The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘BEAUTIFUL SPACE’
Group seeks to use 1.3 acres behind Town Hall
LITCHFIELD — A group of dog lovers is hoping 2020 will be the year they establish a town dog park.
Friends of the Litchfield Dog Park, formed around 2015 and led by Rose Blondin Shea and Stephanie Weaver, are preparing an 8-24 application — a municipal ruling allowing a change of use of a piece of property — and will meet with the Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Bantam Annex building.
It will be the first time the group has approached the board about the idea since First Selectman Denise Raap took office in November 2019.
The need for a dog park, Weaver and Shea said, has grown, and the town is “full of dog lovers.”
“We haven’t spoken with her (Raap) about it, but a few years ago, when we petitioned about it, she was very supportive,” Shea said. “The past town government wasn’t so much in favor of the idea.”
A small group of supporters and a larger Facebook community have spread the word about the park, and are given updates on the Friends’ Facebook page. Shea was approached by Weaver, who is helping fill out the 8-24 application.
In the Friends’ case, the group wants to use 1.3 acres behind Town Hall that now is a town skating rink, recently improved with landscaping and seating by the Litchfield Garden Club.
“The property’s in the center of town, and that’s important,” Shea said. “It has parking. It’s a good location.”
The skating rink was established in the mid-2000s, but according to Shea, it is not used very much. But until she and other members discuss their idea with Raap, it’s just one of a few locations they are considering. Another possible location is the Bantam Annex on Doyle Road, a town-owned property that previously housed the Bantam Courthouse. A portion of the property still houses Litchfield’s land use office, the fire marshal and parks and recreation.
“Little Pitch Road in Northfield is another location, but we would really like to be in town,” Shea said. “The skating rink is so centrally located. We want it to be a beautiful space.”
The increase in dog owners in Litchfield prompted Shea and Weaver to develop the Friends group. They also see a need for a designated area for dogs to run and play. While Litchfield is full of
parks and hiking trails, there are few safe spaces for dogs, where they can run unleashed.
“I adopted my dog Libby, a Lab mix, six years ago, and the closest dog parks are still quite a distance,” Shea said. “There’s one in Wolcott, Granby, Torrington’s supposed to be getting one, and there’s one in New Milford. ... I think having our own park would help the community. It would bring people together.”
Community Field on North Lake Street is a popular spot for dog walks, but it’s also very busy nearly all year with recreation activities and visiting families.
“You can’t really let dogs run around there,” Shea said.
The Friends group recently became a 501(c)(3) organization, and is planning to hold fundraisers to pay for landscaping, fencing and signs at the park, and is applying for grants. “Dog food companies sometimes offer funding for things like this,” Shea said.
Anyone interested in getting involved in the Friends of the Litchfield Dog Park group can email Shea