Greenwich could get a second off-leash dog park Thursday when the Board of Selectmen considers whether to advance a privately funded facility at Byram Park.

The selectmen are scheduled to review the project at their Aug. 27 meeting at 10:30 a.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room, 101 Field Point Road. Their role is to decide whether to send the proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission for Municipal Improvement review, not to give final approval.

The plan would convert roughly 11,000 square feet of parkland at the former Rosenwald property at 1 Ritch Ave. into a fenced, triangular enclosure near the pool delivery entrance off Ritch Avenue. The entire $30,000 cost would be covered by private donation.

That budget breaks down to $10,000 for fencing and gates, $5,000 for stone wall repair, $5,000 for a seasonal water connection, $3,200 for site restoration, $1,800 for a pet waste station, $1,000 for signage and a $4,000 contingency, according to Patch.

Steps already cleared

The proposal has already passed two hurdles. The Board of Health voted 7-0 on Feb. 24, 2025, to approve off-leash use at the site, with member O'Keefe making the motion and Goodwin seconding, according to Board of Health minutes. The Board of Parks and Recreation reviewed the proposal without objection to the location.

Parks and Recreation Director Joe Siciliano presented the plan to the Board of Health alongside Assistant Director Daniel Carlsen and First Selectman Fred Camillo at that February 2025 meeting.

Siciliano had outlined the lengthy approval path nearly two years earlier, when the project was first made public. "There's a bunch of things we need to do. At some point, if we get those green lights, we will come back," he said in November 2024, according to Greenwich Time.

Even if selectmen advance the project Thursday, it still needs Planning and Zoning approval for a site plan and parking plan, plus a vote by the Representative Town Meeting to accept the gift and grant Municipal Improvement status.

What the park would look like

Proposed rules would mirror those at Grass Island Dog Park, the town's only existing off-leash facility. No more than 10 dogs at a time. Each visitor limited to two dogs. No puppies under four months. Hours would run sunrise to sunset. Children 10 and under would not be permitted; those ages 10 to 15 would need close supervision.

The Board of Health noted the 11,000-square-foot space is too small to separate large and small dogs into different sections.

Several existing parking spaces at Byram Park's main entrance would be dedicated to dog park users, with one ADA-accessible space added next to the entrance.

West-side demand

The Byram proposal is Greenwich's second attempt at a west-side dog park. A previous plan near the Bendheim Western Greenwich Civic Center in Glenville was abandoned after residents raised concerns about narrow roads and parking.

Liz Eckert, chair of the Byram Neighborhood Association, said at the time that 75 percent of association members supported building a dog park somewhere in Byram.

Remote participation for Thursday's meeting is available via Zoom.