The city of Holmes Beach is throwing the dogs a bone — or at least some new grass.
Public works director Herb Raybourn told The Islander April 23 that a second stage of sod had been laid at the dog park on the north end of city field, between 62nd Street, Flotilla Drive and 59th Street.
It is the only dedicated dog park on Anna Maria Island and features separate spaces for large and small dogs, a wash off area, as well as multiple shade structures and benches.
However, the dog park has been in rough shape since the municipality used city field as a debris collection site following two 2024 hurricanes, which resulted in damage to the park’s irrigation system.
That led much of the park’s grass to die and, despite the installation of a new irrigation system, it never rebounded.
Several dog park-users attended public meetings in late 2025 to voice displeasure with the park’s condition and call for improvements.
The city has since been busy.
Work began in January, when public works staff added a bench, planted multiple shady lady and cabbage palm trees, and laid the first stage of sod, covering the west side of the big dog park and the south side of the small dog park.
In March, city staff replaced the roofs of two former baseball dugouts used as shade structures at the park and painted both a color chosen by parkgoers.
While cold weather delayed the first stage of sod’s ability to take root, Raybourn said that by Easter weekend, it had fully taken and was looking well-established.
So on April 6, public works staff removed the temporary fencing and caution tape and opened the newly sodded areas to the dogs.
Staff also laid the second stage of sod, covering the north side of the small dog park and the northeast corner of the big dog park, as well as installed new signage to explain park rules.
Raybourn said he did not expect the newly laid sod to take as long to take root as the first stage, since it was laid during a warmer season. He projected it to take until June or July.
“We’re pretty confident this second phase is going to go faster,” he said. “Some rain would be nice, but it’s OK, we’ve got an irrigation system.”
After it takes, the small dog park will be fully resodded, and city staff will lay a third stage of sod to cover the last portion of the big dog park, on its southeast corner.
Only the very western edge of the big dog park will remain without sod by the end of the city’s slated improvements, since the municipality wanted to maintain a stretch of dirt for dogs to run and play in.
In the meantime, Raybourn said the city has been approached by community members about potential donations for added improvements, like agility-course equipment.
He said such improvements would be discussed during the city’s next parks and beautification committee meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.