[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6428590,"mediaKeyId","5888191-a0d7664a89bb3411507ac8f4eb343b57","parentId",5888191,"title","West Fargo commission approves landscaping changes, policy updates and several infrastructure actions; Pargo incentive cleared","audioSeconds",5558,"startMs",148000,"endMs",5706000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888191-a0d7664a89bb3411507ac8f4eb343b57&start=148&end=5706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888191-a0d7664a89bb3411507ac8f4eb343b57/thumbnail_148000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6428590/West-Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/West-Fargo-commission-approves-landscaping-changes-policy-updates-and-several-infrastructure-actions-Pargo-incentive-cleared","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428590-ebca553eee520200813aa523d40beac9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145731&Signature=VD1k5ZgKO8oNcjJTC9DLClug~i29Exz1NfaZKt0JU2ZNimoB3mptplF7vhXFfbNNPS1cPlsvapvBHovO2Uxb-20~YWiiHZ052PlHMq5r7dCE9wY~LX5kjaBsDhDSqxZsR4YkL5BlPBUFVb14sK7DKHQnykKEChewmjIwaovIWmvsQ2ZVJBNLBvMsXKPQWoWJcIHJXQy0zWVXBI4TELua4qZaT~2WIq0Om60NOB~7oF8d22cT1WJPRNFr4p51yUgGYMX-U5hg-vcyRD3Mo12MoWQeKLfEl2~fmrtxbouiOFrKYPNVK3G12AwxvKPd4lMVZ1JJXjhfEoSMwIILGdYJ~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of West Fargo, ND","date","2025-10-07T00:46:01Z","article","The West Fargo City Commission on Oct. 6, 2025, approved a series of routine and semi-technical actions: a first reading of a zoning-landscaping amendment, a package of personnel and technology-related policies, a $75,000 business incentive for a downtown entertainment tenant, and authorization to proceed with two street-reconstruction improvement-district actions.

Items summarized below were acted on during the regular agenda; public comment on other matters had closed earlier in the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Building permits: The commission approved the presented building permits (motion moved by Commissioner Zundell; second Commissioner Anderson). Vote: unanimous.

- Consent agenda (bills; games of chance for United Way of Cass-Clay): The commission approved the consent agenda including bills and an application for games of chance for United Way of Cass-Clay. Vote: unanimous.

- Landscaping ordinance amendment (first reading), A25-21 (Title 4): The planning director presented amendments that would reduce some landscaping requirements for industrial properties along the interstate, add flexibility for parking-lot landscaping, and clarify buffer-yard requirements. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval. The City Commission approved the first reading of the ordinance. Motion moved by Commissioner Sundahl; seconded by Commissioner Anderson. Vote: unanimous.

- Hope Lutheran Addition: See separate article for substantive coverage of the rezoning and plat (major public comment and a traffic study preceded final action). Motion to approve second reading and final plat with conditions passed (Anderson yes; Olsen yes; Zundell yes; Jorgensen no; President recused).

- Lexipol / personnel policy package: Human Resources brought a group of employee- and governance-related policies in a new Lexipol format for commission approval. The commission approved the five policies presented (motion moved and seconded). Vote: unanimous.

- Pargo LLC business incentive: The commission approved a $75,000 fit-up incentive for Pargo LLC, a proposed family-entertainment indoor mini-golf and dining venue in the Northern Lights building on Cheyenne Street. Staff described a 5-year lease plan, a 9,700-square-foot space, an estimated 4–5 full-time and 10–12 part-time jobs, and pro forma sales-tax projections that, under a “worst case” scenario, would return the $75,000 to the city in roughly two to three years. Motion moved and seconded; vote: unanimous.

- Improvement District No. 3009 — First Avenue East reconstruction (Cheyenne Street to Fourth Street East): The commission authorized a resolution of necessity and approved task-order 97.1 for design and construction-related services. Motion moved by Commissioner Olsen; second Commissioner Anderson. Vote: unanimous.

- Improvement District No. 2265 — Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue Northeast reconstruction: The commission approved task-order 3-10 to retain Houston Engineering for construction-administration services; this project is a North Dakota DOT-led reconstruction with city consultant support. Motion moved by Commissioner Olsen; seconded by Commissioner Jorgensen. Vote: unanimous.

Procedural and administrative items

- Minutes (Sept. 22, 2025) were approved.
- City Administrator report: staff noted work on the 2027 budget, an RFP for new finance software and an organizational change naming a communications director and reassigning a public information manager to the police department.

Speakers and presenters listed in the meeting packet

- Aaron Nelson, Director of Planning
- Sarah (Director of Human Resources) — presented Lexipol/employee policies
- Casey Sanders, Director of Economic Development
- Jerry Wallace, City Engineer
- Dan Hansen, Director of Community and Development Services
- Scott (City Administrator)

What to watch next

- The Hope Lutheran rezoning includes a condition recorded in the development agreement; building permits and infrastructure work (turn lane on Ninth Street) must still be completed before construction.
- The city’s improvement-district work advances design and construction contracts for two reconstruction projects; special assessments for affected properties will follow the district process documented in the staff reports.

Ending: The commission moved a mix of land-use, economic-development and infrastructure items forward in a single meeting; per the commission’s usual calendar, items returned from the table (where applicable) and next steps are handled through staff follow-up and development agreements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of West Fargo City Commission Meeting - Monday, October 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Oct. 6 meeting the West Fargo City Commission approved a first reading of a landscaping ordinance amendment, adopted new personnel policies, authorized business incentive funding for a downtown entertainment venue, and approved two improvement-district actions.","taxTitle","West Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota","taxId",50876,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6428597,"West Fargo commissioners approve Hope Lutheran rezoning with condition limiting Sixth Street access",3984,210000,4194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888191-a0d7664a89bb3411507ac8f4eb343b57&start=210&end=4194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888191-a0d7664a89bb3411507ac8f4eb343b57/thumbnail_210000.jpg","/articles/6428597/West-Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/West-Fargo-commissioners-approve-Hope-Lutheran-rezoning-with-condition-limiting-Sixth-Street-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428597-0dc932222b8e2478ac048d3fe12f3f15/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145731&Signature=EVuhphwdspjvWDqAD2c1Bvj9CnB39rJesfKlm7FX2K6uMItV3JmLes9quPb11CQZ0vpiUzfez~FiLZw8TcpSVezZhFu2kxpXR7v97~zlXTZf1koGJUSwvKTuFZ87XgJE7WjiCX1bnlLMk5npyNTD4WfnGbupzjRclfXlzDB6lgNrp5M~frpAlDcOPNoMEbj7Dke7A0xdnS975UuO7K0ePBq1sMqTjXi75Asc5m5AY~dtRxs1EBn4--vz5y~ozuOWKWS2TodQbYsiFAJC7T0N5TM5HOu66GBss6AFbzHWqmeEj0Q6DKBbvPovhIWScrisL3x8VRZZV25s-x0XXd56Lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The West Fargo City Commission approved a rezoning and final plat for the Hope Lutheran Addition on Oct. 6, 2025, but imposed a condition in the development agreement to withhold a full access driveway to Sixth Street and allow the developer to request that access later if the area east of the church site is platted.

The decision followed two evenings of public comment, a city-commissioned traffic study by Bolton & Menk, technical testimony from the study’s lead engineer and extended discussion among commissioners about neighborhood safety and connectivity.

Why it matters: Neighbors raised safety and pedestrian concerns about an access driveway onto Sixth Street near Lacey Elementary School. Commissioners and staff said they wanted to preserve neighborhood safety while keeping a pathway for future connectivity if the adjacent property is developed.

Hope Lutheran and project supporters urged approval. Jobe Lickblau, church council president for Hope Lutheran, told the commission the congregation “has followed every step of the city's established processes” and asked commissioners to “vote yes to allow Hope to continue to strengthen West Fargo by allowing us to move forward with all aspects outlined in the proposal.” Brian Berg, the project architect representing Zurburg, said the traffic study showed the proposed church would generate “less daily traffic” than a comparable single-family residential development on most days and that funerals and weddings are infrequent at the West campus.

Several nearby residents urged the commission to restrict or remove the proposed Sixth Street access. Resident Mike Meschewski, who lives on Sixth Street West, said, “I’m here to strongly oppose the proposed full access driveway from Hope Lutheran Development onto Sixth Street,” and pressed that the traffic memorandum’s estimate was too low and that pedestrian safety — especially for children walking to Lacey Elementary School — was not adequately addressed.

Traffic study and recommended mitigations: City staff presented the traffic analysis from Bolton & Menk. Mike Bittner, a Bolton & Menk engineer, described the study data as “big data, anonymized information” and said the firm combined commercial GPS-derived travel data with national church-trip patterns to estimate trip generation and routing. The study concluded the existing roadway network can accommodate the church with “minimal impacts” and no major safety concerns, while recommending two mitigations: construction of a turn lane on Ninth Street into the property (already required in the subdivision agreement) and addition of pedestrian crossing signage at two existing crosswalks at Mulberry Lane and First Avenue (50 First Avenue referenced in materials).

Staff and engineering also noted that Sunday-morning and Wednesday-evening church peaks would produce higher traffic than a single-family subdivision and that the Wednesday evening peak could overlap with evening commuter traffic — the one period of greatest overlap. Bittner said the 16% estimate for traffic using Sixth Street reflected routing assumptions based on observed travel patterns and engineering judgment; he told commissioners that if the distribution shifted to an even split among routes, “from a purely technical standpoint, it probably wouldn't” change the study’s overall conclusion that the corridors are capable of carrying the additional traffic but would increase potential vehicle–pedestrian conflicts on whichever local street carries the traffic.

Deliberations and legal limits: Aaron Nelson, the city’s director of planning, reminded the commission that religious institutions have federal legal protections, and staff recommended that any conditions, restrictions or denials be carefully considered with city staff and the city attorney. City Attorney Katie Schmidt explained that if the city identifies a compelling governmental interest (for example, safety), any restriction must satisfy the federal standard of “least restrictive means.” Commissioners discussed traffic calming tools (speed tables, bump-outs, striping) and the city’s traffic-calming policy, petition thresholds and possibility of city-funded measures or an improvement district for local mitigation.

Council action and vote: After an initial motion to approve second reading and final plat failed for lack of a second, a revised motion passed. Commissioner Anderson moved to approve second reading of the rezoning and the final plat while withholding Sixth Street access, with a condition in the development agreement allowing the developer to request access later if the area to the east is platted or requires infrastructure. Commissioner Zundell seconded. The roll call vote recorded Anderson — yes; Olsen — aye; Zundell — yes; Jorgensen — no. President Dardis recused himself from the vote. The motion passed.

What the condition means: Under the approved condition, the developer will not have a full, routine access driveway onto Sixth Street as part of the initial plat and building permits. The development agreement will include a mechanism to evaluate and potentially grant access later if the adjacent land to the east is formally platted and infrastructure or right-of-way make a connection appropriate. City staff said the Ninth Street access will remain the primary public route to the site; emergency access arrangements and private easements were discussed in the record as possible interim measures.

Next steps: With rezoning and final plat approved, the applicant can proceed with subdivision and permitting under the R-1A single-dwelling-residential designation and the developer must satisfy the subdivision/public-dedication agreements (including the Ninth Street turn lane) and the conditions in the development agreement before building permits are issued.

Speakers quoted in this report spoke at the Oct. 6 meeting; public testimony had concluded during earlier hearings in July and August as noted by staff.

Ending: The commission’s conditional approval resolved a months-long neighborhood debate by allowing the church project to proceed while explicitly limiting through-access to a quiet residential street until the city can reassess connectivity if the area to the east is developed.","After extensive public comment and a city-commissioned traffic study, the West Fargo City Commission approved rezoning and final plat for the Hope Lutheran Addition but conditioned development agreement to withhold full access to Sixth Street pending future platting east of the site.","actionData","errors"]

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West Fargo commission approves landscaping changes, policy updates and several infrastructure actions; Pargo incentive cleared

West Fargo commissioners approve Hope Lutheran rezoning with condition limiting Sixth Street access