North Fargo Homeowners Voice Concerns Before City Leaders Vote on “Ponyland”

City leaders will vote tomorrow on a controversial apartment development planned in North Fargo.

The 400 unit Bison Village apartment complex may be built on a plot of land on 32nd Avenue North off University Drive.

Neighbors are again voicing their concerns before the city commission votes.

“The traffic, the students, the people, it’s just going to really affect the neighborhood,” says Ross Halverson of North Fargo.

On March 1st, Roers Development was approved for a zoning change on the land they purchased known to locals as “Ponyland.”

Developers bought the land and proposed 437 unit apartments that could fill more than 800 tenants.

All this on 25 acres.

“If it does goes through I’m concerned about it. It would increase the traffic flow and obviously would tear down the roads. Things would have to be changed. I think it should just stay the way it is,” says Russ Abel of North Fargo.

Neighbors say they’re willing to compromise with Roers Development.

But they say their main argument is about reducing the density.

Halverson adds, “I knew ‘Ponyland’ would always be developed but I didn’t know they’d put up a 400 apartment unit. So the density they can have there is insane.”

More than 400 signatures were collected and numerous letters from homeowners were sent to the city petitioning the zoning change.

A group from the neighborhood has been meeting regularly with developers in hopes of reaching an understanding.

“We hope for the best but we really want this neighborhood grow with single family homes,” says Halverson.

“I hope they vote in our favor,” says Abel.

The neighborhood representative says he and Roers Development are aggressively working on a compromise.

The city commission meeting is tomorrow at 5 p.m.