3045 Today's Agenda for Conservation Commission and Dog Park at Grove Street entrance to Filipello

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Barbara

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Nov 4, 2015, 3:10:10 PM11/4/15

to Sideris Mark, Lenk Councilor, Palomba Tony, Google Group Dog Park Planning, Hayward Chris, Steven Magoon,

http://www.watertown-ma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3045

Dear Councilors, Conservation Commission, and fellow Dog Park Task Force members,

I am appalled to find that the Conservation Commission appears ready to promote a plan to complete Filipello Park without any design input from the DPTF and other members of the Watertown community. I had to ask Chris Hayward to update the Agenda for tonight on the Town Website which was stuck on the October agenda. Chris has updated it and I can see that Item 2 reads: “Discussion on draft letter to support proposed CDM Smith concept plan of the completion of Filipello Park.” I assume that CDM Smith is the design firm that presented the drawings before the last CC meeting.

I also note that the Recreation Forum lists the Grove Street Renovation and meets at about the same time as the CC.

At that last meeting of the Conservation Commission there was discussion of the inadequacy of the Dog Park at Filipello. Many letters should have been received and considered from those who could not attend. I would like to add the promises made by the Chair of the Public Works committee, its members, and many other Councilors, including the Council President, that Watertown expects to create a state of the art off leash dog park there. There are two other sites of varying quality in two other sections of Watertown. How can it be that the original plan remains? I am un

I volunteer with Sustainable Watertown and there are many other groups in Watertown that value public participation as a cornerstone of good governance, from citizen initiated local neighborhood committees to the commissions, boards, and Council. Here we have another case of planning being done without consultation—evidently, not even summaries of the Criteria and Grove Street Selection for the location which were offered by the DPTF two years ago made it to the designer. A member of the DPTF wrote that it appeared to be news to the designer at the October meeting that any other needs of the community existed besides a grassy oval at the Grove Street entrance. One would think that the Victory Field fiasco would have sent a message to staff.

I assume that the CC gets to create its plan with the Department of Recreation. If so, Director Centola has been well aware of the DPTF and its recommendations and interest in participation as well as the decision to put the dog park on the Grove Street side of Filipello. I also assume that the Council passes on the design/plan. I do not understand why the public is barred from participating in the process of creating a great park for the Grove Street side of Filipello, nor why there is not adequate oversight by the Council, or even of town departments. It is a backwards process that does planning focused on a single concept and allows comment about community interests only after the decision is made at one level and passed on as a done deal to other decision makers. As a member of the DPTF said, the dog park as planned is clearly an afterthought. I object to a decision on design being made by one small commission when the elected body promised a state of the art dog park. Could we wrongly have assumed that residents would be in on the planning?

Before any plan is adopted, I suggest that the decision makers at all levels visit, with members of the DPTF, some of the local off leash dog parks of quality right in towns around Watertown. We had, two years ago, an invitation to tour Danehy Park with the Director of Recreation in Cambridge who is very proud of his work and the resulting park. Thorndike Park in Arlington and several unusual and wonderful parks in Somerville are worth visiting and I am sure we could arrange to have staff members from those cities show the way. The DPTF has a digital folder of dog parks in our area.

A dog park, when properly planned, is a low impact, accessible, open space that will be used year round in all weather. There is a huge constituency for at least one great dog park in Watertown not only for an adequate off leash space for the dogs, but a safe social meeting place for all generations and sections of town. It could be surrounded by beautiful trees and bushes and be consistent with a dramatic entrance to Filipello Park.

Here are the two papers prepared by the DPTF two+ years ago. Deb Whitman is Chair of that group and I’m sure would be happy to discuss them with you.

Criteria- Complete, Modern Off-leash dog park.docx

Why Grove Street site best choice for Watertown’s Off.docx

Josh

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Nov 5, 2015, 4:03:46 PM11/5/15

to watertownmadogs

Barbara,

I don't know what you've discovered since you wrote this, but I was surprised to read it (to put it mildly). At the meeting I attended, the rep from CDM Smith and Peter Centola made it very clear that the proposal was "preliminary". They used the word several times--though it has to be said they used it defensively in the face of the hostile reaction to the plan. In addition to disappointment from the public (dog owners and gardeners most prominently), Councilors Palomba and Falkoff were unimpressed. Now, less than a month later, the plan is under consideration as is? I don't believe it. Not that I don't believe you; I just can't believe that a plan so roundly rejected would be recommended for adoption.

Either there is a misunderstanding, or the adoption of a "preliminary" proposal against such broad opposition represents an egregious offense against democracy, dog park or not. I'm hoping for the misunderstanding. I've taken all outsiders off the CC list, so that we can discuss this internally before we respond. Thank you for your detective work and your passion on our behalf.

Josh Passell

Shattuck Road

From: "Barbara" <barbw...@me.com>
To: "Sideris Mark" <msid...@watertown-ma.gov>, "Lenk Councilor" <cl...@watertown-ma.gov>, "Palomba Tony" <councilo...@gmail.com>, "Google Group Dog Park Planning" <waterto...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: "Hayward Chris" <chay...@watertown-ma.gov>, "Steven Magoon," <sma...@watertown-ma.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 3:10:04 PM
Subject: [watertownmadogs] 3045 Today's Agenda for Conservation Commission and Dog Park at Grove Street entrance to Filipello

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Sincerely,

Barbara Ruskin

140 Spring Street

Here is testimony I gave at a meeting of the Conservation Commission 10/3/12:

Testimony at Conservation Commission Hearing on the use of the unused space on Grove Street at Filipello Park, 10/3/12:
The Dog Park Task Force, a part of Sustainable Watertown, is working to support the creation of an off-leash dog park here. It would be a fine example of a sustainable addition to the vitality, character, and quality of life in Watertown.
Off-leash dog parks have been very successful in surrounding towns and across the nation. The responsible departments in Cambridge and Arlington have given us encouragement and a lot of information and feel that their dog parks have been a great addition. Dog officers believe that dog parks make their jobs easier.
There are all kinds of dog parks, from a simple circle 30' in diameter with a fence and a gate. There are giant ones as well--the Disney of dog parks is said to be in Somerville. Some have benches with cover for owners. One has a time-out space for naughty dogs. The best have a water spigot, doggie bags, posted rules, and a trash can. They can be grassy, or pea stone which seems to be the long term surface of choice with, or without trees for shade. See attached photos.
A dog park is consistent with the mission of public parklands and open space. The former incinerator site on Grove Street has the advantage of being a good sized area already fenced in. It is in a well-travelled area which helps people feel safe (typically there are no lights and use is the same as that of sports fields, approximately sun up to sun down). It needs no remediation to be healthy. There are already mature trees along the present fencing and there is enough land beside it which can be designed into a beautiful entrance to Filipello Park with attractive plantings and signage. A dog park in this location would be in use all year long and would not detract in any way from proposed sports areas such as bocce and volleyball on the extra basketball courts freed up in the move of the recycling center. Dog Parks are well used in all seasons and will typically draw residents from every part of town, in every age group, and both families and singles. It is a wonderful place for neighbors to meet and socialize.
We appreciate that the original park designer is willing to think creatively about a dog park. We hope that the Conservation Commission will seriously consider the Grove Street site during discussions of the Town's departments, commissions, and residents as they work to create the wonderful amenity of an off-leash dog park for residents of Watertown.
Barbara Ruskin, Sustainable Watertown

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