Forty-one people signed in at the community meeting Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at the Visiting Nurses Association (259 Lowell Street) to discuss proposed sites for fenced-in off-leash recreational areas (OLRAs) along the Community Path.

Ward Five Alderman Sean O'Donovan requested in November 2005 that the that the Director of Strategic Planning and Community Development evaluate the placement of a dog run in the Community Path area of Ward 5.

Tuesday evening Carlene Campbell, Community Outreach Director for the Mayor’s Office for Strategic Planning and Community Development, presented the proposal which was prepared with cooperation from the City's Dog Owners Task Force, to which Campbell serves as Liaison.

Fenced-in OLRAs serve the many and diverse recreational needs of all residents in an urban community like Somerville where we must share limited open space resources. Specifically, on the Community Path, fenced-in areas would provide a space where park users may exercise and socialize their dogs off-leash out of the way of other users who enjoy recreational activities including, but not limited to, walking, bicycling and community gardening, without dogs.

Before turning to the proposal, Campbell reviewed the rules for OLRAs in Somerville.

Three proposed sites for OLRAs along the Community Path were presented: Cedar Street, at Willow Avenue and at Lexington Park

The proposed area at Cedar Street is adjacent to the large parking structure for the condominiums at 154 Cedar Street. The site is attractive for an OLRA for several reasons: It is a potentially large area if cleared; it is near the location where local residents with dogs currently meet; it immediately abuts a garage structure; many Morrison Avenue residents whose property abuts the Path opposite the proposed area have dogs; there is existing lighting.

The area is prone to flooding, though the City has made improvements that have mitigated this problem. Before going forward with this proposal, it would be necessary to negotiate with the community organizations who have contributed plantings in this area, as well as the residential abutters to ensure that any concerns they may have are addressed.

The proposed approximate budget for the proposed OLRA at Cedar Street is $7,500

Discussion about this site centered on concerns about parking and identifying the groups responsible for the plantings in the area. Campbell explained that because the OLRA is intended for people who already use the Community Path, and because the Administration is committed to creating OLRAs in each of Somerville’s seven wards, additional parking accommodations will not be necessary.

The proposed area at Willow Avenue is adjacent to the electrical substation at 110 Willow Avenue. It is a potentially long area if cleared; it is located near the site currently popular among local dog owners; there are no immediate residential abutters; there is existing lighting.

The reasons that local dog owners do not gather here include the following: the area is too narrow for the ways that dogs play together; Japanese Knotweed, an invasive species that is difficult to eradicate has overtaken this area; there are sharp grade changes.

The proposed approximate budget for the proposed OLRA at Willow Avenue is $6,735.

A resident inquired about the number of users the proposed areas are intended to accommodate. People were also interested in the way that OLRAs would fit in the existing park space. In response to complaints about dog owners violating the City leash law on the Community Path, it was observed that, through the Dog Owners Task Force, residents are working for legal options for off-leash recreation in our neighborhoods.

City parks in Somerville do not have occupancy limits. Campbell explained that City is committed to creating adequate off-leash recreational areas to accommodate residents' needs. She suggested that landscaping could soften the transition between the fenced-in areas and the Community Path, and that if there was interest from environmental groups and other community organizations there would be the opportunity for them to participate landscaping. She reiterated that Somerville does not have a lot of green space and that we all have to work together to share our resources.

The proposed area at Lexington Park is adjacent to the existing Lexington Park playground and basketball courts. This is the area that is currently popular with local residents for off-leash recreation, because there are no immediate residential abutters and because it is large, clear and otherwise unused during regular park hours. Other existing amenities include lighting, shade and a nearby source of drinking water.

To ensure the safety of children using the adjacent playground, a buffer zone between the playground and the OLRA could be created, or plastic slats could be inserted in the chain-link fencing, or both. The area may have to be leveled a bit to accommodate the surface treatment of decomposed granite, preferred for its hygienic benefits.An off-leash recreational area will keep dogs off the Path, benefiting bicyclists and other users who enjoy the Community Path without dogs. A fenced-in OLRA near the playground would serve the needs of families with both children and dogs. Also an OLRA in the neighborhood would support the efforts of the Lexington Park Neighborhood Watch. With the stewardship of regular users, an OLRA would directly address the problem of people loitering in the area to drink and the resulting broken glass that litters the area.

The proposed budget approximate for the proposed OLRA at Lexington Park is $11,925.

The discussion revisited several issues that had been raised earlier in the evening, including concerns that, with OLRAs, there would be more cars parking on neighboring streets, and concerns about the lawlessness of residents who own dogs. One gentleman brought pictures of the violations: He listed maintenance, safety, parking, property values, liability, enforcement, and noise among his concerns.

Everyone agreed that dogs running rampant on the Path is creating a potentially dangerous situation and that we need correct the situation before someone gets hurt. It was maintained that fenced-in area will keep off-leash dogs off the Path and out of the way of the recreation and traffic of Path users.

It was observed that, because Lexington Park is fraught with tensions between a group that uses the playground and another that uses the basketball court, creating a space for the use of dog owners would exacerbate existing tensions. Residents were quick to point out that dog owners already use the space, albeit without the security of a fence, and that they remained outside of the conflict between the other two groups.

Residents recalled that they had been told when Lexington Park was built that, because the City did not own the land along the Community Path, the park could not be made any larger. Campbell explained that the City was working with the MBTA to create much needed recreational space for residents with dogs.

Several taxpayers and a homeowners reported feeling as though they were being told by their own neighbors that they are not welcome in the neighborhood and that they do not deserve services provided by their own taxes.

The question was raised as to whether it is legal for people to enjoy the Community Path with their leashed dogs. Campbell said that Path users may have leashed dogs on the Path and that the City has ordered new signs to replace the “No Dogs Allowed” signs: The new signs will advise Path users that dogs must be leashed and handlers must clean up after their dogs.

It was suggested that the proposal for off-leash recreational areas on the Community Path be revisited later after OLRAs are created in other neighborhoods.

Gratitude was extended to the absent elected officials who called the meeting to give the community the opportunity to come together to discuss ways that open space in the neighborhood can serve the many and diverse recreational needs of all residents.

Campbell concluded the meeting and proposed another meeting in June and possibly in September.