Mandan, ND, Officials Enact Self-Storage Moratorium

A one-year moratorium on self-storage development goes into effect in Mandan, North Dakota, on Feb. 15. Current applications won’t be affected, according to the source.

A study to review the city’s zoning and land development ordinances began in July. The suspension will allow the city time to modify its policies on self-storage development, city planner Andrew Stromme told the source.

“Current ordinance guidelines are relatively weak in terms of deciding where self-storage would go, amongst other things,” Stromme said. “Some of these corridors might not feel busy until 10 years from now. We know in the future there will be people living in those areas that will be able to benefit from [businesses] being more neighborhood commercial.”

The moratorium could be lifted sooner if regulations are approved. Additional pauses could be proposed as planning ordinances are reviewed, according to city documents. The study is expected to be completed later this year or early 2025, the source reported.

“Mandan has been and continues to be a very pro-business community in terms of its regulatory policies and business-assistance programs,” said Brenda Nagel, president of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce. “We are confident that they have weighed the outcome of this [moratorium] with their pro-business plans and understand any impact on the business community.”

Source: Bismarck Tribune, Moratorium on Self-Storage Buildings to Take Effect in Mandan; City Studying Planning Codes