West Fargo commission extends Renaissance Zone for five years, adds blocks

The West Fargo City Commission voted May 19 to extend the city's Renaissance Zone program and to keep its existing five-year abatement cap while adding additional blocks to the zone.

The extension, presented by Casey Sanders Bergland, West Fargo's director of economic development, preserves the program's current eligibility rules and five-year property tax abatement cap rather than adopting a state law change that would allow abatements up to eight years. The commission also approved adding blocks 34 through 40 to the Renaissance Zone map while maintaining blocks 1 through 33.

The Renaissance Zone program is intended to encourage reinvestment in residential and commercial properties within the eligible area, including demolition and reconstruction of dilapidated structures, rehabilitation of housing, enhancement of major thoroughfares, business attraction and retention, and job creation, Bergland said. She said the city assessor and economic development staff reviewed parcels that previously used the incentive and evaluated remaining opportunities before proposing the map additions.

Bergland told commissioners the proposed added blocks include both residential and commercial parcels and that roughly 40% of parcels in the proposed additions are rated "normal or below normal" by the assessor; the plan prioritizes properties rated in "poor condition" for early outreach. Commissioner Olson asked for clarification of the map legend; Bergland explained red parcels represent properties that have already used the Renaissance Zone and are therefore ineligible to reuse the incentive, while the proposed new blocks appear in blue.

The commission opened a public hearing on the extension; no members of the public spoke for or against the proposal, and the hearing was closed. Commissioner Sundahl moved to approve the Renaissance Zone program extension as presented; the motion was seconded and passed with an affirmative vote.

The extension preserves the city's existing local thresholds and keeps the program available as a tool for abatements of up to five years, Bergland said. No applicants were before the commission tonight; the action extends the program citywide as mapped and leaves future individual applications subject to the program guidelines.

The commission took the action at the May 19 meeting; staff will retain the updated zone map and continue to offer the program to qualifying projects. Commissioners did not change eligibility criteria beyond adding the new blocks.