Moorhead residents who live in areas adjacent to Minnesota State University Moorhead and Concordia College implored the City Council on Monday to gather more public input on a planning study designed to examine neighborhood problems.
Several neighborhood residents addressed the council, questioning why they weren't included more in an agreement with a company that will focus on issues associated with neighborhoods near colleges.
Urban planning consultant Dahlgren Shardlow Uban is developing a set of "best practice" recommendations for communities facing student housing in residential neighborhoods.
Part of the consultant's plan includes working with groups from the community comprised of college representatives, city officials and neighborhood residents.
But some Moorhead residents said the city hasn't done enough to include neighborhoods in the process.
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Donna McMaster, who lives at 906 7th Ave. S., said city initiatives to reduce college party houses in family neighborhoods have worked.
But the city needs to work with neighborhoods toward resolving lingering issues, she said.
"Landlords have gotten the picture. People behave as if they live next door to their landlord," she said of college students. "We would like a chance to work on a more equal par with some of these other voices to solve our remaining problems."
After the public comment session, Councilman John Rowell introduced a resolution to amend the plan to include more input from neighborhoods.
The council unanimously approved it.
"They overlooked some things on putting the proposal together," Rowell said.
In other business, the council:
- Approved a resolution offering tax incentives for Fargo-based PROffutt LP to build a 25,000-square foot retail mall near the intersection of 34th Street and 12th Avenue South. The company will receive an estimated $351,784 in property tax exemption benefits, said Scott Hutchins, the city's acting business development specialist.
One tenant secured for the mall is a child care facility.
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- Denied a resolution ordering improvements to traffic flow in the Arbor Park 1st Addition near Sixth Avenue North and 30th Street. Several residents spoke out against a plan for traffic calming in the area stating the improvements would be too costly.
- Approved a resolution authorizing the demolition of the Halliday Motel at 1520 4th Ave. S. The city will pay $218,250 to finance acquisition, remediation and demolition of the facility.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Melinda Rogers at (701) 241-5524
