Ansonia aldermen want to ban all animals — including dogs — from the city’s new riverwalk, which is scheduled to open by the end of the summer.
The Board of Aldermen’s ordinance committee has drafted a set of rules for the riverwalk, and passed the rules on the Board of Police Commissioners for review. The full Board of Aldermen has not viewed or voted on the plans yet. The board is waiting for feedback from the police department and police commission.
The proposal to ban animals from the public walkway comes in response to problems Derby has on its Greenway trail, which will connect to Ansonia’s riverwalk when it opens.
Derby officials often complain about dog owners not cleaning up after their pets on the Greenway trail. Click here to read past stories on the topic.
Derby’s trail stretches from Bridge Street on the Shelton line, to Division Street on the Ansonia line. Ansonia’s new walkway will start where Derby’s trail ends and continue north along the Naugatuck River.
“Derby’s situation is horrible,” said Ansonia Board of Aldermen President Stephen Blume. “It is absolutely horrendous. I have a dog. It’s just not the place (for dogs). There’s crap all over the place. People don’t pick it up. Even if they do, there’s still some remainder on the asphalt.”
“You’d have to take a sponge and Windex or something to clean it up,” Blume said. “It stays there until you get a heavy rain.”
Officials hope that restricting the riverwalk to humans only will be easier to patrol than people who don’t clean up after their pets.
“That’s a little more visible,” said Alderman John Marini. “You’ll know if someone’s up there walking their dog, instead of having a runner go on the trail and look for dog droppings.”
Should Ansonia ban animals from its new riverwalk?Police Chief Kevin Hale said the department will seek input from Derby Police Department as it reviews the riverwalk rules.
Derby had briefly banned dogs from the Greenway, so the department has experience patrolling the trail with both sets of rules, Hale said.
Hale said Ansonia police will patrol the riverwalk whether dogs are allowed or prohibited.
“We’re going to have a presence there,” Hale said.
Reaction
The proposal drew mixed reactions from people using Derby’s walkway Tuesday evening.
Several people said if the animal ban is approved, it would deter people from using Ansonia’s trail.
“Maybe you should just have a sign saying there’s a fine (for not cleaning up after your pet),” said Shelton resident Nicole Edwards. “That should be enough.”
Caralee Kamens, of Orange, said the ban on animals would either deter people from using the trail — or prompt people to break the rules and bring their dogs anyways.
Kamens said the Derby trail is clean, and that dog owners usually clean up after their pets or leave the droppings on the side of the path.
“Poop happens,” Kamens said. “A pet owner is not going to allow the animal to defecate on the walkway. I’ve never seen an animal make a mess.”
Only one person walking on the path Tuesday evening said he supported the dog ban. The Seymour resident would only give his first name — Nick.
“It would be much better without dogs,” Nick said. “Because nobody teaches their dogs how to behave.”
Several were indifferent about the rules.
Jack Novey, of Shelton, said the poop problems in Derby “go through stages.” Sometimes it’s bad, sometimes people clean up after their pets. Tuesday, the trail seemed clean and walkers had no complaints about poop.
But, Novey said, “I’d like to see them try (the animal ban) out.”
The rest of the riverwalk proposed rules mirror what Derby already has in place, Blume said.
The full proposal is posted below.
