West Stockbridge — On March 25, the Select Board accepted a wooded space because the proposed website for a to-be-constructed canine park.
The thought started in 2022 with a survey that confirmed that residents had curiosity in having a neighborhood canine park, mentioned Michael Bolognino, who chairs the Dog Park Advisory Committee together with Jana Sax. Although the amenity was investigated by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, workers decided it couldn’t tackle the undertaking. In late 2023, the Dog Park Advisory Committee was fashioned “to investigate what it would take to make a dog park,” Bolognino mentioned. Since then, the group has had 11 public conferences, convening with many city departments and committees earlier than receiving a state grant for $25,000 masking the park’s design section and feasibility examine, with a further $250,000 grant enabling its building.
The committee hosted a city discussion board on February 24 attended by 30 people and garnered constructive suggestions earlier than it formally fashioned a nonprofit organization that bid out and chosen the park’s design agency, Berkshire Design Group. The agency’s principal, Jeff Squire, has designed 20 canine parks and helped the committee slim potential websites all the way down to 4 doable areas for the city’s canine park. After inspecting the websites with eight standards in thoughts, each the agency and the committee chosen Town Hall for the native canine park. Bolognino mentioned the chosen website’s advantages embody current parking, access, being identified already as a vacation spot for canine homeowners, and being centrally positioned.
“And the best part? We identified a location that’s not being utilized at all,” he mentioned of the wooded space behind the tennis courts.
‘Ruff’ highway to website choice
The park will encompass two foremost sections: a half-acre small canine park and a one-acre all-dog park. Both can be accessible by means of the identical entrance, with a path to be constructed to that entrance by means of the car parking zone.
The Select Board was given two choices for building, approving the primary possibility that would supply room for each canine parks with out impacting the prevailing adjoining soccer discipline however requires important tree clearing to accommodate the play areas. The second possibility would require the prevailing soccer discipline to be shifted barely, estimated to be about 25 toes, to realize a clearing leading to eradicating much less forest space. That possibility presents extra flexibility to supply woodland space and open area, Bolognino mentioned.
Select Board Chair Kathleen Keresey voiced concern over this website getting used sooner or later for senior or reasonably priced housing, with a wetlands examine to be carried out. She requested Bolognino if there was a dedication that the location would higher serve a human, whether or not the canine park may very well be moved. He responded that the group informally checked with the city’s Conservation Commission, with its consultant stating that solely Card Pond has a wetlands difficulty and never the proposed canine park website.
“Yes, it is more than just a fence,” Bolognino mentioned of the canine park. “When they put pathways in [the dog park]they will have to be done properly, [with] some excavation and hardscaping.”
Although Bolognino mentioned the park may very well be moved, his group must work out the main points and requested the Select Board in regards to the timeline for the housing designation.
According to member Andrew Potter, no timeline presently exists for the tract to be transformed right into a housing website, and he mentioned that hinging the canine park dialogue on that chance could be “unrealistic.” Potter added that the city is “nowhere near” discovering a funding mechanism for the housing undertaking, and Keresey confirmed that the housing “is not an executed plan” in any respect.
“I want us to leave here with a clear sense of what the next steps should be,” Bolognino mentioned. “It sounds like we have the chicken before the egg situation.”
The grant requires the location to have plumbed water, he mentioned, with the chosen Town Hall location being the one website with that amenity.
Potter mentioned the tract has sufficient land for each a housing facility and the canine park, including that he has obtained “some pushback” in regards to the website from sports-minded residents. Town Administrator Marie Ryan clarified that three fields on the parcel actively serve soccer, lacrosse, and baseball makes use of.
Potter proposed the housing be positioned on the japanese facet of the tract, with the canine park accepted for the western facet.
“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 mentioned.
When accomplished, the park will fall underneath city possession, with member Andrew Krouss questioning the legal responsibility of the municipality and the nonprofit ought to points come up. Bolognino mentioned the group has an insurance coverage coverage masking the undertaking and can additional examine that matter, together with referring to committee members of sister canine parks in Brewster and Pittsfield for his or her enter.
The subsequent steps to be taken by the committee embody conducting a property survey, finalizing the design earlier than being introduced again earlier than the board for a vote, and reviewing the proposal by the granting basis. The undertaking may even require a particular allow from the Planning Board, and the city will vote on utilizing Community Preservation Act funds on the location, with these funds wanted to fulfill the bigger grant’s necessities.
In an effort to advertise full transparency, Keresey recommended including a public discussion board as a chance for residents to weigh in on the undertaking attributable to its monetary concerns and using city property. However, Bolognino and Sax responded the group had held a public assembly, receiving 19 responses that included ranking 4 potential websites, with Town Hall ranked first, adopted by Card Pond.
Keresey mentioned she hoped for greater than a small group to be concerned. Bolognino responded that the group posted the assembly and park particulars in a launch supplied on and in numerous websites and locations. Potter mentioned he went to the assembly and that it was attended by extra folks than he had seen at another conferences.
“This board has the responsibility to make decisions,” he mentioned. “I’m not afraid of making a call on behalf of the town. That’s democracy.”
Keresey maintained that the problem was a consideration of getting city data out extra broadly to its residents. “It’s about awareness,” she mentioned.
Potter praised the committee as having achieved its due diligence, paying consideration and “going through and doing the right things as far as process and procedure.”
Final Annual Town Meeting Warrant accepted
Although the Select Board accepted a warrant on the final session, members voted once more to approve the ultimate Town Warrant for the May 24 Annual Town Election, posted here.
Paint Stewardship, Municipal Empowerment laws
At the assembly, the board additionally signed a decision to help Paint Stewardship laws within the Commonwealth, a measure that would supply a chance for residents who’ve saved used paint cans to recycle these merchandise at native venues, resembling Sherwin-Williams Paints, in change for a small charge. The plan will permit for the returned paint to be recycled into a brand new paint, lessening the potential for environmental harm.
Additionally, following Potter’s studying of a letter in help of Gov. Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act aiming to streamline collaboration between state and native governments, the Select Board accepted sending the doc to the legislature.
