As the Regional Future Land Use Study nears completion, local governing bodies are being asked to adopt it. The study is being developed by Ulteig Engineers for the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The study, encompassing more than 200 square miles in and around Bismarck and Mandan, provides a guideline for land development. The work on the study began more than a year ago, Ulteig senior planner Joel Quanbeck said.

He has been making presentations of the study and its recommendations at the various city and county commission meetings. Next week, the study will make its way to the MPO for possible final adoption.

The Bismarck and Burleigh County commissions have approved adoption of the study. Morton County approved the plan contingent on changes to some zoning recommendations, while the Mandan City Commission tabled the matter.

Mandan wants to see further identification of industrial areas, particularly to the west, Mayor Ken LaMont said. Two sections belonging to Esther Vogel had been identified as probable industrial areas, but she asked this be changed to residential or commercial. These are the same changes the Morton County Commission is seeking.

"Mandan is long and narrow stretching to the southeast and northwest," LaMont said. "There is so much residential and, I think, as a commission we're responsible to identify industrial."

At the MPO Policy Board meeting on Wednesday, LaMont - who is a voting member of the board - will ask if the study can be adjusted to address Mandan's industrial needs. LaMont has concerns on whether the MPO can spend more money to expand the study.

Earlier in the study, a request was made by Burleigh and Morton counties to include additional areas in the study, but the board voted this down.

Morton commission chairman Mark Bitz said the additions would have made a "world of difference" in the study. But he did say that the commission is about 99 percent in agreement with the study, with the exception of a few minor changes as requested by Vogel.

The approval of the Bismarck City Commission didn't come easy, passing on a 3-2 vote with Mayor John Warford, also an MPO voting member, casting the deciding vote. Warford opposed the expansion of the study as proposed by the counties.

Bismarck commissioner Steve Schwab voted against adoption. He is concerned the plan will be used to force certain types of development of privately held land.

"I don't feel comfortable about telling people what to do with their land," Schwab said. "My concern is that if we adopt this, it can be used to force certain development … in a way."

Quanbeck said that while the study and resulting recommendations suggest a pattern of land development, they do not actually change any zoning.

"It's not the intent that the exact areas should be the boundaries for future land use. It just represents an overall approach of separating out or buffering conflicting land uses," Quanbeck said.

Bismarck commissioner Sandi Tabor said the plan is simply the first step in planning, providing planners with a perspective, and perhaps giving property owners a heads-up on what they can expect.

Quanbeck said that the public input hasn't been great, although several efforts have been made to get citizen involvement. He also pointed out this is the first time a regional study of this type has been attempted in North Dakota.

"It wasn't unexpected that there wasn't going to be a lot of public interest, and there usually won't be unless there is something that is perceived as very controversial," Quanbeck said.

Whether an additional effort to find more industrially suited land for Mandan will be undertaken likely will be a decision by the MPO policy board, Quanbeck said.

"It's really up to the MPO on how it wants to proceed. Ithink they will be trying to find a compromise of some kind," Quanbeck said. "I couldn't tell you what form that compromise will take or if they will try to look at additional land beyond the existing scope of the study."

The study is a guideline that provides a development pattern, Quanbeck said. It shows relationships between land uses and general locations that are beneficial to future development.