SOUTHWICK – While the Conservation Commission supported the idea of building a town dog park, which was proposed by a nonprofit group in early February, it was hesitant to endorse the project without several questions being answered first.
“Personally, I would endorse it, but conservation, I don’t think we can endorse it without having to see a plan,” said Conservation Commissioner Dennis Clark when the commission recently discussed whether to endorse the project.
In a letter sent to the Select Board about the proposed park, the commission wrote that “without additional information regarding the scope, layout, and potential site impacts,” it wouldn’t formally endorse the project.
In early February, the Friends of the Southwick Dog Park announced it was working to build a dog park on 32 acres of property gifted to it by Tilcon Minerals at 57 Hudson Road.
When announcing the project, Friends’ representative Keith Deyo said the plan was to build a park that would have four fenced areas for dogs, including a senior-friendly area.
That would only use 10 of the gifted acres. Planned for the remainder of the parcel is a 22-acre area that will be called The Wilds, which will be a natural preserved forest, riverfront and wetlands that feature animal habitats for community exploration and enjoyment.
The group also announced that once completed, it would be gifted to the town.
During the commission’s discussion, commissioner Andy Reardon said he had read the entire proposal and pointed out that there was no mention of restrooms at the proposed park.
“…it’s like well if you’re out there with your dog for two, three hours,” he said before Clark finished his sentence.
“…you’ll make your own restroom pooping with the dog,” Clark said.
Reardon said there were problems when the Rail Trail opened that forced the Parks & Recreation Commission to place portable toilets on the trail.
He also questioned the Friends’ claim that the park wouldn’t become an expense for the town’s taxpayers.
“I mean, there is an expense to the town every time we add something. And it’ll come slow but sure, like, it’ll have to be mowed, it’ll have to [have] the trash picked up and the restrooms maintained,” Reardon said.
“There’s going to be maintenance, so to sell it as no expense to the town, that’s like giving my kid a free toy, and that takes D batteries … you keep having to buy the batteries,” he added.
In the formal proposal by the Friends, they address maintenance and talk about the power from solar panels that will be installed on the roof of a covered parking lot.
“The solar energy generation will be designated to the Town of Southwick electric accounts to offset minimal maintenance cost expectations. A well will be installed to provide irrigation and water to the dog drinking fountains, so no water costs will be borne by the taxpayers,” according to the proposal.
While there wasn’t a long discussion about potential issues with a portion of the park falling under the jurisdiction of the state’s Wetlands Protection Act, Clark said the Friends would need to file a Notice of Intent.
An NOI is an application required by the Wetlands Protection Act to secure a permit that might alter resource areas or buffer zones.
“… development of a dog park may require filing a NOI …depending on the final design and extent of proposed work,” according to the letter.
Clark also said that Select Board member Diane Gale had briefed the town’s Open Space Management and Planning Committee and told it she envisioned the committee overseeing the park.
At the OSMPC held on Feb. 10, Gale said, after going over the proposal with the committee members, that if the town accepts the gift, “this will fall under your land management duties.”
Clark, who attended the OSMPC meeting, said at the commission’s meeting that the trails on the proposed property may fall under that committee, but that the dog park portion, because of it becoming town property, would fall under the authority of the Parks & Recreation Commission.
Conservation Commission Coordinator Sabrina Pooler considered the entire dog park as “active recreation,” with it being overseen by Parks & Recreation.
In the Friends’ proposal, they also said they would not seek Community Preservation Act funds.
However, Clark, who represents the commission on the Community Preservation Committee, said the group shouldn’t rule out applying for those funds.
“If they do need extra money, then there is some availability there,” he said.
The commission wants its communication to the Select Board to be clear that they endorsed the “concept” of the park.
Commissioner Norman Cheever said he would add that as one of the “caveats.”
Earlier this month, Select Board member Douglas Moglin also had questions about the proposal related to the road that will bisect the property.
For over 10 years, the town has been applying for grant funding to connect Sam West Road to Hudson Drive. Grant funding was awarded for the design of the connector.
He was concerned that the park could hamper the effort to build the connector.
“[Tilcon] gave away the land that we’ve been working on and working with them and the state to design the connector of Sam West to Hudson, [and] suddenly it’s a piece of private property,” Moglin said at the meeting.
He also said the special permit the town granted Tilcon for the mining operation had included the redevelopment of the property once the mining was completed.
In 2024, former DPW Director Randy Brown was told that the company expected to finish the operation in a “few years.”
