On Dec. 10 the City of Dickinson Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of two related items affecting the Westridge area: rezoning case REZ-011-2025 to change a portion of Lot 1 Block 6 from General Commercial (GC) to Medium Density Residential (R-2), and final minor plat FLP-014-2025 (Westridge Fourth Edition), a replat of multiple blocks into two larger lots totaling approximately 86.49 acres.

City planner Natalie Burchak said the rezoning and replat are intended to allow the owner to combine properties west and south of 50th Avenue so the parcels can be treated for tax purposes closer to agricultural classification until the area is developed with streets and utilities (notably 50th Avenue). Burchak referenced assessing department comments and explained that under North Dakota Century Code property meeting four of seven listed criteria is treated as non-agricultural; replatting into larger lots would reduce the number of criteria met and could change the tax class.

Applicant representative Jeremy Eason of Civil Science said the owners (identified in the record as Larry Nargard and Jim Rohrs) intend to hold the land until infrastructure and development occur; he described substantial infrastructure costs (including a lift station) that make near-term development expensive. Eason said the chosen approach is to replat to eliminate multiple zoning districts on a single lot and allow the western parcels to be combined as R-2 and the southern portion to remain GC.

Commissioners asked staff and the applicant questions about whether the plat is recorded, how replatting differs from vacating a plat, and how tax rules interact with parcel size. Staff said some materials from the assessing department were emailed to commissioners and will be used to clarify Century Code tests. No public comments were offered at the hearing.

An unidentified commissioner moved to recommend approval of REZ-011-2025 (finding consistency with the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance); that motion passed. A subsequent motion to recommend approval of FLP-014-2025 likewise passed on an oral 'aye' vote. Both approvals are contingent on the technical recording and next steps in the city's subdivision and rezoning process.

Next steps include recording the replat (if approved by the City Commission) and any required follow-up with the assessing office for tax classification updates.