DCR dog park search continues at glacial pace

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is continuing its glacial pace at determining if and when Jamaica Plain will get an off-leash dog park within the Southwest Corridor Park.

Jamaica Plain had an unofficial dog park at Beecher Street Park before the City shut it down in the summer of 2016, due to complaints from neighbors. Dog park advocates began searching for an alternative site, with Southwest Corridor Park being a prime area. DCR proposed a dog park on Anson Street last spring, but nixed that proposal after concerns were raised from the community. There has been little community engagement since.

But DCR Commissioner Leo Roy has sent a March 12 letter to interested parties saying that the department will be hosting a community meeting sometime this spring to have further discussions.

“Since the spring of 2017, DCR and our consultants have been conducting reviews of various alternatives sites within the Southwest Corridor Park, to determine the best locations for use as dog park facilities. Currently, sites are being evaluated to understand better the benefits and drawbacks of each. The factors being considered include size, site characteristics, proximity to public transmit, and the impact on abutters of surrounding properties,” wrote Roy in the letter. That statement is almost verbatim to a DCR spokesperson’s statement to the Gazette in December about the status of the DCR dog park search.

The letter goes on to say that the department “anticipates holding a public meeting this spring to give community residents the opportunity to share their thoughts and ask questions about potential sites.”

“We appreciate your interest and participation in our public process to date, and hope you will continue to join us in dialogue about potential off-leash dog recreation areas along the Southwest Corridor,” wrote Roy.

 

 

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