Lester Park Lake 9 Parcel Rezoning Initiative (Ordinance 26-033-O)
Description
An initiative petition ordinance would force the city to rezone the 37.5-acre Lake 9 parcel as park and open space and require a public vote before any private development there.
Impact summary
Would lock the parcel as parkland absent a citywide vote; fate now rests with the courts.
Applicant
- Address
- Former Lester Park Golf Course — Lake 9 parcel (37.5 acres), Duluth, MN
At a glance
- Hearings
- 2
- Public comments
- 1
- Total mentions
- 2
Last vote · City Council
Last discussed Jul 27, 2026.
Meeting timeline (2)
City Council — July 27, 2026
Petition ordinance requiring the 37.5-acre Lake 9 parcel to be rezoned P-1 parkland; tabled after the preemption resolution passed.
City Council — July 23, 2026
A citizen-initiated ordinance would rezone the 37.5-acre Lake 9 parcel as Park and Open Space (P-1) and require voter approval for any development-oriented rezoning. It got its first read only.
Related issues (2)
Leicester Park Initiative ballot question
The council voted 7-2 to declare the two Lester Park petitions preempted by state law, keeping the parkland questions off the November ballot. Petitioners vow the fight continues in court, with an August 11 ballot deadline.
Petition signature counting and city process concerns
Roughly 1,000 petition signatures initially went uncounted, requiring a court writ of mandamus before they were tallied. Residents demanded accountability and questioned the timing of the city attorney's preemption opinion.
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