Van Buren County residents are being invited to take a new survey on what they’d like to see done with their parks system.

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission’s Marcy Hamilton tells us the county is now updating its five-year parks and recreation plan, which is needed to qualify for grants.

Hamilton notes Van Buren County just a couple of years ago established a parks commission and a parks millage. So, it now has a real opportunity to grow its parks.

“They technically have about five,” Hamilton said. “They’re pretty small ones in Paw Paw, a little courtyard park. There’s a veteran’s garden in Paw Paw. And then the County Fairgrounds is their largest property. They also own some property along the Lake Michigan coast called Syndicate Park Dunes. It’s actually not an established park, but part of the survey is asking the community what the county should do with that property.”

Hamilton says this is a chance for anyone to get involved in the creation of a new park at the ground level, should county leaders decide to turn the dunes into a park.

The survey is now available online and will be open through September 21. Hamilton says paper copies will also be made available at locations around the county, including libraries.

The goal is for the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission to have a draft parks plan ready by the end of the year, take more public comments, and then have a final plan in January.