MUSKEGON
Muskegon waterfront rezoning approved ahead of controversial land swap vote

 Published: Nov. 11, 2025, 2:02 p.m.

The city commission narrowly approved the rezoning of Fisherman's Landing and Mart Dock properties on Monday night. The boat launch and fishing docks at Fisherman's Landing in April 2025.Kayla Tucker

 By Kayla Tucker| ktucker@mlive.com
MUSKEGON, MI - The rezoning of two waterfront properties that are part of a proposed land swap were narrowly approved by the Muskegon City Commission on Monday.

Both the Fisherman’s Landing city park and Mart Dock properties were rezoned.

The proposed deal, between the city and port company Mart Dock, would close Fisherman’s Landing campground and allow Mart Dock to move port operations to that space on the east end of the city on Muskegon Lake.

The city would acquire neighboring land from Verplank Co. for a public park, as well as some property on Third Street downtown next to Mart Dock’s current operations.

A second rezone vote for each property is still needed by the commission for final approval. The next meeting is Nov. 25, where the commission will vote on the waterfront land swap proposal.

The commission voted 4-2 Monday, Nov. 10, to rezone 23.5 acres of the 43.5-acre site, owned by West Michigan Dock & Market Corp. at 560 Mart St., from waterfront marine to waterfront industrial PUD.

The rezoning will bring existing port activities into compliance with current zoning and will allow for potential operational changes or expansion.

Mayor Ken Johnson abstained, meaning he didn’t vote for or against the matter.

Commissioners Destinee Keener and Willie German voted no.

Johnson voted against the planning commission’s approval of the rezoning last month, citing disagreements and wanting to see the full development agreement, which was not presented alongside the rezoning requests.

The commission then voted 4-3 to rezone the majority of city-owned property Fisherman’s Landing from open space recreation to waterfront industrial PUD to allow for new port activities.

Commissioners Katrina Kochin, Keener and German voted no.

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A sign to "Save Fisherman's Landing" is posted in the front yard of a residence in the Jackson Hill neighborhood of Muskegon.Kayla Tucker

If the land swap is approved, Mart Dock plans to move the bulk of its port activities to the city-owned property that currently houses a campground, public pavilion, boat ramp, fish cleaning station and restrooms.

Johnson said he voted in favor of that rezoning because Fisherman’s Landing is a city-owned property. He and City Manager Jonathan Seyferth said Monday the commission could rezone the city’s property again if the land swap does not go through.

Keener said she felt like the commission was “putting the cart before the horse.”

“I am adamantly against this rezoning right now,” Keener said. “I feel like we’re planning something that our entire community is not backing and along and ready for the ride for ... I just want my citizens, the dear citizens of Muskegon, to know that I’ve heard your calls. I’ve heard your voicemails, and I recognize your emails and I am here to stand up for you all that are totally against this rezoning, again, for what I feel like is (for) the purpose of a swap.”

Commissioner Rebecca St. Clair said the majority of complaints against the land swap she’s seen and received have come from campers, primarily non-city residents.

“There has been a lot of very vocal public comment against this project, but I would disagree that it is largely citizens,” St. Clair said. “I look up every single email that I get to see where they are from, and it’s not majority residents.”

She said she’s primarily received positive feedback from city residents.

“I’m not discounting - there are definitely people who live in the city that do not support this, but, unfortunately, the climate around this is intimidating for people to speak out supporting it,” St. Clair said. “There has been some really hostile engagement around this and, frankly, people don’t feel safe to say that they support moving forward with something different.”

Keener also expressed concerns about if camping could still take place at Fisherman’s Landing with the rezoning of the property. It’s previously been stated that camping will continue through the 2026 season no matter what and if the agreement doesn’t pass, it will continue as-is.

Seyferth assured that, with the rezoning, “there is very little risk to the future of the campground,” with the ability to exempt in previous uses.

“I do still feel like it is a little disingenuous, and I don’t think that the citizens appreciate it,” Kochin said.

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Scenes from Tuesday, Sept. 16, when Mart Dock President Max McKee gave a tour of the property to around 50 people and spoke in detail about a potential land swap proposal that would increase port operations, further develop the downtown waterfront and increase public access. It would also potentially eliminate a private campground.Kayla Tucker

Kochin asked City Planner Mike Franzak if he could think of any reason why the city commission would not want to go through with the rezoning changes.

“I’m not sure,” Franzak said. “Staff is recommending approval for it. It seems consistent with our master plan and our land uses, and it opens up the possibility for the land swap, which helps us achieve many of the goals we have in our master plan.”

Before the final vote, Commissioner Jay Kilgo spoke out against threatening comments he said have been made about commissioners around this controversial topic.

“We might have difference of opinion on what to do with different parts of our city, but when comments like ‘dealt with’ and ‘threats’ come to any of these commissioners, mayors or city officials, A, it’s against the law. B, we will not stand for it,” Kilgo said. “Share your words, share your thoughts, share your opinions, but threats of violence are never ever, ever acceptable. Period.”

Public comments on the topic were divided, with some for and some against the project.

Kayla Tucker

Kayla Tucker is a government and community reporter for MLive.com, covering Muskegon County and northern Ottawa County. Originally from Grand Rapids, she attended Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley... more