A hearing was held Monday night to go over the rules and issues for Lincoln Park. Somerville City officials clarify the rules By Julia Fairclough Parents and dog owners have been hungrily eyeing the lush green field behind the Argenziano School and wondering what the rules really are for Lincoln Park, which includes a tot lot, basketball parks, and the soccer field.

While people are most interested in clarifying rules and regulations of the soccer field, the park poses challenges because of its many uses, which include the playground for children, field for adult leagues, and so on.

For that reason the Open Space Committee and Ward 2 Alderman Maryanne Hueston called a hearing Monday night to go over the rules and issues for Lincoln Park. Heuston has received dozens of emails about why the field is locked, why dogs can't run loose, and why dogs shouldn't run loose.

"It feels like a big space has been taken away," and with a locked fence, a Lincoln Park neighbor said. "We wish there could be some sort of sharing arrangement."

Somerville police have gone to Lincoln Park to handle dog issues more than any other park in the city, said Acting Police Chief Michael Cabral. Police patrol the park hourly. Just last week the soccer field fence was cut, allegedly by someone who wanted to let dogs run in the field.

Dogs are not allowed in the soccer fields or the fenced-in tot lot and must be on a leash at all times. The fields can be used by permit only. Youth soccer leagues use the field weekdays from late afternoon to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays. The field is open to the city's youth after school and on Sundays.

The field is otherwise locked up so that dogs-in particular-won't ruin the fields. The soccer field is precious for various reasons. First, there are few open spaces like that in a city as congested as Somerville. Second, the soccer fields are vulnerable to excessive flooding after it rains. If people play on the fields or dogs dig holes, the city must reseed the area, said George Landers of the city's inspectional services department.

Finally, the Argenziano school, its field, and playground were completed renovated a few years ago. The city spent a lot of money fixing up the area, so no one wants dogs or excessive use to ruin it, officials agreed.

Neighbors said there is a lot of confusion about who can use the park. One person said a police officer stopped him at 7 a.m. while he was walking his dog (leashed) along the sidewalk in the park and said he could not walk his dog there. Stan Koty, the traffic and parking committee chairman, said he was certainly allowed to do so. People are allowed to walk their leashed dog between the fields, he said,reminding folks that a leash law is in effect at all times in Somerville-except in designated leash-free dog parks, Koty said.

Ward 2 Community Police Officer Leo Martini said that 100 percent of violations are due to people letting their dog run in the field.

As a general rule, dogs are not allowed in any enclosed playground, Koty said.

Another neighbor said that he was kicked off the field while playing with his dog by a "zealous neighbor." He asked why residents can hardly ever use the soccer field.

Jim Halloran, who heads the Somerville Recreation Commission, said that he agrees it's tough that the field has restricted use. Soccer in Somerville is very popular with adults, which is part of the problem.

They use the field most of the time. In the long term, the city needs to think about opening up the park to younger people, he said.

Heuston urged neighbors to be vigilant about offenders and call police if dogs and owners are in the soccer field or if soccer leagues show up on Sundays.

Heuston asked city park officials to draw up a plan of ideas on how to make the rules and regulations clearer for people, such as update city brochures and erect understandable signage. Halloran will issue a memo to that effect during this Thursday's Board of Alderman meeting.