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Not all neighbors fans of Macomb Twp. dog park

Posted at 5:31 PM, May 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-03 17:31:32-04

A new dog park has been in the works for three years for Macomb Township, but some neighbors living nearby say the township is barking up the wrong tree.

Plans were approved in April by the township’s planning commission and has yet to be approved by the township board.

The site sits on over an acre of land for some playful pets to possibly get some good exercise. It is right next to fire station 2 in Macomb Township as well as the Fox Run subdivision.

In a municipality made up of more than 90,000 thousand people, city leaders think there is a growing need for a nice, dog park.

“If you’ve noticed the pet industry is probably one of the fastest growing industries in the united states so that tells me a lot of those 95,000 people have pets,” said Township Supervisor Janet Dunn.

Some neighbors near the site have a list of concerns including, loud dog barking noises and more traffic to the area.
There is even a petition circulating to stop the township’s plans from moving forward.

“It’s running about eight to one,” said Dunn. “8 people call in and they are in favor of it and the one person is against it. The people who are protesting are, of course, the people who are against it.”

The $93,000 project will have a section for small dogs, and another for bigger dogs. It will also be fenced in.
Many residents think the park would be great for the neighborhood.

“I think it’s a pretty good thing that they are going to do something with the land,” said neighbor William Haist.  “So why not?”

According to Dunn, the township will still be considering the concerns off all residents.

The next board meeting is May 11th, at Macomb Township Hall at 7:00 p.m.

“We’ve kind of gone back to the beginning and looked at it with fresh eyes,” said Dunn. “So hopefully we can come to some kind of agreement with them.”