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Council approves Our Lady of Grace Church rezoning on second reading; nearby resident says notice was insufficient
Summary
The Minot City Council approved a zoning map amendment for Our Lady of Grace Church on second reading. A nearby resident told the council she and neighbors were not adequately informed of the change and urged better notice procedures.
On June 2 the Minot City Council completed second-reading action and approved a zoning map amendment for property owned by Our Lady of Grace Church.
City staff and the city attorney explained the procedural steps and legal requirements for zoning map amendments, citing the Land Development Ordinance provision identified in the meeting as section 9.1-7. The attorney told the council that the application had passed through the planning commission with notice provided to the designated notice area and that, as of the second-reading deadline, the planning division had not received a written protest petition that would trigger a supermajority requirement.
A resident, Marjorie Taylor, spoke during public appearances to say neighbors had not been adequately informed about the scope of the change. Taylor said she discovered the notice and that other neighbors, including the Edison School principal, had not been made aware and that the proposed expansion (described by her as a large food bank/pantry building) would significantly change traffic and use near Edison School. She urged staff and the planning commission to engage the neighborhood directly. The city attorney responded in the meeting by describing the ordinance notice procedure and the legal path for protest petitions.
Council members said the item had been noticed and had proceeded through the required steps; with no valid written protest petition received the second-reading vote required only a simple majority when a quorum was present. The council voted to approve the ordinance on second reading.
What happened: Zoning map amendment for Our Lady of Grace Church approved on second reading; council vote recorded as unanimous during the meeting.
Why it matters: Zoning changes in residential neighborhoods can alter traffic patterns, building types, and neighborhood character; public notice and neighbor participation are central to such land-use decisions.
Next steps: The council finalized second reading, which completes the ordinance adoption unless other post-adoption procedural steps are required. City planning staff and the planning commission advised that written protest petitions meeting the ordinance's specifications would have had to be submitted prior to second reading.
Quotes
"Under 9.1-7, the zoning map amendments ... the council action was to approve the application for a rezone on a first reading that has happened but a second reading is required to finalize the decision," the city attorney said while explaining the process and the protest petition criteria.
"We have got a very busy street there already. Edison School ... if you read that letter that we were sent, it makes it seem like there's nothing to worry about," resident Marjorie Taylor said, urging more neighborhood outreach.
Ending
The ordinance passed on second reading at the June 2 council meeting. Neighbors expressed concern about notice and the scale of the church's proposed facility; the attorney and staff said the notice procedure followed the ordinance and described the petition process for opponents.
