How comprehensive plan requests are decided across Bismarck, ND council meetings, the vote and the conditions on the record
Comprehensive Plan is one of the most actively tracked zoning topics in Bismarck, ND. ZoneWire has analyzed 28 council meetings and detected 73 instances of comprehensive plan activity. Below are the most recent discussions.
A change to a municipality's long-term land use plan that guides future zoning and development decisions.
A comprehensive plan amendment (also called a "general plan amendment" or "future land use map amendment") is a change to the municipality's long-range planning document that guides land use, transportation, infrastructure, and growth across the entire jurisdiction.
Read full definitionA change to a municipality's long-term land use plan that guides future zoning and development decisions. In Bismarck, ND, local government bodies regularly discuss comprehensive plan as part of zoning and land use decisions.
ZoneWire has analyzed 28 meetings in Bismarck and detected 73 mentions of comprehensive plan, an average of 2.6 mentions per meeting.
These parcels came up for a zoning decision in Bismarck in the last 30 days, often before they hit the market. See what changed, how the vote went, and hear the moment it happened. According to ZoneWire's analysis of official public meeting records, each decision below links to its timestamped source.
Bismarck · Sep 9, 2026
ApprovedWest half of the Southwest half of Section 36, Township 140 North, Range 80 West (Highlands at Burnt Creek)
Zoning change from A to R-1 (80 acres), approved on Sep 9, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Applicant
Unlock who filed this with ProBismarck · Sep 28, 2026
Approved · Unanimous5406 Highland Place North, Mandan ETZ
Zoning change from A to R7 (6.96 acres), approved unanimously on Sep 28, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Bismarck · Sep 23, 2026
Continued · UnanimousLots 1-10, Block 1, South Meadows Addition 3rd Replat, SW quadrant of South Washington Street and Meridian Drive
Zoning change from RS to RM (2.96 acres), continued unanimously on Sep 23, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Still pending. Track the next hearing before it's decided.
Applicant
Unlock who filed this with ProBismarck · Sep 22, 2026
Approved · UnanimousBetween Interstate 94 and Trenton Drive, Centennial Park 4th Addition, northeast Bismarck
Zoning change from CX to CG, approved unanimously on Sep 22, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Applicant
Unlock who filed this with ProBismarck · Sep 10, 2026
ApprovedSW quarter section 22, township 139N range 84W, east of County Road 84 ~0.75 miles north of Judson
Zoning change from A to R (5.69 acres), approved on Sep 10, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Bismarck · Sep 22, 2026
Approved · UnanimousWilliam Blackstone Addition, Bismarck
Zoning change from A to RS, approved unanimously on Sep 22, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Bismarck · Sep 22, 2026
Approved · UnanimousElk Ridge 4th Addition, Bismarck
Zoning change from A to RS, approved unanimously on Sep 22, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Bismarck · Sep 10, 2026
ApprovedSE quarter section 4, township 139N range 82W, ~1.75 miles NW of Mandan truck stop
Zoning change from A to R, approved on Sep 10, 2026 in Bismarck.
Your move: Higher-intensity use now allowed. Comp the parcel before the owner reprices.
Every municipality maintains a comprehensive plan (sometimes called a "general plan" or "master plan") that establishes the policy framework for development. The plan typically includes:
North Dakota sets the regulatory framework that governs how comprehensive plan decisions are made at the county and municipal level. State statutes define zoning authority, hearing requirements, and appeal processes that directly affect comprehensive plan outcomes in Bismarck.
View all North Dakota zoning activitySee how every comprehensive plan request in Bismarck was decided: the vote, the conditions attached, and how it moved through its hearings.
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A comprehensive plan amendment (also called a "general plan amendment" or "future land use map amendment") is a change to the municipality's long-range planning document that guides land use, transportation, infrastructure, and growth across the entire jurisdiction. ZoneWire tracks comprehensive plan activity across Bismarck, ND public meetings.
ZoneWire monitors Bismarck, ND planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags comprehensive plan activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 28 meetings and detected 73 comprehensive plan mentions.
Tracking comprehensive plan in Bismarck surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.
Zoning in the City of Bismarck is administered by the Community Development Department's Planning Division. The Planning and Zoning Commission is an 11-member advisory board that makes recommendations on the comprehensive plan, zoning, subdivision, annexation, and other development requests within the city and its extraterritorial area (ETA). The City Commission holds the final decision authority. For a copy of the zoning ordinance or questions, the Planning Division can be reached at 701-355-1840 or planning@bismarcknd.gov.
A zoning map amendment is a legal change to Bismarck's zoning map and can be initiated by a property owner or by the City. The process involves submitting a Unified Development Application with the required fee, staff review against the comprehensive plan and ordinances, a development review meeting, and public notification (legal ads in the Bismarck Tribune plus letters to nearby property owners). The Planning and Zoning Commission holds the first public hearing and makes a recommendation, and the City Commission holds the final public hearing and makes the ultimate decision.
The Bismarck Planning and Zoning Commission typically meets at 5:00 pm on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Tom Baker Meeting Room at the City County Office Building, 221 N. 5th St., Bismarck, ND. The Commission hears requests for major and minor subdivision plats, zoning changes, zoning ordinance text amendments, annexations, special use permits, and rural lot splits. Applicants should confirm the specific date on the Commission's posted meeting schedule.
Land-use and development decisions in Bismarck are guided by Together 2045, Bismarck's Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by the City Commission on December 22, 2022, and is amended periodically. The plan sets goals and objectives related to land use and development and functions as the legal basis for the city's zoning and subdivision ordinance and all development decisions.
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Know how comprehensive plan requests get decided in Bismarck, ND
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In Bismarck, 93% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Subdivision / plat clear 94%, Commercial / office / retail 97%. ZoneWire analyzed 262 land-use board decisions in Bismarck over the last 24 months. Here are the most active project types and how often each one clears.
| Project type | Decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|
| Subdivision / plat | 116 | 94% |
| Commercial / office / retail | 30 | 97% |
| Land use / comp-plan amendment | 26 | 96% |
| Variance | 22 | 73% |
| Industrial / warehouse | 17 | 100% |
| Special exception / conditional use | 14 | 100% |
| Multifamily / attached housing | 12 | 83% |
| Data center | 10 | 90% |
| Single-family homes | 6 | 100% |
| Mixed-use | 5 | 100% |
These are the denials and deferrals in categories that usually sail through, the deals worth understanding before you commit capital.
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