POST FALLS — After years of dog park plans going unrealized in Post Falls, the city finally has the right location at the right time to make it happen. 

The design budget was unanimously approved by council members Tuesday night, and the 1.5-acre off-leash dog park could open by the end of 2027, Parks and Recreation Director Kris Ammerman said.  

A new dog park was floated in various iterations for about nine years, but never came to fruition, parks planner Robbie Quinn stated.  

“The city has pursued the development of a dog park on multiple occasions, initially in 2017 with the preparation of a design in coordination with ITD," Quinn said. "However, the project stalled due to challenges in property access. A second attempt in 2021 to design and construct a dog park at Singing Hills Park met numerous obstacles that prevented its successful completion.” 

The 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan recommended adding dog parks as one of the top priorities identified during community outreach.  

In 2023, the city selected Corbin Park as the site for its first dog park and subsequently acquired additional property there. 

The city disbursed $62,500 of park impact fees to J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc. to design the park, which includes two separate fenced enclosures for small dogs and another for large dogs.  

The project also includes construction of a new asphalt access road, an asphalt parking lot with about 34 stalls that will also serve the nearby Hastings soccer field, a new vault restroom, shade shelters, concrete and gravel pathways, and other standard park amenities and furnishings.