Dog Park Appeal Rejected

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December 15, 2023 | by Ted Craft

On December 13, the Connecticut Appellate Court denied a petition to appeal a Superior Court ruling upholding the Conservation Commission’s approval of the Town’s plan to build a dog park.

The one-sentence Appellate notice said the plaintiff’s petition was “ordered denied as untimely,” meaning it was filed too late.

“We’re ready to start,” said First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor, who noted that the Town has issued an invitation for bids on tree clearing services, the first step in preparation for construction of the park. Bid responses are expected by the end of the month.

A long road

Approvals began in 2018 for plans to build a dog park on a town-owned parcel at Davis Hill Road and Lords Highway East known as the Moore Property.

Voters approved in April of that year, and a green light was given by the Conservation Commission in May. That decision was challenged in Superior Court by owners of neighboring properties and others. A pandemic-delayed ruling, in favor of the Town, came down in August of 2020. That November, the Appellate Court declined to review it.

By early 2022, estimates for the Town’s portion of costs had skyrocketed. The Town is primarily responsible for clearing a driveway and parking area and installing a drainage system. Fencing and amenities for the park itself are paid by private donations to Weston Dog Park Inc., a 501(c)(3) that met its funding goal long ago.

To reduce Town costs to levels close to those initially expected several years before, a downsized plan was developed and resubmitted to the Conservation Commission in March of 2022. The Commission once again approved. Its decision was once again challenged in Superior Court, where it was once again upheld, this past August. That ruling was the subject of the appeal denied this week.

Dog Park Appeal Rejected

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