Recreational Development of Franklin County

03/23/2026

DOG PARK UPDATE

https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/03/23/franklin-county-approves-first-ever-dog-park/?outputType=amp

We’re making progress! While the County is currently facing some significant budget challenges, the good news is the dog park project is still alive and moving forward through final due diligence.

Thanks to strong community support and advocacy, at their recent work session the Board of Supervisors voted to continue with the project due mostly to the overwhelming local desire to have the park constructed. A Memorandum of Understanding is now being drafted to formalize the partnership between the County and the RDFC in finishing the park.

If all goes well, we’ll be ready to move ahead with construction using already committed funds and generous donor support. We appreciate everyone’s patience, and the RDFC is optimistic about what lies ahead!

Board of Supervisors votes to create $60,000 facility funded entirely by donations

01/13/2026

We are excited to share the development of a new 18-basket disc golf course designed to expand recreational opportunities and create a welcoming outdoor space for players of all ages and skill levels.

The course will feature 18 permanent baskets, thoughtfully laid out to showcase the natural terrain while providing a fun, engaging, and challenging experience for both beginners and experienced players.

This project is a collaborative community effort made possible through the support of local sponsors, whose contributions will help fund baskets, tee areas, signage, and course improvements. Each basket was sponsored by a local vendor/business owner, creating lasting visibility while directly supporting accessible outdoor recreation.

The course is being developed in partnership with the Smith Mountain Lake Rotary Club, Parks and Recreation, and Recreational Development of Franklin County, reflecting a shared commitment to healthy lifestyles, community engagement, and sustainable recreational growth.

Once completed, the course will serve as a valuable asset for casual play, leagues, tournaments, youth programs, and community events—while also contributing to recreation-based tourism and local economic activity.

This 18-basket disc golf course will stand as a long-term investment in our community, encouraging outdoor activity, connection, and enjoyment of our natural surroundings for years to come.

11/11/2025

Talk about a moo-ving event! 🐄💩 Our Cow Pie Bingo Fundraiser was full of laughter, community, and a little luck from our four-legged “contestants.” Thanks to everyone who helped us raise over $15K for the Moneta Dog Park!

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11/11/2025

Talk about a moo-ving event! 🐄💩 Our Cow Pie Bingo Fundraiser was full of laughter, community, and a little luck from our four-legged “contestants.” Thanks to everyone who helped us raise over $15K for the Moneta Dog Park!

(Post 2 of 3)

11/11/2025

Talk about a moo-ving event! 🐄💩 Our Cow Pie Bingo Fundraiser was full of laughter, community, and a little luck from our four-legged “contestants.” Thanks to everyone who helped us raise over $15K for the Moneta Dog Park!

Stay tuned for more photos & Updates!

10/14/2025

What an udderly amazing day! 🐮🎉

The Franklin County Recreational Development Committee is thrilled to share that our Cow Pie Bingo Fundraiser for the Moneta Dog Park raised an incredible $15,226.51! 🤩

Between our generous sponsors, ticket sales, auctions, 50/50 raffle, stuffed cow auction, Lisa Floyd painting auction, and even the mechanical bull rides — this community showed up in a big way to support our local pups 🐾

Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing posts soon highlighting our winners, sponsors, and some fun photos from the event! 💙

10/04/2025

🐄🎯 It’s Cow Pie Bingo Day! 🎯🐄
Come out and support the recreational development of Franklin County today at Hot Shots from 12–4 PM!

We’ve got:
💩 Cow Pie Bingo
🤠 Bull riding
🎟️ 50/50 raffle
🛍️ Silent auction

… and plenty more fun for the whole family!
Every dollar raised helps make Franklin County an even better place to play, gather, and grow.

See you there! 🌟

09/30/2025

We’re excited to share that the proposed dog park at Lakewatch Plantation is moving forward and is now one step closer to becoming a reality. The Franklin County Recreational Committee has been working diligently with county staff to bring this much-anticipated amenity to our community. As part of the process, the County had to seek an amendment to the existing zoning on the proposed location. That request was reviewed and approved by the Board of Planning and Zoning, and then placed on the agenda for the Franklin County Board of Supervisors. At that meeting, members of the Committee, along with County personnel, spoke in support of the project, and we’re pleased to report that the Board voted to approve the zoning change.

We know this project has taken longer than expected, and we want to sincerely thank the community for its patience and continued enthusiasm. These types of public projects require several formal steps, and we appreciate everyone sticking with us through the process. The next hurdle before construction can begin is securing approval of the project budget. We plan to go before the Board of Supervisors again in October for that vote. If approved, we’ll be ready to break ground and start building a space where dogs and their owners can enjoy the outdoors together. Thank you again to everyone who has supported this effort. We’re getting close to completing the approval process, and we can’t wait to see this project come to life!

This is our current Dog Park concept plan on public record with Franklin County!

Our group is diligently working on fundraising for this project, we currently have $38,366.90(Held with Ridge View Bank). This is not including the total from our next fundraiser!

Our next fundraiser is Cow Pie Bingo this Saturday (Oct. 4th, 2025) 12pm to 4pm at Hot Shots!

08/13/2025

At their meeting on August 12th the Franklin County Planning Commission recommended approval of the County’s request for a zoning map amendment for the property where the proposed dog park is to be located. The next step will be a public hearing with the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, September 16th at 6:00 pm. If we receive approval of the zoning map amendment from the Board, staff will then begin work to complete any items required by internal County departments or external agencies such as the Virginia Department of Transportation. While there are still some steps to complete we are excited to see this project moving through the approval process!

07/29/2025

We finally got our public hearing sign for the Westlake Dog Park! Yay!

We need your help! We need to have as many people as possible to email their support to the county!

*EDIT* Lisa Cooper will be out of office please email Tina at the county!

Tina Franklin:

[email protected]