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Selectmen consider petition to allow part of Keys Memorial Park to become a dog park; residents raise liability and permanence questions
Summary
A petition asks voters to amend a prior recreational-use article to permit a temporary dog park on a portion of Keys Memorial Park; the dog-park group said it would fund and donate the improvements, while residents and officials pressed for written commitments on maintenance, fence type, insurance and clear temporary wording.
At the Jan. 12 hearing the board considered a petitioned warrant article to amend earlier 2016 language governing the use of part of Keys Memorial Park to allow a dog park.
Zach Williamson, chair of the Milford Dog Park Association, told the board the association intends to privately fund the fence and construction and to donate the finished park to the town: “We are literally a pocketbook… We are literally gonna work with DPW, build the fence… the fence is the town’s.”
Several residents asked the board to clarify whether the article would create a permanent change or a temporary use and urged more precise ballot language if the aim is a limited-duration or pilot dog park. Concerns included parking and how informal parking would be managed, whether removable kennel-style fencing should be used so the site could be restored to athletic fields later, maintenance responsibilities (trash, bags, pickup), and whether the town’s insurer should be asked to confirm exposures.
Selectmen and staff said any implementation should include a memorandum of understanding between the town and the association specifying commitments on construction, maintenance and insurance, and that the town will verify whether any additional insurance or indemnity is needed before work begins. Selectman David Catanzano cited a prior case in another town in which a dog-bite claim led to litigation against the municipality, urging a thorough insurance review: “Somebody did get bit. They did sue the town because the town took the liability of saying, ‘Hey, here’s a dog park,’” he said.
Board members also discussed the need for clear warrant text (including no-tax-impact language where applicable), a demonstration that the association will fund the fence and installation, and an MOU or other agreement to protect the town. Staff said the article could be reworded before the deliberative session and that legal and insurance checks would be completed.
No final action to change the park’s use was taken at the hearing; the petition will appear on the warrant for voter consideration and the board said it would seek clarifying language and an MOU before the deliberative session.
