Warren County’s Phil Moore and Ephram White parks could be going to the dogs. And that’s a good thing, says the director of the county’s parks and recreation department.

Chris Kummer and some of his staff presented a plan for a dog park at Phil Moore Park at the Warren County Fiscal Court meeting Friday, but he said building the parks at either Phil Moore or Ephram White depends on funding during the fiscal year that starts July 1.

“We need another place for dogs to run freely in Bowling Green,” said Kummer, pointing out that the Bark Park in the city of Bowling Green’s H.P. Thomas Park on Cave Mill Road is currently the only dog park in the county.

Kummer said the dog park proposal for Phil Moore Park would cost about $30,000 and would include a small-dog area for animals under 30 pounds, as well as an area for larger dogs.

The fenced-in, 40-foot-by-80-foot area for small dogs and the 40-by-100 area for large dogs would allow dog owners to let their pets roam freely. Currently, Kummer said, dogs are allowed in county parks only if they are on a leash.

He explained that the fenced-in areas would have a double-gate system to lessen the chances of any dogs escaping from the designated area.

“We did some research in our region and nationally and came up with this plan,” Kummer said. “We’ll have heavier fencing that will be durable, and we’ll have a gravel parking lot.”

Kummer has already identified an area for the dog park across Scottsville Road from the Phil Moore Park gymnasium and ballfields.

“There’s plenty of room there,” he said. “It won’t interfere with cross country meets and events like the Mud Run.”

Kummer and his staff have also identified a site for a dog park at Ephram White Park that could be built as well if funding is available.

“We have a site we’re looking at adjacent to the cross country barn,” he said.

“We think it would be a nice spot that would fit in and not interfere with cross country and other events.”

The proposal for a dog park came as a response to public demand, Kummer explained.

“Over the past five years, we’ve had patrons at Phil Moore and Ephram White request areas to have animals roam and play,” he said. “With the public looking for this kind of space, we wanted to come up with a proposal.”

After hearing Kummer’s proposal, Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said: “I think it is something we need to do.”

“I hope fiscal court will consider funding this in the 2018-19 budget cycle,” Kummer said. “But we’ll work with what we’re given and continue to try to work this in when resources allow.”

Kummer’s counterpart at the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department has no doubt that a new dog park would be utilized.

“Our parking lot continually fills up,” Bowling Green Parks Director Brent Belcher said of the Bark Park, which opened in 2007. “It’s a heavily used park. We’re looking at an additional dog park in our future.”

Belcher said dog parks are great ways to utilize acreage that might not be suitable for athletic fields while also addressing a public demand.

“With the number of apartments in our city, there’s a lot of demand for dog parks,” he explained. “And it’s kinda like the skate park, an amenity that people come here for.”

If the fiscal court’s magistrates agree to the project, Kummer said it would be put out for bids sometime after July 1.

“We want to be lean while also making sure this is a quality investment,” he said.