Parks Surveys Underway In Van Buren, Cass Counties

woods6-24
woods6-24

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission is helping Van Buren and Cass counties draft their next parks plans, and the public is invited to get involved. Senior planner Marcy Hamilton tells WSJM News surveys are now online seeking the thoughts of residents as the future of their parks is plotted.

“Do they want more camping opportunities? Do they want more trails? Do they want more playgrounds, more picnic areas. It gets pretty detailed on asking what their preferences are for recreation.”

We asked Hamilton what these surveys typically find people want.

“In the recreation world right now, there’s a lot of interest in trails. People want to see more trails in their community. And just general support for having open, natural, wild places to visit.”

Hamilton says pickleball courts are another one they’ve noticed in recent years. Each survey takes about 10 minutes to fill out, and you don’t have to be a resident of the county in question to take part. You can find the Van Buren County survey here. The Cass County survey can be found here. The deadline for the Cass County survey is October 31, and for Van Buren, it’s November 13.