Fargo’s predatory behavior continues

The predatory behavior of North Dakota’s largest city appears alive and well, as Fargo continues its quest to snatch land from a far smaller neighbor.

The site where Applied Digital Corporation has announced its intention to build a large data center lies within the extraterritorial zoning authority of Harwood, a small community just north of West Fargo and northwest of Fargo. The company had considered a Fargo location earlier, but opted for the more attractive option near Horace, precisely because of Fargo’s heavy tax and regulatory burden. But that didn’t stop the larger city from again exposing its lust for land, growth and power.

As we wrote earlier, the attempt to force unwelcome annexation of the parcel of land follows a historic pattern of ugly, parasitic behavior toward its neighbors. The arrogant move demonstrates that the pattern extends not just to neighboring communities, but to unwilling businesses, as well. 

Years ago, rural residents were forced into a similar situation. Preferring to remain rural, but facing the inevitability of joining one city or another, they said they preferred to become part of West Fargo, a city which was much closer and evidently friendlier, but Fargo persisted, forcing legal action to ultimately resolve the matter. Apparently, the city’s insatiable lust for growth trumps any hope of enjoying residents or businesses within its borders who actually want to be there.

The resistance grows

Applied Digital’s leadership has long made its preference and intentions clear. It wants to be part of Harwood, not Fargo.

At the most recent Fargo City Commission meeting, Harwood Mayor Blake Hankey made the city’s position abundantly clear, as well. A reported exchange of correspondence in which Fargo continued to press the issue with Harwood, persistently offering its unwelcome “help”, had apparently done nothing to stop the larger city’s aggressive advances.

Lest there be any doubt about Horace’s stance, Hankey’s verbal message to Fargo leaders was loud and clear: “Back Off!”

Harwood doesn’t want Fargo’s “help” in the matter, he emphatically said, making the point that he was doing so in a public forum, in the presence of media covering the meeting to press the point. Apparently, he felt the need to do so because attempts to resolve the matter directly had yielded nothing.

Fargo’s reaction remains to be seen. The matter was carried over to a future meeting.

If history is any indication, the appeal may fall on deaf ears. The larger city’s menacing habits are nothing new to neighboring communities and they’ve previously been resolved only with legal action.

Will Fargo “back off” and learn to work and play well with its neighbors? Time will tell, but neither history, nor its recent behavior, offer much hope.