NORTHAMPTON — The future of free-roaming dogs at the Smith Farm Fields may be decided Tuesday by the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School board of trustees.
Chairman Michael Cahillane said last week the board is poised to discuss and vote on policy that spells out to what extent dogs will, or will not, be allowed at the park, which is owned by the state, leased by the city and run by the school. The 282-acre wooded property off Burts Pit Road is popularly referred to as the “dog park.”
This policy will be part of the newly revised land-use plan. Trustees were previously tasked with re-imagining the plan after the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, the agency that regulates use of the property, rejected a previous version in October 2015.
This decision is potentially the culmination of nearly three decades of contentious discussion among residents and city officials about who — and what — has access to the property and how it’s used.
Over the years, locals and visitors alike have relied on the land for various recreational activities currently not permitted under the state law governing the land — including dog-walking.
“What we have tried to do is work amiably with … the people who use that facility to make a workable situation,” Cahillane said. “And we have stood on our heads trying to make it work.”
Critics of the current setup, in which dog owners tend to let their canines roam freely, said the policy needs to stipulate that dogs be leashed to avoid animals accosting and biting and scratching other dogs or people.
But those critics are missing the bigger picture, said Judith Fine, 66, of Northampton, who is the dog-walkers’ liaison.
“I would say less than 1 percent of dogs or owners have bad behavior,” Fine said. “I don’t know why you would punish 99 percent of users for that 1 percent.”
As a frequent user of the property, Fine also said she estimates that about 1,000 people visit the area on a weekly basis.
“You really have to put this in perspective in terms of the number of visitors,” she added. “If you catch someone that has bad behavior, whether it’s four-legged or two-legged, they shouldn’t be allowed. There’s no enforcement. That’s the real issue here.”
The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday in the school’s library.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.