Adam Schneider (At Large)
The Hiawatha Golf Course Area Master Plan (aka Hiawatha Links) was approved by MPRB in 2022, calling for 9 holes of golf and the ecological restoration of Lake Hiawatha. As commissioner, will you support the master plan and work actively to move forward implementation of the plan?
Yes, I support the master plan and will actively work to move forward with its implementation. My biggest concern around the Hiawatha Golf Course Area Master Plan is its funding, so I would like to work with state and federal representatives to secure public funding, community and business partners to leverage private funding, and, if necessary, the City of Minneapolis and Board of Estimate & Taxation to issue revenue bonds.
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the lake’s history as Rice Lake / Bdé Psíŋ with the Dakota people who have stewarded this land since time immemorial, and ensures safe access for Native lifeways?
I would like to work with the MPRB’s Native American Parks Council to engage and consult Minneapolis’ indigenous communities, as well as those across the state of Minnesota. Their input is vital to the project's design and implementation, as well as to the creation of any policies necessary to allow indigenous people to practice their culture and traditions on MPRB properties.
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the history of Black golfers and the course’s legacy as a social hub for Minneapolis’ Black golf community?
I would love to include current and former golfers to provide input on the design and implementation of this project so that they can have direct say on how they and the legacy of the Hiawatha Golf Course are presented to visitors and new golfers. I am also interested in seeing if they have any events or programming ideas that can help celebrate the course’s legacy as a social hub for the local black golf community.
A recent Star Tribune article covered the problem of stray golf balls from the course hitting houses along 43rd St. What would you do as commissioner to address that issue prior to the projected 2030 course reconstruction?
We should introduce more trees to the golf course, allowing for a more controlled environment and reducing the possibility of golf balls going astray.
What role can the new parkland at Hiawatha play in expanding foraging opportunities for Minneapolis residents?
I would love to see edible plants along both the planned multi-use paved trails and the natural surface trails throughout the golf course. Additionally, I would be supportive of introducing a dedicated food forest or urban agriculture opportunities to the site if there is interest.
How should we balance coexistence with other species in urban green spaces, even when doing so might causes challenges for humans? For example, beavers are native to the area and restore degraded streams, but can inconvenience us when they cut down trees.
I believe that we need to introduce native flora and fauna to urban green spaces like the Hiawatha Golf Course to restore eco-systems and make them resilient. Although there may be inconveniences that can be corrected if they become burdensome, habitat restoration can help reduce the frequency of events like flooding and offer other benefits.