[From my July 15 article in the Colchester Bulletin]
This weekend Colchester is going to the dogs! Well, at least a couple of acres are. On Sunday, the long awaited Colchester Dog Park officially opens to the public. After more than two years of hard work by the dedicated committee, their dream has come to fruition. Of course, this was no small feat.
This Sunday will be a culmination of all of the work, celebrating the park’s completion with grand opening ceremonies and a pet expo, sponsored by Mr. Lockout and others. Beginning at 11:00am, activities will include a ribbon cutting, memorial unveiling (recognizing the generous contribution in the name of Scott Gagnon), a hike led by the Colchester Land Trust, food, giveaways, vendor booths, and more. And, of course, dogs will be permitted to run off leash for the first time in town in the only approved park for this activity.
The new dog park actually sits on a former landfill at 89 Old Amston Road – on the left before arriving at the Transfer Station. It was determined to be a safe and appropriate reuse of what is referred to as a “brownfield” (a previous industrial site).
The new site is freshly landscaped and redeveloped, with a gravel driveway and parking area, nearly a third of a mile of fencing, a memorial brick walkway, plantings, a walkway to the Colchester Spur of the Air Line Trail, signage, and more. In line with “best practices”, handlers bringing their dog to the park have their choice of two areas: one for large dogs and one for small dogs. While small dogs are welcome in either area, handlers are discouraged from releasing larger dogs in the smaller area, for dog safety.
All of the usage guidelines at the park are geared toward protecting the safety of the dogs, handlers and other visitors. The one overarching rule is the town ordinance that requires that all dogs in town be licensed and vaccinated – which obviously would apply at the dog park as well. Other guidelines include: cleaning up after dogs; refraining from bringing sick or aggressive dogs to the park; supervising the dogs; and the like. Ultimately, by State statute the dog owners are responsible for any damage or injury caused by their dogs. However, neither the dog park committee nor the town wants to see anyone get hurt, and encourage adherence to the posted guidelines.
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While many other towns that began a similar process prior to Colchester are still working on securing a location or raising the necessary funds, or have given up altogether, our local volunteers were dogged (couldn’t resist!) in attaining their goal. Aside from the sheer passion of the group, perhaps one reason it was so successful is that it was a community driven project. Though our office served as a resource throughout the effort and guided them through the various requirements of town procedures, each step of the process was determined and decided by the group.
Needless to say, many people were involved in the multi-year effort. However, I would be remiss if I did not mention and thank those that were active members of the core committee throughout the process: Keith Kelley, Amanda and Tim Nelson, Carol Small, Heather Simonich, Linda Akerman, Ginny Rogowski, Kim Previti, Amy Stula, Dayle Cotu, and Janice Felciano. My congratulations go out to them and the entire dog-owning community in Colchester. This is certainly a triumph worthy of celebration, and one that will be enjoyed for many years to come.
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