Warren County Parks and Recreation Department Director Chris Kummer wasn’t barking up the wrong tree when in January he proposed bringing a dog park to Phil Moore Park.

Kummer’s dream for the park along Scottsville Road will soon become a reality, thanks to the help of Bowling Green’s Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems.

Sumitomo General Manager Matt Adams and Human Resources Specialist Laura Upchurch were on hand for Friday’s Warren County Fiscal Court meeting, and they came with a $10,000 check to help fund the dog park.

“We hope by the end of May or the first of June to have it open,” said Kummer, whose proposal in January was projected to happen in the 2018-19 fiscal year. “We’re going to try to move things along.”

Kummer said in January that the dog park would cost approximately $30,000, with most of that cost in fencing. Plans for the dog park call for a fenced-in, 40-foot-by-80-foot area for small dogs (under 30 pounds) and a 40-by-100 area for large dogs. It will be the first dog park in a county park.

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 Warren County.

The dog park to be located across Scottsville Road from the Phil Moore Park ballfields and gymnasium is one of two Kummer hopes to build at county parks. He has already identified an area near the cross-country barn at Ephram White Park for a second dog park.

“We wanted to get the one at Phil Moore Park up and going,” Kummer said.

“We have allotted funds for this one, and we’re looking for additional sponsors as well.”

Adams said this project is a good fit for Sumitomo, which is celebrating its 30th year in Bowling Green by doing more community outreach.

“We’ve been looking at how best to give back to the community,” Adams said. “We had a number of opportunities, but we wanted it to be something ongoing and something our employees could get behind.”

Adams and Upchurch said they envision having special events that allow Sumitomo employees to help maintain the new dog park.

Friday’s check presentation by Adams and Upchurch was welcomed by Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon, who said: “This expedites the development (of the dog park). It’s phenomenal that Sumitomo is taking the initiative to help support this project. They’re great community partners.”

Another partnership approved by fiscal court Friday will improve access to the Aviation Heritage Park in Basil Griffin Park. The magistrates approved a resolution granting Buchanon authority to sign an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that will help fund an access road for the aviation park entrance off Three Springs Road.

The agreement calls for the KYTC to reimburse fiscal court up to $36,000 in state contingency funding for completion of the access road. The county is responsible for any costs above $36,000.

In other action Friday, the magistrates approved payment of $7,174 to Vermont Systems for a pass management system that will keep track of patron usage at the Phil Moore, Buchanon and Ephram White gymnasiums.

Magistrates also approved an expense of $19,925.88 to Wright Equipment for two mowers to be used at county parks, and they approved on first reading the rezoning of 30 acres along Rich Pond-Rockfield Road from agriculture to single-family residential in order for Newport Properties LLC to develop as many as 112 homes of 1,400 square feet or more.

Newport Properties representative Steve Larkin said last month that the homes would sell in the price range of $185,000 to $225,000.

Buchanon announced Friday that the dates of the two fiscal court meetings scheduled for April have been changed. The meeting originally scheduled for 9 a.m. April 6 has been moved to the same time April 9. The meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. April 20 will now be held at the same time April 23.