Sunday, May 20, 2012

Billings County, Just West of Dickinson, To Get First Crew Camp

Updates

May 27, 2012: Approved: first crew camp in Billings County. Link to Bismarck Tribune
The Billings County School Board voted a year ago to sell seven acres to Louisiana-based Energy Resource Group, which plans to turn the old Fryburg school into a 200-unit lodging facility for workers. The County Commission approved a permit last July giving the company the go-ahead to build. 
Original Post 

This may be one of the bigger stories of the year. As a story, it may not be that much, but it represents how fast things are moving.

For newbies: some counties where most of the oil activity has been has put moratoria on crew camps this past year; Dunn County recently lifted their crew camp moratorium. Southwest North Dakota has been particularly resistant to crew camps. And, if indeed, this is inside the park, it further suggests how big this story is.

The 200-unit crew camp will be built in Fryburg, which is about 30 miles due west Dickinson on I-94, just south of the interstate, just inside the park, if the Google maps are accurate. I've not been to Fryburg, as far as I know.  See first comment: Fryburg is just outside the park; the Google maps are inaccurate, although the satellite view suggests the unincorporated community would be outside the park. Based on other maps, it appears Fryburg is outside national grassland, also.

This is right in the middle of -- or very nearly the middle of -- Whiting's Lewis & Clark prospect.

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4 comments:

  1. Fryburg is not inside the park. It is about a mile south of the very southeast corner of the park.

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    1. If you went to Fryburg and blinked, you'd miss it. Jeremy

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  2. I know the site and it is perfectly located at the intersection of ND 85 North/South and I-94 East/West. From what I have learned the school is to be main complex with VIP lodging attached. A Fryburg resident told me that developers have been true to thier word. They promised a next generation facility leased to single client. It seems that a top tier contractor had the group designing several lodges and held up construction on Fryburg to fund the total package. Unfortunate for the Fryburg community the client cancelled the project after months of design and permitting.

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    1. Interesting. I don't think folks realize that developers can only wait so long before private equity to finance the project will go elsewhere.

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