News
Moving forward in development
Scott Wagar
02/19/2013
SRF Consulting Group, Inc. out of Fargo held its Public Input Meeting Bottineau Comprehensive Plan on Wednesday at the Bottineau Armory where around 40 city leaders and community members discussed the future development of Bottineau, which included discussions about the value, concerns and vision of Bottineau.
Scott Harmstead, planner for SRF, articulated to those in attendance about Land Use Planning Background and Purpose and reviewed the existing condition of Bottineau’s present community.
Harmstead started the public meeting by explaining what a comprehensive plan consists of.
“It’s a blueprint for a city’s future,” Harmstead said. “It’s also policies and plans to help guide a city’s growth.”
He stated that there were seven plan components, which included:
- Background and Existing Condition
- Projections for Population, Jobs and Households
- Goals, Objectives and Policies
- Land Use
- Transportation
- Natural Resources and Environmental
- Industry, Economic and Jobs
- Public Services and Facilities
- Quality of Life
- Implementation Plan
Harmstead added that SRF plans to create or preserve the quality of life, which included entities in a community like traffic, pedestrians, mixture of workplaces (residential areas, personal safety); freedom from excess noise; freedom from excessive crowding; freedom from order and poor air quality; protection of the environment and protection of investments and property values.
Harmstead then turned to why a city plans.
“We plan and prepare for growth in public services and necessary investments,” he said, who also stated that SRF would be partnering with Wold Engineering in Bottineau’s plans. “It allows us, too, for sound fiscal decisions to be made about infrastructure and where growth should be accommodated.
“State status requires zoning decision based on an adopted comprehensive plan, which provides legal protect to the city, identifies your planned land uses so corresponding and compatible zoning districts can be put in place and identifies the priorities of the community’s goals, objectives and policies,” Harmstead said.
He added that state law requires a plan to prevent the jurisdiction from making arbitrary decisions, requires a process of thought and consideration before amending the plan.
However, Harmstead said that plans are not set in stone.
“Can a plan be amended?” he asked the crowd. “Yes, through thoughtful, careful consideration, with public notice and after considering the potential impacts to surrounding properties, utilities and transportation facilities.”
Harmstead stated that Bottineau’s leadership contacted SRF for a comprehensive plan because the city leaders have seen the effects of the oil industry on other western North Dakota communities.
“Having a land use plan and extraterritorial zoning in place is a proactive step to help protect property owners from incompatible land use and overburden roadways,” Harmstead said. “Timing is important, because once the development starts, it moves quickly.”
SRF then showed a power point with photos of the congestion of cities in the Williston Basin along with SRF’s plans to assist such towns as Watford City and Parshall.
The consulting group then turned to the current existing condition of Bottineau and the possible future of its population and growth.
Harmstead stated that Bottineau’s current population is around 2,200 individuals. He also noted that NDSU has conducted the future population of Bottineau and pointed out that by 2030 Bottineau could expect a population base of 2,700.
“The high end of Bottineau population by 2030 could be 3,300 people, while the medium range is around 2,800 people,” Harmstead said.
When it came to housing projections in Bottineau, NDSU is predicting close to 1,300 by 2030 with the high end being near 1,600 and the medium range around 1,500.
When it came to build-out scenarios of the current city limits by 2040, SRF gave these three scenarios:
- Low Growth: 75 to 100 acres with a population of 2,725
- Medium Growth: 125 to 150 acres with a population of 2,986
- High Growth: 175 to 200 acres with a population of 3,247
With that, Harmstead stated that Bottineau’s future was in the hands of its residents.
“It is in your power to set your own destiny. With the right tool in determining your future is the comprehensive plan. The most critical tool in determining your future is the comprehensive plan,” Harmstead said. “This is an important period of time. Be prepared for new developers who may not have your interest on their agenda. To be useful, (you) must be kept up to date.”
From there, SRF broke up the audience into separate groups and asked them to state what each group felt about the value, concerns and vision for Bottineau.
When it came to the groups’ values, the majority of them stated quality education, medical facilities, a safe community with a low crime rate, quality retail businesses, small town community with pride and friendliness and outdoor recreation.
The groups’ concerns included water quality, lack of child care and senior care, employees’ base and wages, promoting growth on Main Street, education and medical facilities, community activities, proper infrastructure, traffic and noise, safety, increased crime, control of the growth in the city, lack of housing area, rent and real estate prices and the need of restaurants.
SRF then asked the groups to describe in a paragraph their visions for Bottineau in the future.
Those in the groups made reference to seeing a safe, but small community that is productive and welcoming.
With the meeting coming to a conclusion, SRF asked those in attendance to take a map that was handed out to them at the beginning of the meeting and make notes of information for a future land use plan for the city and its surrounding areas.
The next steps for Bottineau with SRF is for the consulting firm to draw up a future land use plan, draft the comprehensive plan, conduct a public meeting in Bottineau and than finalization the plan and have the city council approve the adopted land use plan.