Select Board Hears Proposal to Accept 32-Acre Dog Park Gift at No Cost to Town

Select Board · Meeting of February 9, 2026

Southwick Select Board hears pitch for a free 32-acre dog park and rail trail parking gift. Friends of Southwick Dog Park, a 501(c)(3) incorporated in early 2024, asked the board at its February 9 meeting to advance the donation of 32-plus acres at 67 Hudson Drive to the annual town meeting, where residents would vote on accepting the gift. Co-founders Keith Dale and Mark Kunzel described Dillinger's Park, named for a late friend's dog, as a three-part project comprising an intergenerational off-leash dog park with a dedicated senior area, solar-canopy rail trail parking providing a new northern trailhead, and 22 acres of preserved wetlands and riverfront called the Wilds.

The group says the entire build will be funded through private grants, donations, and volunteer labor, with solar electricity credits covering ongoing maintenance costs. No grants have been received and no solar vendor has been contracted; the group said both steps require the land to first be titled into the nonprofit and a board support letter in hand. Select Board Chair Russ Anderson recused himself from the dog park discussion, disclosing he is an active member of the organization.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.