DICKINSON — Inside a packed commission chamber, after presentations and more than an hour of feedback from community members, mental health professionals and one state official, the Dickinson City Commission voted 3-2 to deny United Way’s proposed housing project.

United Way sought approval of a special use permit to transform the former Evergreen senior living facility into a multi-use transitional housing facility.

Mayor Scott Decker and Commissioners Robert Baer and Jason Fridrich voted to deny the permit, while Commissioners Joe Ridl and Russ Murphy voted for its approval.

The denial came after Gov. Kelly Armstrong, a Dickinson native, announced his support for the project in a letter addressed to commissioners earlier the same day.

The commission’s vote ended a tense, months-l

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