NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Out-of-towners and their pets trying to sniff out the city's dog park won't have to hunt much longer. 

 

The Planning Board on Monday approved a sign designed and being built by Drury High School students that will be located on River Street.

 

The park was installed last year but its location — tucked against a slope in a far corner of the park at River and Houghton — has made it difficult for some to find. 

 

"We would get people from Lee and Pittsfield and where ever and they'd be like, 'where is this park and how do I find it?" Tara Jacobs, one of the dog park drivers, said. Plus, people would give localized directions that were hard to follow, she said. 

 

Jacobs reached out to engineering technology teacher Keith Davis and his students at Drury and the students took the idea and ran with it. They researched the city ordinances, comparable signs, size and location to create a six-page presentation for the Planning Board.

 

"They were all excited ... They went above and beyond doing research," she said, adding that Liz Bona lead the artwork. "They were so professional and they were prepared to stand up and present this."

 

Monday, however, also happened to be honor society induction night, and, Davis noted, he had very good students who were being inducted. So the presentation and the approval went swiftly with just Davis there to answer questions.

 

The three-dimensional sign for River Grove Dog Park incorporates the city's new logo and colors and features a dog chasing a ball (with an arrow pointing to the park) with the city's facades and mountains in the background. Both sides of the sign will be painted.

 

Davis brought a routered wood sample of the sign that when completed will be 38.5 inches by 32 inches. It still had some bugs, he said. 

 

"They're working on editing their drawing," he said. "That's why we do a rough draft on relatively inexpensive boards ... the final one will be out of oak."

 

Davis hoped that the sign would be completed and installed, with the help of the Department of Public Works, prior to the end of school. 

 

• The planners also reviewed a letter from events coordinator Suzy Helme giving a heads-up on activities that will be occurring in the city related to the opening of Building 6 at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and from Michael Jackson, former proprietor of RJ's Taxi and RJ's Auto located at 429 Curran Highway, that he was transferring all ownership to Obilio Rodriguez Jr.

 

• The board voted to authorize Building Inspector William Meranti to begin enforcement procedures if the former gas station on State Road across from Briggsville Garage was not being demolished by the next meeting. The former O'Connell station failed to sell at auction last year and the underground tanks have already been removed.