The
Lexington Minuteman
No
decision on Willards Woods
http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington/news/x1128412262/No-decision-on-Willards-Woods-from-Lexington-Conservation-officials
By
Bryan Mahoney/Staff Writer
Posted Oct 14, 2009
@ 03:15 PM
Lexington —
The Lexington Conservation
Commission met with users of Willards Woods Tuesday night to get the straight
poop about simmering tensions between those that walk their dogs there and
those that don’t.
At issue is a
minority of inconsiderate pet owners who do not clean up after their dogs, or
allow their dogs to have the run of the place, which may lead to unwanted
confrontations with other walkers trying to enjoy some peace.
By all accounts,
those rule-breaking few were not in the crowd of 100 or so residents at Cary
Hall Tuesday. Many residents — dog owner or no — stood ready to claim
responsibility for the stewardship of the conservation land and to broker a
compromise for all to enjoy the area.
“It is unfair to
punish the majority for a few of the minority,” said Blossomcrest Road resident
Nancy Bryant.
Joyce Miller,
chairwoman of the Conservation Commission, said the group will deliberate “over
the next few months” to decide “what we’re doing about Willards Woods.”
The commission is
charged with protecting and preserving more than 1,340 acres of conservation
land.
Bernie Gunther, a
resident of Brent Road, argued that erosion at a Willards Woods pond was a
direct result of dogs playing on its banks. The bank is now fenced off, and
Gunther said the town’s sign on that fence is proof that dogs were the cause.
The sign reads,
“Restoration Area … The Lexington Conservation Division is restoring the
shoreline area around the pond, which has experienced soil compaction and
erosion due to heavy dog and foot traffic. …”
Others argued that
the situation improved over the years. A community of dog walkers has
developed, and friendships have formed. Gone are the days of late-night
drinking parties and vast amounts of leftover garbage.
Herb Wasserman, who
said he has used town conservation lands for 40 years, said the accounts of
“attacks” and the transformation of the land into an exclusive dog park may be
overstated.
“I don’t think you
can legislate the solutions to these problems,” he said.
Most dog owners
urged better enforcement of the existing rules, and a new fee structure for dog
licenses to discourage casual and perhaps less responsible users of the park.
The Conservation
Commission next meets Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in room G-15 of the Town
Office Building, 1625 Mass. Ave.