Burleigh County committee hears zoning schedule update for Missouri Valley Complex site

A representative from Swenson and Hagen Engineering updated the Burleigh County Development Committee on a revised zoning and platting schedule for the Missouri Valley Complex property in Burleigh County, including a one-month delay tied to a parcel owned by the state of North Dakota.

The presentation said the city of Bismarck discovered that a parcel within the rezoning boundary is owned by the North Dakota Department of Corrections. The engineer said the city “can do it themselves without having the applicant sign off on it,” and that the city will proceed with the zoning change, which creates a one-month delay in the project timeline.

The delay gives county staff more time to review the layout drawings. The consultant said staff and committee members will have an official pre-application meeting with the city of Bismarck to gather written staff comments before a preliminary plat is presented.

City staff flagged several design issues likely to affect the preliminary plat, including the cross-access right-of-way and pavement standard. The engineer said the east–west right-of-way shown on the concept would likely need to be “standard city paving,” with curb and gutter, and suggested an initial design width in the 40- to 44-foot range. He added the city may allow a gravel section for a stretch of road under limited circumstances because the county will retain public ownership of those lots.

Committee members discussed parking and use types on the concept plan. The consultant said typical city parking requirements are tied to building square footage, but many proposed uses for the site—RV parking and fairgrounds—may not include permanent structures, so parking may require negotiation with the city. The engineer said some required parking areas would likely be paved and other areas could remain gravel or temporary surface.

Participants asked about the relationship between the conceptual zoning map and parcel-level decisions. The consultant emphasized this stage is zoning (a conceptual land-use designation) rather than platting (parcel layout and easements). He said the preliminary plat and site plans will come later and will be reviewed by city planning staff; between a preliminary plat and final plat there is some flexibility to shift right-of-way placements.

The committee was given large printed copies of the layout for review and asked to submit written questions and comments by email to one contact to consolidate feedback. The consultant requested committee input before the next presentation. County staff said decisions on the plat will be needed in March to meet the project sequence: zoning review by the city planning commission, plat finalization, and an April 7 presentation to the Burleigh County Commission.

Committee members also raised site-specific questions about parking adjacent to the Vintage Center and the proposed road alignment near the Buckstop junction. The consultant recommended specific issues—road alignment relative to existing parking, potential relocation by a few hundred feet, and the design under power lines—be resolved during subsequent design reviews.

The committee directed staff to compile action items and a timeline for the March 19 committee meeting so the group can be prepared for the April 7 county commission presentation.

Ending: The committee scheduled follow-up work: members will review the large-format layouts, submit consolidated questions by email, and return for a follow-up discussion at the March 19 meeting. The consultant plans to present a preliminary plat at the next meeting cycle and county staff will provide written comments after the pre-application meeting with the city of Bismarck.