In 2006, the Village of Hesperia with the help of the Newaygo County MSU Extension, formed a committee to create its first Master Plan. After countless meetings, surveying village residents and holding public meetings, the committee drafted a comprehensive Master Plan and was adopted by the Village Council in late 2007.

In early 2008, the Village received a $5,000 grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation to create a Parks Plan. Again with the help of the Newaygo County MSU Extension, the village Dam, Parks, and Recreation Committee consulted with a landscape architect that worked with the committee and other village residents, and designed a three-phase parks plan. This plan incorporated a combination of the village's unique park properties and current amenities, the firm's other award winning municipal designs, and the suggestions from the public survey results taken from the first Master Plan.

The three-phase plan consists of:

Phase I - Webster Park - Located at the corner of M-20 and M-120. As the "western gateway" to Newaygo County, this park will be designed for short-term daily use. It will have walking paths throughout the park; new trees and flowers, a new children's play area; park benches; a gazebo with electric for concerts and arts & culture, handicap accessible drinking fountains, an arch at the corner, remodeled buildings, underground sprinkling, directional signage, and expanded veteran's memorial. It was ultimately decided that the tennis court would be removed since the court is in rapidly deteriorating condition and would be more costly to repair than to replace, along with the school dropping their tennis program, and the "activity" park being proposed in Phase II.

Phase II - Weaver Park - Located on Michigan Avenue east of Division. As the "Activity" park, this park will have playground equipment, ice skating rink, skate park, updated horse pull facilities, and expanded parking for the pavillion and community building. This park will be designed for more long-term daily use.

Phase III - Vida Weaver Park & Dam - Located on Michigan Avenue west of Division. Along the banks of the White River, this park is planned to have expanded parking areas, park benches, picnic areas, boardwalk connecting the park to the dam, RV dump station, fish cleaning station, information center, public boat launch, wildlife & bird watching platform, and small children's play area.

Upon completion of the park plan in early 2009, the village applied for a $179,950 grant with the Fremont Area Community Foundation which was approved in the spring of 2009. Phase I is planned to be completed in the fall of 2009.

Planning for Phase II will begin sometime in 2010 and village residents are encouraged to participate. Information will be posted on this web site.

Weaver Park Article from the MSU Extension's "The Land Connection"

Weaver Park community building/kitchen rental - Contact Joyce McDonald at the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce