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Roosevelt County planning board to update growth policy to address wind and solar, explores zoning path
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Summary
Roosevelt County officials agreed to prepare a task order this fall to update the county growth policy with an eye to regulating large-scale energy developments; consultants recommended a broader approach that pairs an updated policy with zoning, and officials discussed funding through CDBG planning grants in May 2027.
Roosevelt County planning officials voted to prepare a task order to update the county's growth policy to address large-scale energy uses such as wind and solar farms and to explore next steps toward a zoning code that could regulate those projects.
Rachel Walkway, the lead planner based in Williston and the contract planner for Richland County, told commissioners that "your growth policy is not gonna be regulatory. What it does is it gives you the backup and the reasoning for doing your zoning regulations." She urged the county to consider a broader, industrial-scale approach to energy uses that would cover batteries, data centers and other high-demand users as well as renewables.
Casey Burke, introduced in the meeting as "the planner," said he would prepare a task order to scope the update and present it at the next meeting. Commissioners discussed budgeting locally for the planning work this year and seeking CDBG planning funds for the zoning phase in May 2027.
Why it matters: An updated growth policy provides policy rationale that local officials can cite when drafting zoning ordinances, which is the legal mechanism for imposing setbacks or other conditions on developments. Several commissioners cautioned that zoning presents political and legal complexities in Roosevelt County because much of the county includes tribal trust land where county zoning cannot be imposed.
What was decided: A commissioner offered a lower-cost, targeted update approach and suggested budgeting roughly $30,000 locally to complete the growth policy work this fall. Consultants said a targeted update might cost less, but that realistic planning and stakeholder engagement often push estimates higher; Rachel suggested $20,000 as a more realistic minimum for a focused update and noted costs would vary depending on whether the consultant is asked merely to write code or to shepherd zoning through hearings.
Discussion highlights: Commissioners described existing and proposed energy activity on the county's east end, including increased oil development, several landowners with wind leases, and a fertilizer company's discussion of a roughly 1,000-acre solar farm. One commissioner said the county has both demand and capacity for new energy uses and that public outreach will be important to shape the rules.
Legal and jurisdictional constraints came up repeatedly. Rachel Walkway explained that subdivision regulations and state limitations make it difficult to use subdivision ordinances to regulate these energy uses and that zoning is the appropriate, but politically sensitive, tool. Commissioners noted they cannot unilaterally apply zoning on tribal trust land on the reservation and that enforcement would depend on whether projects are on fee land off the reservation.
Funding and timeline: Officials identified Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) planning grants and MCIP as possible funding sources for zoning work and flagged May 2027 as the typical CDBG planning grant cycle. Consultants said the team could begin work this fall and aim to be ready to apply for planning funds in May 2027; the precise schedule will depend on scope and public engagement requirements.
Next steps and closing: Casey Burke agreed to prepare and circulate a task order outlining scope and cost. Commissioners said they will consider budgeting the local share in a July budget and then pursue grant funding for the zoning phase. The meeting closed following a motion to adjourn that was moved, seconded and approved.
