East Lyme hearing draws hundreds of residents over proposed Roxbury Road dog park; no approval recorded

The East Lyme Zoning Commission on June 18 heard more than four hours of public testimony and technical questions about a proposed fenced dog park on Roxbury Road, an open meadow owned by the town’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Jerry Locken, East Lyme parks and recreation director, told the commission the department recommends a two-area dog park — a 150-by-300-foot large-dog area and a 150-by-100-foot small-dog area — with 10 parking spaces (two accessible), vegetative buffers and daytime-only hours. Locken said the parcel was identified after a Darrow Pond proposal was earlier denied and that the town has begun fundraising; he said the dog-park subcommittee’s 2024 survey showed strong community support. "There are about 3,000 dogs estimated to be in East Lyme," Locken said, and the park would be maintained by Parks & Rec with operating rules requiring vaccinations and owner control.

Opponents raised environmental and safety concerns. Marjorie Meekoff, a member of the Conservation Commission and founder of Pollinator Pathway East Lyme, said the parcel is adjacent to marsh and bird habitat and asked the commission to require a state natural-biodiversity (NDDB) survey before approval. "There are eagles nesting in the marsh area that abuts the property," Meekoff said, and she urged analysis of potential habitat loss and cumulative effects.

Resident Tara White, who described herself as experienced in environmental conservation, told the commission, "Anybody who's gonna tell you that there's not gonna be groundwater issues has obviously not walked the property," and said runoff from the site could affect downstream wetlands and coastal waters.

Other neighbors said Roxbury Road has sight-line and traffic-safety problems, cited a 32-signature petition from nearby residents, and raised questions about long-term maintenance and the town’s capacity to enforce vaccination or licensing rules. Proponents, including a member of the dog-park subcommittee and families who participated in the planning process, said volunteer oversight and peer pressure will encourage compliance and that the project would be donor-funded and not draw on general-tax revenues.

During the regular meeting that followed the public hearing, several commissioners said they were troubled by the site-specific environmental and traffic concerns. One commissioner argued, "This is a lousy place for a dog park," citing groundwater and habitat risks. Another said the field is "24-plus acres of pristine meadow land" and warned about setting a precedent for further fragmentation. A motion to deny the Roxbury Road application was moved and seconded; the motion did not pass and no final permit was recorded that evening. Staff noted further publication/processing steps would follow.

The record contains multiple requests from residents for additional technical review, including an NDDB species check, a groundwater/runoff analysis and consultation with state DEEP wildlife staff. The commission did not schedule a follow-up decision in the minutes from June 18.

What’s next: The commission closed the public hearing and resumed its regular agenda; no final action on the Roxbury Road dog-park permit was recorded at the June 18 meeting. The department and commission members indicated they expect additional technical information and possible site alternatives to be considered before any future vote.