- Who: Martin County, using Commission District 5 funds, at a park named for a Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan.
- What: A fenced dog park with separate large and small dog areas, shaded seating, and combination water fountains for pets and owners.
- Where: LCpl. Justin Wilson Memorial Park on SW Mapp Road in Palm City.
Palm City’s long-requested dog park is moving. Martin County has cleared the site at LCpl. Justin Wilson Memorial Park, relocated resident gopher tortoises, and put fencing into design, with completion targeted for December 2026.
The county’s project tracker lists the current phase as running from June 16 through Dec. 31, 2026.
What Is Being Built
The plan calls for secure perimeter fencing with separate areas for large and small dogs, benches and shaded seating, and combination water fountains serving both pets and owners.
Dog wash stations are also part of the scope.
Where the Work Stands
Three steps remain before the park opens, according to the county:
- Construct the ADA-accessible walkway
- Run water to the fountain and dog wash stations
- Install the fencing
The county’s tracker still shows the project at 0% complete, which reflects construction work rather than the clearing and permitting already finished.
How It Got Funded
The Board of County Commissioners tentatively approved the FY27 Capital Improvement Plan by straw vote and directed staff to advance the project using Commission District 5 funds. The tentative CIP identifies $300,000 in District 5 MSTU funding.
A straw vote is a non-binding indication of direction, not final adoption, so the funding figure could shift before the CIP is formally approved.
District 5 covers western Martin County, including Palm City and part of Indiantown. It is represented by Commissioner Edward V. Ciampi, currently vice chair of the board. The county describes dog park amenities as a long-standing District 5 priority that has been raised as a community recreation need for several years.
What the County Is Still Working Out
As the project advances, staff will evaluate site layout, parking needs, access, buffering, drainage, environmental constraints, and separation from existing park uses.
That last point matters at this particular park. Justin Wilson Memorial Park is heavily used, with soccer fields, six lighted pickleball courts, tennis and racquetball courts, basketball, four playgrounds, an observation tower and a nature trail. Parking already fills up when multiple teams are playing.
The county says the goal is to minimize conflicts with ballfield activity, playground users, Mapp Road parking conditions and nearby natural areas.
Who the Park Honors
The park carries the name of Lance Cpl. Justin James Wilson, a Palm City Marine killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on March 22, 2010. He was 24.
Wilson joined the Marine Corps in January 2009 and deployed 10 months later as a motor vehicle operator assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment. He had been promoted to lance corporal earlier that month and was two months from returning home. He had married his wife, Hannah, shortly before deploying, and the couple had planned a larger family wedding in Palm City for after his return.
Martin County renamed the Palm City park in his honor. The local Marine Corps League detachment also bears his name.
Why It Matters
Palm City has had no dedicated off-leash dog park, a gap residents have raised repeatedly. Adding one at a park that already draws heavy daily traffic means the county is building it into an active site rather than on open ground, which is why layout, parking and buffering carry more weight here than they might elsewhere.
For more on parks and things to do across the Treasure Coast, visit our Palm City things to do guide.
