Updated development plan for Ray Richards Golf Course moves forward at City Council – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Community members and Grand Forks City Council members alike recognize the challenges in balancing the wants of both the city and the public regarding a proposed development at Ray Richards Golf Course.

Council members on Monday preliminarily approved two action items that would move the project forward – one item approved replatting some lots at the golf course to allow for a new apartment complex and a Top Tracer driving range, while the other approved rezoning those lots from the University District to a Planned Unit Development.

Both votes passed 5-2, with members Rebecca Osowski and Ken Vein voting “no” on both issues.

“I’m not in support of it only because of the neighbors,” Osowski said. “I personally like it, but I don’t have to live by it.”

Several community members spoke about being against the development plan during the citizen comment period of the meeting, while others submitted online comments about the issue. Those residents shared concerns about increased traffic, long-term effects of allowing commercial spaces at the golf course, the impact a driving range will have on local birds and more.

Dan Kasowski, president of the homeowners association for Garden View Homeowners near the golf course, said while some residents have been leaning toward accepting the project, others are still worried about how property management companies will operate the apartments and the lack of control the homeowners association will have over what happens to the adjacent property.

“We’re still struggling a little bit with this in our backyard, and it will affect us,” he said. “This doesn’t benefit us. The golf course and the apartments don’t benefit us. The Top (Tracer) golf doesn’t benefit us.”

The land itself is owned by the University of North Dakota. UND President Andrew Armacost presented the latest development plan during the meeting, explaining some of the changes that have occurred because of input from the neighbors around the golf course.

The initial design had multiple apartment complexes and the driving range all grouped into the southeastern corner of the golf course. A

fter input from nearby residents and a few other design alternatives,

the version presented to the City Council included nearly half as many apartment units – going from 300 to 169 – and moved the driving range to the southwest corner of the course while also adding green space and some golf holes to the southeast corner to act as a buffer for the apartment building.

“We came up with, I think, a creative solution,” he said.

Armacost said the development would provide office space for UND golf coaches and locker rooms, outdoor ranges and indoor simulators for UND golfers.

He also acknowledged the amount of input from the nearby residents that helped shape the most recent design but added there is not much more the university can do to adjust its plan any further.

“As we unfold over the next couple of months, I don’t know that there’s additional compromise that is possible, because we’re in pretty hardened positions now,” he said. “But I’ll certainly continue the lines of communication with the neighbors to hear how we can keep modifying this if necessary.”

City Planner Ryan Brooks also shared that traffic studies done by the city do not show significantly higher traffic rates along South 34th Street with the additions to the golf course. He also said if anyone wants to build any other commercial or residential buildings on the course in the future, they will need to go through the rezoning process again.

Many of the council members, and some community members like Kasowski, commended Armacost for the amount of work he has put into trying to find a compromise between the university and the residents around the golf course development.

Council President Dana Sande added that while he typically sides with community members who are against rezoning amendments, in this case he feels the golf course project is “different,” especially because he said the university could have chosen to go further with the project if it wanted to increase revenue at the course instead of taking residents’ opinions into consideration.

“I believe that this compromise likely is a very good, and likely the best, option for the neighbors,” Sande said.

Mayor Brandon Bochenski asked about creating some kind of contract or other agreement to ensure the golf course would remain open following the construction of the driving range and apartment complex, saying he was worried the two-year building process would negatively impact revenue at the course.

The development plan will go back to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which passed it to the City Council on Dec. 3, for a public hearing and the commission’s final approval on Jan. 7. If passed there, it will return to the council for a public hearing and final approval on Feb. 2.

In other news, the council:

Approved a second reading of an ordinance change amending the Class 8.4 alcoholic beverage license for Albrecht Field after a public hearing was held. The amendment removes specific operating dates and defines and allows the field to serve “canned cocktails.”Approved a second reading of an ordinance amending the zoning map for the Greenberg Planned Unit Development after a public hearing was held. The land would be used for a multi-family residential development.Approved a second reading of an ordinance to replat part of the Auditor’s Subdivision No. 26 after a public hearing was held. The amendment would create a right of way for Armstrong Court.Approved resolutions approving issuing almost $1.2 million in refunding improvement bonds to finance the construction of Highway 81 and Associated Area Watermain Phase 2. The bonds are appropriated through special assessments.Approved precinct boundaries for the 2026 election. Boundaries would remain the same from the 2022 and 2024 elections.Approved appointing David Dunham to the Special Assessment Commission and Matt Walkowiak to the Growth Fund Committee.Approved $159,135 for the 2026 Arts Regrant Program. The vote passed 6-1, with Osowski dissenting.Approved $159,135 for the 2026 Community Services Grant Program. The vote passed 6-1, with Osowski dissenting.Approved four holiday hours for city employees to be used by July 1, 2026.Approved a letter of no objection for the UND Campus Fiber Network Redundancy Plan.Approved four vehicle purchases for the city’s Street Maintenance Division and Sanitation Collections Division, including a tandem truck and equipment for a total of about $229,602, two pickups for a combined $87,339 and a front load collection truck for $347,855.Approved three funding-related action items for the Grand Forks Police Department, including a budget amendment of $155,000 for overtime expenses, a budget amendment for vehicle maintenance and expenses and a sole source purchase of Axon Tasers and equipment for a total of $247,645, including training.Approved a budget amendment for Visit Greater Grand Forks to collect and remit any excess lodging tax received this year. Excess collections are estimated to be between $50,000 and $100,000. The vote passed 6-1, with Osowski dissenting.Approved awarding contracts to three bidders for the Grand Forks Police Department remodel. Low bidders were Diversified Contractors for the general contractor, Custom Aire for the mechanical contractor and Ideal Power Solution for electrical contractor. The combined total bid is approximately $1 million with alternate remodel options.Approved declaring several vehicles and other equipment items surplus and authorizing proceeding with selling, scrapping or disposing of the surplus as necessary.Approved extending a letter of intent agreement with Northern Plains Nitrogen for city wastewater use. The council also approved extending the length of the letter to one year instead of six months.Approved Enclave Development LLC to submit a PILOT tax incentive application for a market-based, multi-family development on South 39th Street. The application would be for five years at a 100% tax increment. The vote passed 6-1, with Osowski dissenting.Approved increasing developer fees to Baker Tilly from $2,500 total to $5,000 for the pre-application and $5,000 after the first year of the tax incentive.Approved proceeding with Phase 2 of the water treatment plant redevelopment project.Approved replatting Lots A, B and C of Block B of Tolleson’s Subdivision No. 1 on South Washington Street to combine the properties into one parcel.Approved conditional use permits for Swangler Auto Salvage Yard and Weekley Auto Salvage Yard to continue operating in the I-2 heavy material zoning district. The permits are for 10 years.Preliminarily approved an ordinance to amend the zoning for three properties: a limited commercial district at Fourth Street North to a one-two family residence district, a general business district at North First Street to a one-two family residence district and two general business districts at South 14th Street and Sixth Avenue North to high-density multi-family residence districts. A public hearing for the amendments will be held Jan. 20.Heard citizen comments from Andrew Krauseneck about concerns over the proposed PILOT tax incentive agreement for Enclave Development LLC.Approved canceling the Dec. 22 Committee of the Whole work session.