Two public hearings will be held later this month to discuss the city’s annexation process for the former airport land west of the city, which is the site of the new industrial park.
By BRYCE MARTIN
Pioneer Editor | [email protected]
(Source: Bowman County Pioneer)
Two public hearings will be held later this month to discuss the city’s annexation process for the former airport land west of the city, which is the site of the new industrial park.
The Bowman Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. June 14 at the Bowman Regional Public Library for a hearing on the annexation plans put forth by the Bowman County Development Corp. for the airport land.
More than 210 acres have been requested to be brought into city limits and to add necessary amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan that would add a new land use designation.
Cheryl Ryan, city zoning administrator, explained Wednesday that the current land use designations for that land do not conform with state requirements. Instead, Ryan said a special planning area designation would need to be added. That would allow for a range of land uses at the site including commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential instead of strictly commercial or industrial.
While the ability to create residential zones on the land would exist, it doesn’t mean that it would necessarily occur, according to Teran Doerr, executive director of the BCDC.
It was suggested at previous meetings on the industrial park that constructing residences at the site would not be a wise decision considering the poor quality soil.
The city’s zoning commission, comprised of Darwin Wilke, Barry Mason, Warren Flath, Carol Vail and City Commissioner Chuck Whitney, would hold a vote to either recommend that the city approve or deny the annexation request.
The matter would then go before the Bowman City Commission, which is schedule to meet at 5 p.m. June 21 for an additional public hearing and potentially a first reading of an ordinance for the former airport property.
If the city votes to approve annexation of the industrial park land it would then be added to the city’s tax rolls; any properties within the industrial park land would pay city taxes.