Off-leash Recreational Area in Charlestown
As part of the Mezzo Design Lofts project, the developers created a neighborhood park for people and pets on Caldwell Street in Charlestown. The park is just over the Somerville City Line at the end of Broadway, in the shadow of I-93.
The developers are to be commended for improving public open space in the neighborhood. Strummer checked out the park on Labor Day, and, we found some problems that will have to be addressed for the park to succeed. I made a little video documenting the problems.
I learned about the park from friends who live in East Somerville with two small dogs. When they told me about the park, they raised concerns for the safety of their dogs: There are gaps in the park's fencing through which a small dog could easily escape to the heavy traffic of Broadway.
About one-quarter to one-third of the off-leash recreational area is landscaped with low plantings and small trees. The landscaping limits the space that can be used for off-leash recreation; Moreover, the grasses, shrubs and flowers will not withstand the use of the area by dogs, and will become an eyesore.
Comments
I agree completely. I do visit the park some weekday mornings and meet up with a large lab mix named Louis. Suki and Louis are larger and there is no worries that they can slip underneath the gate, however, an "Airlock" is greatly needed as the dogs all ready in the park try to get out!
I also notice many of the dogs from Mezzo do not enter the park. They just walk by, or stranger, they seem to use the "Tot Lot" connected to the park. I've noticed dog waste in the Tot Lot and that's not neighborly!
A little tweaking and the park could be a greatly appreciated addition to the neighborhood.
Bill Ritchotte
Posted by: B. Ritchotte
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September 23, 2008 12:31 AM
I also completely agree with the assesment of the dog park on Caldwell Street. As a resident of the neighborhood with two miniature poodles, I was very excited to see the creation of the dog park on what was previously an unused/ugly piece of land across from the Mezzo Design Lofts.
While we have visited the park on a few occassions over the last few months, I am not at all comfortable letting my dogs off leash inside the park, as it is not completely secured and small/medium sized dogs (my dogs weigh 18 and 22 pounds, so they are not exactly tiny) can easily escape the park through the gaps in the fencing to the adjoining tot lot or to the heavy traffic on Broadway. My dogs have already successfully walked through the gaps in the fence to the adjoining tot lot, hence my hesitation for taking off their leashes once in the park.
My recommendations to make the park more secure to small/medium dogs (many of which live with their owners at the Mezzo Design Lofts) would be to 1)install a fence along the already existing tot lot fence, 2) secure the gap at the bottom of the fence along Broadway and 3) secure the gaps at the bottom of the wooden side of the fence.
I welcome the addition of the dog park to the neighborhood and thank the developers of the Mezzo Design Lofts and the City of Boston for this addition. With a few minor improvements, the park could really become more useful to residents of the Mezzo Design Lofts and the surrounding neighborhood.
Aleks Kenar (with miniature poodles, Mint and Mikah)
Posted by: Aleks
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September 29, 2008 10:25 AM