Oct 21, 2008 - 16:33:21 CDT
Discussion returned to the Burleigh County comprehensive plan on Monday evening.County commissioners agreed to list their own revisions for the plan at the Nov. 4 meeting.
The debate over its wording about how to grow the county has been a source of friction for 19 months. It has been 27 years since a new comprehensive plan has been developed for the county.
Commissioner Doug Schonert has voiced his concerns at previous meeting. The changes he seeks accompany the proposed plan at http://www.burleighcountycompplan.com.
On Monday, other commissioners were invited to bring their concerns back to the table next month.
Schonert asked if they have been approached with comments after he briefed them on his wish for changes.
"I have had meetings with several different people who are concerned about it," said Chairman Jerry Woodcox. "One of them was the policy and goal, protecting the river bluff. That has been eliminated from the plan as a policy. It's in there in two sites - one under policy and one under goal," Woodcox said. "The policy has been eliminated from that. It's still in there as a goal, but not as a policy. The goal is a lot weaker as far as implementing it."
Woodcox said many people aired concerns over their loss of property rights.
"I don't know if I agree with them. Any kind of a plan, if it's a good plan and a progressive plan, is going to take some property rights, but that's part of our job - to channel evolvement, to get a good development, to have it proper and do it right," Woodcox said.
Woodcox said reaction has been mixed about its content.
"Some people have said it weighed heavily toward the ag side. Other people have said the opposite - that it's weighted heavily towards the developer side. Then there's those who said it's anti-development in its entirety," he told the board.
Woodcox said it is up to the commission to make the tough decisions about the plan.
"I plan on approving it as it is with some of the changes to it. I don't want to scrap it and start all over," Woodcox said. "I don't see how we can justify doing that."
Woodcox said he would submit his revisions in writing for next month.
One area of the plan he described as "too tight" is one requiring developments to be contiguous to an existing development. "I think it's something that can be a goal, but not as a requirement, particularly along the river and Highway 83. We certainly cannot say a commercial zone has to be contiguous to another commercial zone. We'd have a goal of doing that so we can channel it in the proper area, but not make it a requirement."
Woodcox said in some areas variances can apply.
Woodcox said he favors paving.
"One of the finer points I'd like to adjust is the cluster developments. The plan recommends that cluster developments not have to be paved. If the feeder road is paved, I think the cluster development should be paved," Woodcox said.
Woodcox remained optimistic the existing plan could work with a few changes.
Commissioners Marlan "Hawk" Haakenson and Jim Peluso said they also would return with proposed changes.
Schonert said he looked forward to hearing the other commissioners' lists.
"The vision statement is wrong right from the start," Schonert said. "Look that over and come back with your suggestion on that. ... If we don't change that, it's a no-growth statement."
Commissioners agreed the 2009 North Dakota Legislature will have impact on the county comp plan, depending upon its decisions about the length of extra-territorial limits allowed outside a city. Commissioners said it could determine if the county has its own planner or not.
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