Published in the September 13, 2016 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — It looks like Wakefield dog owners will be getting their wish.
The Board of Selectmen voted last night to move forward with a proposal for a dog park in the Junction area.
Selectman Peter May said that when he was campaigning for a seat on the board last spring, scores of people he met spoke of their wish for a dog park where their canines could run around off leash in a fenced-in area.
He said that he and Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio drove around town and looked at a number of locations. May said that they wanted a location that would not impinge on any other properties such as playgrounds, ballparks or other recreation areas.
May said that they finally settled on what he called an “excellent location” at 667 Main St. in the Junction area. It’s a piece of town-owned land between North Suburban Eye Associates and Tecce Collision & Frame. There are a couple of benches and an MBTA bus stop in front of it.
The area is already enclosed by fencing on three sides, May said, so it will cost very little – maybe about $2,000 – to add some fencing to the Main street-facing side, put up some signage and add a few trash barrels to get it up and running as a dog park.
May called the parcel “an unused gem, sitting on Main Street.” He noted that it’s in a commercial area, with businesses on either side.
Selectman Tony Longo said that he supported the idea, but felt that even though the immediate abutters are commercial properties, the town should notify residential neighbors living within a few hundred feet of the location.
Selectman Ann Santos said that she supported the idea, noting that Wakefield residents now go to dog parks in other towns. She added that most dog owners are respectful and dog parks tend to be “self-policing.”
Selectman Phyllis Hull had a slightly different take, saying that dog owners that congregate on Veterans Memorial Common haven’t always been responsible or respectful of those facilities. Other board members suggested that a real dog park would provide them with a different place to take their dogs.
Maio said that he had spoken to Animal Control Officer Ken Stache and Parks Supervisor Dennis Fazio and they both supported a dog park at the location. He also said that the relatively small amount of money needed for extra fencing, signage, etc., would not require any extra appropriation of funds.
After Longo reiterated that he would not support the dog park unless nearby neighbors were notified, Selectman Ann Santos made a motion to move the dog park proposal forward with a notification of neighbors within 300 feet.
The board voted unanimously in favor of the motion.
