Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand ForksUnhappy homeowners get a delay on controversial park plan

Unhappy homeowners get a delay on controversial park plan

The West Fargo Park Board has granted a reprieve for homeowners in a new development who are angry over a controversial new park and events center planned for their neighborhood.
Residents in the Shadow Wood development say they didn't find out until last week about a plan to install an amphitheater, a parking lot, a gazebo for rental events and other attractions, located in practically in some of their backyards.
It's all green space and a couple of ponds now, and that's part of why many residents say they decided to buy lots there.
They say the noise and traffic from the amphitheater will ruin the quiet country feel of the development.
Parks leaders say they followed the normal procedure for notifying residents, by placing legal notices in the paper, but mostly relied on the developer to make it clear what was slated for that spot. Residents say the developer did not make it clear.
About sixty residents showed up at a Wednesday parks meeting to complain, saying they had a petition signed by nearly one hundred property owners asking for delay of the project until they could get more information.
Some residents say they would never have bought there if plans for that green space had been made clear. 

"We wouldn't want to move so soon after moving in, but if circumstances were different, it  sounds like a lot of other people would be looking at doing that," says Angie Kratcha, who moved in to Shadow Wood six months ago.

The West Fargo Parks Board agreed to push back finalizing the plan for the green space with contractors for another month.  They say the city still needs an amphitheater, based on prior public response.