The city of Jamestown is reviewing and updating its 2015 Land Use and Transportation Plan, according to Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich.
"A little bit of a review to see where we're at," he said. "The current council probably wouldn't deem some parts of the current plan as practical."
The 2015 plan was developed by KLJ Engineering of Bismarck and RDG Planning and Design of Ames, Iowa, at a cost of about $340,000. Consultants held a number of community input meetings that attempted to involve residents of all ages and economic situations.
The current review is being conducted by SRF, which provides consulting services to Jamestown for zoning and building permit issues, according to Tom Blackmore, Jamestown building inspector. The review is estimated to cost about $15,000.
"SRF has compiled comments from local stakeholders, the planning commission and city staff," he said. "They are compiling the information for review by the planning commission at its January meeting."
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Heinrich said the 2015 plan has some good points and some of its potential goals have been completed.
"It is a plan and times change," he said. "You can have a plan but then money intervenes."
One portion of the transportation plan was the connection of the area of Jamestown Regional Medical Center and the Menards area. This was listed as priority 1 in the plan and was accomplished in 2017 with the completion of a $3.4 million road.
Part of the plan, an overpass over Interstate 94 between southwest and northwest Jamestown, is under discussion with the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
Another item in the 2015 document, an X-shaped grade separation elevating two streets over the railroad tracks in southeast Jamestown, is likely to be eliminated from the revised plan.
"Overpasses over the railroad in Jamestown are very expensive," Heinrich said.
Preliminary estimates for that project have been as high as $40 million, he said.
The 2015 plan included the expansion of active transportation, bicycle and walking paths around town, and further expansion of residential areas.
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Issued in July 2015, the Jamestown Land Use and Transportation Plan was an optimistic plan at least partially based on a planned $3 billion nitrogen fertilizer plant under consideration at the time. The plan was subtitled "Forward Jamestown" and projected an increase in population of about 5,000 people by 2030.
The fertilizer project was abandoned by CHS in August of that year.
"It is recommended these plans be reviewed every five years," Heinrich said. "Basically it is housekeeping, not a full-blown rewrite of the plan."
