Framingham Dog Park: 4 Potential Sites Identified In Study

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Don't get the leash just yet, a new study has identified several sites in Framingham for a dog park, what would be the city's first official off-leash space.

The Framingham City Council on Thursday will review a study of four possible locations for dog parks around the city. Three of the four locations surround Farm Pond Park along Dudley Road, and another possible site has been identified along Temple Street near the Mass Pike.

For years, Framingham residents have been organizing to build a dog park in the city. An area of Callahan State Park near the Sudbury line is used as a dog park, but it's not fenced.

In February, a group of 175 people submitted a petition asking for a public hearing to create a commission to study building a dog park. The new effort is a rebirth for the group FramBARK, which was established five years ago to get a dog park opened in the city.

The Thursday City Council discussion of the park locations is the latest in a series of hearings over a dog park this year. The four locations include:

• Temple Street: A 0.45-acre park near the crux of the Mass Pike and Temple Street.
• Dudley North: A 0.46-acre park near the city's compost facility along Dudley Street across from Dr. Harvey L. Cushing Way.
• Dudley Middle: A 0.55-acre plot south of the compost facility in a grove of pine trees. A section of the site could be set aside for a future expansion.
• Dudley South: This 0.54-acre site would take over the hilly forest south of the Farm Pond skateboard park near Fountain Street.

The dog park study does not say how much any of the parks would cost, but it does outline grant programs that could fund up to $25,000 in design costs, and up to $225,000 in construction costs with a match from the city.

By comparison, the new dog park in Natick is about 0.29-acres, and cost about $250,000 to build. About $200,000 was provided through a grant from the Stanton Foundation, and the rest was raised by the Fun Informed Dog Owners of Natick (FIDO) group.

Here's the full Framingham study: