Americans love to live, work, and play near the water. With over 53 percent of our population living on the coasts, waterfronts have become a sought-after location where sailors, businesspeople, tourists, and residents struggle to coexist. Waterfront developments push out boatyards and marinas. Condominiums replace launching ramps, and, eventually, the shores become extremely difficult for the public to readily access.

SAIL has scoured the nation and found that waterfront communities address the challenge of access with a spectrum of responses. Some leave the gates to their shores wide open, some hastily lock them up, and some introduce so many obstacles that sailors are forced to surrender. This is part one of a three-part series that examines how communities are winning, and, losing the fight for waterfront access.

Kenosha, Wisconsin: A home where the shore-lovers roam

Twenty-five years ago, Kenosha, Wisconsin was just another Midwest manufacturing town. A Chrysler plant claimed the majority of its lakefront property, rendering it inaccessible to the public. In 1989, the plant closed and Kenosha used this as an opportunity to clean up the leftover Brownfield land. The town quickly transformed into one of the most boater-friendly hubs in the Great Lakes region. “When Chrysler left, it opened up the whole lakefront to the public,” says mayor Keith Bosman. “Today, I can look out of City Hall and see people fishing, boating, and riding bikes along the Harbor walk.”

Located on Lake Michigan 65 miles north of Chicago, Kenosha now boasts 70 acres of accessible lakefront property. Over 600 condominiums punctuate the shore, but there’s still plenty of space for marinas and yacht clubs. Kenosha Yacht Club has stood for over 70 years and nearby Southport Marina now has over 430 slips. Charter and commercial fishing vessels shuttle in and out of the harbor on a daily basis and transient sailors visit and explore the town. They walk the Harborpark pathway that winds past two museums, a college, and a band shell. Once every two years, the townspeople enjoy the tall ships that visit.

“This city has been unbelievably supportive of sailing here,” says Jim Buck, the president of Kenosha Days of Discovery, which organizes the tall ships show. Buck should know. He was part of a group from Kenosha Yacht Club that started the Kenosha Community Sailing Center (KCSC) a year ago, which the city has enthusiastically supported. They even gave the KCSC its own basin on the lake, free of charge, where they plan to install docks and boat storage. Currently, KCSC puts on a five-week summer program for local high-school students, reaching out in particular to at-risk teenagers. Local yacht club members and high school instructors donate their time to run the program, which is funded through grants from organizations in this sailing-friendly town. Buck hopes to grow the program to 70 kids this summer.

The 100,000 residents of Kenosha may not realize how good they have it. With a beautiful lakefront, an enthused sailing community (both young and old) and a city that is willing to keep its waterfront accessible, they’ve got all the makings of a great sailing town.