Killdeer could see some more available housing, but first the Army Corps of Engineers wants to hear from the public.
The topic of discussion -- a project along Spring Creek that would include an 80-acre residential subdivision.
The project has the potential to impact an estimated 1,815 feet of stream bed and change the flow and circulation of the water patterns through expansion of the channel width, according to the Corps.
The public has until Dec. 17 to submit comments on the proposed project to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, North Dakota Regulatory Office, 1513 South 12th St., Bismarck, ND 58504.
Killdeer Mayor Dan Dolechek said the additional housing is "very much needed."
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"There are maybe one or two homes up for sale in the city, but there is virtually nothing else available," he said.
During the last oil boom in the '80s, Dolechek said a subdivision was also built to accommodate the population growth.
"People thought back then that it might never fill up, but it's full of homes today and is in one of the main parts of town," he said.
The proposal for the latest development includes the discharge of 1,352 cubic yards of earthen fill material into Spring Creek for the channelization and the construction of a 279-foot new channel, and the widening of .43 acres of land along the left bank of Spring Creek to mitigate impacts on the creek.
The material used to fill the creek would come from within the 80-acre site for the proposed project, which would involve large equipment to move and fill the site.
Killdeer Land Partners LP, which is proposing construction of the development, submitted its permit application in Nov. 19, according to the Corps.
The company could not be reached for comment.
The application submitted by Killdeer Land Partners LP to the Corps stated the project will "minimize base flood area by rechanneling the creek to eliminate bottlenecks and prevent future flooding."
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Matthew Mikulecky, regulatory project manager, said the project would place fill in Spring Creek and requires authorization from the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
"The proposed project exceeds the limitations of our nationwide permit for residential developments," he said. "Therefore, it is being processed as an individual permit. Individual permits require a public interest review, which is the reason for the public notice."
Mikulecky said the Corps will evaluate comments that are received as a result of the public notice.
"These comments are given consideration in our permit determination," he said. "Comments can vary from being supportive to expressing a concern. All feedback is welcome."
He said the Corps generally receives comments from the North Dakota Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Dakota State Historical Society, and other state and federal resource agencies regarding the potential for negative or beneficial effects of a project.
"Depending on the project, we may receive very little interest, or substantive comments and recommendations on how to minimize impacts to insure the activity does not result in adverse effects," Mikulecky said. "The proposed project is going through a normal permit evaluation process."
