The sale of a 57-year-old golf course near Lake Minnetonka has pitted Orono citizens who want the land undeveloped against a buyer who plans to build high-end homes there.
The controversy has inspired standing-room-only meetings and yard signs in the west metro city over the past two months, leading the Orono City Council to postpone a final decision until mid-January.
At issue is the future of picturesque Lakeview Golf Course, a private business that has been open to the public since 1956.
Its 143 acres are classified as park, recreation and open space in the city's comprehensive plan, but they are zoned as rural residential.
Lakeview's situation is not unlike that of many golf courses losing money because of the recession, competition and golf's falling popularity among young people.
But the controversy has some unusual elements exclusive to a highly affluent area. The homes that would be built on the land would cost $800,000 or more. And opponents are seeking pledges of millions of dollars for their cause.
Citizens got wind of the plan in October and organized Citizens for Lakeview Preservation. The nonprofit group wants the city to consider alternatives that would keep the area open for recreation.
Bryce Johnson, the organization's board chairman, said that allowing the development would be "breaking a promise to the community" and that "once open land is gone, it's gone forever."