A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-62, regarding the feasibility of installing lights at all Cambridge dog parks

November 8, 2021 To: Louie DePasquale, City Manager From: Owen O’ Riordan, Commissioner, DPW RE: AR 21-62 Report on the feasibility of installing lights at all Cambridge dog parks. In response to the recent council order concerning lighting at the various dog parks in the city, staff at DPW in co-ordination with Human Services, Community Development and the City Electricians office report the following: There are four off-leash facilities presently within the city: The Dog Park on Third Street within Tim Toomey Park, Pacific Street Dog Park at Tudor Street and Brookline Street, the Giacobbe Dog Run on Pemberton Street behind the Anderson basketball and tennis courts and the Danehy Dog Park adjacent to the New Street parking lot. The lighting at the Tim Toomey dog park consists of pedestrian scale lighting around the perimeter of the park. As is the case with other lighting systems in the city the degree of illumination of the lights can be adjusted to appropriately provide a sufficient level of lighting for: dog park activities, safety, and to ensure that the lighting in the park doesn’t create a light trespass or pollution concern.

Similarly, the dog park on Tudor Street is lit in the evenings by two spotlights that provide “down lighting” to users of the park. Given the adjacency of the park to residents on Pacific Street changing the level of lighting at this location would be challenging specific to the impact on those adjacent neighbors. The Giacobbe dog run is immediately behind the Anderson basketball and tennis courts and is to the immediate north of the railroad tracks. It is accessible via a pathway that runs alongside and above the Yerxa Underpass. the lights associated with the courts, when on, provide for a reasonable level of lighting for the dog run. DPW will prune the trees adjacent to the Yerxa Underpass to improve the light distribution and access associated with the entrance to the facility.

At this time there is no lighting that is provided at the Danehy Park dog park, and the lights in the adjacent parking lot do not provide additional illumination to the dog park when lit in the evenings. Over the past several years, during the capital budget process, consideration has been given to adding additional pedestrian scale lighting to the park. If funding is available this year, then the area around the dog park will also be included. At present most municipal parks throughout the city are officially open dawn to dusk throughout the year. Obviously, given the pressures associated with the demand for sports activities etc. this standard has been relaxed in certain instances, at certain facilities throughout the city. Recognizing the continued high demand associated with our dog parks and the limited time available for owners during the late fall and winter months, it is now proposed that those three facilities where lighting presently exists be recognized as available until 7:30pm – 8pm at night to dog owners moving forward.