The lack of dog parks in Jamaica Plain was among the concerns raised at a July 24 meeting about the City’s 2015-2021 Open Space Plan.
The Open Space Plan, which is being created by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD), will be a plan for open space protection and development in the city. Three members of the public attended the meeting at the Curtis Hall.
Margaret Dyson of BPRD gave a presentation that went over the results of a public survey the City took on parks last year. She said Jamaica Plain residents responded in high numbers and that the primary concerns were care and cleanliness of the parks, such as getting rid of graffiti and trash removal.
JP resident Esther Leonelli spoke about the need for more dog parks in the neighborhood, noting that the only existing one is on Beecher Street. That location is an off-leash dog park on City land, but organized and maintained by residents. Leonelli pointed to Brookline as an example to follow, saying that it has more and larger dog parks.
Dyson agreed with Leonelli about the lack of dog parks and said that there is a “pent-up demand” for them.
Other concerns raised were increased pedestrian safety to and from open spaces and increased lighting for public safety reasons.
Dyson said the City hopes to have a rough draft of the plan sometime in the fall. For questions or comments about the Open Space Plan, email [email protected].