Please show your support for the City's goal to increase opportunities for off-leash recreation throughout the City: Come to the second public meeting for the City's Open Space and Recreation Plan. It will be held on Wednesday evening, April 30, at 6:30 at the Elizabeth Peabody House (277 Broadway).

At the first meeting, Ellen Schneider, Landscape Project Manager, gave a presentation to introduce the plan and the public process. The public comments from the first meeting are also available from the City. The first public meeting for the Open Space and Recreation Plan was held on February 20 at the Tufts Administration Building.

The Open Space and Recreation Plan is a five-year city-wide action plan that is required for eligibility for certain state grants. It also serves as a public record of City open space data, goals, and strategic vision.

The City has identified the following goals for the Open Space and Recreation Plan:

• Renovate existing parks and open spaces to improve condition of Somerville’s recreational areas and ensure attractive, safe, and accessible public lands.
• Secure more land to expand Somerville’s total open space acreage and ensure access to open space in every neighborhood.
• Analyze and improve access for persons with disabilities to parks and open space, as part of ongoing ADA compliance.
• Increase tree canopy and green spaces to promote urban health and sustainability, and reduce the heat island effect.
• Increase Off-Leash Recreational Area (OLRA) opportunities throughout the city.
• Raise the bar for sustainable design and building practices in city parks and open space projects.
• Reduce brownfields and convert to more desirable uses.
• Improve accountability and set departmental vision through a series of strategic planning documents.

Come to the meeting and support public open space that serves the many and diverse needs of all residents.

Please make other arrangements for your canine companions: Dogs are not allowed in the Elizabeth Peabody House.