Correction: The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17

A lifelong Niles resident is seeking local feedback on her plans to create and have the city approve the first dog park in Niles.

Katrina Andrews, owner of Andrews’ Tax X Accounting, is a dog owner who has been mulling over the idea for the past four years. Last winter, Andrews said she contacted Niles Mayor Nick Shelton to suggest the idea. Shelton asked her to write up a plan.

Now with some ideas outlined, Andrews is hoping to bring the park to fruition by the summer 2018.   

“The idea’s been floating around,” Andrews said. “It’s time to stop talking and do it.”

With the aim to gather residential feedback so that she can create the most inclusive community plan, Andrews is inviting the public to participate in an organizational meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St.

An important component to making the park a reality will be proving city support.

“That’s a huge step with the city, is showing them that the community wants a dog park,” Andrews said. “Let’s prove we really want it and I think we do.”

Andrews is an avid dog lover who keeps her dogs Roo, a 60-pound Aussie and Rowan, a 9-year-old Sheltie at her office on 18 N. Fourth St.

“I don’t see it, but some people have a fear of coming into the tax office,” Andrews said. “But then they see Rowan and they breathe and calm down.”

Andrews said she would like to see a dog park where owners can bring their pets for exercise, while the people get the chance to socialize and watch their dogs run around.

The vision for the park would be at least a one-acre fenced area that includes trees, picnic tables, agility equipment toys and a pet grooming station. Additional features would include bag dispensers for waste cleanup, as well as signage.

“There are so many great things going on in Niles,” Andrews said. “This would be another great asset to the community. The unique feature about a dog park is the social feature for us humans too.”

Additionally, she said the park would provide dogs with a designated place to go to exercise.

On Sept. 27, Andrews formed her own nonprofit called the Ruff & Tumble Dog Park so that she could begin raising funds for the project. So far, Andrews is the only member, but is encouraging others to join.

The cost of the park is estimated to be about $25,000, which would mostly go toward covering the cost of fencing. But Andrews hopes to accrue at least $100,000 for an endowment that could continue to pay for park related costs, including some educational programming.

“We need to look well into the future, not just right now,” Andrews said.

This winter or early spring, Andrews hopes to apply for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces and Community Places grant, which would match up to $50,000 in community raised funds. At the meeting, Andrews said she hopes to get some ideas for how to raise community funds for the dog park. She is also considering several other grant applications to help cover the cost.

As for the location, the plan would be to get permission to use city land for the park.

Andrews hopes to present an official plan to city council members at 6 p.m. Nov. 6, during the regularly scheduled meeting at the Niles Fire Station Complex, 1345 E. Main St.

So far, she has already got some help from city council member Gretchen Bertschy, who represents the 1st Ward. With her help Andrews has identified a few possible spots in Niles where the dog park could be located. The most ideal, she said, would be at least one acre of Riverfront Park south, near the dam and the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological dig site. Andrews said she likes the scenic spot along the riverfront and believes that the park is currently underutilized.

The other locations Andrews is considering include a parcel of land near Island Park that was left to the city via a nonprofit. Other options are some vacant land near the vacant Simplicity factory, where there is already fencing in place, or potentially behind the former Suds and Duds laundromat on the corner of 13th and Lake streets.

Andrews encouraged those interested to express their support and ideas at the upcoming meeting.

“We want people to share their voice and talk about what they want, while expressing their enthusiasm,” Andrews said. “This is a vision that is greater than one person.”

For more information visit, facebook.com/RuffandTumbleDogPark/. A GoFundMe is also in place at: gofundme.com/ruff-tumble-dog-park.