VBT board discusses proposed dog park at Riggs Heritage Park

Van Buren Township Trustee Reggie Miller asked that the dog park she heard about be put on the agenda of the May 1 board work/study session.
“We talked about putting in a dog park and we thought Riggs Park made sense with the parking lot and rest room,” said Supervisor Kevin McNamara in beginning the discussion.
Trustee Miller said she got an email about a Facebook page that was started saying development services employees went out in the community looking for support on this project.
“We are the township board,” Miller stated. “Putting it out prematurely is not good … There was no feasibility study … Don’t know if it’s affordable… I asked it be put on the agenda.”
Supervisor McNamara said that’s the only reason it’s out in public.
“We’ve discussed it and our parks and rec master plan has it. This is off kilter. We’re rallying for a cause,” McNamara said. “This was done by a private citizen and we don’t have control over a private citizen,” he said of the Facebook page.
Miller read the post to the board and then said, “It looked like it was coming from the township … before the board knew about it… I didn’t make it public… It has to come to the board. You set us up for a situation we’re not ready for… asking for support.”
Trustee Paul White said he called McNamara and asked about the posting and McNamara referred to Matt Best, deputy director of planning and economic development. White said Lisa Martin posted the call for support on Facebook.
Trustee White said he read about dog parks in six to eight different townships, cities, and municipalities and it is not easy to run a dog park.
“You can’t have a Chihuahua and Mastiff together,” White said as an example.
“I gave Canton $80,000 and they built a dog park,” McNamara said, referring to his time as county commissioner.
“I’m against putting stuff out there before we discuss it,” White said, adding a long list of things that have to be considered.
McNamara said he was directed to bring this issue forward to the board of trustees.
“If anybody who works for the township put it on Facebook, no… I don’t even know where it came from,” said Clerk Leon Wright. “It should have been given to Parks and Rec to consider before the township board… We’re not mandated to act on anything put on Facebook.”
“My wife did post that on Facebook to see if there was interest in a dog park,” said Trustee Kevin Martin. He said in 2011 there was a master plan survey that said people were interested in a dog park. In a 2016 survey a dog park was one of the facilities wanted, he said.
“That was just to see if there was interest and if we need to move forward,” Trustee Martin said.
Miller said the wording was, “On behalf of the township department of developmental services, we’re looking for support.”
She said support was sought by an employee in developmental services and a park was selected and he was seeking support for it. Miller said residents living around the park could get upset because they don’t want it.
Miller said people are asking questions board members are not ready for, such as when this will happen and where will the township get the money. “There’s a lot of work to be completed,” Miller said.
“Do you want to form a work group?” McNamara asked.
“I’m all for a dog park,” Miller said. “We can’t do anything about what people post. That’s their God-given right.”
Trustee White said the group on Facebook is Friends of the Ruff. He said he will fight it if they try to put a dog park at Riggs Heritage Park which is an environmental and nature park.
“I was forced to put this on the agenda,” McNamara said, referring to the requests by Miller and Trustee Sherry Frazier. “Do you want me to move forward? What do you want me to do?”
“I knew absolutely nothing about this dog park,” White said.
Miller asked McNamara to talk to the employees about seeking support.
Miller said McNamara told her how this got started. She said McNamara said Lisa Martin asked Matt Best what was happening in the township and Best replied, “What would you like to see?” Martin replied she would like a dog park and Best said unless a group is attached, the idea wouldn’t go anywhere and Martin put it on Facebook.
“You said he encouraged people to rally support,” Miller said to McNamara and McNamara said, “No, I didn’t.”
“You want me to form work groups for the dog park?” McNamara said and then named Best, Ron Akers, Jennifer Wright, and Dan Selman. He said they will identify what is a park and what to do.
“It will take about a month, at least,” McNamara said, adding it will be three months before they come up with beginning details.
“No pun intended: I have no dog in this race,” McNamara said.
“Personally, a dog park is a good idea,” said Trustee Frazier. “But we’re starting on the budget and there are more important priorities. It’s unfortunate the information got out.
“I’ve never heard a dog park brought up,” Frazier said, adding she is a dog lover.
Frazier said Trustee Martin should recommend that his better half apologize for the township part of her post.
“You’re getting all worked up over basically nothing,” said Trustee Martin. “If anything was misconstrued, I apologize for that … We can look at it in the future … It’s in the master plan again.”
Miller said people are coming to her and, “It’s nothing to do with who posted what … This was posted prematurely … Until we’ve done our due diligence nothing should be announced.”
“It wasn’t a township board activity and won’t be done soon,” Martin said.
Frazier said there is misinformation out there and the VBT board didn’t do anything. She said the poster should have wording using the township name removed.
“Mistakes have been made,” Clerk Wright said. “Trustee Martin apologized.”
John Delaney said from the audience that BAARC (Belleville Area Animal Rescue Center) was formed to work on a dog park in 2008. Former Trustee Al Ostrowski and Ron Tinsley were working on the dog park and rescue center, but in 2011, he said, the VBT board ran BAARC out of the township. He said Tinsley gave BAARC 10 acres just 310’ from Riggs Park. [Editor’s Note: It was 5 acres.] Delaney said the township ordinance officer put a new padlock on the dog park fence and then destroyed the fence.
BAARC had to dissolve and give the property back to Tinsley, who sold the acreage and went Up North, Delaney said.
He also said the township ran Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue (FMAR) out of Van Buren and now they are operating in Sumpter.
As part of the packet for the work/study session, board members were given a list of properties owned by the township and locations of five different sites that might be suitable for dog parks.