Let’s get going!
Springtime, more daylight, crazy dogs, time to get cracking! I’ll be submitting another proposal to the town within the week. Seems like a no-brainer. Hoping our selectmen agree!
Updates soon….
It’s been awhile without an update, we are just waiting to see how the vacant Town Manager position shakes out. We have a plan and a new proposal with astronomically high and ambitious hopes for shared non-conflicting use of Gallagher field. Thank you all for your continued support!
Coming Soon! (to Haverhill)
Canine Funtime Indoor Dog Park! Haverhill is nearby….but outdoors in North Andover would be better.
oh, so frustrating!
I drove by Gallagher Field today on my way to Smolak Farm. Oh how frustrating to see such a PERFECT spot for a dog park sit so fallow. It’s like they put the goals up there to taunt us. How do we demonstrate that a field used 365 days a year by North Andover residents is a MUCH better use of a field used _at most_ 40 days a year by those same residents? Repurposing is VERY easy!! So who knows about creating a non-profit group?
backtracking
It’s been awhile since we had an update here, but here’s what i can report. Shocking, we’re barely treading water. In an email exchange with members of the town, here’s what it seems we’re up against. The Town Farm, the location initially looking like the front runner, is off the table, for “numerous reasons” of which i actually know none. Next up, maybe a small piece of the parcel of land bought with CPA monies from Windrush Farm??
The town would like to see a full blown non-profit organization created with a board of its own to ensure the longevity and function of a dog park. While this is a good idea, mostly for startup financial reasons, i can’t see the point in forming an organization without a dedicated piece of land. A non-profit organization could certainly come from a committee……sounds like a good use of a committee, perhaps the town could work with a few of us to form one? That will help support longevity. After all, a dog park, like a playground for children, is a service to its residents, and the town could certainly help to provide. The financials are on us, the town is adamant that there is no money available to startup or maintain a dog park, but looking at financials from dog parks in other towns, maintenance is a low low very manageable cost.
Andover is working on a dog park too, and they have the support of their selectmen, with one of them heading the committee! North Andover is now caught up with elections, but once the board is settled, I look forward to moving forward, again. Id love to create a north andover verses andover race to a dog park, but in the end, if Andover gets the dog park first, fantastic, we’ll frequent it while we get ours sorted.
Stay tuned
Andover in the hunt.
The good news is, if Andover gets their dog park first, we still win. Doesn’t take GoogleMaps to see that Andover is closer than Derry!
http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x1498150731/Residents-are-still-pushing-for-dog-park-in-Andover
recharged–energized–and optimistic!
We’ve got new life here with the effort to bring a dog park to North Andover…. stay tuned!
serious set back
Well folks, I fear it’s back to the drawing board here in North Andover. What to do, what to do. Kinda wish I lived closer to Somerville where the Mayor has taken the initiative to establish three dedicated spaces for the pups! Surely there’s a fallow field waiting for us somewhere, we’ve just gotta find it! Bring on the ideas, I know I have a few to explore!
Waterville, ME gets it!
Wish North Andover would be as proactive with their offer of the town land. They’ve offered it, but there’s still A LOT of paperwork to be done!
WATERVILLE, MAINE — Dog owners looking for a place to take their pooches will get their wish this fall.
City councilors Tuesday night voted to allow establishing a dog park on city-owned land off West River Road in an area near Pine Ridge Golf Course that formerly was used as a driving range.
“Waterville needs a dog park and I think it’s a good spot for it,” said Parks & Recreation Director Matt Skehan.
Councilors authorized City Manager Michael Roy to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Humane Society Waterville Area to establish the park. The city would provide general oversight of the facility. (Read on …)
this is what needs to happen.
We here are at a bit of stalemate, can you help with any of these formalities?
The below 5 issues need to be addressed and included in a site plan.
1) We need to determine the exact size of the lot. (i don’t think my step measurements count)
2) We need to determine what kind of surface we’d use. The lot is currently grass, I don’t know what would happen to the grass with extensive dog, uh, use. The Derry Dog Park in Derry, N.H., is dirt, aside from being a bit dirty, it works, and is very low maintenance.
3) What kind of fencing do we want? I had proposed a 4 foot height chain link fence enclosure with a double gated entry point. Seems standard and adequate.
4) We need to include in the sketch a few angled parking spaces. I am confident that there will be plenty of parallel parking and little conflict for those spaces on Dale Street all along the playing field, but angled parking on the lot was discussed and may need to be implemented to appease the Gallagher Field users. Angled pull in spots with a one way loop around the white barn is that solution. It needn’t be paved and already exists.
5)What kind of maintenance would the park need? While this is something difficult to assess from the outset, perhaps we could at least have a plan for what I imagine “they” are concerned about which is poop pickup. I contend town land should be eligible for trash pickup, just as I believe Gallagher Field is.
This sounds like a lot, but really it’s just putting these ideas into one succinct package to present to the Town Selectmen. Can you help? Post a comment!