#DogPark #MiddleburyLandTrust
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Middlebury Dog Park logo
Folks who have been waiting patiently for a Middlebury Dog Park since 2016 hopefully will be happy to hear it is closer to becoming a reality. At its April 4 meeting, the Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission accepted the Middlebury Land Trust’s (MLT) application for the project and scheduled a public hearing for it on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in the Shepardson Community Center auditorium. Those interested in the project may comment on it at the May 2 meeting.
Dr. Scott Peterson of the Middlebury Land Trust (MLT) provided this newspaper with the following update on the proposed dog park:
In general, the plan is for an approximately three-acre, nature-centric dog park, set well back into MLT’s 134.39-acre Nichols Road Preserve and well buffered by existing forest. The area will be divided into two zones, one of which will be for smaller dogs. There will be attractive fencing all around and dividing the two areas, and there will be a double-gated entrance. The parking plan proposed is for a larger number of spaces than we plan actually to create initially, but these spaces can also be used by people hiking the several existing trails elsewhere within this preserve or enjoying other MLT offerings there such as bird walks and nature walks. As a MLT preserve, this property is of course already open to everyone dawn to dusk daily for outdoor enjoyment as specified by our preserve rules and signs.
This MLT project reflects the widespread and strong community support dating back to the efforts of Beverly Dassonville and others in 2016. At that time, the Town had proposed making a parcel of land on Long Meadow Road available to that group for a dog park, but, beyond the property itself, the Town was not able to offer any further support, and the project therefore stalled. In June of 2019, following a very strongly supported town-wide referendum, MLT purchased the entire Nichols Road Preserve from the Town. MLT previously held a conservation easement over this land restricting its use, but full ownership was felt to make creation of a dog park on a portion of the parcel easier.
The MLT Dog Park Committee has been working to organize a larger volunteer group of people who will monitor the area, pick up debris, remove trash, and otherwise service the area. If readers of the Bee Intelligencer are interested in participating in this effort, they should contact MLT at middleburylandtrust@gmail.com. The committee has visited a number of other dog parks in CT and will be able to adopt best practices based on practices that others have found most efficient and helpful.
No Town funds are being expended for the creation of this facility, and no draw on Town funds is contemplated going forward for its ongoing maintenance. Fundraising is ongoing and readers interested in supporting this project might wish to make a contribution to MLT during the upcoming Give Local campaign sponsored by the Connecticut Community Foundation on April 24 to 25, 2024. Funds raised through this campaign receive matching funds from CCF, thereby increasing the funds for the dog park. Funds may also be donated directly to MLT using the “Donate” button on our website, www.middleburylandtrust.org.
Middlebury Land Trust, as a long-established, all-volunteer local nonprofit organization, is sensitive to all community needs and neighbors’ concerns. In creating its plans for a widely and broadly supported dog park, MLT is particularly mindful of concerns expressed by neighbors living near the Nichols Road Preserve. To that end, the dog park enclosure has been sited well back from Shadduck Road and the dense forest in between the fenced area and the road has been maintained. No or minimal lighting is planned since the area will continue to close at sunset. Safety concerns – for visitors, neighbors, and vehicles – are paramount. If issues arise, MLT will as always make its best efforts to resolve such concerns.
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