Negaunee approves land deal for new 1.3-acre dog park

Negaunee just unlocked the part of this dog-park project that matters most: the land-use agreement. The City Council approved the deal unanimously, clearing the way for Iron Town Dog Park to keep pushing a planned 1.3-acre off-leash space in Old Town, right next to the Jim Thomas Pavilion and near Jackson Mine Park.

That vote matters because it turns a concept into a project with a real path forward. The city had already sent the plan through both the Negaunee Parks and Recreation Commission and the Negaunee Planning Commission, and the agenda packet showed the idea had been working its way through city review for weeks. Council Member Kangas made the motion to approve, Council Member Becker supported it, and the measure passed without a dissenting vote.

Iron Town Dog Park is not a big outside developer or a private club. City records identify it as a Michigan 501(c)(3) corporation at 208 Division Street in Negaunee, built around volunteers who want a safe, welcoming off-leash area. The city’s agreement says Negaunee believes a dedicated dog park is in the community’s best interest, which is city-speak for something dog owners already know: some dogs need a real place to run, not just a lap around the block.

The design is built with those dogs in mind. The submitted plans call for separate fenced areas for large dogs and small dogs, with large dogs defined as 35 pounds or more and small dogs as 34 pounds or less. The layout also includes a double-gate entry, a maintenance gate with a lock, garbage cans, and a dog-waste bag station at the entrance. That kind of setup is the difference between a park that actually works and one that turns into a chaos pen by the first busy weekend.

The timing also suggests momentum. City planning materials show the project was publicly noticed for a special land-use hearing on Dec. 16, 2025, and fundraising is already underway. Organizers hope to break ground this summer, which would give Negaunee a new outlet for the dogs that are hardest to wear out, the ones that need room to sprint, reset, and come home calmer. For a city that already lists Jackson Mine Park, Breitung Park and Bandshell, and Miner’s Park and Pavilion, the new dog park adds something different: a dedicated off-leash space built for speed, size, and actual daily use.