West Stockbridge — On March 25, the Select Board approved a wooded area as the proposed site for a to-be-constructed dog park.
The idea began in 2022 with a survey that showed that residents had interest in having a local dog park, said Michael Bolognino, who chairs the Dog Park Advisory Committee along with Jana Sax. Although the amenity was investigated by the town’s Parks and Recreation Department, staff determined it couldn’t take on the project. In late 2023, the Dog Park Advisory Committee was formed “to investigate what it would take to make a dog park,” Bolognino said. Since then, the group has had 11 public meetings, convening with many town departments and committees before receiving a state grant for $25,000 covering the park’s design phase and feasibility study, with an additional $250,000 grant enabling its construction.
The committee hosted a town forum on February 24 attended by 30 individuals and garnered positive feedback before it officially formed a nonprofit organization that bid out and selected the park’s design firm, Berkshire Design Group. The firm’s principal, Jeff Squire, has designed 20 dog parks and helped the committee narrow potential sites down to four possible locations for the town’s dog park. After examining the sites with eight criteria in mind, both the firm and the committee selected Town Hall for the local dog park. Bolognino said the chosen site’s benefits include existing parking, access, being known already as a destination for dog owners, and being centrally located.
“And the best part? We identified a location that’s not being utilized at all,” he said of the wooded area behind the tennis courts.
‘Ruff’ road to site selection
The park will consist of two main sections: a half-acre small dog park and a one-acre all-dog park. Both will be accessible through the same entrance, with a path to be constructed to that entrance through the parking lot.
The Select Board was given two options for construction, approving the first option that would provide room for both dog parks without impacting the existing adjacent soccer field but requires significant tree clearing to accommodate the play areas. The second option would require the existing soccer field to be shifted slightly, estimated to be about 25 feet, to gain a clearing resulting in removing less forest area. That option offers more flexibility to provide woodland area and open space, Bolognino said.
Select Board Chair Kathleen Keresey voiced concern over this site being used in the future for senior or affordable housing, with a wetlands study to be performed. She asked Bolognino if there was a determination that the site would better serve a human, whether the dog park could be moved. He responded that the group informally checked with the town’s Conservation Commission, with its representative stating that only Card Pond has a wetlands issue and not the proposed dog park site.
“Yes, it is more than just a fence,” Bolognino said of the dog park. “When they put pathways in [the dog park], they will have to be done properly, [with] some excavation and hardscaping.”
Although Bolognino said the park could be moved, his group would have to figure out the details and asked the Select Board about the timeline for the housing designation.
According to member Andrew Potter, no timeline presently exists for the tract to be converted into a housing site, and he said that hinging the dog park discussion on that possibility would be “unrealistic.” Potter added that the town is “nowhere near” finding a funding mechanism for the housing project, and Keresey confirmed that the housing “is not an executed plan” at all.
“I want us to leave here with a clear sense of what the next steps should be,” Bolognino said. “It sounds like we have the chicken before the egg situation.”
The grant requires the site to have plumbed water, he said, with the selected Town Hall location being the only site with that amenity.
Potter said the tract has enough land for both a housing facility and the dog park, adding that he has received “some pushback” about the site from sports-minded residents. Town Administrator Marie Ryan clarified that three fields on the parcel actively serve soccer, lacrosse, and baseball uses.
Potter proposed the housing be located on the eastern side of the tract, with the dog park approved for the western side.
“The town doesn’t own a lot of property, so if we are looking at these different needs of the town and the thoughts behind what might go in what location, it’s just a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle,” Keresey said.
When completed, the park will fall under town ownership, with member Andrew Krouss questioning the liability of the municipality and the nonprofit should issues arise. Bolognino said the group has an insurance policy covering the project and will further investigate that topic, including referring to committee members of sister dog parks in Brewster and Pittsfield for their input.
The next steps to be taken by the committee include conducting a property survey, finalizing the design before being brought back before the board for a vote, and reviewing the proposal by the granting foundation. The project will also require a special permit from the Planning Board, and the town will vote on using Community Preservation Act funds on the site, with those funds needed to satisfy the larger grant’s requirements.
In an effort to promote full transparency, Keresey suggested adding a public forum as an opportunity for citizens to weigh in on the project due to its financial considerations and the use of town property. However, Bolognino and Sax responded the group had held a public meeting, receiving 19 responses that included rating four potential sites, with Town Hall ranked first, followed by Card Pond.
Keresey said she hoped for more than a small group to be involved. Bolognino responded that the group posted the meeting and park particulars in a release provided on and in various sites and places. Potter said he went to the meeting and that it was attended by more people than he had seen at some other meetings.
“This board has the responsibility to make decisions,” he said. “I’m not afraid of making a call on behalf of the town. That’s democracy.”
Keresey maintained that the issue was a consideration of getting town information out more broadly to its residents. “It’s about awareness,” she said.
Potter praised the committee as having done its due diligence, paying attention and “going through and doing the right things as far as process and procedure.”
Final Annual Town Meeting Warrant approved
Although the Select Board approved a warrant at the last session, members voted again to approve the final Town Warrant for the May 24 Annual Town Election, posted here.
Paint Stewardship, Municipal Empowerment legislation
At the meeting, the board also signed a resolution to support Paint Stewardship legislation in the Commonwealth, a measure that would provide an opportunity for residents who have stored used paint cans to recycle those products at local venues, such as Sherwin-Williams Paints, in exchange for a small fee. The plan will allow for the returned paint to be recycled into a new paint, lessening the potential for environmental damage.
Additionally, following Potter’s reading of a letter in support of Gov. Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act aiming to streamline collaboration between state and local governments, the Select Board approved sending the document to the legislature.
