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Wicks Park Boat Slips

The City leases its 10 boat slips at Wicks Park on the Kalamazoo River one season at a time, by a public lottery.

Two people paddle a yellow kayak past the Wicks Park seawall, with the white gazebo, the lawn, and parked cars beyond under tall trees.
Wicks Park The seawall from the river
Slips
10, about 26 by 10 feet
2027 application
Available February 2, 2027
Who may apply
People who own property in the City
Drawn first
City residents

How the Lottery Works

  1. Each year

    The lottery date is posted

    Each year, the City will publish and post notice of the date that the boat slip lottery will be held.

  2. Two weeks before

    Applications are taken

    Applications to lease a boat slip may be submitted during the two weeks before the lottery date, but no later than the day before the lottery.

  3. Until the day before

    The Clerk checks them

    The City Clerk will review applications for completeness and shall notify applicants of any deficiencies. Applicants may correct deficiencies up to the day before the lottery.

  4. Lottery day

    A public drawing

    The City will select lessees via a random lottery drawing open to the public.

  5. Ten business days after

    Sign the lease and pay

    Selected applicants shall have ten (10) business days following the lottery drawing to provide the City with a signed lease agreement in a form acceptable to the City along with payment of the nonrefundable annual rent amount in full, which shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

Drawing order

Applications will be drawn first from the resident category, then from the non-resident category.

Slips left over

If there are remaining boat slips available after the lottery drawing is concluded, the City Clerk shall accept applications and assign leases on a first-come, first-served basis.

Who May Apply

  • Applications may only be submitted by a natural born person owning real property within the City of Saugatuck and not by a corporation, trust, or other entity.
  • Only one application shall be permitted per person, per household, or per real property taxpayer, and only one application shall be submitted per boat.

What the Application Needs

  • The applicant’s name, address, and contact information.
  • Proof that the applicant is a real property taxpayer of the City of Saugatuck.
  • An indication of whether the applicant is a resident of the City of Saugatuck.
  • A non-refundable application fee, in an amount established by resolution of the City Council.
  • Identification of the boat intended to be moored in the slip (including dimensions), along with a copy of current boat registration listing the applicant as the registered owner of the boat.
  • If desired, a preferred slip number, although the City cannot guarantee assignment of any particular slip number due to the lottery process.

The Schedule of Fees, revised June 9, 2025, lists a season's lease at $1,900 for a resident and $2,100 for a non-resident; the 2026 policy leaves the rent to a resolution of City Council each year.

Forms and Documents