Melrose dog park meeting Monday

By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff

Wooded land near a pond at Mount Hood Memorial Park could become Melrose's first dog park.

The site, which is a little less than an acre, is beside a maintenance garage at the city-owned park, which includes an 18-hole golf course and playing fields.

Residents are invited today to a meeting of the Park Commmission to weigh in on the proposed park, where dogs would run and roam off their leashes.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the clubhouse at Mount Hood.

"It's taken us awhile just to find a site that was agreeable," said Joan Bell, superintendent at Mount Hood. "Now we'd like to hear what the neighbors and abutters think, before a final decision is made."

The site, located near First Pond and Stillman Road, is one of four areas considered by city officials and The Melrose Dog Society, a group of dog owners.

Approval of both the Park Commission and Board of Aldermen is required before the park could be established on city land.

Greg Penta, president of the Melrose Dog Society, said the group has been working since February 2009, to identify the perfect place for pooches to roam free in Melrose.

"Right now, it's illegal for a dog to be off its leash in Melrose, unless in the confines of (the owner's) yard," said Penta, the proud owner of three Yorkshire Terriers. "It's important for dogs to be well socialized, to be able to go out and meet, and for their owners to meet one another."

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com