What’s happening: Herman Park in Suttons Bay is going to the dogs. Efforts are underway to bring the first dog park to Suttons Bay Township and a multifaceted approach to fundraising will help make it happen.
What’s planned: Community stakeholders have dog eared 0.8 acres at the 126-acre Herman Park in Suttons Bay Township, with plans to build two distinct recreation areas for our four-legged friends — a play area for larger dogs and a separate play area for dogs under 35 pounds. The facilities will include double-gated fences for safe and secure entrances, doggy drinking fountains, two benches, and three dog waste stations.
How they’ll do it: The Suttons Bay Dog Park project is completely donor-funded and needs to raise $125,000 to make it happen. A $30,000 private donation from an unnamed local family has the project well on its way to becoming a reality. To make up the remaining $95,000 needed, the Suttons Bay Dog Park has been accepted into the Public Spaces Community Places program, the state placemaking initiative led by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Should the project successfully raise $47,500 via a crowdfunding campaign being hosted on the Michigan-based Patronicity platform, the MEDC will contribute a $47,500 matching grant to help complete the project.
The Suttons Bay Dog Park has until Saturday, Dec. 31, to raise the funds, the status of which can be viewed online
HERE.
What they’re saying: “The PSCS matching grant will allow the Suttons Bay Dog Park at Herman Park to become a reality after many years of planning. This will be a social gathering place for people of all ages in our community while their dogs enjoy some healthy play time together,” says Liz Mahaney, chairperson of the Suttons Bay Dog Park Ambassadors. “The timing could not be any better as we enter the post-covid world where we all desire to get together again, including our four-legged friends.”
Herman Park is located at 1060 S. Herman Rd. in Suttons Bay Township.
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