Colton Baldus (District 5)
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?
I support the master plan and will work to implement the plan in a way that maximizes the amount of ecological restoration of the land but also keeps the golf course intact.
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?
My commitment is to center Dakota leadership in the development of the Hiawatha parkland. This means partnering with the Dakota communities from the outset to co-create a space that honors Bdé Psíŋ's sacred history through storytelling and naming, and actively designs for safe, dignified access to support the continuation of Native lifeways.
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 will work as partners with the Black golf community to co-design the new parkland, ensuring their history is not just remembered but actively honored. This means integrating public art, storytelling, and dedicated gathering spaces that celebrate the course’s vital role as a social hub, making this legacy a central and permanent part of the park's identity.
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?
My immediate priority is to enhance safety for residents along 43rd St. I will direct staff to evaluate and implement interim protective measures, such as the installation of protective netting and the relocation of tees where feasible. This provides a necessary near-term solution while we plan for the 2030 reconstruction, where permanent design fixes will be a top criteria.
What role can the new parkland at Hiawatha play in expanding foraging opportunities for Minneapolis residents?
The new parkland presents a perfect opportunity to intentionally integrate public food forests and edible native landscapes. I will advocate for a design that includes foraging gardens with clear, public education on sustainable harvesting, transforming underutilized areas into community resources that provide free, healthy food and deepen our connection to the land.
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 our goal is a managed coexistence that prioritizes healthy ecosystems. For native species like beavers, we should employ non-lethal management strategies, such as protecting valuable trees with wire wraps and installing pond levelers. This allows us to benefit from their incredible ecosystem engineering while mitigating human conflicts.