be completed in September.
