By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Hearing no comment at Monday night's public hearing, Dowagiac City Council adopted an updated park and open space plan for 2007-2012.
It replaces a plan adopted about five years ago.
The 29-page plan, revised in February by Gary Carlile, Dowagiac park and open space coordinator, summarizes demographic information, inventories current park and recreation assets, assesses current conditions and spells out an action program and capital improvement schedule.
Several goals associated with the plan include redevelopment of the play area and basketball courts at Water Tower Park; expansion of youth sports opportunities; and expansion of community recreation programming.
The plan, which envisions acquiring land to link the city trail system to Southwestern Michigan College's trails as well as building a community center, swimming pool and ice rink, has been on file for public review.
Dowagiac has had a parks department for 34 years. The community provides 12 parks of various sizes and types. A "large portion" of users reside in adjacent townships.
"The needs of the Dowagiac service area … are considered in two ways," the document states. "One way is in the development of a youth sports complex and the second is the concept of creating an area-wide recreation authority to more effectively meet the park and recreation needs of the area and the cost of providing them."
Since the 2002-2007 plan, "The population of Dowagiac has continued to decline, from 6,147 in 2000 to 6,009," although adjacent townships are seeing growth.
"These growth patterns will challenge the city, both financially and physically, in its efforts to provide adequate recreation areas, facilities and programs as residents of adjacent townships continue to use city facilities and open space is consumed by housing on the city's boundaries," the plan states.
While Dowagiac has shrunk by 6 percent since 1950, Wayne Township has grown 125 percent, Silver Creek Township 97 percent, Pokagon Township 45 percent, Volinia Township 52 percent and LaGrange Township 34 percent.
Edwardsburg's population is up for the same 50-year period 86 percent, Ontwa Township 190 percent, Milton Township 124 percent, Mason Township 326 percent and Howard Township 114 percent.
Cass County as a whole increased 81 percent, including Cassopolis 14 percent, Marcellus 15 percent and Vandalia 19 percent.
In fact, Dowagiac is the only entity in Cass County that lost population between 1950 and 2000.
Dowagiac operates its parks with a fiscal year budget for 2006-07 of $200,300, which increased 2 percent over the previous year.
The Grounds Department is staffed by five full-time employees augmented by one or two seasonal workers.
The city works closely with Dowagiac Union Schools and Southwestern Michigan College to "cross-utilize" facilities.
The Parks Department does not handle recreational programming itself, but the Police Athletic League (PAL) in Lincoln Community Center utilizes city parks for on-site summer programs. Various youth and adult sports programs run by volunteers likewise utilize city facilities.
Parks and open spaces range in size from a third of an acre to 155 acres for a total of approximately 225 acres throughout Dowagiac.
The school district's recreation areas through six sites total 40.5 acres. SMC game fields cover 10 acres in addition to its 75-acre natural area.
Dowagiac residents also have available Dowagiac Elks and Spruce Ridge golf courses and Arthur Dodd Memorial and Russ Forest parks provided by the Cass County Parks Department.
City parks include Heddon (3.5 acres), Water Tower (5 acres), Lions (4 acres), Mill Pond (40 acres), Rotary (10 acres), Rudolphi Wildlife Refuge (155 acres), Walter Ward (3 acres), Northwest (5.5 acres), Farr (1.1 acres), Rudy (4 acres), Burke (3 acres) and Beckwith (0.3 acre)