Fargo wants to extend its extraterritorial boundary to 112th Avenue South. This doesn't look good, folks. Fargo may end up being a thin, long narrow city with a screwed-up infrastructure system. More reason for Fargo, West Fargo and Horace to merge into one city, I say.
City tries to extend its reach
By Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Fargo is trying to extend its reach to the south for the first time in five years in an attempt to protect the city’s future growth options.
City planners met with Stanley Township officials Tuesday to go over a plan to bring roughly 2,000 acres of mostly farmland into Fargo’s extraterritorial (ET) area.
North Dakota law allows cities of 25,000 or more to exercise their ET zoning authority four miles outside of city limits. Fargo’s ET area currently reaches 3½ miles south of city limits.
The current proposal would extend Fargo’s ET area to 112th Avenue South, reserving the land for future annexation by Fargo if development spreads that far south.
“We want to make sure we’re protecting the city of Fargo’s interests,” Senior Planner Jim Hinderaker said.
The effort is partially in response to annexation actions taken by the city of Horace, Hinderaker said.
The Horace City Council voted May 1 to annex nearly five square miles of surrounding land, more than doubling the size of its city. Fargo city commissioners reacted a week later by voting to annex 795 acres east of Horace. The cities also are headed to mediation over two sections of land between Horace and West Fargo.
Fargo’s proposed ET expansion area includes 160 acres in Horace’s annexation area. Hinderaker said Fargo won’t change its plan, even though Horace will most likely end up with the land.
“I think we’re just following procedure,” he said.
The ET expansion will likely go before the Fargo Planning Commission in July. Property owners in the affected area will be notified. The Fargo City Commission must approve an ordinance to make official the expanded ET area.
All of the land is zoned agricultural, with a smattering of residential farmsteads, Stanley Township Zoning Administrator Perry Ronning said.
Ronning, a former mayor of Horace, and township attorney Jonathan Garaas, also Horace’s city attorney, said they anticipate some rural residents will be opposed to being absorbed by Fargo’s ET area.
Residents would continue to receive township services such as road grading and snowplowing, Ronning said. Fargo would handle their building permits, zoning and floodplain management.
The last major expansion of Fargo’s ET area was in 2001, when the city annexed the Woodhaven development and extended the ET area to the south, Fargo Planning Director Jim Gilmour said.
Fargo’s ET area reaches only 1 mile north of city limits. Gilmour said the city plans to extend its ET area in that direction “as soon as we have time.”