Community Meeting on proposed Community Path Park and Extension

via e-mail

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 5 Alderman Sean O’Donovan, and Director of Parks and Open Space Arn Franzen invite all interested individuals to a community meeting on Wednesday, October 10th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the environmental clean-up and construction plans for the proposed Community Path Park and Community Path extension, which lies between Central and Woodbine Streets. The meeting will be held in the community room of the Visiting Nurses Association, 259 Lowell Street, to discuss and receive comments on the park design, cleanup alternatives and the cleanup activities that will be conducted at the site. The preliminary park design report will be available for review and comment beginning October 4th, by contacting Stephen Winslow in the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at 617-625-6600, ext. 2519.

All Dogs Must Be On A Leash

It's wonderful when we all cooperate to make the Path a great place for the whole Community.

By observing the leash law, responsible dog owners are helping to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience on the Community Path.

Sean O'Donovan, the Alderman for Ward Five, is also helping to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience on the Path. For tonight's meeting of the Board of Aldermen he has submitted an order

That the Chief of Police assign an officer to enforce the leash law on the bike path between Lexington Park and Willow Ave. between 6-8 AM and 4:30-6 PM, and report back to this Board with enforcement results before the next Board meeting. (2nd request)

Potluck in the Park

The Friends of Lexington Park Playground host a potluck dinner, Friday evenings (weather permitting), at Lexington Park Playground (dog|map). Everyone is welcome to attend, meet new neighbors, make friends, and enjoy the park with some very good food. Food/beverage contributions are appreciated.

To learn more about the weekly potluch dinners and what’s happening at Lexington Park, join the on-line discussion forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexingtonpark/.

Download flyer (.doc file).

Letters from the Community Path

There are two letters in the Somerville Journal today from residents who attended the community meeting about safe and legal recrecreational options on the Community Path for park users with dogs. Seven residents—from Highland Road, Morrison Avenue, Willow Avenue and Winter Street—wrote a letter thanking neighbors and elected officials for the opportunity to come together to discuss open space options that serve the many and diverse needs of all residents (Letter: Thank you for being part of solution). A Pinkney Street resident commended the community efforts that resulted in the successful designation of a fenced-in off-leash recreational area at Nunziato Field and that continue to seek appropriate locations for similar areas in other parts of the City (Letter: Private fund raising key at dog park).

Letter misrepresents the Community Meeting

A long letter to the editor of the Somerville Journal today fails to understand that the proposal for possible sites for off-leash recreational areas along the Community Path was presented to the community by the City's Dog Owners Task Force in cooperation with the Mayor's Office for Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), in response to an order that came from the Board of Alderman, initially proposed by the Ward Five Alderman, Sean O'Donovan, "that the Director of SPCD evaluate the placement of a dog run in the bike path area of Ward 5."

Of course, the Somerville Dog Owners Group supports the City's proposal and is delighted to be working with the community for open spaces that serve the many and diverse recreational needs of all residents.

The letter also fails to understand section 12-51 of the Municipal Ordinances, pertaining to Dogs in Parks and Playgrounds. Dogs are not allowed in city parks and playgrounds that have been posted "No Dogs Allowed" by the Commissioner of Public Works. The current Administration is re-evaluating open spaces in the city to ensure that the restrictions against leashed dogs more accurately reflect the realities of the way residents use open space and the ways that the ordinance is enforced. Specifically, at the Community Meeting on May 16, Carlene Campbell, Community Outreach Director for the Mayor's Office for Strategic Planning and Community Development told the community that the City has ordered new signs to replace the “No Dogs Allowed” signs on the Path. The new signs will advise Path users that dogs must be leashed and handlers must clean up after their dogs.

A lot of people—residents, city employees, Mayor Joe Curtatone, Ward Five Alderman Sean O'Donovan, and Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz among them—have cooperated on the proposal for fenced-in off-leash recreational areas to serve Community Path neighbors and users. It's a shame that these efforts were so grossly misrepresented in the letter to the editor of the Somerville Journal today.