JSDCJamestown (CSi) On a 3-2 vote, the Stutsman County Commission has turned down a proposal from the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC) to purchase additional land in Spiritwood Township for development.

The land is adjacent to Spiritwood Energy Park Association land.

County Commissioners Dave Schwartz, Craig Neys and Denny Ova voted to deny the purchase while Commissioners Dale Marks and Mark Klose voted in favor of completing the purchase

The proposed purchase price is $6,000 per acre or about $2 million for the 320-acre parcel.

JSDC CEO Connie Ova said construction of a rail spur from the SEPA rail loop, planned for construction this summer, could have provided rail access to the property.

She provided a memo with suggestions for the property including annexing the property into the city of Jamestown and the Jamestown Public School District.

Jamestown Mayor Katie Andersen said the idea of annexing the property into Jamestown was new.

Stutsman County Auditor, and CEO Casey Bradley, said the land did not meet the criteria for annexing into the Jamestown Public School District as there were no school-age children living on the land in question. Also it is not contiguous to other property in the Jamestown Public School district.