City Hall (269) 857-2603

City Hall

Planning, Zoning, and Historic District

Under the direct supervision of the City Manager, the Zoning Administrator administers the city’s zoning/planning/Historic District Commission (HDC) processes, investigates complaints and takes enforcement action.

Director
Grayson Moore
Direct line
(269) 237-1823
Email
gmoore@saugatuckcity.com
Zoning permits
$75 to $500

The Boards That Decide

Zoning Permits

Fence or sign$75.00
Deck, patio, shed, pool, or hot tub$125.00
New dwelling$500.00

From the City’s Schedule of Fees, revised June 9, 2025.

Every permit, and when a building permit is needed too

Zoning Map

The City's zoning map was last updated in February 2024.

The City's zoning map, as amended through January 9, 2024, coloring each zoning district from the Lake Michigan dunes to Kalamazoo Lake and outlining the historic district around downtown, with Saugatuck Township to the north and the City of the Village of Douglas to the south; its legend names each district, from Community Residential R-1 to Water Street South C-2.
The zoning districts, as amended through January 9, 2024 Zoning map, last updated February 2024 PDF, 1.5 MB

Master Plan Update

The Master Plan serves as the community’s long-range guide for land use, housing, transportation, economic development, natural resources, and overall quality of life.

  1. 2016

    The Tri-Community plan

    Saugatuck last completed a long-range planning effort through the Tri-Community Comprehensive Plan in 2016, conducted collaboratively with the City of Douglas and Saugatuck Township.

  2. August to October 2025

    The survey

    The City of Saugatuck Master Plan Survey was open from August through early October and received a total of 386 responses.

  3. September 30, 2025

    The open house

    The session included several interactive feedback boards designed to gather intuitive, first-impression responses regarding community values, priorities, and future vision.

  4. Now

    The update

    The City of Saugatuck is beginning an update to its Master Plan in accordance with the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (Public Act 33 of 2008), as amended.

Open House Priorities

At the open house, participants spent play money called Saugatuck Bucks on the improvements they wanted most.

  1. Sidewalks and paths40 votes
  2. Downtown improvements38 votes
  3. Parking38 votes
  4. Waterfront facilities34 votes
  5. Parks22 votes
  6. Streets18 votes
  7. Public art17 votes
Saugatuck Bucks votes at the September 30, 2025 open house

From the Master Plan memorandum of October 10, 2025, page 3.

Recently Adopted Ordinances

Our ordinances are published once a year and available on our website. This page serves as a reference for recently adopted ordinances that have not yet been incorporated into the online published version. Please note that these ordinances are in effect.

Ordinance 260511-A

An ordinance to amend the City of Saugatuck 's Zoning Ordinance to update signage regulations to regulate signs in a content-neutral manner, and to promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents and visitors of the City of Saugatuck.