Clay County Commission

Dan Haglund

Twenty acres of farmland north of the Dilworth Walmart is set to be rezoned for planned commercial usage.
Matt Jacobson, Clay County planning director, presented the requested petition to the Clay County Board of Commissioners in a public hearing on Tuesday in Moorhead.
The board approved the request.
The petition was presented by Jacobson for the Red River Valley Co-op Power and Rural Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO). The current landowner is Barry Oberg.
The land location is at the southeast corner of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 18 and 34th Street, and north of the County Resource Recovery Center.
The current land zoning is “agricultural general” and would change to “Urban Expansion District Tier 2,” which is tied to the city of Dilworth’s urban growth area.
Jacobson said the proposal is two-fold. On one of the lots in the subdivision, the electric supply co-op RESCO is looking to build a 40,000- to 60,000-square foot distribution warehouse on Lot 1, Block 1 (15 acres) of the submitted plat. The precast building has an estimated cost of $12 to $15 million, with construction completion in 2026-27. The office space should accommodate 30 employees.
The second portion of the proposal is from Red River Valley Co-op Power, a local electric distribution cooperative that has provided power to portions of the county for more than 80 years.
RRVCP plans to build a 10,000- to 12,000-square-foot service center on Lot 2, Block 1 (five acres). The precast building on this lot will house bucket trucks and associated electrical maintenance equipment. The office space should hold between five and seven employees, with proposed building timeline from 2026-28.
Jacobson said the two lots would meet the commercial highway standards by lot size and yard requirements.
Minimum lot widths require a width of not less than 100 feet abutting a public right of way.
The Dilworth Planning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary plat on Feb. 5, and the Dilworth City Council did the same five days later.
The city of Dilworth will give final approval on Wednesday, April 2.
Jacobson also said the proposed rezoning fits within the county’s 2045 Comprehensive and Transportation Plan, which “encourages commercial and industrial development that is in harmony with the agricultural and rural character of Clay County,” among other stipulations.
Commissioner David Ebinger, Dist. 5, inquired if any members of the public had issues with the rezoning plan, and Jacobson said just general questions about future development moving out into the more rural areas.
“But I think once the public saw what the plans were,” Jacobson said. “I think those concerns were alleviated.”
Commissioners Kevin Campbell, Dist. 4, and Jenny Mongeau, Dist. 3, voiced their approval for the site chosen.