NORTHPORT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a move that has residents holding on tight to their baseballs, pickleball paddles, and dog leashes, Northport officials are eyeing the Buster Dame Recreational Field – a 3.14-acre haven featuring a baseball field, pickleball courts, and a dog park – as the prime spot for affordable housing development.
The potential plan? Swap the park’s recreational designation with another parcel on Seventh Street, effectively paving the way for new housing units where home runs usually soar and dogs frolic in the grass.
Public outcry: not in my ballpark.
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Northport, a village in Leelanau Township, has a small population of only about 500 people. It’s located near the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula in northern lower Michigan and lies on the shore of Grand Traverse Bay.
In this small village, the affordable housing plan has ignited a firestorm of opposition. Local resident Eric Potes, who lives across from the park, has become the face of the “Save Buster Dame” campaign.
Critics of the plan argue that sacrificing a well-loved community space is not the answer to the affordable housing problem. “It’s a cherished local park,” Potes told the Leelanau Ticker, who reported on the battle to save the park. “It’s got clean lines of sight for children; you can fly kites there; it’s open; it’s fenced; it’s safe. Probably, all the reasons that they want to take it are the reasons we love it as a park.”
On the other side of the issue, Northport Village Council President Chris McCann said, “It certainly offers a really great opportunity. It’s in a residential neighborhood; it’s a flat piece of land; it’s got roads on all sides; utilities would be easily accessible. Some of the other properties the village or township own would require a lot more site work – tree removal, soil remediation, things of that nature. So, if you were to rank the properties based solely on suitability to build housing, Buster Dame would be at the top of the list.”
Because the Michigan DNR (Department of Natural Resources) provided grant money back in the 1990s to improve the baseball field, it’s not easy to convert the land to a non-park use such as housing. So McCann and others came up with a creative solution – take the DNR designation and apply it to a different piece of property – on Seventh Street.
Who is Buster Dame?
Commenting on the Leelanau Ticker article on Facebook recently was Abbi Charter, who identified herself as Roland “Buster” Dame’s granddaughter. She said, “My grandfather spent much of his life giving back to the youth of Northport – whether it was through summer baseball or the Boy Scouts. He also proudly served his country in World War II, and that service was something he held close to his heart.”
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Charter went on to say, “To the people who knew him, family & community, he meant a great deal. I truly believe he would want to see Northport continue to grow in a way that benefits the community, especially its younger generations. While I understand the need for affordable housing, I don’t think the ball field is the place to do. I also don’t believe it will actually be affordable for the people who actually need housing. If the ball field can no longer be used for baseball, then let’s still make it a space that brings people together – whether it becomes a community garden, a place for kids to play, or even just somewhere neighbors can meet and connect.”
Charter ended her comments saying, “I know not everyone will agree with me and that’s fine. But I just want people to realize that Buster Dame is an actual person and he was so proud of that ball field.”
The park’s dedication.
An old Leelanau Enterprise article from July 27, 1995 discusses the “Buster Dame Field” dedication of the park which they described as a “renovated Leelanau Township ball park” that included $75,000 worth of improvements. They said the park would be dedicated to Dame, a lifelong Northport resident and sports enthusiast. According to the article, Dame played for Northport’s team in the Independent Baseball League during the 1940’s and 1950’s and was “responsible for initiating development of the county youth baseball program” which was later expanded to surrounding communities.
Progress or regression?
As Northport wrestles with the heated debate over turning Buster Dame Park into an affordable housing site, one thing is certain: residents care deeply about both their green spaces and the need for housing. The real challenge is figuring out a path that doesn’t force a choice between the two. No final decision has been made yet, which means there’s still time for locals to speak up and help shape the outcome.
