Macomb Township lowers dog‑park fee and raises Lucido Park rental capacity; board approves updated reservation policy

The Macomb Township Board of Trustees on Nov. 12 approved changes to dog‑park membership fees and updated reservation rules for the Lucido River Park building designed to simplify pricing and increase public access.

Parks and recreation representative Sal DeCaro told the board the department recommended a simpler fee structure and a shift to rolling one‑year memberships. "Right now, a resident pays $40 per year. We're proposing it to be $25 per year. A nonresident pays $56. We're proposing it to be $50," DeCaro said, adding memberships will be valid for one year from the date of purchase and rec‑center members will gain automatic access to the dog park. DeCaro reported 526 dog‑park memberships in total, of which 429 are resident and 97 are nonresident.

DeCaro also presented two changes to the Lucido River Park building reservation policy: township staff will handle reservations centrally, and rental fees will be $300 for residents and $375 for nonresidents. He told the board the building's usable capacity has increased from 44 to 85 people after recent work, a change DeCaro said should expand the types of events hosted there.

Board members asked whether the fee reductions and increased capacity would affect operating budgets. DeCaro said the adjustments "will not" affect the operating budget and that increased rentals should help offset costs. Supervisor Viviano described the policy changes as aimed at offsetting costs while improving resident access.

The board voted unanimously to adopt both the dog‑park fee changes and the Lucido River Park reservation policy. The new dog‑park fee schedule and the reservation updates are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.