ohmidog!

Robert E. Lee Park — a perennial  favorite of Baltimore dogs — is scheduled to get an official dog park built within its boundaries, which may not necessarily be the good news it sounds like for dog owners who like to let their pets romp off leash.

Baltimore County will be taking over management of the park and spending $6 million to make repairs and improvements, including reconstructing and re-opening the pedestrian bridge, restoring the existing trails, installing parking and setting up a secure dog park, according to the Towson Times.

Bob Barrett, director of the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks, said the dog park will be the only part of the entire 453-acre property where dogs can be off leash.

The park, located in the county but owned by the city, has long served as an unofficial off-leash area — to the pleasure of dog owners, but to the chagrin of some nearby homeowners.

Barrett said the county plans to spend $2 million on the dog park and erosion control measures, nearly $3 million for bridge replacement and more than $1 million on parking. He said work will begin after the county signs a long- term lease with the city. It will take up to 16 months to complete the improvements, he said.

More than 41,000 people visit the park each year, which includes Lake Roland. The lake was created by the damming of Jones Falls in 1861 to produce one of the first municipal water supplies for the city. The city stopped using the lake for drinking water in 1915.

About $3 million of the $6 million for the restoration of the park came from the state, according to Barrett. The county matched the amount.