West Fargo planning commission approves five‑year conditional use permit for small, enclosed food‑waste composting pilot

The West Fargo Planning and Zoning Commission on a roll‑call vote approved a conditional use permit for a small, enclosed food‑waste composting facility in the city's extraterritorial area, permitting Prairie Compost Services LLC to operate on a temporary basis under written conditions.

The permit, for property described in the application as Section 26, T140N, R50W and addressed approximately north of 19th Avenue on the west side of 20 Sixth Street Northwest, allows a fully enclosed composting system for food waste with conditions intended to limit scale, control nuisances and expire the authorization after five years or upon annexation.

Staff presented the application as a small‑scale, enclosed composting operation intended to accept food waste from homes and businesses and produce soil amendments for local use. Planning staff noted West Fargo ordinances do not explicitly list a small enclosed composting use; staff compared the proposal to other conditionally permitted horticultural and agricultural services and recommended either denial (if considered inconsistent with long‑range plans) or approval with conditions. The packet included a narrative and a site plan showing a concrete pad, temporary arch cover and proposed screening.

Hayden Thompson, who identified himself as a co‑owner of Prairie Compost Services, told commissioners the company has a private grant to buy two enclosed composters and asked the commission to allow two machines rather than the staff‑recommended one. “This allows us to be able to grow as a company to a stage where we can eventually leave after the two‑year pilot program, to grow into a bigger spot somewhere else,” Thompson said.

Thompson and a co‑owner answered technical and operational questions from commissioners and neighbors. He said the intended system is a rotating, insulated enclosed composter that processes material in “about 4 to 6 weeks,” and that the operation would be pickup‑only (no public drop‑offs) with1–2 light‑duty pickups per day and occasional staff trips. He identified the operator as Prairie Compost Services LLC and said the company had applied for a two‑year pilot solid‑waste permit through the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and expects that state approval to follow local zoning approval.

Neighbors raised concerns about flooding access to the site during high water, long‑term compatibility with future urban growth and potential odors. Morgan Fornes, who said she lives “less than a quarter of a mile from the site,” asked why a temporary composting operation was proposed before the city finalized long‑range growth planning for the area. “It just does not seem to fit with the future potential plans,” Fornes said, urging more study of the site in the context of future development.

A speaker identified himself as chairman of the Raymond Township Board of Supervisors and asked about storage of incoming food waste. The applicants said food waste would be loaded into the enclosed composter the same day it is collected, not stored outdoors.

Planning staff had proposed two alternative recommendations: denial as inconsistent with plans and surrounding land uses, or approval with detailed conditions. The conditions adopted by the commission require a recorded conditional use permit agreement, operation in substantial conformance with the submitted application and use of an enclosed composter (staff gave the Actamin Grande rotating composter as an example). Other adopted conditions limit outdoor storage (none allowed), limit the facility to the southwest portion of the parcel with screening, require equipment operation that does not create a nuisance, designate Prairie Compost Services LLC as operator (per staff's recommendation), and include an automatic expiration five years after final approval or upon annexation — whichever occurs first. The commission also accepted the motion to allow two enclosed composters if both fit under the proposed temporary cover and slab.

Commissioners discussed nuisance‑response language and confirmed enforcement would be complaint‑driven under existing nuisance and public‑health regulations; the city attorney advised the commission to keep conditions as objective as practicable. Staff said any modification to the permit (including extensions) would require a new application under Title 4 of the city ordinances.

The commission approved the motion to recommend the conditional use permit with the modified condition permitting up to two enclosed composters when properly sited, and the standard five‑year sunset/annexation clause. The roll call vote recorded one “no” and the rest “yes.”

The permit is subject to recording with the Cass County Recorder and any future enforcement actions would follow normal nuisance‑investigation procedures. The applicant indicated contingency plans with another regional composting facility if access is blocked by flooding during the diversion construction.

The commission's action creates a time‑limited, closely conditioned local authorization for the pilot; the operator will still require the short‑term pilot permit from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality before expanding operations.

Votes and motions related to this item are recorded in the meeting minutes and are part of the official file for the conditional use permit application.