SAUGUS Vol. 27, No.7 Your Local News & Sports Online! Scan & Subscribe Here! C TE D O AT CAT -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday 781-233-4446 Friday, February 14, 2025 SHOWCASING SAUGUS CULTURES Legal opinion backs supporters of proposed dog park at Stocker Playground Town Counsel advises Saugus Dog Park Committee that using a portion of the playground for dog park is permitted By Mark E. Vogler ust two days before a Conservation Commission public hearing related to a proposed dog park at Stocker Playground, Town Counsel John Vasapolli issued a legal opinion that the dog park is a permitted recreational use. Opponents of the dog park Tori Darnell, co-chair of the Saugus Cultural Council, enjoys a cup of coff ee as she talks about the Saugus Cultural Festival, which is set for Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saugus Middle-High School. Please see inside for more photos and this week’s “The Advocate Asks.” (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) have maintained that the proposal would violate the deed restriction that was fi led when the town acquired the Frederick Stocker Playground parcel in 1930. It required that the property be used solely as a playground in perpetuity. But a Feb. 10 opinion by Vasapolli determined that the proposed use of a portion of the playground as a recreational area for families and their dogs falls within the scope of uses allowed under the deed restriction, according to a press release by Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s offi ce. The Conservation Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on Wednesday J (Feb. 12) regarding the town’s fi ling of a Notice of Intent (NOI) for a dog park on a portion of Stocker Playground. The hearing occurred after this week’s press deadline. The NOI fi led last month stated the town planned to use 64 acres of the 6.35-acre Stocker Playground, which is 10% of the property, as a dog park. “This project aims to transform existing dilapidated and underused basketball and tennis courts into a modernized and vibrant recreational area for families and dogs, and refl ects the town’s commitment to enhancing community open spaces and improving playgrounds to benefit residents and fully comply with all applicable local, state, and federal environmental regulations,” the town noted last month in announcing its plans for a dog park at Stocker Playground. Vasapolli determined that the proposal to remove the imDOG PARK | SEE PAGE 2 MARCHETTI CORP. 47 Years of Excellence!! 1978-2025 Regular Unleaded $2.839 R MidUnleaded $3.379 Super $3.479 Diesel Fuel $3.539 Hours: Monday thru Friday 6 AM to 7 PM / Saturdays 7 AM to 5 PM / Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM Kerosene Available! ULS $4.759 $3.39 9 DEF HEATING O L IL Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! 24-Hour Burner Service Open an account and order online at: FLEET Prices subject to change
2 Publizr Home