City Council votes for rezoning in Woodland development

Duluth City Council met on Monday May 12th, the biggest item on the agenda was a proposed new housing development in Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood.

The development would be two buildings each with 60 condominiums.

WDIO received many emails regarding the development from concerned neighbors about bringing crowds into the residential neighborhood and potential environmental impact on a nearby stream.

others arguing the development would be a positive way to help Duluth’s housing shortage.

Duluth councilors were tasked with voting on a zoning change that would allow the development to move forward.

“If I were to step back and look at the situation, I know these are hard rezoning changes. This is the hardest type of vote the council takes up. I think there are ways we can think differently about these issues in the future,” said City Councilman Arik Forsman. “We have to vote under the code that we have today.”

The councilors had received emails on both sides of the issue.

“We have certainly received our fair share of folks that have weighed in with concerns and I understand and appreciate that,” Said Forsman. “But I have never seen the volume of emails asking for a development to go forward and quite a few of them were folks that live in that neighborhood.”

In the end the rezoning passed 7 to 1.