Innovation In The Oil Patch -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Two stories in this link: one with regard to an industrial park north of Dickinson, Stark County, North Dakota; and the second story about a small overflow housing facility.

With regard to the second story:

Baranko Brothers Inc. found favor in its request for a conditional use permit to build a facility for temporary housing of employees, office spaces and meeting rooms.

The building would be a five-bedroom, 16-by-76 foot manufactured home. It would be located a half-mile east of Steffes.

Baranko Brothers representative Glenn Baranko said the building was needed in response to recent housing shortages in the area.

“It is basically overflow if somebody needs to spend the night,” Baranko said, adding that employees would not permanently stay there and the facility would be an alternative to commuting long distances after a long day of work or being forced to find a hotel room for the night. 

"Overflow housing" is perhaps the most critical issue in the area. Talking to a motel manager in the Williston area, it is obvious that a major risk is putting someone back on the road when they are exhausted, sending them down to the next town looking for lodging. "Urban areas" in North Dakota are measured in hours apart.

The first story had to do with an industrial park:

The board accepted the final plat map for Suzanne Medley’s company Northpark Industrial LLC that would allow industrial building in a 150-acre tract north of Dickinson and west of Steffes ETS.

Both projects (the industrial park and the "overflow housing" facility") were approved.