Duluth Council Faces Controversy Over Golf Course Land Transfer

The Duluth City Council is set to review a significant ordinance on December 8, 2023, concerning the future of the former Lester Park Golf Course and critical recreational lands within the city. This decision comes after the Council’s controversial vote to reverse a commitment made in 2021 to preserve the golf course as parkland, opting instead to transfer the property to the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) for potential development, contingent upon a land-use plan.

Concerns Over Land Protection Tactics

In addition to the golf course issue, the ordinance addresses a long-standing initiative aimed at safeguarding various recreational areas utilized by the community for activities such as skiing, hiking, and biking. Many of these locations, previously controlled by the county, consist of tax-forfeited lands that are now at risk of development. Critics argue that the City Council is improperly linking the protection of these lands to the development of the Lester Park Golf Course, which threatens to undermine years of collaborative conservation efforts.

For over two decades, city and county officials, alongside nonprofit organizations like the Minnesota Land Trust, have worked diligently to identify and protect vulnerable lands across the city. This initiative has involved careful consideration of various factors, including natural features, road networks, and flood zones. In 2021, the City Council unanimously agreed to transfer these lands from St. Louis County to the city, pending a zoning change to formally designate them as parkland. Such designation would prevent any development without an eight-ninths vote from city councilors.

Impact on Community and Governance

Despite the completion of the land transfer, the critical zoning change to secure protected status remains pending. The McCabe Chapter of the Izaak Walton League has publicly endorsed the protection of these areas, emphasizing their recreational, environmental, and economic significance. Julie O’Leary, chair of the board, highlighted the importance of honoring commitments made to the community regarding land protection.

The proposed ordinance includes the necessary zoning change for approximately 1,500 acres of recreational land; however, it ties this change to the transfer of 230 acres of the Lester Park Golf Course to DEDA. Critics argue that this connection is unfounded and creates a dangerous precedent that could bypass established public processes. The initiative to protect these lands has been characterized as a model of community collaboration, contrasting sharply with the rushed and controversial handling of the golf course transfer.

As the City Council prepares to address these pressing issues, it faces mounting pressure to separate the two matters. Community members and advocates are calling for a reevaluation of the approach to the Lester Park Golf Course while ensuring that the commitment to protect the tax-forfeited lands remains a priority.