Cheshire Selectmen Concerned Over Dog Waste & Strippers
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen are fed up with dogs fouling the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and town property but do not know how deal with violators.
The board members last week read a letter from a concerned citizen urging them to contact the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and demand it place more dog-waste cleanup signs on all Cheshire entrances of the rail trail because "there is so much dog poop, and it is getting out of hand" and "something needs to be done."
Department of Public Works Director Peter LeFebvre told the board Tuesday that the DPW actually provided the signs that cost $30 a piece and they are scattered throughout town.
He thinks the signs do little to help the situation.
"To me, I think it makes things worse because people do pick it up with their bag and they pick up the dog's mess, but they wait and when no one is around they throw it in the bushes," LeFebvre said.
He added that there is an area at the end of Richmond Street that appears to be especially popular for tossing bags of poop.
"If you go there and look on the lefthand side, there must be 60 bags, so I don't know if really helps out a lot," he said.
LeFebvre said the town decided against placing dog-waste bag dispensers on the trail for this reason and felt it would not help with people using public trash receptacles. He said public trash cans tend to fill quickly with trash from people's homes rather than from trail users.
Chairwoman Carol Francesconi agreed and pointed out a very special tree on Dean Street.
"People lift up because they can reach the crotch of the tree and they put their poop bags in that freaking tree," Francesconi said. "It's dumb."
The Selectmen took the letter under advisement.
Town Administrator Mark Webber noted that he applied for a grant on behalf of the Planning Board in regard to a zoning bylaw amendment that includes medical marijuana facilities, in-law apartments, adult entertainment establishments and a master plan.
Although the new bylaws would not welcome adult entertainment, Francesconi wished the Planning Board would avoid the issue all together.
"We already have a bylaw against strip clubs in the town of Cheshire ... we have fought about that," she said. "They shouldn't even discuss it because this was such a close call on the strip club thing."
Francesconi was referring to a prior owner of what is now Bass Water Grill who wanted to hold parties at the establishment with "exotic dancers."
She said the town adopted a bylaw that prohibits nudity in a premise that sells alcohol.
Francesconi asked Webber to inform the Planning Board of this.
Webber said the planners probably want the bylaw to be clear in the zoning.
Tags: Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, dogs, master plan, poop, zoning,
