West Fargo commission approves first reading to rezone Wilds parcel for Hope Lutheran church amid neighborhood traffic objections

The West Fargo City Commission voted 4-0 on July 21 to approve the first reading of an ordinance rezoning about 12 acres in the Wilds development so Hope Lutheran Church may build on the site, following a public hearing that drew more than a half‑dozen neighbors who warned the project would increase traffic and pose safety risks on local streets.

Aaron Nelson, West Fargo director of planning and zoning, told the commission the applicant seeks to rezone the subject property from agricultural (A) to R‑1A (single‑family residential) and to plat it as a single 12‑acre lot with frontage on Ninth Street West. Nelson said the R‑1A district allows religious institutions by right and that the application carried a recommendation of approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Nelson described the proposed access arrangements: two restricted driveway connections onto Ninth Street West aligned with 50th Avenue West and Mulberry Lane, and a planned southbound left‑turn lane at the Mulberry/Ninth intersection that must be installed before any certificate of occupancy is issued, as detailed in the subdivision development agreement included in the commission packet. He also said the applicant intends to acquire an easement from the adjacent…