Grand Forks City Council Held Special Meeting to Hear Appeal of a Variance Granted By Board of Zoning Adjustments

(KNOX) – The Grand Forks City Council had a special meeting to hear an appeal of a variance granted by the Board of Zoning Adjustments. The appellant is Laura Bakken, and her attorney says her neighbors haven’t experienced adversities that would be required for a variance.

There are also concerns about the property’s drainage and appearance. The variance was allowed for an accessory building and side yard setbacks that are a part of a property on Driftwood Drive. The proposed building would be roughly 2,000 square feet larger than what the city ordinance allows, but the setbacks would be less than what is required for the yard’s size.

JJ Safranski received the variance, and he says he is planning to add drainage. He also says the trees on his property would end up blocking the view of the building. The council decided to discuss the appeal at their September 8 council meeting.

The City Council has also approved switching the city’s health insurance carrier from HealthPartners to the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System. The HealthPartners plan would have a 15.5 percent renewal rate, while the Retirement System plan has published rates that show a 5.4 percent increase from the city’s plan. New rates for the Retirement System plan are supposed to come out by July 2027.