Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that a new off-leash dog park is being developed in the Hilltop Reservation in North Caldwell on Friday, April 27. This will be the fourth dog park in the Essex County Parks System.
The Hilltop Dog Park will be slightly less than 35,000 square feet in size and will be divided so there are separate areas for small and large dogs. The small dog area will be about one-quarter of an acre; the large dog area will be about one-half an acre. The entrance will have a decorative gate, brick paved pathway, information kiosk and new landscaping. Inside the park will be apparatus on which canines can play, benches for their pet parents to site, water fountains for owners and their dogs, garbage cans and receptacles for dog bags. The entire area will be fenced to prevent dogs from running away. Landscaping will be added to the area, trees will be pruned and dead trees removed. Access to the Hilltop Dog Park is via the North Caldwell municipal parking lot on Courter Lane off of Mountain Avenue.
The Hilltop Dog Park will be the fourth dog park in the Essex County Parks System. The Watsessing Dog Park in Bloomfield/East Orange opened in 2005. The South Mountain Dog Park in Maplewood/Millburn opened in 2006. The Brookdale Dog Park in Bloomfield/Montclair opened in 2007. Every October, Essex County hosts popular canine costume parades and contests at the Brookdale and South Mountain Dog Parks.
Remington and Vernick from Secaucus was awarded a $34,200 professional services contract to design the dog park. Zenith Construction from East Orange was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $724,320 to perform the construction. The Essex County Department of Public Works will monitor the project to answer questions and ensure delays are avoided. Funding is being provided through the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Construction started in early April and is scheduled to be completed this summer.
