S.B. biz owner concerned about dog park proposal
Township may build public park next year BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer
Gretchen Zimmer, owner of Rocky Top Dog Park on Route 27, is worried that next summer may not be as profitable for her business if South Brunswick moves forward with its proposed public dog park.

SCOTT FRIEDMAN Dietmar Krause plays ball with Roli (l) and Bronica at the Rocky Top Dog Park in South Brunswick on Sunday. The owner of Rocky Top is concerned about the township's proposal to build a free dog park in town.

Zimmer's dog park, located in the town's Kingston section, is currently the only dog park in the township, and she said she is concerned that the opening of a free public dog park elsewhere in town would put her out of business.

"If they put one up at Kendall Park, that is going to be the end of me," she said.

Councilman Joe Camarota Jr. supports the proposed public dog park. He noted that Rocky Top caters to patrons from throughout the region and that the township's proposed dog park would not draw customers away from Zimmer's business.

"The last thing we want to do is negatively affect her business," he said.

Rocky Top is more elaborate than the dog park that the township would develop, Camarota said.

"She has a good business there and she does a very good job of that," the councilman said. "She caters to many other towns, not just South Brunswick. We certainly wouldn't want to compete with her. That's not the object."

While business is usually slower this time of year, Zimmer said she had another good summer season, despite high gas prices.

"I get people from all over the state of New Jersey," Zimmer said. "I thought for sure with the gas prices that it would dry up completely, but I had a pretty good summer."

Rocky Top is on a 3-acre site with a swimming pond, lights for evening use, several fenced-in areas, large trees for shade and a varied terrain for the dogs to play in, Zimmer said. The business also offers "puppy play sessions" for dogs 3 to 7 months of age, as well as other scheduled activities available for members and drop-in patrons.

"One thing I've learned over the seven years that I have run the park is that the worst thing is for a dog owner to go to the park only to find that there are no dogs at the park for their dog to play with," Zimmer said. "In response, Rocky Top is now developing ways in which dog owners can check ahead of time to see if there are any dogs at the park. You will be able to log on to the park's Web site and check to see who is at the park."

Camarota said many residents have expressed an interest in a public dog park over the past few years, and interest remains strong for the project.

"We're looking to provide a service that's been asked for," Camarota said.

Camarota addressed the project's cost, saying that it would depend on where the dog park is built. Tom Morris, of the Recreation and Community Affairs Department, proposed Woodlot Park in the town's Kendall Park section as a potential site at a projected cost of $30,000.

Another site on Culver Road in the Dayton section of town is preferable, since it may cost $5,000 to $10,000 less than building it at Woodlot Park, Camarota said. He attributed the cost difference to the fact that the Dayton site has existing drainage and parking infrastructure that Woodlot Park does not have. He also said the town would have to level the site at Kendall Park, making the Dayton site a less expensive option.

The Dayton site is also better suited for this purpose since it is already a destination for parents who take their children there to play sports, providing an additional use for visitors who would be able to provide better recreation for their dogs, while their children participate in recreation leagues.

Camarota said the Public Works Departmentmight achieve cost savings by using leftover fencing from other projects. The town could keep costs as low as possible by having the work done by municipal employees.

"It would be included as part of the capital budget," Camarota said. "A lot of this we want to do in-house."

Senior citizens would benefit from the public dog park, since it would be free for all patrons, Camarota said.

North Brunswick, East Brunswick and other neighboring towns have public dog parks. There are likely more dogs in South Brunswick than the 1,900 dogs with licenses in town, Camarota said.

"That to me signals that there is a need for a public dog park in town, as there is in neighboring towns," Camarota said.