WHEN & WHERE
A public meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 6:30 pm as an opportunity for the public to weigh in on a proposed off-leash area at Edmands Park in Newtonville. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers (2nd Floor – elevator available) at Newton City Hall. This will be a hybrid meeting and will be live streamed on Zoom. A video of the meeting will be available afterwards online on the project page. The meeting is being organized by the Newton Parks, Recreation & Culture Department and is listed on their website project page HERE. You may attend the meeting via Zoom by registering in advance HERE. If you are attending the meeting, it is recommended that you review the documents described below.
PROPOSAL FOR EDMANDS PARK OFF-LEASH
The off-leash proposal is being put forward by the group Cabot Canines Working Group described on their website as “a group of Newton residents committed to responsible dog walking, both on and off-leash in order to make Cabot Woods enjoyable for all Newton residents.” The full Edmands Off-Leash Proposal (April 30, 2023), including survey responses, can be read HERE. The basic proposal is 18 pages but the 309 page document contains extensive appendices on sponsoring individuals, maps, abutting properties, community survey info (with pro and con responses), previous community presentations, email and website communications, police department reports, off-leash resources, and rules from other cities and towns.
The organization’s basic position can be found on their web page HEREÂ An article on the group’s efforts appeared in Fig City News last January HERE.
A group in opposition to the Edmands Park proposal above was formed, which is called Edmands for All. This group which has released a position paper which can be found HERE which called for signing a petition. The responses to that petition can be found HERE.
Comments on the proposal before or after the public meeting can be sent to the department at parks@newtonma.gov.  As with other project proposals, the Parks, Recreation & Culture Department will analyze the feedback from the public meeting and other feedback, consult with the groups, and decide a future course of action.
NEWTON’S OFF-LEASH PROGRAM
The Newton Off-Leash Recreation Program has been designed to meet the needs of the City’s dog owners who want off-leash time while sharing park space with other park users. Information about the Off-Leash program and current off-leash areas can be found HERE. Licensing information for dogs and for the additional off-leash tag can be found HERE. Fees from the Off-Leash Tag program support the creation and maintenance of off-leash areas as well as a park ranger who visits the areas, checks tags, and educates park users on the rules and proper behavior. The off-leash movement in Newton began over 20 years ago resulting in an off-leash ordinance and a working group within the Parks and Recreation Department to locate suitable sites around the city. Edmands Park was on that initial list of potential sites since it already was a popular location for walking dogs. A brief Newton Conservators article on the early history of the off-leash program in Newton can be found HERE.
EDMANDS PARK
Edmands park is a 33-acre natural woodland park located in Newton. Originally part of the Edmands estate, the property was donated to the city in 1913. It is also commonly referred to as Cabot Woods (it is not far from Cabot Street and Cabot School.) Edmands park offers a variety of uses. Its unpaved walking trails provide opportunities for enjoying nature throughout the seasons. Edmands Park features a combination of woodlands, clearings, wetlands, Edmands Brook and a glacial esker. The open forest hosts oaks, beeches, locusts, maples, birches, and pines. Edmands Brook is an intermittent stream that feeds into a sizable wetland. There is a 501(c)(3) friends group for the park called Friends of Edmands Park. Additional info and a trail map for Edmands Park can be found on the Newton Conservators website HERE.
