By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT – Should Winslow Park have a fenced-in dog play area? 

It’s a question that kept more than 40 people on a Planning & Zoning Commission Zoom meeting on Monday until well past 11 p.m.

Representative Town Meeting Member Andrew Colabella brought forth the proposal, a text amendment that would allow for a fenced-in dog area in the Dedicated and Open Space Recreation District, or DOSRD. Only two town parks would qualify for the amendment – Winslow Park and Sherwood Hill Preserve. A specific proposal for the dog park would come later if the P&Z were to approve the text amendment, according to Colabella.

More than a dozen members of the public spoke out overwhelmingly against the measure on Monday, with many saying that Winslow Park is already dog friendly and does not need a fenced-in area. Winslow Park currently allows dogs in both a leashed and unleashed area that is not fenced.

The public hearing was continued until September.

Many speakers referred to Winslow Park as a gem, saying that a fenced dog area would take away from the appeal.

Wendy Batteau said that to her, the issue was a question of “open space” more than one about whether a dog park is needed. “We need to protect open space,” she said. “It should be one of our highest priorities.” 

Batteau went on to say that townspeople could probably use a pickleball court or some other amenity, but it would not be appropriate at Winslow. “I am hoping you do not approve this,” she said to commissioners.

Emme Dorfman, a rising senior at Staples High School and one of the proponents of the idea, said she came up with the thought as a school project after realizing a fenced-in dog area would be helpful to her family. Such an area should be an option for people using the park, she said, and would not affect the existing on-leash and off-leash areas. Later in the meeting, Dorfman said there were other public supporters for the plan who could not stay on the call that late and would speak at a subsequent meeting.

Those who did speak out Monday asked the commission to vote against the text amendment. “I don’t see any need to change what’s there,” said Toni Simonetti, who lives across from the park. It’s one of the few open spaces we have.”

Simonetti, along with several other speakers, did advocate for a better barrier by Compo Road North to prevent dogs from running onto the street there but said that could be done independently from creating a dog play area.

Other speakers said they would like to see evidence that most townspeople want a fenced dog play area in town. “I don’t think they have demonstrated a public desire,” said Mark Mathias. He conducted an informal survey with 406 responses and 258 people, or 64.8 percent, said no to the idea, Mathias said.

In their discussion of the measure, P&Z Chairman Paul Lebowitz stressed that he wanted to keep the conversation focused on the text amendment rather than specific plans for a dog park, which would come in a later application.

Both Lebowitz and member Breanne Injeski said they would want the text amendment to include the same setbacks for the dog run, which is 30 feet from the street and 25 feet from the side and rear. The original wording for the amendment said the play area would be exempt from those setbacks.

Lebowitz and Injeski also said they would like the amendment to include limiting language so it would only apply to Winslow and not to Sherwood Mill Pond Reserve, a much smaller park.

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}