A proposed retirement community in southwest Minot received land use approval from the Minot City Council Monday.

The council also approved a rural subdivision north of Minot that had generated some neighborhood concern.

Southwest Crossing requested a Planned Unit Development for a retirement community and the associated rezoning.

The proposal calls for a three-phased project involving a 47-unit memory care facility, 110-unit assisted living facility, 197-unit independent living facility and a 200-bed skilled nursing facility. Twin homes will be built in the future. State permits would be needed for nursing home beds.

The site is located on the west side of the Trinity medical complex that is under construction.

Council member Josh Wolsky said he is eagerly awaiting the city’s development of a city mechanism to determine the cost of a project that involves urban sprawl.

“This project is going to have some costs. It’s obviously a great project. It’s very complementary to the larger hospital development taking place there. But the better informed we are, I think the better we are able to make decisions,” he said.

The council also approved a request from Terry Davis to rezone for a rural subdivision of four lots at 6601 13th St. NE. Two lots already are occupied with manufactured or modular homes.

Matt Monson, president of the Minot Gun Club, presented the club’s concerns about drainage and the risk of a lawsuit if new neighbors object to the noise of a nearby shooting range.

“Our club was built there before 1969 to avoid encroachment. We have a lot of high school programs and a lot of youth-oriented activities out there. So we’re kind of trying to make sure we don’t get snuffed out,” he said.

The project will have to comply with county drainage requirements, but there is no protection against litigation, he said.

David Van Lith, a neighbor, raised concern about 11th Street, which was not built to specifications and is maintained by residents as a private road. Additional traffic will place a financial burden on residents, he said.

Principal planner Lance Lang said the project will need to have roads brought up to Eureka Township standards, and if the township has no standards, there is an engineering standard that can be used. Maintenance would fall to the township if it took over the road or to a homeowners association or the developer, he said.

Council member Shannon Straight suggested the city look into comprehensive planning in the extra-territorial area to avoid conflicts such as could happen with the gun club and residential neighbors. Wolsky responded a county comprehensive plan is being drafted that addresses conflicting uses, giving precedence to long-standing uses.

Council member Stephen Podrygula said people moving next to a gun range do so knowingly.

“If you want to develop that property, I think you should have that right. You will be exposed to gunshots and that’s just the way it is,” he said.

The council voted 6-1 to approve the subdivision, with Wolsky opposed.

Although voting for the project in recognition of the planning commission’s review, Straight noted neighbors have valid concerns.

“I have real concerns about how some of these issues are going to continue to manifest themselves as we move forward. That’s why it’s important we figure out ways to develop in-fill,” he said.

In other business, the council:

– approved using the services of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP to recruit an economic development administrator. Seven candidates who applied lacked the required background for the position.

– authorized a final application for $300,000 to the Governor’s Fund for Community Development for a family homeless shelter and 17 units of multi-family rental units. The city had applied for $760,000 and was approved to proceed with an application for $300,000, which resilience Program Manager John Zakian said is an adequate amount for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota to meet requirements on the project.

– approved an engineering proposal for a retaining wall at City Hall that is considerably over the anticipated cost of around $2.8 million. The $4.7 million price tag concerned the council, as did the serious erosion that’s occurring.

“I think we are entering into a project here that’s of parking garage proportions. I would very much like to see us slow this down, direct our consultant to come back and check all the boxes again on all the alternatives,” Wolsky said.

However, Mayor Shaun Sipma noted, “I think it’s the best we can do in terms of mitigating that risk.”