Planning Commission - March 4, 2025 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Planning Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
The Planning Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Maranda Tasa, Scott Stofferahn, Art Rosenberg, Thomas Schmidt, Joseph Cecil, Amy Hass, Tyler Mohs, Paul Gleye, Michael Betlock, Tracy Jordre
Absent: Brett Shewey
Chair Tasa called the meeting to order.
Business Items:
Item A: Approve Order of Agenda
Member Gleye moved the Order of Agenda be approved as presented. Second by Member Stofferahn. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item B: Minutes: Regular Meeting of February 4, 2025
Member Stofferahn moved the minutes of the February 4, 2025 Planning Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member Mohs. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Chair Tasa shared that the Edgewood Second Addition Conditional Use Permit application for group living that was denied by the Planning Commission on February 4, 2025, was appealed by the applicant to the City Commission and is scheduled for to be heard at the March 17, 2025 City Commission meeting.
Item C: Public Hearing Items:
Item 1: Brekke’s 64th Avenue Addition
1a. Hearing on an application requesting a Zoning Change from SR-2, Single-Dwelling Residential to SR-4, Single-Dwelling Residential on the proposed Brekke’s 64th Avenue Addition. (Located at 1606 and 1648 64th Avenue South) (Brekke Custom Homes/Houston Engineering, Inc.): CONTINUED TO APRIL 1, 2025
1b. Hearing on an application requesting a Plat of Brekke’s 64th Avenue Addition (Major Subdivision) a plat of the Northwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 12, Township 138 North, Range 49 West, of the Fifth Principal Meridian, to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. (Located at 1606 and 1648 64th Avenue South) (Brekke Custom Homes/Houston Engineering, Inc.): CONTINUED TO APRIL 1, 2025
Planning Coordinator Donald Kress presented the staff report stating all approval criteria have been met and staff is recommending approval.
Discussion was held on similar areas that have similar private development, location of nearby shared use paths, snow removal, project density, access points, traffic, and sidewalks.
Applicant representative Brian Pattengale, Houston Engineering, spoke on behalf of the application.
Further discussion was held on sidewalks, setbacks, and existing trees.
Resident Tim Nasheim, 6622 Crofton Lane South, spoke in opposition to the application, stating the following concerns: safety issue of no separation between the proposed street and the park south of the development, no connections to the shared use path, lack of sidewalks in the proposed development, setting a precedence for future neighborhoods without sidewalks.
Applicant Mike Brekke, spoke on behalf of the application.
Resident Clarence Whisman, 1514 64th Avenue South, spoke in opposition to the application stating the following concerns: changing the floodplain, increasing the grade and affecting water flow, density of the development, and traffic.
Mr. Pattengale spoke on the drainage concerns.
Additional discussion was held on size and curb and gutter on the street, connection to the shared use path, and the existing sidewalk on 64th Avenue.
Member Schmidt moved the findings and recommendations of staff be accepted and approval be recommended to the City Commission of the proposed 1) zoning change from SR-2, Single-Dwelling Residential to SR-4, Single-Dwelling Residential, and 2) Subdivision Plat of Brekke’s 64th Avenue Addition as outlined within the staff report, as the proposal complies with the Standards of Article 20-06, and Sections 20-0906.F (1-4) and 20-0907.C of the Land Development Code, and all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code and the 2024 Growth Plan. Second by Member Mohs.
Discussion continued on the lack of sidewalks and connectivity, alternative options for the plat layout, adding a landscape buffer, street parking not being allowed, and street width.
Mr. Pattengale spoke on street widths.
Further discussion was held regarding street width and fire access.
Assistant Director of Planning and Development Mark Williams spoke on zoning, private developments, and motion procedure.
Additional discussion was held on zoning.
Planning and Development Director Nicole Crutchfield spoke on next steps and motion procedure.
Member Schmidt and Member Mohs withdrew the motion on the table.
Member Schmidt moved to continue the application to the April 1, 2025 Planning Commission meeting. Second by Member Stofferahn. On call of the roll Members Gleye, Betlock, Rosenberg, Cecil, Schmidt, Jordre, Stofferahn, Hass, Mohs, and Tasa voted aye. Absent and not voting: Member Shewey. The motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Urban Plains Medical Park Second Addition
Hearing on an application requesting a Plat of Urban Plains Medical Park Second Addition (Minor Subdivision) a replat of Lot 6, Block 1, Urban Plains Medical Park Addition, to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. (Located at 4651 30th Avenue South) (Urban Plains Land Company, LLC/Urban Plains Wonders, LLC/Goldmark Design and Development): APPROVED
Mr. Kress presented the staff report stating all approval criteria have been met and staff is recommending approval.
Member Schmidt moved the findings and recommendations of staff be accepted and approval be recommended to the City Commission of the proposed Subdivision Plat Urban Plains Medical Park Second Addition, as outlined within the staff report, as the proposal complies with the Fargo Growth Plan 2024, the Standards of Article 20-06, Section 20-0907.B and C of the Land Development Code, and all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code. Second by Member Rosenberg. On call of the roll Members Rosenberg, Betlock, Hass, Cecil, Mohs, Gleye, Schmidt, Jordre, Stofferahn, and Tasa voted aye. Absent and not voting: Member Shewey. The motion was declared carried.
Item 3: Valley View 11th Addition
Hearing on an application requesting a Plat of Valley View 11th Addition (Minor Subdivision) a replat of Lot 2, Block 1, Valley View Ninth Addition, to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. (Located at 3889 51st Street South) (Brookstone Properties/Lowry Engineering): APPROVED
Planner Chelsea Levorsen presented the staff report stating all approval criteria have been met and staff is recommending approval.
Member Stofferahn moved the findings and recommendations of staff be accepted and approval be recommended to the City Commission of the proposed Subdivision Plat Valley View 11th Addition, as outlined within the staff report, as the proposal complies with the Fargo Growth Plan 2024, the Standards of Article 20-06, Section 20-0907.B and C of the Land Development Code, and all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code. Second by Member Rosenberg. On call of the roll Members Gleye, Schmidt, Hass, Stofferahn, Mohs, Jordre, Rosenberg, Betlock, Cecil, and Tasa voted aye. Absent and not voting: Member Shewey. The motion was declared carried.
Item D: Other Items:
Item 1: Review of proposed Renewal Plan 2025-01 (Lennon Lofts) for consistency with the GO2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Director of Strategic Planning and Development Jim Gilmour provided a brief presentation of the renewal plan.
Discussion was held on what the TIF funds would be used for, if the apartments would be market rate, destruction of historic neighborhoods, incentivizing developers, and regulations of DMU, Downtown Mixed-use zoning.
Member Rosenberg moved to recommend to the City Commission that the proposed Renewal Plan is consistent with the GO2030 Comprehensive Plan of the City of Fargo. Second by Member Jordre. On call of the roll Members Schmidt, Betlock, Jordre, Cecil, Stofferahn, Mohs, Rosenberg, Hass, and Tasa voted aye. Member Gleye voted nay. Absent and not voting: Member Shewey. The motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Review of proposed Renewal Plan 2025-03 (Skyline) for consistency with the GO2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Mr. Gilmour provided a brief presentation of the renewal plan, noting this is an update to a renewal plan that was approved in 2018.
Member Schmidt moved to recommend to the City Commission that the proposed Renewal Plan is consistent with the GO2030 Comprehensive Plan of the City of Fargo. Second by Member Hass. On call of the roll Members Jordre, Hass, Mohs, Gleye, Cecil, Schmidt, Betlock, Stofferahn, Rosenberg, and Tasa voted aye. Absent and not voting: Member Shewey. The motion was declared carried.
Mr. Williams provided a brief update on the czb consultants visit regarding the Land Development Code rewrite and noted they will return in May.
The time at adjournment was 4:15 p.m.