News and Project Information
Metropolitan Planning Organization Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Adoption
At the November 20, 2024 regular meeting of the Morton County Planning & Zoning Commission, MPO staff will be presenting a summary of the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation and requesting a recommendation for the plan to be officially adopted by the County. Link to an executive summary of the MTP is here.
Land Use Code Updates
The Planning and Zoning Department is working on a number of minor Land Use Code Updates related to flood hazard area requirements, accessory dwellings, septic systems, duration of special use permits, long-form subdivision process, and administrative variance process. The first discussion with the Planning & Zoning Commission on these changes took place at the September 25, 2024 regular meeting. The changes were brought back to the October 23, 2024 regular meeting. The P&Z Department will be developing educational materials and sending notices to all property owners within the special flood hazard area whose properties would be affected by proposed changes to floodplain development regulations. The date for a public hearing on this topic will likely be the January 22, 2025 regular P&Z meeting. Please check back for updates.
Direct Air Capture Use Standards Sub-Committee
At the Aug 27 regular meeting, the Board of Morton County Commissioners appointed a sub-committee to work on developing specific use standards for direct air capture facilities. The sub-committee consists of:
Jackie Buckley (Morton County Commissioner)
Jesse Kist (P&Z Chairman)
Maria Tomac (P&Z Commissioner)
Kurt Swenson (Public interest)
Amir Moslemian (DAC industry interest)
Natalie Pierce (Staff)
Subcommittee meetings take place at the Morton County Highway Department conference room (2916 37th Street NW, Mandan). Please note that while members of the public are welcome to attend and observe the meeting, discussion and participation will be limited to the members of the subcommittee. There will be a few minutes at the end of the meeting for members of the public to submit their questions and concerns.
First meeting of the subcommittee took place on Tuesday October 8 from 1-2:30pm.
Second meeting will take place on Thursday November 21, 2024 from 1:30-3pm.
The objective of the subcommittee is to develop a working draft of a land use code update with specific standards to guide the development of DAC facilities in Morton County. Once a draft is developed, it will be brought to the Morton County Planning & Zoning Commission in the format of an advertised public hearing for general review and comment. There will be multiple rounds of drafts and ample time for the public to provide input and comments. At any point during the process, members of the public are invited to send concerns and comments to Ms. Pierce, Planning & Zoning Director.
M Joseph Direct Air Capture Facility Special Use Permit Request
The applicants submitted a second application for the M Joseph DAC facility. Staff validated the application as complete on 6/26/24. That application was heard before the Planning & Zoning Commission on July 24, 2024, where the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended denial of the special use permit request. Video of the meeting is available on Dakota Media Access. The applicants requested to postpone the application review before the County Commission. As such, the application was scheduled to be placed on the agenda for the September 12, 2024 regular meeting of the County Commission.
On August 22, 2024, the applicant requested to withdraw the M Joseph DAC SUP application, "in an effort to align with Morton County's intentions" with respect to developing specific use standards for DAC facilities in Morton County.
Due to the large size of the application packet, staff separated the application into separate files, available below.
Site control documents, letters of support, applicants' statements about tax implications
Site Plan (large file)
Letters of support and opposition submitted for July SUP application
Staff reports are usually posted the Friday prior to the Planning & Zoning meeting. Due to staff being occupied in FEMA floodplain training from July 15-19, the staff reports for the July 24 were posted on Monday July 22.
A special use permit application for a carbon dioxide sequestration facility, via direct air capture, was considered at a regular meeting of the Morton County Planning & Zoning Commission on February 28, 2024. Link to the meeting materials is here. Link to a video of the February 28, 2024 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting is here. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended denial of the application. The applicants formally withdrew the application on 4/12/24.
Members of the Morton County community have asked the question: does the North Dakota Industrial Commission have preemption over local zoning decisions in the case of CO2 sequestration facilities. The Industrial Commission is currently seeking and Attorney General's opinion on that question. When County staff receive updates, those updates will be posted here.
North Dakota Century Code related to carbon dioxide underground storage. Scroll to Title 38 Chapter 22.
North Dakota Administrative Code related to geologic storage of carbon dioxide. Scroll to Article 43-05.
Lifting of Fort Lincoln Viewshed Building Moratorium
At the County Commission meeting on March 14, 2024, there will be a first reading of a resolution to lift the building moratorium that has been imposed on properties within sight lines of specific viewing points within Fort Lincoln State Park since 2000. The second reading of the resolution is scheduled for the April 11, 2024 regular County Commission meeting. A public hearing will be held, beginning at 6pm on each of these dates, at which time any concerned party will be allowed to speak on the proposal. The Planning & Zoning Commission considered this topic most recently at the January 24, 2024 regular meeting. Link to Planning & Zoning Commission meeting materials is here.
Harmon Lake Dam Breach Inundation Overlay District
Morton County Water Resource District (MCWRD) submitted a petition to the Board of Morton County Commissioners to create a dam breach inundation overlay district downstream of the Harmon Lake Dam. The initial public notice documents that were sent to affected property owners in advance of the November 19, 2020 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting can be found here. Links to the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting packets, with additional information submitted by the MCWRD, can be found below.
The Board of Morton County Commissioners approved an amendment to the Morton County Land Use Code at the April 27, 2021 regular meeting. Click here to view the current Land Use Code.
New Salem Wind Energy Project
NextEra Energy Resources is researching the possibility of a wind energy conversion project in central Morton County. A link to the NextEra presentation before the Morton County Commission on August 13, 2020 is available on the Dakota Media Access page. You may have to download the entire video in order to be able to view the video.
Tower Associates LLC applied for special use permits to erect two meteorological towers on two parcels of land. Details regarding the special use permit applications can be found in the December 17, 2020 meeting packet available here. The requested special use permits for these two meteorological towers were approved by the County Commission on January 14, 2021.
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Click here to view videos of Morton County Commission and Planning & Zoning Commission meetings, available on the Dakota Media Access website.