Should the town open a dog park? The Board of Selectman (BOS) is inviting citizens to its meeting on Tuesday, April 12 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the possibility.

The idea of adding a dog park in Westbrook is not a new concept. Back in 2016 and 2017, a proposal to turn the Fiske Lane tennis courts into a dog park failed to receive community support, but the idea of putting a park somewhere in Westbrook never went away.

“There have actually been a few requests over the years to put a dog park at a few different locations around town, but the BOS hasn’t ever gotten involved,” said First Selectman John Hall.

At the March 8 BOS meeting, Hall said that a resident had emailed him requesting that part of Ted Lane be used as a dog park.

Hall told the Harbor News he didn’t think that was a suitable idea for several reasons. As the health director pointed out, there was potential for children to come into contact with unsanitary conditions such as feces. Ted Lane is the used as the town’s Little League Field as well as community events like the muster. There is also a worry that use of the field as a dog park could lead to increased maintained costs to the town, and the area isn’t all the way fenced in so dogs could potentially run away if not supervised.

However, while Ted Lane may be off the table, Hall said that the BOS would be interested in looking at other locations around town for a dog park. One possible location Hall floated was town-owned land by the fields off of McVeagh Road. An estimated cost of $20,000 could pay for the installation of a fence and parking area, according to an estimate from Public Works Director John Riggio.

Hall said that residents who wish to make their feeling known on the matter either with support or concerns should attend the BOS meeting.

“We might not move on it that night. But we might move forward with a proposal if there is community support for it,” said Hall.