Quinn’s Jct. dog park gets new turf, new trees, new name: “Wyman”

PARK CITY, Utah — The dog park located at Quinn’s Jct. is undergoing upgrades. Fencing, benches, parking, entrance, water, turf, and trees are all becoming the new Ian Wyman Legacy Dog Park.

Troy Daley has worked for Park City Municipal for 35 years, the now Public Works Director told TownLift, “We’re trying to do enhancements as well as improve maintenance and the aesthetics. On the perimeter, we dug down, put weed fabric, then installed landscaped rock. Towards the parking lot, we removed some of the soil and installed a new five foot sidewalk on that west side of the parking lot to facilitate people and dogs to walk to and from.”

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They split the dog park in two with a new fence. The two sections could be for small breeds and large breeds, and 6000 square feet of pet-designed synthetic turf is in. There’s a new ADA drinking fountain and a whole new, second entrance cut in the far southwest corner by the other parking lot. “A lot of times that parking lot gets full and it’s hard to find a place to park. So we’re gonna create a second entrance.” 

There will be more convenient Mutt Mitt dog bag dispensers and more trash receptacles, also, new amenities like new dog ramps and a fake fire hydrant.

There will be new benches for people to sit on around the inside of the dog park and they ran irrigation to all the trees that were planted. “Everybody has told us how much they like the trees being in the middle of the park, and so we want to continue to build on that. It’s going to take a few years to really get these trees established where they can benefit from the shade. These more established trees will thrive better than the one’s that got planted on the outside of the fence adjacent to the soccer fields a few years ago. We’ve fenced off the new trees during this this critical first two years to try and get the tree established before we really want dogs to, shall we say, interact with them. Yes, there will be something for everyone, two legged and four legged.”

Almost 10 years ago the dog park originally was conceived and designed by Ian Wyman who had grown up in Park City and thought of the idea as a Boy Scout project. It’s officially being nenamed the Ian Wyman Legacy Dog Park after Wyman passed away eight months ago.

Daley asked Ian father, Rich Wyman, what type of features his family would like to see in these upgrades for the community to utilize and many of the ideas came from them.

“We’ve also got a really neat sign that’s going to be put up saying the  Ian Wyman Legacy Dog Park.” said Daley.

TownLift caught up with Rich Wyman at the Park City Farmers Market wher he was singing and playing piano on a day where he wasn’t performing from any of his albums on a national tour.

He thanked Mayor Nan Worrel, former Mayor Dana Williams, Ron Jackenthal, Rory Murphy, and Brian Richards for their professional assistance, their personal friendship, and in some cases their unfortunate solidarity.

Rich Wyman said, “My son Ian was amazing, he was a bright shining light, and sometimes the brightest stars burn the fastest. I feel him most when I’m up in the mountains, in the forest. There’s a place up in Thanes Canyon where we spread his ashes, I ride my mountain bike by it every time I ride and I stop and sit and talk to him up there. I feel a peaceful connection to him up on the mountain.”

“Ian loved water too,” He continued. “He was a captain. That was his dream, He was a private captain for some very special people in New York, and that’s where he crashed his motorcycle. In the Lincoln Tunnel. He was living in New Jersey. So when we’re at the water since then, it’s actually a little more difficult for my wife and I”

“I write songs to him at home, every day, and that’s how I communicate to him, I don’t know if I’ll ever play them for anybody in public. They’re songs about how much I miss him, they’re sad songs, but I look forward to reaching a point where I can write happy songs. My amazing support system reassures me it’s still pretty early, and I’ll maybe get to that point in the future.”

“A silver lining is that my other son, Owen, is actually going to be moving in to the house next door to us, we’re still in the house Ian grew up in, in the same neighborhood right across the street from the elementary school and the High School were they both attended.”

“He was really happy at the time he passed away, in a really good space and he loved riding his motorcycle. He didn’t suffer and he went out smiling.”

On July 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m a dedication ceremony will be held at the Ian Wyman Legacy Dog Park. It’s free, the entire community is welcome to come, there will be food vendors and Rich Wyman with his wife Lisa will be playing music, perhaps even from their popular newest entertainment endeavor Killer Keyz, Duelling Pianos.

 Wyman said, “BYOB,” and Daley said, “BYOD” (dog).