Sept. 1 a Goal for Dog Park

Swampscott dogs may soon have their day at Phillips Park.Town Administrator Tom Younger told selectmen last week that he and Selectman Glenn Kessler had a meeting on the dog park a week earlier and he thinks Sept. 1 is a date by which the park can be up and running.Fencing, title and other issues remain, but the town administrator appeared optimistic that the park will open, possibly by Sept. 1.
For several years the proposed park — spearheaded by the Swampscott Park for Off-leash Time group — has been subject to starts and stops.Most recently, last summer, it was put on hold due to the presence of the Grown Ups 2 sound stage.The park is targeted for land adjacent to the parking lot at Phillips Park. In the past, SPOT and Phillips Park abutters have battled over the plans, with Smith Lane and Sutton Place residents concerned over the park's influence on quality of life.Last Wednesday, Younger said the two sides are talking, and were scheduled to meet soon.