PARIS — A public hearing Monday on uses of a park at the base of Paris Hill turned into a discussion on a potential dog park, which is not part of the immediate plans.
The town has received a grant to add benches, tables, a gazebo and perhaps a pavilion at 1 Paris Hill Park, located just off Route 26 along the Little Androscoggin River next to Paris Hill Road. The goal would be to hold weekly concerts and provide residents with a place to enjoy an open space to relax, hike or read.
Some residents would like to see a dog park, a fenced-in area where pets could roam and play without a leash.
Selectman Peter Kilgore visited the dog park on Strawberry Avenue in Lewiston to learn what is needed for Paris to open one. He said it is not as easy as he first thought.
“I thought, well, we’re going to have a dog park. There’s a whole lot more to it,” Kilgore said.
Located between a veterinary hospital and an animal shelter, the Lewiston facility has someone who can keep an eye on the park. That person can check licenses, vaccinations and help keep the park clean by emptying the dog poop stations, Kilgore said.
A Paris facility would likely have no such person at the park.
“They’re right there. We’re not,” Kilgore said.
Lewiston has two separate facilities on Strawberry Avenue — a park for dogs 30 pounds and under and another for dogs weighing more than 30 pounds, Kilgore said.
The park would likely go in a grassy area beyond a line of pine trees. That area could also serve as an additional parking lot for safer access to the park.
Town Manager Dawn Noyes said a dog park is not included in the grant proposal. The idea came out of a brainstorming session by a committee studying the town’s parks. Noyes said a dog park is at least two to three years in the future, and the town would have to raise money for it.
“It is a great idea, but is it for Paris? We don’t know,” Noyes said.
In other business, the board unanimously agreed with a proposal by Selectman Matthew Brackett to take reserve funds for the salt shed to help pay raises for the Highway Department.
The board had previously voted to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the raises, estimated at $60,000. With $40,000 in reserves, the town will pay the remaining $20,000 with the federal money.
Selectmen approved the job description for a utility patrol officer. The hours will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
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