The revamp of the Burleigh County Comprehensive Land Use Plan got off to a slow start but is gathering momentum as the end of the county's development moratorium draws near.

Today, technical and policy committees will meet to review a draft of the goals and objectives and discuss implementation. The meetings will be held at the Bismarck Public Works building, 601 S. 26th St., starting at 9:30 a.m. with the technical group, and the policy board meeting at noon.

The goals and objectives were developed by consultant Cindy Gray of SRF Consulting Group Inc. They are based on the public input that has been gathered the past several months through various means including public forums and meetings with specific groups identified earlier in the process.

The moratorium, which effectively ended new development in 2007, is slated to expire on Dec. 31. Planning director Carl Hokenstad said he doesn't expect the comprehensive plan to be complete until early 2008, and formal adoption by governing boards will likely take longer.

It's difficult to determine the impact of the moratorium; only three exception requests were made since it was instituted in January. Two existing homes that were replatted and a plat for an industrial park in Menoken were the exceptions allowed by the county commission.

"There hasn't been a lot of pressure on the planning department from people waiting to subdivide. They know there is a moratorium," Hokenstad said. "Once we get to the end of the moratorium, and if we're still a ways away from having the comprehensive plan, it will be up to the county commission to extend or drop the moratorium."

Most of the effort on the part of the consultant has been in gathering public input, planner Gregg Greenquist said. Gray has been meeting with various groups, holding public meetings and meeting with township people. There also have been some focus group meetings.

The final product, Hokenstad said, will be much more clear and concise than the document planners and developers have relied on for more than 30 years.

"But I don't think it will be like a cookbook when we're done with it," Hokenstad said. "Its nature as a document is to be a guide for decision-making on development, and it will be a little more general in nature. The specifics will be in the ordinances and policies after it's adopted. It's going to be very clear cut and set a direction. The last plan was a little gray."

While the county commission may adopt the plan and apply it to the 11 unorganized Burleigh townships it controls, it will be up to the rest of the organized townships, which have their own zoning boards, to decide whether they will adopt the plan. Greenquist said the state's Century Code requires those townships with zoning authority to have a comprehensive plan.

"Township government is autonomous as far as zoning and land use, but have to adopt a comprehensive plan," Greenquist said. "They could write their own plan, adopt the county's or that of another township."

Hokenstad said he's not sure how the plan will settle out in the end, adding that a lot of Burleigh's townships are organized and some have paired up to do joint land use zoning so there is a consistency in land use.

But while zoning can be the responsibility of a township, plat approval is the sole jurisdiction of the county, according to state law.

Township interest in the development of the comprehensive plan has been evident on the technical committee and policy committee, Hokenstad said.

"The townships have shown a lot of interest. They had a couple of focus group meetings with the consultant to talk about their concerns. They've been very active," Hokenstad said.

Public input is critical to the process, the planning director said. A public forum for input on the objectives and goals is being set at 7 p.m. Nov. 15, though a place has yet to be determined.

"We have to stress public input from all jurisdictions," Hokenstad said. "Because, in the end, it has to be a consensus document acceptable to the majority of participants."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)