Town of Wellesley, Massachusetts

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION

PUBLIC HEARING ON PERRIN PARK DOG CONTROL

February 7, 2009, 9AM, Great Hall, Town Hall

Attending: Joan Gaughan, Chair, Richard Bashian, Vice Chair, Paul Cramer, Secretary, Neal Seaborn, Heidi Gross, Janet Hartke Bowser, NRC Director.

Guests: William Noonan, 5 Berkeley Road, Duncan Andrews, 8 Pine Plain Road, William Goodridge, 30 Woodfield Road, Sheryl Goodridge, 30 Woodfield Road, Alice Dumphy, 202 Bristol Road, Lisa Magidson, 12 Parker Road, Barbara Williams, 19 Appleby Road, Dianne Furlong, 11 Bradley Ave, Don Purnell, 69 Manor Avenue, Cheryl Purnell, 69 Manor Avenue, Jim Montalto, 7 Leewood Road, Katy Devlin, 17 Edmunds Road, Sheryl Sidman, 29 Leewood Road, Alan Sidman, 29 Leewood Road, Helen Bossange, 67 Parker Road, Jerry Kelley, 55 Parker Road, Sara Fogg, 7 Berkeley Road, Irene Weiner, 17 Berkeley Road, Laurie Sullivan 19 Berkeley Road, Chris Celluci, 4 Fife Road, Nick and Alex Doe, 3 Berkeley Road, Robert Levy, 21 Royalston, Road, Mary Liz Levy, 21 Royalston Road, Laura Imperature, 37 Appleby Road, John Maxwell, 18 Bryn Mawr Road, Pamela Bacharach, 31 Woodfield Road, Helen Hegblom, 8 Woodfield, Linda Reiniman, 43 Mayo Road, Jeanne Nilson, 7 Bryn Mawr Road, Dorothy Reed, 6 Bryn Mawr Road, Jessica McKenna, 12 Bryn Mawr Road, Mary Pilecki, 12 Bryn Mawr Road, Michael Humphreys, 19 Bryn Mawr Road, Stephanie Bresnahan, 26 Bryn Mawr Road, Pam McCormick, 29 Thomas Road, Pace Wilson, 24 Beverly Road, Caren Stanley, 75 Hampshire Road, Ken Stanley, 75 Hampshire Road, Sharyn Weiner, 37 Maugus Avenue, Cindy Lowe, 43 Northgate Road, Patricia Prior, 71 Parker Road, Tom Cronin, 9 Berkeley Road, Cyndi Koss, 45 Elmwood, Nancy Galligan, 11 Thomas Road, Kati Bannish, 11 Montvale Road, Bob Bannish, 11 Montvale Road, Mike Casey, 29 Avon Road, Amy Harden, 137 Hampshire Road, Joanne Perlmutter, 22 Haven Road, Noreen Hardin, 172 Linden Street, Karen Demeo, 40 Chesterton Road, Amy Batchelder, 6 Wingate Road, Donna Helwig, 202 Cedar Street, Dennis Pioppi, 11 Berkeley Road, Edwina McCarthy, 78 Arnold Road, Frances McDonnell, 25 Leewood Road, Francis Sullivan, 21 Leewood Road, John Casby, 38 Ivy Road, Lane Johnson, 81 Parker Road, Jim Conlin, 10 Emerson Road, Owen Dugan 36A Oak Street, Bob Jeanney, 35 Parker Road, Barbara Davis, 85 Beechwood, Road, Mary Ann Scott, 20 Woodfield Road, Richard Lansing, 11 Martin Road, Paul Serenko, 9 Wedgewood, Ellen Givs, 26 Woodside, Joyce Polak, 19 Appleby Road, Will Berry, 12 Pine Plain Road, Janet Anthos, 20 Hawthorne Road, Linda Hartley, 71 Alba Road, Emily Smith, Woodside Road, Cathy Bueher, 21 Berkeley Road, Marlies Stueart, 43 Avon Road, Marie-Claude Bernal, 23Tanglewood Road, Alice Ward, 16 Tanglewood Road, K. Blake Mitchell , 15 Durant Road, Todd Bida of 20 Thomas Road, Katherine Mitchell, 15 Curant Road, Albert Mitchell, 15 Durant Road, Kenneth Gagnon, 22 Wilde Road, Alex Langford of 7 Cavanagh Road.

No one attending the meeting spoke at public voice.

Public Hearing on Perrin Park Dog Control Issues

NRC Chair Joan Gaughan gave a brief history of Perrin Park and the dog control issues at the park and she stated that over the last couple of years there has been increasing complaints of large numbers of dogs interfering with other park users. Ms. Gaughan stated that in October of 2008, in response to increasing complaints, the NRC voted to require that all dogs be on-leash at Perrin Park. Ms. Gaughan outlined the shared uses of the park, including regulation soccer and lacrosse fields, a tot lot, and the general multi-use purposes of the park. Ms. Gaughan outlined the rules for the public hearing, including limitations on speaker's comments and general conduct, and encouraged those in attendance to provide the NRC with comments and feedback on dog control issues at Perrin Park. Maps and statistics that identified the distribution of licensed dogs and "dog walkable" open space throughout Town were prepared and briefly discussed by Mr. Seaborn.

Mr. Richard Lansing of 11 Martin Road asked what harm has been done to the fields resulting from the dogs. Ms. Gaughan responded that the Playing Field Task Force indicated that dogs have been tearing up the fields, especially when the fields are wet, and that dogs have been interfering with games. In addition, she said that the sports organizations have indicated that there is an excessive amount of dog waste on the fields, causing public health issues.

Mr. Paul Seriko of 9 Wedgewood Road asked specifically what factual information there was in terms of damage to the fields by dogs. Ms. Gaughan replied that DPW indicated that with the increase in the number of dogs running on the fields, that large areas of turf have been damaged and that there has been damage to the irrigation system.

Ms. Ann Batchelder of 6 Wingate Road stated that she is a 20-year resident of the Town and a long-time facility manager at Wellesley College, and that she would encourage the NRC to make a compromise. She said that based on her professional experience as a facility manager, that she has seen the impact of over- use of fields by dogs, and that improved park management by both dog-users and sports teams may be needed at Perrin. She stated that the goal posts and goals should be rotated around the fields in order to prevent constant impact at the same location, and she stated that she has seen dogs damage athletic fields.

Ms. Mary Pilecki of 12 Bryn Mawr Road said that she is a frequent user of Perrin Park, and she disagreed that this is just a neighborhood issue. She stated that the users of the park come from all over Town, and that there is a general overuse of Perrin Park by all Town residents, and that over the past 12 years, she has seen an overuse by dogs as well as an overuse of the athletic fields. She stated that over the past 2 years, the use of the fields by the lacrosse league has increased significantly and that she has seen the field users leave a lot of garbage, including coffee cups, sports bottles, etc, and that she often goes out and cleans up after the sports teams. She also stated that she has seen abutters place lawn clippings and leaves on Town land, and she encouraged the NRC to attempt to prevent this practice.

Mr. Jerry Kelley of 55 Parker Road stated that he is a long-time resident of Wellesley and the Perrin Park neighborhood and that he frequently takes his grandchildren to the park, but over the last several years, he has seen significant negative changes, including packs of out-of-control dogs. He said that the users of the park have a right to peace and quiet and that it appears that a vocal few dog owners are trampling over the rights of other users of Perrin Park. He stated that those who abide by the new leash law should not suffer

from all of those who continue to violate it. He encouraged the NRC to not rescind the leash law at Perrin Park. He stated that he understands that there is a proposal to rescind the leash law by the W. Dog Group and he encourages the NRC to keep the leash rule, which has allowed park users to enjoy the park once again.

Ms. Gaughan replied that there is no proposal for any compromise in front of the NRC, and they are not considering any changes at this point, but that a proposal has been submitted by the W. Dog Group and that NRC Commissioner Rick Bashian has facilitated a working group that has been discussing a compromise but that there has been no NRC decision at this point.

Ms. Francis O'Leary of 25 Leewood Road, stated that Perrin Park School closed many years ago, and then subsequently burned down and that the Town spent a lot of time and effort to decide what to do with the property, and since there was no Town-owned open space in this dense area of Town, a proposal for a park was successful and was supported Town-wide. She stated that she directly abuts Perrin Park and that she sees all of the dogs that come to the park, and she has seen much unpleasant behavior. She said that most dog owners who come to the park do not pick up after their dogs, and she does not feel safe going to the park since there are so many dogs, and often large dogs, that have charged her. Since she is elderly, she does not feel comfortable going to the park, because she does not know when the dogs will be there. She stated that before the leash rule, non-dog owners who wanted to use the park were relegated to second-class citizens and were subject to unpleasant behavior on the part of dog owners and their dogs, and she encouraged the NRC to continue to require that dogs be on-leash at all times.

Mr. Chris Lucci of Wellesley Avenue stated that in the past, the number of dogs at Perrin has prevented the use of the park by people without dogs, and unless the NRC looks at this as a Town issue, this problem could occur at other parks. He urged the NRC to keep the on-leash rule at Perrin and to apply it to other playing fields and playgrounds in Town. He stated that based on the maps shown at the meeting, there is more than enough open space for dogs in areas that do not have playing fields and playgrounds.

Ms. Pace Wilson of 24 Beverly Road stated that she is a member of the W. Dog Group who has been working with Mr. Bashian on a proposed compromise and she thanked Mr. Bashian for his work on this effort. She state that, unfortunately, the neighbors from the working group were not willing to compromise on this effort, and she sees Perrin Park as a Town resource, not just a neighborhood park, and that she has tried to work with all of the neighborhood representatives to accomplish a compromise. She asked that the W. Dog Owners be given a chance to show that they can act responsibly as dog owners and that the proposal by W. Dog asks for morning and afternoon hours and recommends that 10 dogs at a time be off-leash.

Ms. Barbara Williams of Appleby Road stated that she would like to see a compromise on the use of the parkland, and that she sympathizes with the abutters with regard to this problem.

Ms. Joanne Perlmutter-Grad of 22 Haven Road thanked the NRC for the opportunity to provide input. She said that the W. Dog group represents about 100 people, and it is her sense that the abrupt change in the leash law was troubling. She said that she would support a pilot project that would limit the number of dogs off-leash and that the proposed off-leash hours should be only when children are in school, and that after school, no dogs should be off-leash at Perrin Park. She requested that the NRC consider some off-leash hours in the morning in consideration of the dog owners.

Mr. Dave Stoughton of 58 Parker Road stated that he has lived in this neighborhood for many years, and that he is concerned with the process that the NRC used to create the new on-leash rule, and he said that he was never contacted by anyone who said that off-leash dogs were a problem and he felt that there needed to be more transparency in the decision-making process. He asked if the complaints about the dogs had been investigated to see if they were valid.

Mr. Bill Weimer of Berkeley Road stated that he is a dog owner and that he believes that most of the neighborhood at Perrin Park, supports the NRC's on-leash rule at Perrin Park and that many neighborhood residents have submitted a proposal that encourages dog owners to use all Town land and to disburse dog use throughout Town. He said that over the past several years, Perrin has become a dog park. He stated that there is a perception over the Metro-West region that Perrin is the preferred dog park location and that the recent NRC on-leash rule has given residents and especially children the opportunity to use the park without fear of off-leash dogs or their waste. He stated that Perrin Park is the only park in Town with this intensive use and that with the increase in dogs over the past years, there has been an increase in parking problems, an increase in the number of dogs interfering with park users, and an increase in dog poop, all leading to limiting the use and enjoyment of the park by users. He stated that it is his observation that a majority of dog owners drive to Perrin and do not use their own neighborhood park areas. He urged the NRC to retain the on-leash rule for at least the next several months, since with the coming of the milder weather, more people will be coming to the park and it is not fair to subject them to the past conditions that have evolved at Perrin Park. Mr. Weimer stated that there are still many dog owners violating the dog regulations by allowing their dogs off-leash at all hours and still in large groups, and he asked the NRC how these dog owners could be expected to follow any new rules when they are violating the rules now. He stated that the large number of dogs in the past has had a very negative impact on the neighborhood, and he urged the NRC to give the park back to the people and make the users the priority, not the dogs. He urged the NRC to continue the leash rule since it has had a very positive impact on the neighborhood and park users.

Ms. Pam McCormack of 29 Thomas Road said that she has lived on Thomas Road for over 20 years, and that the ability to have dogs off-leash has been great for the dogs and that keeping her dog on a leash is a burden for her and her husband and that her husband was recently cited for having a dog off-leash in violation of the NRC's regulation. She stated that she understands the regulation, but it is difficult to have her dog on-leash, especially in the winter on the ice. She stated that she is one of the W. Dog representatives working with Mr. Bashian for a compromise, and that she feels that the dog owners are giving up a lot at this point.

Ms. Gaughan responded that both Animal Control Officer Sue Webb and the NRC had received repeated complaints from neighbors, park users, coaches and youth sports users at the park, and to quote NRC Commissioner Paul Cramer, the NRC had to deal with a "fire type" situation at the park, and that the fire had to be put out. She said that the situation evolved over the past few years, and that it had reached a point that the NRC's leash rule was justified, just as the Trustees of Reservations instituted a ban of dogs on their lands, but that because of a response, it led to allowing some dogs off-leash under a restricted program. She said that likewise, the response by the dog owners to the NRC regulation, led to this Public Hearing.

Ms. Mary Liz Levy of Royalston Road stated that a meeting like this would have put out the fire at Perrin Park, and if a better process had been used or if the NRC or Ms. Webb had contacted dog owners, the current situation could have been avoided. She stated that a Perrin Park/Town-wide compromise has been proposed by W. Dog, and she encouraged the NRC to support this compromise, allowing for morning and afternoon off-leash hours for dogs.

Mr. Mike Casey of 29 Avon Road stated that he has found other places to take his dog, but that these other areas are not like Perrin Park, which has ample parking, is fenced in, is quiet, and has no ticks. He stated that in his opinion, the Morses Pond area is not a safe area for individuals to walk dogs alone. He advocated for the fencing of the playground at Perrin Park to avoid dogs pooping in this area or scaring children, and he stated that in his opinion, the fence would also protect children who sometimes run out of the tot lot area and into the parking area where there are cars.

Mr. Justin McKenna of 12 Bryn Mawr Road said that in general, there is over-use of the park and that abutters sometimes dump grass cuttings in the park, and he has even seen a teenager ride a motor scooter through the park and that a lot of debris and old soccer goals are left in the park, and that often it is the youth sports teams that cause the most problems. He stated that all park users must be encouraged to be more responsible, and he encouraged the NRC to follow the example of the Town of Weston and establish a Town-wide committee to study the dog problem.

Ms. Kate Devlin of Edmonds Road said that Perrin Park is very important to her dog and that dogs do not get adequate exercise if they have to be on-leash, and that she does not have time to take her dog to any other places. She stated that in her opinion, Centennial is not a good place, because she cannot socialize with other dog owners and it is difficult for her dog to socialize with other dogs there. She stated that her morning routine is to drop her children off at school, and then take her dog to Perrin Park to exercise, which prevents her dog from tearing up her own yard.

Mr. Richard Lansing of 11 Martin Road stated that in his opinion, the dog waste issue is the biggest problem at Perrin Park and that people must be more considerate and they must pick up their dog waste at Perrin, whether or not the dogs are on-leash or off-leash. He stated that he supports fencing in the tot lot for safety reasons, and he encouraged the NRC to support a compromise, and that it is not a good use of Town resources to have the police come to Perrin Park to enforce the on-leash rule.

Mr. Jerry Hume of 5 Thomas Road stated that he has been a resident of Thomas Road for nearly 30 years and that he was on the study committee that recommended making the Perrin School land into a park, and that originally it was a wonderful park, with playgrounds and playing fields, and it was a wonderful passive and active recreation resource for the neighborhood which had very little open space. He stated that over the last several years, the number of dogs has increased dramatically to the detriment of the park, and that with more and more dogs fewer people are using the park since they are intimidated by the large number of dogs using the park. He stated that Perrin has become a de facto dog park, and it has lost its identity as a neighborhood park. He urged the NRC to continue the on-leash rule, and that no compromise would enable the park users to come back and enjoy the park as they had before. He stated that in his opinion, large numbers of dogs off-leash is incompatible for a park with multi-use purposes, such as Perrin.

Mr. Teddy Lash (approx. 8-years-old) of Linden Street stated that he enjoys playing with his dog at the park, and he feels that dogs should be allowed to be off-leash at the park.

Alex Langford of 7 Cavanagh Road stated that it is very convenient for him to go to Perrin Park and to exercise his dog off-leash, but he finds this difficult now, since the on-leash rule has created a "us" against "them" situation when it could have been a win-win situation, if the lines of communication had been left open, between the Town and the dog owners.

Mr. Will Berry of 12 Pine Plain Road said that he does not want to see Perrin Park become the dog park that it had been before the leash law, and Perrin needs to become a true park again, without the intimidation of dog owners and large numbers of dogs causing parents to fear for the safety of their children. He said that all users of the park need to be sensitive to the abutters of the park and that as a public resource, the park needs to be accessible to all residents. He encouraged the NRC to keep the on-leash rule at the park so that it can again be used as a true neighborhood park by all.

Mr. Jim Altwood of 7 Leewood Road said that the main problem is dog waste and how to make dog owners responsible if the NRC allows dogs off-leash for limited hours. He asked how this would be enforced and how dog waste would be cleaned up. He said this issue needs to be addressed, whether or not the regulation is changed, and he said that dog owners must prove that they can be responsible before they are given any more latitude.

Mr. Jim Conlin, Chair of the Recreation Commission and resident of Emerson Road, stated that the Recreation Commission unanimously voted to support the leash rule at Perrin and that in their view intensive dog use is not compatible with playing field use and they suggest that other public places be designated for intensive dog usage. He stated that the Playing Fields Task Force had previously endorsed the NRC's vote to require that all dogs be on-leash at Perrin Park and the Task Force stated that it would be supportive of the NRC working with the dog owners as long as it doesn't adversely affect the playing fields or the character of the neighborhood. He stated that there are approximately 2,000 dogs in Town, but many more children than that play sports, and that the dogs have been causing a serious problem on many playing fields, and that the Recreation Commission feels that the playing fields cannot be kept clean and it is unhealthy for children to be playing on fields where there may be dog waste. He stated that the Soccer and Lacrosse Youth Sports Teams that play on Perrin Park collect substantial fees from the youth sports leagues to help maintain the fields. He stated that he has walked his dogs in many areas of open space in Town, and that the Town has many areas of open space for dog users without having to subject the Town's playing fields and playgrounds to dog use and dog waste. He stated that he hopes the NRC will actively look for dog-walking areas in other parts of Town and that dogs should not be allowed on any playing fields in Town in order to keep the fields safe and in good condition.

Mr. Nick Dove of 3 Berkeley Road asked the NRC to consider the precedent they would be setting if they changed the on-leash rule, which would allow Perrin Park to become a dog park once again. He stated that his property directly abuts Perrin Park and that on many occasions, his children have been knocked down by large groups of off-leash dogs that are out-of -control. He stated that if the NRC makes a decision to allow some off-leash hours at Perrin that it will have an extremely negative impact on the neighborhood and on the ability of neighbors to enjoy the park. He urged the NRC to keep the on-leash regulation at Perrin so that the park can be enjoyed and used by all.

Mr. Robert Levy of Royalston Road said that it would have been best if the public input being used now had been in use before the on-leash rule went into effect. He stated that the Playing Fields Task Force has supported the NRC's on-leash rule, and asked if according to the Task Force's By-laws, if an uninterested public representative has been appointed to the Task Force, as required by the Bylaws. He stated that it appears that the Playing Fields Task Force constituency is only made up of field users, and that their vote and positions are not objective. He stated that he has never seen packs of dogs running at Perrin Park and he agreed that not picking up after your dog is unacceptable and that playing on wet fields is unacceptable and interfering with sport users is unacceptable, and he asked that the NRC reconsider its regulation and allow the dog owners to show that they can oversee their dogs in a responsible manner.

Ms. Lisa Magidson of 12 Parker Road stated that Perrin Park provides a community experience and that when she has walked her dog there, it has been a positive social experience and it has given her the opportunity to meet other Town residents and that she misses this social interaction and encouraged the NRC to reconsider its position and allow dogs off-leash at the park.

Mr. Todd Bida of 20 Thomas Road stated that he has seen a very selective compliance by dog owners for the on-leash rule at Perrin Park and that it is a very dangerous thing to see people not following the rules. He stated that when confronted these dog owners indicate that they are following the sprit of the rules and that they continue to allow their dogs to be off-leash. He stated that his six-year-old daughter does not understand why some people are still not following the rules, and it was difficult for him to explain to her why some people are not respectful of the rules. He said it is a dangerous precedent if the NRC now allows for a compromise, when even the current rule is not being observed and respected by the dog owners. He encouraged the NRC to keep the on-leash rule and he stated that since the leash law went into effect, Perrin has become a more enjoyable and safer park for all users.

Mr. Bryce Williams of 32 Thomas Road indicated that he moved to this area one year ago and that he liked the multi-use activity of the park, and he feels that allowing dogs on the field is unacceptable and that he has seen traffic increase due to dog use at the park. He said that the would like the NRC to take a centrist position, and suggested that from October - April, when the park is not heavily used, perhaps some compromise could be reached to allow for some off-leash time for dogs.

Ms. Kerry Sullivan of 21 Leewood Road said that residents should keep in mind that Perrin Park is only 5 acres out of approximately 800 open space acres in Town and there are many areas where dog owners can go and walk their dogs off-leash. She referenced the Perrin Park Neighborhood Plan that was submitted to NRC Members for their consideration in the last several days, and she asked them to carefully consider the proposal that all of the Town's land be examined for use by dogs, and not just focus on Perrin Park, which has become a dog park. She encouraged the NRC to work with other Town boards, in the same way that the Town of Weston did over a period of 8 months, and she stated that Weston had a broad mandate to manage dogs throughout the town, rather than focusing on just one location. She stated that she thought that Town as a whole should look comprehensively at dog and land management issues. She stated that back in November, the Perrin neighborhood submitted a petition from over 60 Perrin Park neighborhood residents that asked the NRC to keep the on-leash rule, since it has a very positive impact in that more people are now using the park, even in the winter weather. She requested that the results from the Precinct A NRC Survey be available and stated that the NRC asked for this information to get opinions from all of the neighborhood residents and this information should be made public and that all residents should have the chance to be heard and that since many were told that they should submit information in writing, if they could not attend the hearing, that this written material should be available. She encouraged the NRC to keep the on-leash rule, at least for the next several months, and as the weather becomes nicer, it is only fair that the neighbors have the chance to enjoy the park without the impact of large numbers of dogs scaring children and preventing the elderly and other park users from using the park throughout the day.

Ms. Gaughan stated that the NRC never proposed that residents had to respond to the survey in writing and stated that they were elective, especially for people who did not want to come separately to the hearing and that all responses to the survey are considered a public record and are in the NRC Office. She stated that the NRC continues to get responses and it is a work in progress and that they have received a wide variety of responses, and the NRC will consider all in making a decision.

Mr. Bill Noonan of 5 Berkeley Road stated that he has several dogs as well as 4 children, and he has been an abutter of the park for 15 years, and that starting approximately 5 years ago a problem with large numbers of dogs running out of control started. He stated that he can no longer take his children or his dogs to the Park, as there are too many dogs off-leash and they are out of control and they attack his dogs and his children. He stated that he came to the NRC several years ago and voiced these concerns and that the on-leash law should have been instituted several years ago. He stated that dog owners have been on notice for the past several years, and that he has seen residents complain to the dog owners, and the complaints have been ignored. He stated that dog owners do not pick up their dog's wastes, and that dog poop is found all over the park. He stated that even now, many dog owners are not obeying the on-leash rule, and one dog owner told him that he should have never moved next to the park if he did not want to be around dogs. He stated that he still sees people driving up at night and allowing their dogs to poop and bark, even after dark, and this rude behavior has only gotten worse. He encouraged the NRC to keep their on-leash rule in order to allow the neighborhood to use and enjoy this park again.

Mr. Kenneth Gagnon of 22 Wilde Road stated that the leash rule will not stop nighttime dog owners, who just want their dogs to come and poop, and that every spring the dog owners do a poop clean up throughout the park and that those who oppose a compromise should grow-up and learn to share the park.

Ms. Mary Ann Scott of 20 Woodfield Road stated that she has a dog and that the park has provided a nice social network for her to bring her dog to the park and to meet other people. She does not like going to other conservation land because it is very lonely and isolated. She understands the abutters concerns, but she hopes that a compromise can be reached.

A resident of Parker Rd. stated that he doesn't understand why dogs need to be allowed off-leash at Perrin because if owners want to exercise their dogs off-leash, they should let the dogs run in their own back yards.

Ms. Ellen Gibbs of 26 S. Woodside Avenue stated that in her view, the discussion and recent newspaper articles have made the Perrin Park dog issue such a hot topic that she feels that the Town needs to put this in the larger context of Town-wide issues and that with the Town's serious budget issues, many Town Boards, including the NRC, are over-worked, over-taxed, and ill-equipped to deal with the many issues before them and she felt that volunteers and many qualified residents could help with this type of issue. She felt that all of the issues discussed today could be solved and that many complex issues regarding over-use of public space over the years have been solved through inter-board task forces or committees that included community participation and feedback from various public constituencies. She encouraged the NRC to examine possible compromises and get all concerned parties to the table to solve this issue.

Irene Weimer of 17 Berkeley Road stated that she believes that there are still many issues to be addressed by the NRC before a compromise can be reached. She stated that she was one of the neighborhood participants on Mr. Bashian's work group and felt that a compromise, including self-policing by the dog owners would be unworkable, and she did not see how could it be enforced. She questioned why the number of 10 dogs off-leash was proposed, and she stated that the on-leash rule should be continued at this point, since this rule was instituted to correct a situation that has been going on for 5 years. She questioned whether or not Mr. Bashian, who led the working group primarily with the W. Dog Group folks, had proposed a program to the NRC, and whether the proposed program would be made available to the public. She stated that since Mr. Bashian was involved in developing a compromise proposal, she questioned whether or not he should be allowed to vote on such a proposal or whether his voting would be a conflict of interest.

Ms. Gaughan stated that it is not clear how the NRC will proceed from here and that the NRC has all of the plans as proposed by the neighborhood and the W. Dog Group in the NRC Office, and there is no reason that any NRC Member needs to recuse his/herself for any possible conflict.

Ms. Weimer followed up with a question and asked if Mr. Bashian was involved in developing only one compromise plan, and asked whether or not he should he be allowed to advocate for that plan and whether this was a conflict of interest.

Ms. Gaughan said that the NRC will strive to consider all information. She stated that Mr. Bashian worked with the working group to try to develop a resolution and there is no reason for any NRC member to recuse himself or herself. Ms. Gaughan stated that she had confidence that all NRC members would maintain open minds and reach a reasonable, fair and hopefully unanimous decision.

Mr. Michael Humphreys of 19 Bryn Mawr Road thanked the NRC for holding the public meeting and he stated that he is conflicted about the dog issue and stated that this has become a very divisive issue in the neighborhood. He stated that he has 2 dogs and he does frequent the park often and that he can see both sides of the issue. He said that he has not seen large packs of dogs in the park, but has seen a small number of dogs frolicking and he has never been attacked in park, but he has been attacked on the sidewalk. He said that dog waste is a real issue and that the leash law will address the number of dogs on the field, but will not address the dog waste issue. He said the only way to ensure that there would be no dog waste in the park or fields would be to ban dogs permanently from the Park. He urged the NRC to consider the issues of dog waste, noise, traffic, and safety in developing a resolution.

Ms. Amy Harden of 137 Hampshire Road stated that she appreciates both sides of this issue and that Perrin Park is really like a community center, and that the key issue is to schedule all activities in the park so that they don't conflict. She said that everyone's concerns must be considered and that traffic and concerns of impact to the abutters must be addressed. She stated that putting all dogs on leash will not solve all issues and that the NRC should consider a compromise.

Mr. John Maxwell of 18 Bryn Mawr Road stated that he was originally part of Mr. Bashian's working group and that he supports a compromise. He stated that he is not sure why Perrin Park has become a dog park, but that the circular flat path around the park is an attractive feature for dog owners and that his dogs need exercise off-leash or they will destroy his house.

Mr. Duncan Andrews of 8 Pine Plain Road stated that as a responsible dog owner, it would have been nice to have had a warning about the on-leash regulation and that the NRC's response to the issue was draconian, and he urged the NRC to consider a compromise and allow dog owners to prove that they can be responsible.

Ms. Sharyn Weiner of 37 Maugus Avenue stated that Perrin Park is a vibrant community resource, and she said that she has been going to Perrin Park with her dog for 3 years, and that most of the dogs that she has seen there are not aggressive and she stated that dog owners do need to be more conscientious about cleaning up dog waste, and she said that she has walked her dog at Centennial, but that this is not ideal because of the excessive amount of wildlife that scares her dog. She said that she likes Perrin because it has become a nice community-meeting place for dog walkers.

Ms. Sara Fogg of 7 Berkeley Road said that she has been a resident abutting Perrin Park for 52 years, and that she has seen wildlife throughout the Town, including foxes, coyotes and deer, and that such wildlife is not limited to Centennial and she has seen these all of these animals at Perrin Park as well.

Mr. Paul Sereiko of 9 Wedgewood stated that one option would be to develop a compromise that would have the W. Dog people and the neighbors merge their emails in order to share their concerns and proposals from both sides. He stated that in his opinion, this should be addressed as a Town-wide issue, and perhaps Perrin could be used as a pilot project. He stated that all open space in Town needs to be examined in terms of accommodating dogs throughout the Town. He said that there needs to be more transparency with regards to the NRC's actions, and that any future actions should ensure adequate feedback from all parties.

Mr. Cramer stated that the NRC's goal is to be completely transparent with regard to its actions and that all of the information that the NRC has received from residents is available for review by the public in the NRC Office.

Ms. Kerry Sullivan of 21 Leewood Road asked for a clarification from the NRC as to what similar parks in Town are available to allow dogs off-leash. Ms. Gaughan responded that according to the map displayed at the Public Hearing, there are 58 dog-walkable areas, although at some, dogs have to be on-leash, such as Warren Park, Hunnewell Field, and Perrin, but that at the majority of other conservation land and parkland, including Brown Park, Phillips Park, Ouellet Park and Kelley Field, dogs are allowed off-leash.

Ms. Sharon Blank of 69 Manor Avenue stated that there may be other contributors to the problems at Perrin Park besides dogs, and that she has actually seen a pony at Perrin Park as part of a birthday party, and that it left excessive waste. She stated that she has seen cars driving on the field and that these issues should be addressed as well. She voiced concern about the lack of transparency in the decision-making process and she stated that in the future, the NRC should put all users on notice before any rights are taken abruptly away and that in this situation one group prevailed without adequate feedback from all.

The NRC thanked all those in attendance for coming to the Public Hearing and for providing important information to the NRC as it moves forward on this matter. Ms. Gaughan stated that the next steps include a discussion by the NRC at their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, February 10th and that this issue is on the agenda at 8:45 PM.

The Public Hearing ended at 11:35 AM.

After the Public Hearing, there was some discussion by the NRC regarding the issues that need to be addressed at their next scheduled meeting on February 10, 2009.

After a motion was made and seconded the NRC voted 3-0 to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 12:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted: