Developer seeks to create more than 100 residential housing lots in Gladstone

Talk about it

GLADSTONE — Developers have their eyes set on building affordable housing in Gladstone, which might mean 123 lots could open for residential housing soon.

Roger Glessner with Inland Northwest Consultants, which has operated in North Dakota for about two years and is based out of Dickinson, said multi-family units could be possible as well.

“What we’re proposing here is some regular residential lots with some multi-family houses,” said Glessner on Wednesday at a public meeting in Gladstone’s community center. “We’re also proposing to build in phases, so it would be market-driven and ensure that we don’t build more than can be sold or so that the city doesn’t end up with more than can be sold.”

Mayor Kurt Martin said other developers have also talked about plans to develop land in the city, but they are not to the plot phase yet.

Glessner’s proposal would place the housing units north of town. The single-level, stick homes would be a minimum of 900 to 1,000 square feet per level and come with a two-car garage.

The property for the development still needs to be annexed into the city and another public meeting will have to be scheduled before the proposal can be approved.

Glessner said he hopes that the project can move forward soon, although making sure the city has the water supply to fit the needs of additional housing can be an issue.

“We got going on this project about two months ago and we haven’t heard anything negative from residents yet,” he said. “We would like to get some housing up before the end of the year yet.”

Debbie Olive, a Gladstone resident who moved from Dickinson in 2010, voiced some concern.

Her house is north of Interstate 94 and she said wanted to hear how the proposed housing development might impact her since it will be about a mile from her residence.

“I guess I’m conservative and I don’t like change,” Olive said after the meeting. “But I would probably only be affected indirectly by this project with things like traffic that may increase near my house.”

Glessner said Gladstone is a prime location to build affordable housing like is being proposed.

“I get a sense that people want to see something like this out here and the price of property and land out here is reasonable,” he said. “We know that affordable housing is a concern for people and we’re trying to be mindful of that with this project.”

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