Parks Commission hears dog park idea

Proponents of a dog park in Newton took the next step toward making such a park reality Wednesday, bringing the issue to the attention of the Newton Parks Commission.

Nathan Unsworth and Jody Hill told the commission of their findings so far. Unsworth said a fact-finding committee has been formed and a couple of potential areas have been selected for development as a dog park.

Unsworth said the goal of the dog park committee is to raise funds privately for a park to be completed sometime next year. Other criteria for a suitable dog park include a fenced-in area of from one to 1.5 acres on city-owned property outside of the downtown area, with a double entrance to prevent escapes, a separate area for smaller dogs, a source of water, and perhaps some benches for the humans.

Park users would be expected to police themselves, picking up their own dog’s waste and ensuring that they obey other rules such as not allowing aggressive dogs or unvaccinated dogs to the park. Newton Parks Director Denny Slings said that he wasn’t concerned about the added liability of a dog park on city property.

“There would be no additional cost for liability,” Slings said. “It’s just like any other person walking their dog in the park. I’m excited about it. It’ll be a nice addition to our park system.”

Slings added that maintenance costs would be mainly mowing and snow removal from the parking areas.

“Actually, the larger the dog park the less maintenance there would be, due to less compaction,” he added.

Parks Commission chairman Dennis Combs praised the dog park committee for their efforts.

“I think I can speak for the commission when I say we’re very happy you’ve taken this on,” Combs said. “It’s always been a challenge for people moving to Newton to become involved in various ways. This is a good way to socialize, especially for younger people.”

Parks Commission member Bruce Showalter told the dog park committee to get as many facts and figures as possible concerning dog parks in other cities.

The dog park committee will continue to gather information, and bring their findings to the Newton City Council at a later date.