Modified leash law proposed for dogs on Rye beaches

Public hearing on January 5; several key issues on Deliberative Session agenda Jan. 31

Jack Driscoll

CASTING SHADOW …


Lone dog enjoys morning walk that will require a leash at night under proposed ordinance. (Photo by Judy Palm)


In China it is the Year of the Ox; in Rye, N.H., it is the Year of the Dog, to wit:

January 5--A Public Hearing on control of dogs on the beach.

January 31--A Deliberative Session at which at least one warrant article is likely for consideration regarding dogs on the beach.

March 10--Rye Town Election with at least one warrant regarding dogs on the beach.

Dogs on town beaches will be required to be on a leash during evening hours in the summer based on a proposed warrant article the Rye Board of Selectmen will put before the public hearing on Monday night, January 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rye Junior High School cafeteria. Dates: From the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 23 this year) to October 1. Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

As "a matter of compromise" to dog owners, the Selectmen are proposing to extend the morning hours for dogs on the beach an extra hour, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the summer (previously 8 a.m. was the cutoff). Owners or custodians must have their dogs "under control" during the morning hours, and at all times they are responsible for immediately removing their dog's defecation for disposal on the owner’s property or other appropriate place. In the past a few dog custodians have sought out barrels at beach entrances and, finding none, have dropped their bags on the ground in that vicinity. Those failing to adhere to the leash law, hours or cleanup are subject to a $50 fine by police. Several dog owners pushed for a higher fine, but the Selectmen deferred discussion of an increase until next year.

Once the proposed ordinance change has been hashed out at the public hearing, it will go before the Deliberative Session, starting at 9 a.m. at the Rye Junior High on Saturday, January 31. The snow date is February 7. The final step would be a binding vote on the Town Election ballot on March 10 at the Rye Elementary School.

The dog control debate has been building the past year or two as other communities have closed their beaches to dogs, prompting some owners to travel many miles to exercise their dogs on Rye beaches. Last June the issue became heightened when a dog on a leash was seriously injured by another dog on a leash following a skirmish involving two unleashed dogs. Dog owners insisted it was an isolated incident, but it prompted Selectmen to pass a motion requiring leashes at all hours, only to find a public-hearing process would be necessary for such a change.

ON A LEASH …


Horses on beach during off-season will still be OK. (Photo by Judy Palm)


Discussions peaked on Nov. 17 when about 100 citizens attended a Board of Selectmen meeting and voiced their opinions, mostly opposing the leash law but favoring steps to ensure cleanup by those with dogs. A number of dog owners have been actively involved in education steps, providing mitts and personal diplomacy to help town and police with cleanup efforts.

Also of high interest among warrant articles will be the budgets of the Town of Rye and the School Committee. More information on what both bodies consider barebones budgets is contained in Rye Crisp.

Two other high-profile issues won't be on the Deliberative Session agenda. One also relates to the beach and has to do with the territorial rights of swimmers and surfers. Apparently a warrant article would not be required to adjust the boundaries, set off by stakes and controlled by lifeguards, but the Selectmen have expressed concern about lack of room for swimmers, particularly near the Cable Road section. They have discussed but not taken a vote on a plan they think will provide ample areas for both groups.

The other issue, which would require a warrant, has to do with re-zoning of Route One. The subject came up in mid-year before the Planning Board when a proposal to build senior housing condominiums on Breakfast Hill was raised. The 100-acre area in question, north of Breakfast Hill Road, is zoned for single residences. The proposal was put on hold, pending a vote on re-zoning warrant article, but one never came to pass, because the issue became entangled in discussion of the new Workforce Housing Act and its implications for Rye (click here for primer on the Workforce Housing Act as well as a link to the act itself and click here for an update on the Breakfast Hill project status).

Meanwhile, the Planning Board has crafted a number of warrant articles for the election ballot on the subjects of adult establishments, building permit limitations, building permit requirements, demolition of homes, definitions of nursing facility and home for the elderly, code requirements for furnaces, stoves and heating installations, outdoor wood heater code, windmill locations and location of wireless telecommunications facilities. To see how Planning Board warrant articles are shaping up, please click here.



January, 2009




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