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Commission approves five‑year conditional use permit for enclosed composting operation
Summary
The West Fargo City Commission approved a conditional use permit allowing a temporary, small‑scale enclosed food‑waste composting operation on an approximately 4‑acre farmstead in the city's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction, subject to conditions and a five‑year sunset or annexation.
The West Fargo City Commission approved a conditional use permit (CUP) to allow a small, private, enclosed food‑waste composting operation to operate in the A (Agricultural) zoning district for a temporary period.
Aaron Nelson, the city’s director of planning and zoning, told the commission the proposal is for a roughly 4‑acre farmstead about a mile northwest of the city’s sewage lagoons and would use two fully enclosed rotary composting drums to process food waste collected from local restaurants, homes and businesses.
Nelson said the Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on June 10, 2025, received opposition from an area resident (and a written comment from a property owner), and recommended approval of the CUP by a 6–1 vote with 10 conditions. The approval the city commission granted includes the conditions recommended by planning staff, including a requirement that the CUP automatically expire five years from the date of final approval or upon annexation of the property into the city, whichever occurs first.
Co‑owner Hayden Thompson said the in‑vessel process produces heat naturally through microbial activity and can reach roughly 140–150 degrees Fahrenheit; no external fuel such as propane is added. The applicants said they are pursuing the required North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) permit and have received a private grant to fund the two drums as a pilot project.
Commissioner Olson moved to approve the CUP as presented; Commissioner Jorgensen seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. Staff emphasized that the CUP limits the operation to the two enclosed drums and does not authorize future expansion without additional approvals.
Nelson said the NDDEQ permitting process will follow and that the CUP approval does not replace state permitting requirements. Planning staff noted that if the operation expanded or changed materially, nuisances to adjacent properties could increase and that future land‑use compatibility issues may arise as the area urbanizes.
