Should Cliffwood Beach Waterfront Park Roller Hockey Rink Become a Dog Park?

Dog lovers may soon have a pet-friendly park in Cliffwood Beach.

Hurricane Sandy severely damaged Cliffwood Waterfront Park and the Township Council is looking for ways to improve it while they repair it. At their March 19 workshop meeting, they discussed the possibility of converting the roller hockey rink into a dog park.

"Because the hockey rink was destroyed and it's expensive to replace and it's not used that much, we figured we could go a different route," Township Manager Holly Reycraft said during the workshop.

Reycraft added that the township would not be able to use FEMA money to fund the project unless they opt to rebuild the park exactly as it was before the storm. She believes they will, however, have enough insurance money to pay for it.

Reycraft told the council that she reached out to the township manager in Howell, where a dog park was recently created. She was told that the park is not staffed, contains one section for large dogs and one for small dogs and that shade is a necessity.

"They said the residents that use it actually do clean up and they haven't had any problems with it," she said.

Mayor Fred Tagliarini added that township officials also hope to revitalize the baseball and softball fields as well as the basketball courts at the Waterfront Park.

"I think these ideas would make the park more of a destination," he said.

Flooding is a constant issue in the area, and Reycraft said the township would have to also consider having engineers build a seawall or improve the dunes regardless of how they choose to improve the park. 

No action was taken as this was only a discussion of possible ways to fix Sandy's damage to the park. 

Tell us: What would you like to see the township do to improve Cliffwood Beach Waterfront Park?