Dog Park

The Shelton Weekly had an Aug11 article, the Huntington Herald had an Aug27 article and the Connecticut Post had a Jul22 article on the subject of a "dog park" in Shelton. The latter two articles are not available online for referencing (sadly, but that is another subject). Here are my thoughts on the matter.

First, it should be mentioned that all City of Shelton Open Space is open to dogs. This includes open fields and meadows (except those that are leased to farmers for agricultural crops), over 15miles of hiking trails, public spaces such as sports fields, and the riverwalk and veterans memorial park (slab) downtown. You can be a resident, visitor or employee in Shelton and access any of these locations freely for your enjoyment as there is no fee or license required (sports fields "use" may at times be managed and thus restricted). In addition to any state laws, there are some basic local requirements for your animals.

• They must have a Dog License from the City. You can find out more regarding this via the Town Clerk's page of the City of Shelton website.
• Ordinance #799 from 2006/Aug/10, aka "Open Space Ordinance", item 16 states dogs must be leashed at all times while within the City Open Space areas.
• Ordinance #716 from 1997/Oct/9, aka "Pooper Scooper Ordinance", renders responsibility for removal of animals defications or face fine for violations.

Note: This free and open access is contrast to neighboring towns. Derby had a 6month dog ban on their Riverwalk, and Trumbull requires a license/permit for access and prohibits non-residents.

Second, awareness should be given as to the time-line on the current subject.

• Over the years of reviewing development applications, the Conservation Commission has heard residents request consideration for open space to walk their dogs. Notably on 2005/Aug/3, 2006/Dec/6. The concept of a "bark park" was discussed during preparation of the Open Space Plan, but only to the extent that such a possible use may be considered on City Open Space along with other uses such as farming, passive recreation activities, community gardens, etc. This was discussed over a year ago informally, and is noted in the draft of the City of Shelton Open Space Plan.
• On 2008/Jul/16, the Mayor met with two children (Adam and Alexis) who asked the Mayor to consider helping them gain permission to create a dog park in town (their dog's name is Bryce). They had already spoken to the "Dog Warden" (their reference, but Sheryl Taylor is actually the City of Shelton's Animal Control Officer) who thought it was a great idea. Specifically they referenced the Riverwalk area in downtown as desirable, but gave no reasoning for that.

On 2008/Jul/17, John Papa as Chairman of the Parks & Recreation Commission, and myself as Chairman of the Conservation Commission, received a memo from the Mayor's secretary asking that we "put together a committee to look into the feasibility of this request for a dog park in Shelton."

The subject has not been dismissed, but charter revision, little league championships, RecPath project logistics and simply our lives of vocation have been more pressing and delayed us giving our attention to the matter. Contrary to press reports, nothing has transpired since that date other than a brief and informal conversation between myself and John with the outcome that John would request that the Park & Rec staff research what other communities have offered (as example: Trumbull, Ridgefield, Norwich and Hamden have such off-leash and fenced boundary facilities).

There have been letters to the editor accounts from Alderman Jack Finn stating that the recently purchased property on Soundview Avenue would be a suitable location as it is "centrally located". Given that the parcel is currently and was purchased in part to continue it's use as agricultural property (corn, apples, grazing) that recomendation would require stronger evaluation. The Huntington Herald had a news article quoting John Papa as saying he didn't think downtown was suitable, and quoting Alderman John Anglace questioning the public demand for such an amenity.

Before any knee-jerk reactions cause poorly thought out decisions, there should be some evaluation of:

• public need - are they aware that all open space is available to them, is that satisfactory
• requirements - what size or kind of space, is water, fencing or other facilities needed
• operations impact - what is the cost
• location impact - would dogs congregating to bark be in harmony with quiet enjoyment of a residential area, does a location intended to serve public need geographic consideration.

This is what the Mayor is requesting: a feasability study - no more, no less. The three public officials quoted so far must run for political office, so commenting and trying to remain appealing to the public is attractive and tempting, even seductive and addictive. However, commenting before researching is unproductive.