Duluth City Council Removes Golf Course Changes in ‘Imagine 2035’ Plan

The council tabled a vote on the plan until next week

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council planned to vote on changes to the city’s Comprehensive Land Use plan but, over the weekend, residents and members of the golf community voiced their concerns about part of the city’s “Imagine 2035” plan that would have recommended city golf courses be re-zoned in the future.

Recommendations that could have led to city golf courses being re-zoned to allow mixed use residential properties have been taken out of the Imagine 2035 plan.

The city removed those recommendations because a final conversation has not happened between the city and the Friends of Duluth Public Golf organization.

Earlier this year, the city council approved that organization to conduct a study to figure out best practices for Duluth public golf courses. That study is still happening.

“Meetings have been taking place between the city and this group but a final report has not been issued yet and so we’re waiting for that final report and that final conversation,” said city councilor Zack Filipovich.

Once that conversation happens, the city council could revisit zoning changes to the golf courses, but Filipovich tells usnothing will change this golf season.

The city council tabled a vote on the rest of the Imagine 2035 plan so the public can become more informed about what the important planning document includes.

Councilor Joel Sipress said the city “bent over backwards” to get community involvement in the planning process, but that some residents were still not properly informed until last weekend.

“We may think that we’re reaching out, we may think we’re being inclusive, but even when we do our best efforts we usually only reach a small fraction of the whole community and in this case their was a breakdown in communication and I think staff and administration handled it properly,” said Sipress.

The Imagine 2035 plan is now expected to be voted on next week.

That plan includes recommended changes to many land use plans across the city.