Woofstock Park 4.77

HISTORY

Woofstock Park is constructed on the former site of the Walden Chase apartment complex that was destroyed as a result of flooding in September 2009. The City of Woodstock was able to purchase the property with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA.
The terms of the FEMA grant stipulate that anything constructed on the property reflect the fact that the land is in a floodway or floodplain. The City Council approved the concept of using the property as a dog park in 2010.

DESIGN

Because of the restrictions for the property as stipulated by the FEMA grant, the design of Woofstock Park includes elements that insure the ability of water to drain from the property and reduce the effects from future flooding. This includes the placement of fencing, shade structures and the restroom facility outside of the floodway. The existing asphalt parking lots were removed and replaced with a gravel surface to insure drainage during rains and future flooding, per FEMA requirements. The large green space on the east end of the park is located directly in the floodway and can’t include any structure or other obstruction that may impede the flow of water during flood events. Instead of sidewalks, boardwalks are utilized to optimize drainage.
As a result of these design elements, the length of time that the park will be closed following a flood will be minimized.