Parks Department Hears Plans for Off-Leash Areas on Boston Common

The Friends of the Public Garden presented their plan Tuesday to the city's parks department for creating areas on the Boston Common that dogs can use. 

The plan proposes rotating off-leash dog recreation areas on the Common, having two open at any one time, with the others taken out of use for renovation of the turf (aeration, overseeding, fertilizing). 

Liz Vizza, the Friends' executive director, said the board "favorably disposed to the plan overall" and will vote on it at their Feb. 25 meeting. 

"The goals are to develop a management approach that protects the Common’s turf and trees while providing meaningful dog recreation opportunities, and to build the community of dog owners into active stewards and supporters of the Common," Vizza said.

"Areas have been identified that serve neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the park, and we worked with Parks Department staff to identify sites that were appropriate candidates for the program," she said.