SAUGUS — Both sides of the dog park argument showed up to the Conservation Commission meeting Wednesday to speak in favor of and against the Stocker Park addition.
A presentation was given to start the meeting off, showing the exact plan for the park and how it will be set up in connection with the Notice of Intent filed by the town.
Chris Sparages, Chief Engineer at Williams & Sparages, gave the town presentation.
“We’re here on behalf of the town of Saugus. We are presenting a new recreational use at the soccer field, a dog park, on a little bit of the property,” Sparages said.
The presentation showed off the park’s proposed plans with two split sections for large dogs and small dogs. An agility section was also included along with an area for dogs to play in water.
The plans were developed with a focus on ensuring the park remained up to code with environmental standards in regard to how close it would be to the Saugus River.
Sparages said the last section of his presentation was the key part that had to do with the operation and maintenance plan.
“Everyone is concerned about the poop especially when it’s so close to the river…We want to make sure that we have a good plan in place to pick up the poop and dispose of it so it doesn’t wash out into the river,” he said.
Multiple Conservation Commission members asked questions focused heavily on what would be done to ensure the park wouldn’t harm the environment.
The first resident to stand for public comment was Leigh Gerow who said, “Stocker Playground is .2 miles from my house. I venture to guess that a lot of people don’t spend time at Stocker…I don’t like dogs actually. My dog was bitten at Town Hall…It’s not about the dog. It’s about the owner.”
Gerow emphasized that despite not liking dogs she sees the dog park as a way for the town to move forward and create a better space for the town.
The next to stand up in favor of the park was Richard Lavoie, the creator of the Dogs of Saugus Facebook page.
“When I created that page, one of the intentions I had behind it was creating an accessible dog park for folks to go with their dogs,” Lavoie said.
He mentioned how his parents were elderly and how it was not possible for them to go to the dog park in Breakheart Reservation due to how far of a walk it would be.
“It’s not well maintained and so for me, having a park that is within the town’s confines making it more accessible to residents is an important step,” he said.
Lavoie was also a part of the Dog Park Committee, which formed during COVID-19 and he ensured everyone that the meetings were public and residents did pop in to state their opinions.
“Part of the reason I’m happy we’re here in front of you guys is because you are way more well-versed than I am on the environmental needs of the site…I’m standing here in favor not just of a dog park, but of this dog park,” he said.
Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Jeff Cicolini spoke in favor of the park as well. He did emphasize that due to his dogs and how they are socially, he would most likely not have them use the park.
“One of the reasons I got involved is when I got on the board about 10 years ago there was a big outcry about parks and playgrounds in Saugus,” Cicolini said.
He continued that he coached baseball for 15 years, including at the park in Stocker, and he noticed the lack of maintenance and care at the park.
“Fast forward to today, we have four fully renovated ADA-compliant parks that have been added…We did a town-wide Master Plan survey of all the residents, and one of the largest responses was for a dog park in the town that was handicapped and elderly accessible,” he said.
A question was raised as to whether the parking lot would be safe for elderly people and those with mobility issues. Sparages showed the plans again and pointed out the sections where they would be accessible to all. He also said the park would be monitored by police through security cameras
Cicolini also went into detail about the Stanton Foundation, which provides grants for dog parks.
“We explored 13 locations in the town. Several of those were attached to offline school projects. Those were not eligible at the time, and they are not eligible today because they are offline and have not been repurposed,” he explained.
He also said that money was already appropriated in the budget for a part-time Animal Control Officer who would have the job of keeping an eye on the park and making sure it was being properly cared for by the residents using it.
“The town is also committed to upgrading the playground equipment [at Stocker] to make it ADA-compliant and available for all ages,” he said. “We’ve also committed to starting a Friends of Stocker Dog Park group to fundraise for this park to make sure it gets the proper maintenance and upkeep.”
Judy Worthley came to the meeting to speak on behalf of the seniors in town and how the dog park could help when it comes to bad weather.
“I have many friends who have dogs, and they have a problem walking them in this kind of weather. I think it would be important that you’re talking about the senior population, for them to have someplace where they can go with their dogs,” she said.
Next up was Ron Wallace, who had been a part of a clean-up crew around 10 years ago, and his zone had been Stocker. He said that if the dog park were to go through, he would like to see the Department of Public Works clean up the area.
Conservation Commission member Paul Petkewich asked, “Do you have one [a dedicated maintenance plan set up now]?”
Sparages answered that the details were not worked out year for the town, but they were looking at examples from different communities and that they would be finalized later on.
Others stood in favor of the dog park and how it could be a good spot for people to become a part of the community.
Julie Mills spoke against the dog park, focusing on the possible health risks it could cause in the area.
“They create problems such as diseases and parasites that can be transmitted…In the springtime, there’s the high tide that causes spillover of the Saugus River. This happens frequently. There’s also something called a King Tide,” she said.
Mills continued that the flooding could pick up bacteria from the dog’s urine and feces, harming the river and the organisms in it.
Mills also wanted to know why the park couldn’t go somewhere else where it would not cause any issues with the river and the environment around Stocker.
Andrew Whitcomb stood next in favor of the park and also focused on how many things spoken during the meeting were not connected to what the commission needed to vote on.
“We’re looking at a proposal for a dog park…From the way I see it, the manager’s office is fully behind this. We’re not here to talk about what grant money will be there in a year,” he said.
He continued by saying that he knew that every project in town would have pushback. He also said that he would personally go down to the area with people and clean up the park.
Animal Control Officer Darren McCullough said that the meeting had shown him that the dog park could be a good plan, even though he had some disagreements at first.
Jeannie Meredith gave McCullough a stamp of approval, and she trusts that he will keep the dog park monitored.
“This new dog park will have a clearly defined area where animal control can more effectively monitor this activity and ensure compliance with the waste regulations, leading to a cleaner, better-maintained space for all,” she said.
Finally, Chair of the Selectmen Debra Panetta stood in support of the dog park. “I think that this will be an upgrade. It’s not up to me. This isn’t my decision tonight…Overall, residents do want a dog park,” she said.
The vote for the proposed plan was tabled as a site visit will be occurring in March with the commission.
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