New dog parks not high on Open Space plan priorities

Dog parks have long been on the wishlist of JP park and animal advocates. But the recently released rough draft of the City’s 2015-2021 Open Space Plan shows that dog parks rank in the middle of the pack among priorities for citywide park users.

Meanwhile, the draft plan also shows that JP is mostly well served for park access, except for Jackson and Egleston squares.

The Open Space Plan, which is being created by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, will be a plan for open space protection and development in the city.

The plan shows the results of a survey that City conducted between May and October of last year. The results show that 34 percent of park users ranked natural areas/trails as the number one priority. That is followed by trees, benches/seating, and paths, which were punched in at 32 percent, 27 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

Dog parks came in sixth out of 10 at 21 percent. At a JP community meeting in July about the Open Space Plan, only three residents attended, but discussed dog parks as a priority. Such groups as the Franklin Park Coalition have worked on dog-park plans as well.

Other notable results show that the most important service for park users is litter pick-up/trash removal and that several JP parks rank among the most used in the city. Boston Common is the most visited, followed by the Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park and Jamaica Pond Park.

For more information about the plan, visit bit.ly/1B9I0Y4.

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