Forum Editorial: Diversion means Fargo’s days of continued expansion are numbered – InForum

Fargo-Moorhead is a comparative point on the vast patchwork of fields and open spaces that stretch in every direction as far as the eye can see.

But we are slowly running out of space.

How is it possible ? The answer is paradoxical. The Metro Flood Control Project, which will protect cities from a 100-year flood and allow for better development of certain flood-prone areas, will also eventually impose limits on growth.

The project’s protected area, bounded by a 20-mile earth embankment to the south and a 30-mile diversion channel to the west, will essentially form boundaries for future growth, particularly for Fargo, West Fargo and Horace.

At the current rate of growth, Fargo will have approximately 40 to 50 years of space remaining to allow for growth.

We can’t predict when, but we know what: growing cities will reach their limit, bumping into the floodway, levee or other barrier, including the Red River.

Now is the time to start thinking about the implications of planning for growth and development given the constraints that come with the diversion – a project vital to keeping the cities it will protect safe.

We should hear from the candidates for the Fargo City Commission and the Mayor’s office in the June municipal elections on this important issue.

What is their vision for the future of the city? What kinds of development policies do they support in light of diversion? Can they demonstrate that they will look after the interests of the cities and its inhabitants and will not be beholden to developers and builders?

It is also important to hear from the residents. What does the public want?

Fargo executives noted that lot sizes for single-family homes have gotten smaller in recent years, largely to make the price of a home more affordable, except in the luxury home market. The solution is certainly not just to cram people into smaller lots, but denser development will be part of the answer.

Given their common borders, Fargo and West Fargo could actively coordinate their future growth plans for a seamless mesh. This is already done in transport planning. As part of the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments, for example, local governments are involved in joint planning for the extension of Veterans Boulevard south from 52nd Avenue South to 100th Avenue South.

Calls for “smart growth” have already been made by former city commissioner Mike Williams and Governor Doug Burgum. Fargo has funded many of its services from revenues from an expanding tax base – a practice that is unsustainable over time.

While on the city commission, Williams couldn’t garner much support for smart growth policies. But the need to plan ahead is more urgent than ever, given the diversion, which is expected to be completed by 2027.

The City of Fargo will be revising its land use planning code in the coming months, a process that will likely take several years. The development implications imposed by diversion should be at the forefront of these discussions.

One thing is certain: the era of suburban sprawl is coming to an end. The market will drive some of this; land prices will inevitably rise as space becomes more scarce, leading to rising development instead of disappearing.

But we need solid planning to ensure the public interest is in the driver’s seat, and not just for the ride.