The City of Fennville took home the top prize of $25,000 in a state competition that will help put the small Allegan County town on the map.
Three winners of the Consumers Energy Foundation’s 2023 Put Your Town on the Map award were announced June 8 from the 10 finalist communities that made presentations at the 2023 Small Town and Rural Development Conference led by the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan.
Fennville’s winning project is the installation of wayfinding signs to help unify the region and surrounding communities. The signs will be bilingual to support inclusivity and the community’s mission to promote diversity and growth.
Amazing places and community
“The City of Fennville is thrilled to be awarded this prize from the Consumers Energy Foundation,” said Kathryn Beemer, city administrator. “Our bilingual wayfinding project is not just about putting physical signs in place that will help give people directions around town, it is also about reminding people about the amazing places and benefits of living in our community, something that often goes overlooked in small and rural communities. This funding will help to celebrate what makes Fennville a great place to live, work, and play.”
“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with the Consumers Energy Foundation. They believe in our vision and it makes all the difference to our community,” said Morgan Hummon, city clerk.
The other winners were Reed City for $15,000 and Harbor Beach for $10,000.
“The Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition is all about rewarding big, bold and innovative ideas that will help Michigan’s small towns grow and thrive,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “These three winning projects will transform their communities and make them even better places to live, work, and raise a family. The Consumers Energy Foundation is proud to support their efforts, and we look forward to celebrating with them as the projects are completed.”
The Put Your Town on the Map competition started in 2019 to reward ideas and provide critical dollars for projects being developed in small towns with populations under 10,000 in the state’s lower peninsula.
Fennville has a population of about 1,874. Reed City in Osceola County has a population of about 2,465. Harbor Beach in Huron County has about 1,860 people.
Signs of the time
Fennville’s signage project has been talked about for years, according to Dawn Soltysiak, member of the city’s Downtown Development Authority and owner of Root Café, Coffeehouse & Spirits, 120 E. Main St.
“If you go into most developed communities, you will find signage directing you to parking, schools and parks. We do not have this type of signage,” she said.
The signs that will be placed outside the city limits will direct people to downtown that has thriving restaurants and key services for tourists and residents alike.
“I have heard many out-of-town visitors mention that they did not realize the City of Fennville existed, they thought all of our great rural attractions like wineries and orchards were Fennville.”
Many tourist attractions such as Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery with surrounding orchards, Fenn Valley Vineyards, Virtue Cider, and Modales Wines have Fennville addresses but are outside the city. Hutchins Lake with a public boat launch and beach access is immediately southwest of town. The 4,100-acre Allegan State Game Area is less than a mile south of the city.
Fennville has also been in touch with Saugatuck, Douglas, and Saugatuck Township to coordinate signage. The Saugatuck Douglas Convention and Visitors Bureau has been working to ensure a strong regional message.
“It really should help visitors navigate our communities,” Soltysiak said.
The DDA is keeping the recently renovated welcome signs that feature geese – the city has an annual Goose Festival. The new signage outside of town, including the corner of M-89 and Blue Star Highway at Exit 34 of I-196, will have directions pointing to the downtown business district.
The new signs could be installed by fall.
Caption
FennvilleSignGrant: Downtown Fennville features a variety of restaurants and shops and hosts music and other entertainment throughout the year.