Up in the Bismarck area, it was last spring that Tricia Hagley’s brother-in-law, and also her neighbor, decided to sell his property along East 2550 North Road. Hagley heard that the new property owner might want to put a business in the residentially zoned area, but figured she’d hear if a zoning change was requested. But her next indicator was activity on the property in July; preparations for an auto repair business.
Later, a zoning change on the property that had been made in April was determined void, because Bismarck had no Planning Commission in place to hear appeals to the move. A special Village Board meeting was called Monday night to set up the planning commission.
Hagley stated, prior to Monday’s meeting, that once she found out the zoning change had been made, she had to do some digging to find out what was going on.
AUDIO: So then I started checking into the agendas and minutes. There was nothing since February. So I asked for the agendas and minutes to be put on there, and I saw that in April it was approved; as an amendment, not under an ordinance. It was approved as a zone change permit.
Tricia Hagley, Mayor Mike Brown, and Scott Moore during Monday’s special Bismarck Village Board meeting.
Scott Moore, who lives across from the property and is concerned about his property values; said that as he understands it, an unrelated permit request in February was denied because of no commission in place, but it was different in April.
AUDIO: They denied a permit because they stated they didn’t have a planning committee or an appeals board in place. So they were aware of that situation, but went through, and approved a permit.
Bismarck mayor Mike Brown did say Monday that this was an ordinance issue the village board was not prepared for, and that they had to make it right by getting a commission in place, after not handling it properly in the first time around.
Hagley says that at a Tuesday public hearing by the new commission a lot of people were there supporting the business. And Hagley says support for the business itself includes support by her. But she also says the point about putting it in the properly zoned area, and what not doing so could lead to, is completely being missed.
