Downtown Bismarck property owners waiting to redevelop could be allowed to run gravel or recycled-asphalt parking lots on their land for up to four years, under a code change the Bismarck Planning and Zoning Commission will take up at a public hearing Wednesday, Nov. 18.
The draft amendment to the city's Land Development Code would create a "temporary parking lot" use limited to the DT-Downtown zoning district, according to the commission's Nov. 18 agenda and the staff report in the meeting packet. Planning staff recommend approval "with/despite reservations," the report says.
The Details
- Where it would apply: Only in the DT-Downtown district, and only on land that was previously covered by a building or pavement under an earlier permitted use, per the draft ordinance. Lots could not be created on grass or other pervious ground.
- Surfacing: Asphalt, concrete or another all-weather material the planning director approves, such as recycled asphalt pavement, crushed concrete or NDDOT Class 5 aggregate, the draft says.
- What would be waived: The hard-surfacing and pedestrian-facility standards for parking lots, plus street-tree, perimeter and interior parking lot landscaping requirements, according to the draft. Spaces and drive aisles would still have to be clearly marked, though striping could be replaced by "other forms of clearly delineating" them, the draft says. Sidewalks next to the lot would have to stay open, the staff report says.
- How long: Up to two years under a special use permit, renewable once for up to two more years, according to the draft.
- Review: Each lot would need a special use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the city's site plan review with a written justification for why the lot is temporary, and downtown major design review, according to the staff report and draft ordinance. Renewals would need a written case for not building to full standards, the draft says.
The Backstory
Planning staff wrote in the report that they "recently have had conversations with property owners who wish to use their property for short-term parking" but plan to redevelop later. Those owners argued that paving and landscaping "would add costs and hurdles" that could be undone "within a handful of years when the site hopefully redevelops," according to the report. The commission directed staff to draft the amendment at its Sept. 23 meeting, the report says. The report does not name the property owners or specific sites.
What It Means for Downtown
The staff report lays out both sides. It says the change could advance comprehensive plan goals on adapting sites "without significant waste of resources." It also lists goals the change "may" hinder, including keeping parking behind buildings, encouraging structured parking and building out the city's street tree canopy.
Staff also listed concerns: granting exemptions "on the basis of hypothetical redevelopment," keeping gravel from washing or being plowed into streets, setting who is responsible for cleaning it up, and "ensuring that this does not become the new default that is sought after rather than full compliance."
The draft ordinance is written for adoption by the Bismarck City Commission, so Wednesday's hearing is the planning board's review, not final approval.
Before You Go
- The city is taking written comments at planning@bismarcknd.gov until 8 a.m. on the day of the meeting, according to the agenda. Comments should name the agenda item (4D) and include the writer's name.
- The meeting starts at 5 p.m. in the Tom Baker Meeting Room of the City-County Office Building and airs on Government Access Channels 2 and 602HD, the agenda says.
Sources: Bismarck Planning and Zoning Commission agenda, Nov. 18, 2026; Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet, Nov. 18, 2026, Item 4D staff report and draft ordinance