Next question for the Greenway: Where do the dogs fit in?

By Megan Woolhouse and Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff  |  January 9, 2008

Should dogs have the right to frolic on the grassy lawns and parklands of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway?

That's the question facing members of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy Board, which yesterday discussed whether to ban dogs from portions of the park, enforcing leash laws, and opening a dog park on a designated strip to protect newly planted trees and grass worth millions of dollars.

"It's going to be one of the bigger problems I'm going to be dealing with," said Steven D. Anderson, operations director for the Greenway. "You can see some of the favorite spots of the Great Danes."

Officials expressed concern that the Greenway could become the brownway if dogs are allowed free rein in the 30 acres of parks and public space that replaced the old Central Artery highway. But the idea of restricting dogs puts the board at odds with some dog owners who have long contended that Boston has too few parks and open spaces where dogs can run free.

While off-leash dog parks are common in many big cities, Boston sanctioned its first, Peters Park in the South End, less than a year ago.

That rankles dog owners like Brian Henderson, creator of dogboston.com, a website dedicated to creating more places for dogs.

"We have two dogs that are part of my family, and I feel they should be able to walk around the city like anyone else," Henderson said. "Dogs are an extremely important part of today's society, and as long as people pick up after them, it shouldn't be an issue."

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who brought his dogs, Sunny and Splash, to the North End Park segment of the Greenway late last year, could not be reached for comment on the issue.

Mayor Thomas Menino and the Boston City Council approved a law more than two years ago to provide special "dog recreation spaces" throughout the city.

Yet there has been a backlash. In the South End, residents mounted opposition to the new dog park, voicing their concerns in a letter-writing campaign. People reported problems with flies, unpleasant smells, and urine in their doorways.

Dogs are banned from the Public Garden, and are allowed leashed and only in designated areas on Boston Common.

Many of the trees, bushes, and other fauna planted along the Greenway cannot withstand a barrage of dog urine, said Nancy Brennan, executive director of the Rose Fitzgerald Greenway Conservancy, which will oversee the park's maintenance. Many have taken more than a decade to grow, started from seed under a contract the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority signed with a nursery in Northborough as a way to save money.

Brennan said dog urine has killed greenery along pathways in Wharf District Park. The small, almond-shaped islands of sod and trees are a "very attractive location" for dogs and dog owners, she said. The same is true for Portal Park near the Leonard P. Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge.

Brennan, who has a mixed-breed dog named Willow, noted that board members envision a park where families can relax without worrying about what lurks in the grass.

"There's no pervasive dog antipathy; that I can definitely tell you," she said of the 10-member conservancy board.

Peter Meade, conservancy board chairman, has two dogs, she said. But even Meade, who lives in Back Bay, complained that he has to bring several extra bags to clean up after other people's pets.

Officials are considering a temporary dog run near Faneuil Hall or the creation of dog parks on the Greenway. Board members also discussed putting up additional "curb your dog" signs. Anderson said officials will talk to residents near the Greenway and others. There will be public meetings this spring, Brennan said.