Town officials: Ram Point riparian dock lease will not be renewed; master plan for Marina Park recommended

South Kingstown staff told the Town Council on Sept. 8 that a short riparian lease at Ram Point adjacent to Marina Park — about 320 linear feet of riverfront docking — will not be renewed when it expires June 30, 2026. The board also discussed a proposed Marina Park master plan aimed at improving public access, parking and boat access to downtown Wakefield.

Mike Stack, the town’s waterfront/staff lead, briefed the council on the park and marina landscape. He described three commercial marinas that operate under long-term leases, two boating clubs, and municipal public amenities including the municipal boat ramp, an overlook and two parking lots. The town collects lease revenue from businesses in Marina Park; staff noted about $380,114 in lease revenue for fiscal 2024–25 from the area’s tenants.

Ram Point riparian lease

Stack said the riparian lease inside the park — a shorter, separately negotiated arrangement that included small skiff slips and some floating docks — was executed as a five‑year riparian agreement that expires next summer. The town recently notified the current tenant that the riparian lease will not be renewed on 06/30/2026. Stack said the leaseholder may remove docks they installed; if the town wants to preserve docking in that specific area the town would need to fund replacement docks (staff estimated roughly $200,000 as a ballpark figure for replacement in that location).

Master plan for Marina Park and riverwalk ideas

Council members and staff discussed a Town‑funded master plan proposed in the capital improvements program for 2026–27 that would examine pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, improved parking and traffic flow, enhanced shore access along the Saugatucket River, and potential public transient slips that would let visiting boaters walk to downtown Wakefield. The plan would also look at connectivity under the Route 1 overpass to Town Farm Park and potential upgrades to public parking areas (the town has already completed some improvements to western parking and a paddle‑sport launch in prior years).

Ownership and assignment notes

Stack reviewed a recent history of ownership changes: one marina parcel across the river called Silver Spring was sold to a large marina owner (Blackstone/large operator), and Grove Point (an institutional marina investor) assumed the long-term Ram Point lease in 2021. Stack said the town’s consent is required before leased marina properties can be assigned or transferred to a new owner; the council authorized an assignment in 2021 when the long-term Ram Point lease was assumed by the current tenant.

Next steps and council interest

Stack recommended further public engagement and a master planning process to evaluate long-term park and waterfront strategies. Council members asked for a master-plan cost estimate so that the council can consider funding in the 2026–27 CIP. Some council members said they favor keeping public access and transient boating options under town control rather than relinquishing waterfront opportunities to private operators.