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Commission signals support to raise agricultural minimum lot size from 5 to 10 acres in Dickinson ETZ
Summary
In a work session May 14, city staff recommended and commissioners signaled consensus to pursue a zoning text amendment increasing the minimum lot size in the Agricultural district from five acres to 10 acres to better align with other North Dakota municipalities and to preserve agricultural character.
City planning staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 14 discussed raising the minimum lot size for the Agricultural zoning district in Dickinson's code. Staff reviewed agricultural zoning standards from Bismarck, Fargo, Williston, Grand Forks and Watford City and noted Dickinson's current five‑acre minimum is the smallest among those comparators.
City planner Natalie Burchek reviewed the purpose of the Agricultural district — to preserve agricultural and rural land uses and accommodate very low density residential development — and presented examples showing other cities typically set minimum lot sizes around 10 acres. Planning staff recommended increasing Dickinson's minimum to 10 acres to better preserve agricultural land and to encourage rural residential subdivisions to use an RR (rural residential) designation instead, where appropriate.
Commissioners expressed general agreement and directed staff to prepare ordinance language to amend the Agricultural district minimum lot size to 10 acres for future consideration and formal public hearing. County planner Steve Josephson noted the unincorporated county currently uses a 40‑acre minimum for agricultural zoning.
No formal vote was taken; staff will draft the text amendment and bring it back to the commission for public hearing and recommendation to the City Commission.
