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Resident proposes dog park on tax-title lot; council flags Superfund liability
Summary
A resident proposed converting a 2.9-acre tax-title parcel at 24 North Main into a dog park. Staff and redevelopment officials said the site is a Superfund-contaminated parcel controlled by the redevelopment agency, and explained liability and remediation costs would be major barriers to town ownership and development.
Emma Paucula told the council she was asking the town to consider acquiring a 2.9-acre tax-title parcel at 24 North Main Street for a dog park, noting the property’s upper level is relatively flat and could serve Main Street pedestrians and dog owners.
Planning staff and redevelopment representatives cautioned that the parcel is controlled by the redevelopment agency and is a Superfund site. “You take ownership, you also take the liability for what's underground,” a redevelopment official said, explaining the town had previously sought waivers or concessions from state and federal agencies and found them difficult to obtain. Planning staff noted prior environmental studies had indicated remediation could require hundreds of monitoring wells and cost “a couple million dollars.”
Councilors said the idea had merit but emphasized the need for statutory and environmental approvals before acquisition and suggested the recreation plan and a formal study be used to evaluate options.
The administration agreed to consider the idea within the town’s recreation planning process and to assess liability and cost before advancing any acquisition.
