Support of Off-Leash Recreation at Sheepfold and the Middlesex Fells
If you enjoy walking or hiking together with your dog on the trails of the Middlesex Fells or socializing your dog with other dogs in the Sheepfold, write today to request that the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) include safe and legal options for off-leash recreation in the Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan.
The DCR has begun the process of developing a Trail System Plan for the Middlesex Fells and is soliciting comments, experiences, goals and concerns from people who use the Fells.
The Middlesex Fells Dog Owner Group (FellsDOG) is encouraging people who enjoy the Middlesex Fells in the company of their dogs to contribute to the planning process for the Middlesex Fells trail system. This is an opportunity for dog owners to make a strong case for the need for opportunities to enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash without breaking the law, without interfering with other park users' enjoyment of the Fells and without threatening wildlife habitats.
To support off-leash recreation in Sheepfold and the Middlsex Fells, send a letter or e-mail to:
You may wish to respond to some of all of the following questions, offered by the DCR as a guide for the kind of input that is especially helpful at this stage in the process.
How do you (and your family) use the trails at the Middlesex Fells? (i.e. what parts of the Fells; how often; what kinds uses; what times of day, week and year; etc.)
What would you describe as some of the highlights of the Fells trail system? (i.e. what scenic, natural or cultural resources and destinations are important to you?)
What would you describe as some of the problems with the trail system at the Fells that affect your trail experience there?
Can you describe the “recreational experience(s)” that you find most enjoyable at the Fells? (This might include the level of difficulty, interaction with other users, length of the use, type of use, etc. Feel free to write about your best Fells experience.)
If you could make three changes in the Fells trail system, what would they be?
What other comments would you like us to consider as we develop our trail system plan for the Middlesex Fells?
National Park Service Recognizes Legitimacy of Off-Leash Recreation
In a letter dated October 15, 2009, Michael D. Wilson, Chief, State and Local Assistance Programs, National Park Service, Unites States Departement of the Interior, writes
dog parks are a use for which there is a growing demand at public outdoor recreation facilities and can, in and of themselves, be construed as a form of recreation for dog owners.
The letter, released by the Newton Dogs Off-Leash Advisory Committee, is addressed to Peter F. Harrington, Harrington & Harrington, in response to his argument that the off-leash recreational area at Cold Spring Park in Newton was a violation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act and that the approval of the US Secretary of the Interior was required to change the use of the park to something “other than public outdoor recreation uses”.
Harrington claimed that the city took money from the federal government to develop the land for specific uses and that off-leash recreation is not one of those specific uses.
In its response to Harrington the National Parks Service (NPS) explains the federal, state and local roles in the management of LCWF-funded parks. Accordingly, the NPS cc'd Ian Bowles, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and asked him to address "the status of the dog park experiment and [Harrington's] clients concerns with the city of Newton."
In a letter dated October 26, 2009, Melissa Cryan, Land and Water Conservation Fund Coordinator, EOEEA, replied to the National Park Service saying that she found that "the city is not in violation of its agreement with the National Park Service." "As a side note," she concluded,
the park was found to be in good condition, with the trails well maintained and the main entrance a welcoming place for the park's visitors.
I am greatly pleased that the US Secretary of the Interior does not interfere with the ability of cities and towns to make decisions about how local parkland can best serve citizens' recreational needs. I am delighted that NPS has made an official statement acknowledging that enjoying the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash is a legitimate recreational use of public open space!
Somerville Mayor, Joe Curtatone, was a guest on Radio Boston this afternoon for a show about "Dog-Friendly Boston." Asked about allocating public money for dog parks, the Mayor laughed: "The last time I checked, we weren't writing checks to dogs." In all seriousness he explained, "people want to live in the urban core and you have to provide them with amenities and services". "Like New York,"he said, "we need to maximize and have the most flexible, dynamic open and recreation spaces."
Curtatone addressed complaints that he has heard but, "overall," he said,
the response has been extremely positive. Whether it's from residents who have just moved here, or have been here for a long time who have pets--and I have two dogs--or people from out of town who visit here and say "That's an incredible commitment to urban living!" I think that, if we want Somerville, like NY does, to be a model of urban living, you need to have those amenities. It's a great use of tax dollars.
In addition to the Mayor's comments, I especially liked the sequence with Adam Ragusea, Associate Producer for Radio Boston, who adopted his first dog a few months ago. Ragusea's story is the familiar story of city-dwellers who become dog owners. Since he adopted his dog, he has begun to visit parks he never visited before. Rausea and his border collie mix, Lucy, visit the off-leash parks in their Cambridge neighborhood: Pacific Street Park as well as Fort Washington Park. They also travel to visit parks: They take the Red Line to the Joe Wex Dog Recreation Space at Peters Park in Boston's South End, and they visit participating parks in the Green Dog Program in Brookline.
I was interested to learn more about the Boston Dog Owner Group's proposal for expanding off-leash privileges in Boston Common. In addition to a designated area in the Common for off-leash recreation, they are working with the Beacon Hill Civic Association on establishing a secondary off-leash area that would rotate on a six-month schedule around three different sites in the Common.
There's been a lot of brouhaha and hubbub in the local media about the pilot off-leash area at Cold Springs Park in Newton. It was refreshing to get a reality check from Amy Koel, Chair of the Newton Dogs Off-Leash Advisory Committee, who said that by reputation it's a lot more controversial than it is in reality. Koel's verdict on the pilot area: "it is working." (I thought it was cheesy on the part of Radio Boston that they played up Koel's PhD in human psychology, which has no bearing on her volunteer work in her community.)
One caller from Somerville said that he was a former dog owner but would never own a dog again because he thinks that it is inappropriate to own dogs in the city. Matthew Parker, Vice-President of the New York Council of Dog Owner’s Groups (NYCdog, pronounced "nice dog") had a great reply: Parker sees people who are visiting from either other countries or the suburbs walk past the dog park in his neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, and they marvel at how the dogs, both off leash and on leash, are very calm with each other and around people. That's a direct result of socialization, which dogs get a lot more of in the city than they do in the country.
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.
Come to the community meeting Wednesday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland Street and help make sure that parks for people and pets are a priority in the City's Open Space and Recreation Plan for the upcoming five years.
When the City conducted a survey in 2002 about the most needed types of open space, eleven (11) respondents selected "dog run" in their top five.1
Today the Nunziato Off-Leash Recreational Area (OLRA) is used by hundreds of residents every week. It is more than just a "dog run," it is a place where people enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash.
The OLRA at Nunziato Field serves many people in addition to those of us who enjoy it with our dogs. Because people have a place where we can play with our dogs off-leash, dogs are kept out of the adjacent field.
Somerville needs more places like the Nunziato off-leash recreational area. Over one-third of households own dogs, and not all of our homes are in walking distance to the Nunziato OLRA.
This year the City is again asking residents what types of open space are most needed in the City. Thousands of us need parks that we can enjoy with our pets. Let's speak up Wednesday evening for more off-leash recreational areas and more parks where we can walk our dogs on leash!
Public Hearing about Construction Vehicles on the Community Path Extension
Auditi Guha reports in the Somerville Journal that a public hearing is scheduled for March 1, 6 p.m., at City Hall regarding the rezoning of the Maxpak site and a covenant issued by the city allowing developers KSS Realty to use the future Community Path (between Cedar and Lowell Streets) for construction vehicles to access the site. The public comment period for the project also begins March 1 ("Bike path users not notified of new covenant").
Allowing construction equipment to access the site from the Path will have an impact on Alipne Street residents, as the Path runs behind their properties. It may also have an impact on the project to extend the Community Path.
It is therefore inexcusable that the Friends of the Community Path and members of the City's Bicycle Committee were not consulted on the covenant. The Friends of the Community Path and the Bicycle Committee have been working in partnership with the City and other communities on a multi-phase plan to extend the Community Path from Cedar Street to the Charles River. Both groups have also participated for the past two years in the community process to develop the Maxpak site.
I spoke yesterday with Joel Bennett of the Friends of the Community Path. My understanding is that the Friends have two concerns about the covenant:
Stakeholders in the community were excluded from and not informed about the discussion to route vehicular traffic off the streets and onto the future Path;
There will be no benefit to the future Community Path and the community it will serve from the development.
In August 2005 Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, and Representative Michael Capuano succeded in getting $900,000 earmarked for Community Path extension in Somerville from the federal transportation spending bill. The Friends are realistic about the possibilty of federal transprotation funds for bicycle and recreational paths being redirected to other transportation projects. Currently, construction of the Community Path from Cedar Street to Central Street is scheduled to take place in 2009.
Since the developers will benefit from the Community Path both during the construction of 199 residential units and becuase access to the Path will make the development attractive to customers and investors, it seems reasonable for the community to request from the developers a contribution to the Path project, such as removing the tracks from the abandoned railbed and extending the path from Cedar Street at least to their property.
"The proposed swap calls for [Swedish retailer] Ikea to give its 16 acres on the river to Federal Realty Investment Trust. Federal, in turn, would give the furniture company 11 acres behind Home Depot, closer to the highway. . . .
"Federal Realty said the trade would allow it to build 1,300 more condos and apartments than it had planned, for a total of 2,646. Federal also would build 15,000 square feet of office space. The plan also calls for a 200-room hotel and 230,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, including a supermarket."
Of course, for the livability of the mixed-use development at Assembly Square, adequate open space must be planned for residents, visitors and commuters. For the safety and enjoyment of all, open space in Assembly Square should be planned to address the needs of dog owners with an adequate area for off-leash recreation, facilities for waste removal, and signage advising people that they must leash and clean up after their dogs in areas that are not deisgnated for off-leash recreation.
This month the National Recreation and Park Association's [NRPA] monthly member magazine, Parks and Recreation, features an article about how parks and recreation professionals can benefit from dogpark advocacy groups: "From Animal Advocates to Allies," by Clare Leschin-Hoar.
I'm all for the involvement of private citizens in the stewardship of neighborhood parks. A park with an active "friends" group is a park that is safer and cleaner than a park in which neighbors do not take an active stewardship role. A fantastic local example is the Foss Park Neighborhood Association (FPNA), which has been actively working with both City and State representatives to improve (dog-friendly) Saxton J. Foss Park on Broadway and McGrath Highway. FPNA was featured last month in an article in the Somerville Journal, "Foss Park gaining popularity."
[T]he group has drawn the support of State Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Somerville, and of the staff of State Sen. Charlie Shannon, D-Winchester, who died in April, in getting the DCR to finally face Foss Park problems. More recently, State Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge, has also joined forces with the neighbors. . . .
The neighborhood association met last week with Patrick Flynn, director of Urban Parks and Recreation for the DCR, to share 24 issues they would like the state to address. . . .
Bill Roche, the Ward 1 alderman, said the neighborhood association is doing great work and should expect to see a safer, more beautiful space over time.
Another option for Friends groups frustrated by a lack of public resources and governmental support is to assume responsibility for neighborhood parks. The Boston Globe ran an article on June 17, "Neighbors go green, raising cash for parks," about parks friends groups in Boston, among them the Friends of Hayes Park:
Joe Park and his wife formed the Friends of Hayes Park, whose members devote 1,400 hours a year to mowing lawns, tending roses, and maintaining playground equipment by agreement with the city. . . .
[T]he Friends of Hayes Park raise $15,000 to $25,000 annually through fund-raisers and donations. They squirrel away whatever they can for an endowment fund.
"The theory was that one day, I would be able to retire from this fund-raising business and that the interest that we generated from these fund-raisers would in essence pay for the maintenance of the park," he said. "Well, that hasn't happened yet. What we're finding is obviously, as we get older, more things can go wrong, [or] just have to be maintained."
Both the Foss Park Neighborhood Association in Somerville and the Friends of Hayes Park in Boston are demonstrating great civic responsibility, but, as every good civics student knows, responsibilities do not guarantee rights. There is a reason that the government is responsible for the open spaces which are the citizens' right. Even communities that do not have private resources to retain a gardener for their neighborhood parks have a right to safe and well-maintained open spaces. I am deeply concerned about the attitude of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino that neighborhood organizations should take an increasing role in maintaining parks. It is reckless for the government to delegate back to the public the very responsibilities for which governments were created in the first place.
Among its plans for the extension of the Minuteman Bikeway from Cedar Street to Central Street, Somerville's Friends of the Community Path "is hoping to add a community garden or dog walk to the path."
Friends of the Community Path will present its plans June 15 at the 25% Design hearing, which is open to Somerville residents. . . . The 25% Design hearing will be held June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Visiting Nurses Assisted Living Community, 259 Lowell St., third floor (from a June 2 article by Jessica Barnett in the Somerville City News).
Dog owners are strongly encouraged to attend the presentation tonight to learn more and voice their support for the dog walk.
