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Public urges slower process as Duluth council holds first reading on Lester Park conveyance
Summary
Hundreds of residents and outdoor groups urged the Duluth City Council to slow plans to convey 230 acres of Lester Park Golf Course to the city’s economic authority and demanded a full land‑use study and clear public protections for at least 1,500 acres of parkland before any transfer.
Dozens of residents packed council chambers to urge Duluth officials to preserve parkland and slow a proposed conveyance of the Lester Park Golf Course.
At a first reading of Ordinance 32, council members described the measure as a conditional conveyance of roughly 230 acres to the Duluth Economic Authority. The ordinance ties any transfer to several contingencies, including a formal land‑use study and protective designations on a minimum of 1,500 acres of city‑owned lands (park dedication, inclusion in the Duluth Natural Areas Program or rezoning to a P1 park/open‑space district). No final vote was taken; councilors said a second reading and additional materials, including a development agreement and land‑use study deliverables, will be required before any conveyance.
Public testimony reflected broad concern about transparency and process. "Sale or transfer of our public land should clear a high bar for accountability, transparency and public input," said Alex Svensson, a volunteer trail steward and coach, who asked the council to halt any transfer until the promised study and public process are complete. Several speakers, including members of local conservation groups, said the 2018 suitability analysis had identified the site as among the least suitable in the city for development and urged a pause.
Other residents said they supported formalizing protection for 1,500 acres but objected to linking that re‑designation to the Lester Park conveyance. "These really do seem like two separate issues to me," Mae Gackstetter told the council, supporting park protections but saying coupling them with the conveyance “feels sneaky and disingenuous.”
City staff and councilors pushed back that the first reading was procedural and that the ordinance, as drafted, contains binding contingencies. Planning Director Ben Van Tassel described the development‑suitability index used in earlier planning work as a high‑level tool that can point planning questions but is not a substitute for a property‑specific land‑use study. "A land‑use study is the perfect tool to look at a specific property and decide what we need for that area," he said.
Councilor Roz Randolph stressed that the item was a first reading that would return with a development agreement tying specific land‑use‑study requirements to any future conveyance. Councilor Forsman said the development agreement (between the city and the Duluth Economic Development Authority) will spell out binding conditions, including public engagement and independent facilitation.
Speakers also asked the council to publicly commit to a timeline and to ensure broad participation across neighborhoods. Several asked the council to respect prior commitments (a 2022 unanimous resolution referenced in testimony) and to make the land‑use study public and robust.
Next steps: Councilors said the ordinance will return for further consideration after staff and the DEDA prepare a development agreement and the required land‑use study. No closing vote on the conveyance occurred at tonight’s meeting.
