The city’s plan to enhance public access to the Dowagiac Creek was pushed further down river, following some bad news from Lansing late last week.

Officials recently learned that the city’s proposed development project for Rudy Park did not make this year’s Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant recommendations list. In spite of the grant application receiving high marks from the trust fund board, the city’s request fell just short, pushing back plans for enhancements to a number of the city’s creekside properties, said City Manager Kevin Anderson.

“We are disappointed we did not make the list,” Anderson said. “We had a really good score for the project. Most years, we would have made the cutoff, but this year we were a couple projects short of making it.”

Several projects that did make the cut are located the next county over, including Niles city and township, which could receive more than $500,000 combined in grant money for their existing trail systems.

The trust fund board’s grant recommendations will move on to the state legislature for passage. Once passed, the list will be forwarded to Gov. Rick Snyder for final approval.

Dowagiac completed a grant request in March for its proposed improvements to Rudy Park , located across from James Heddon Park off M-62 near the city limits. The city requested $173,000 worth of grant money to help pay for the construction, Anderson said.

The project called for the construction of a six- to seven-car parking lot, paved walkways and an observation deck to be constructed on the park grounds.

The proposed development is part of the city’s grand plan to open up public access to the Dowagiac Creek, as well as to expand on the community’s trail system, currently located on campus of Southwestern Michigan College as well as around Rudolphi Wildlife Refuge and Rotary Park, Anderson said.

“A larger trail system should give residents more opportunities to exercise, as well as to enjoy the tremendous outdoor space we have here in Dowagiac,” Anderson said.

City officials hoped the Rudy Park project would receive funding this cycle, which would allow them to begin construction next year as well as to begin seeking grant funding for development of the green space on Cass Avenue, property the city acquired in May 2014. However, city leaders may consider applying for grant money for both projects at the same time next year, Anderson said.

The city has received assistance from the DNR before, for its joint-development project of Russom Park with Silver Creek Township several years ago. The city’s application for the Rudy Park project actually scored higher than the one it filed for the Russom Park project in 2012, Anderson said.

In spite of not making it on the table this go around, the city council will likely put up the Rudy Park project again for DNR Trust Fund consideration next year, the city manager said.

“We are very optimistic about our future chances,” Anderson said. “It is a good project and it should continue to score well with the DNR Trust Fund.

“It [the trust fund] has consistently been a tremendous source for communities working on projects around waterfronts. We have worked well with them in the past and I see no reason why [we] cannot continue to do so in the future.”