Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Village of Pinckney has received grant funding to support its “Gateway to Play” project.

Pinckney’s “Gateway to Play” Visitor Infrastructure and Destination Connectivity Project was approved by the Explore Brighton Howell Area Destination Development Task Force. It aims to improve visitor infrastructure and strengthen connections between the downtown, recreational assets, and surrounding destinations.

The Village will receive $5,000 to support the Community Tourism Action Plan developed and submitted by a Village committee and community partners.

Village Council met Monday night, where Councilwoman/DDA Community Liaison Jo Self was credited for her work in helping to obtain the grant, as well as her dedication and tireless involvement in supporting and promoting the community.

Self stated they were made aware of the grant opportunity in building tourism up, as a lot of focus has often been on places that have hotels etc. She said while Pinckney doesn’t currently have hotels or overnight stays, they offer a lot of very nice attractions for people to come and spend time. Self said they’re working on how to get people to come visit, “spend some time, spend a few more of their dollars, and stay for a little bit”.

Self clarified how the matching grant works. She said they were able to put up $8,000 of DDA funds that were already planned toward things they’re doing to brighten up the community and make it “somewhere people want to stop and not just drive-thru”. Self said there’s $2,000 of in-kind - which is matched with a full $10,000. She said they received their first $5,000 check so they can start the project, and they’ll receive the other $5,000 at the end of the project upon completion. Self stressed as with all grants, they are required to track everything meticulously - including all monies in and time spent etc.

Self detailed some areas they’re focused on. She said they’ve been thinking of ways to beautify Pinckney, add art, and reasons for people to find “Instagram-able moments” and talk about town in beautiful ways and what they’re doing.

Self said they’re talking with a local artist to work on updating their bike racks so they become pieces of art and “not just black zig zags on the street that are often overlooked” to encourage more connection between the trails and the downtown area. She said there looking at adding lots of wayfinding signs to help people navigate Pinckney and point them in the direction of different attractions and businesses; and also extending their lighting project to support the Pinckney group that takes care of “Light Up The Park”.

President Jeff Buerman commented during Monday’s meeting that there was also of hard work involved and the task force was impressed with their application, and how they were engaging in the vision of their town. He added they liked that they don’t want to change the character of their town and keep it the way it is, but make it “more inviting”.

An email earlier provided to WHMI by Buerman stated “This funding will help advance the project’s goals of connecting our downtown, parks, trails, businesses, and recreational destinations while strengthening Pinckney as a place to visit, explore, and enjoy. The committee will now revisit the plan to ensure that the project’s scope, goals, community partnerships, and measures of success remain aligned with the approved proposal. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, ideas, and effort to developing this plan. This is another encouraging step toward making Pinckney a true “Gateway to Play.”