Williston commissioners approve rezoning and plat to allow new elementary school in Williston Square

The Williston Board of City Commissioners on July 30 approved a package of land‑use changes to allow a new elementary school on a roughly 15‑acre portion of Lot 26 in the Williston Square Subdivision.

The unanimous 5–0 votes cleared a PUD master‑plan amendment, a rezone of 15.96 acres from Parks Open Space to R‑1 Single‑Family Residential and a subdivision plat rearrangement of Lots 25 and 26, contingent on the recommendations presented by city staff.

City Planner Kent Jarcik told commissioners the site is located at the northeast corner of 16th Avenue West and 33rd Street West and would host a full‑service elementary school serving pre‑K through fifth grade with capacity for up to 600 students and about 75 daytime faculty. Architect Nick Lippert of JLG Architects described a two‑story building with three grade wings, a primary south entrance, a secondary east entrance, a south drop‑off lane for parent pickup and a northeast bus lot sized to accommodate about 12 buses.

"This is a brief overview of the plans for the new elementary school," Lippert said as he walked commissioners through the proposed layout and circulation. City Engineer David Juma added that "the conduits are there, but it is not wired," referring to infrastructure for a traffic signal at nearby intersections, and summarized that routine two‑ and four‑hour traffic studies show only short periods of worsened delay during peak drop‑off and pick‑up times.

Jarcik proposed expanding the right‑of‑way buffer along 16th Avenue West to include approximately 3.95 acres of green space for grass and trees; he also relayed staff recommendations including an amended access easement for a water well to tie into the school parking lot and a five‑foot right‑of‑way modification on the north side of Lot 3. The commission’s approval of the PUD amendment and rezone was made contingent upon those staff recommendations.

Commissioners debated traffic and drop‑off circulation in brief questions to staff and the architect, noting that stacking onto 33rd Street West is expected to occur for short periods but that planned drop‑off lanes and crosswalk guards were intended to reduce safety risks. Commissioner Tate Cymbaluk initiated the motions to approve both the PUD amendment and the rezone; motions were seconded by Commissioners Brad Bekkedahl and James Bervig, respectively. The subdivision plat was moved by Bekkedahl and seconded by Cymbaluk; all actions passed on unanimous 5–0 votes.

With the land‑use approvals in hand, next steps include any required technical plat recording and execution of the staff‑directed easement and right‑of‑way adjustments before final permitting and construction can proceed. The commission adjourned at 9:27 a.m.