Kirk Park now off-limits for dog use

“No pets allowed” signs have been up at Kirk Park for several years, but have proven ineffective. City Council has passed an ordinance which includes penalties for a civil infraction in an effort to more effectively curb its use as an area to let dogs off the leash.

by Marsha Chartrand

For the past several years the Village (now City) Parks Commission has discussed the pros and cons of creating a dog park in Manchester. Finding strong support among parks commissioners, however, did not equate to similar enthusiasm from Village — or, subsequently, City — Council, and the plans were dropped two years ago.

More recently, some local pet owners have been using Kirk Park, with its fenced-in ball diamonds, to run their dogs when the diamonds were not in use. However, the Manchester Area Youth Sports (MAYS) organization, which oversees the T-ball and Little League programs in town, spends time and money maintaining the ball diamonds throughout the summer, and community volunteer Stas Schebella also donates a significant amount of time keeping the grounds in order. In addition, the DPW uses its resources on freshening the diamonds each spring, mowing the infields and outfields throughout the season.

Schebella attended a Village Council meeting in November, asking Council to consider banning dogs from the park, as he was finding that as he cleaned the diamonds on a regular basis there was a lot of dog waste left behind by pet owners on the fields and on the groomed areas of the playing area. He believed that the signs on the fence were ineffective and more enforcement was needed to keep the fields more sanitary for the kids who play there, and for whom it is maintained.

After the dust settled following the November election, Council agreed that additional enforcement was needed and put a new ordinance on the agenda for consideration at the January 22 meeting. According to the new City Charter, a public hearing is set for all citizens to comment on any new ordinance prior to a Council vote.

Four members of MAYS attended the public hearing in support of the ordinance, and thanked City Council for their attention to this matter. The ordinance was adopted unanimously and will take effect February 18, 2024.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.