Yankton County members forward zoning ordinance changes to public hearing after keeping key agricultural minimums

Yankton County members forwarded a package of proposed zoning ordinance changes to a public hearing in April after agreeing to keep the agricultural (AG) minimum-lot requirement at 20 acres and to treat major utility facilities as conditional uses.

The commission reviewed proposed amendments that would have lowered some residential minimum lot sizes, clarified lot-size language in multiple sections (R1, R2 and R3), and adjusted minimum lot-size language distinguishing general commercial from Lakeside Commercial districts. Members also discussed adding fireworks sales to the Lakeside Commercial conditional-use list and clarifying the county’s definition of large wind-energy conversion systems and accessory facilities.

The decision to keep the AG minimum at 20 acres was central to the discussion. Several members argued that reducing the minimum would require a wider, cross-cutting review of Article 5 and potential rezoning across drainage areas such as the Beaver Creek and James River valleys. One member offered to conduct a study of areas that might be unsuitable for row cropping and to survey landowner interest before any targeted rezoning. Members said they did not want to make a standalone change to the AG minimum without that broader review.

On lot-size changes for low-density residential (R1), commissioners discussed a proposal to reduce the minimum from 5 acres to 2 or 3 acres but said a majority preferred to leave R1 at 5 acres. Commissioners agreed to clarify R2 language so the ordinance uses a single numeric measure (40,000 square feet) rather than listing both "1 acre" and "40,000 square feet." For high-density residential (R3), members said the county’s existing Planned Unit Development (PUD) provisions already allow extensions of housing areas and no change was recommended at this time.

Commercial zoning was debated: members noted the current ordinance language was unclear where it lists both 20,000 and 40,000 square-foot thresholds. After discussion about the different uses allowed in general commercial (which can include heavier industrial-type uses) versus Lakeside Commercial (more retail-oriented), the group favored keeping a 40,000-square-foot minimum for general commercial and allowing Lakeside Commercial to use the 20,000-square-foot threshold. Commissioners also discussed adult-entertainment uses (noted as allowed in general commercial as a conditional use but not in Lakeside Commercial) and whether that policy needed a separate public discussion.

Members also agreed to treat utility facilities (including new electrical infrastructure and related installations) as conditional uses in all districts so neighbors would have notice and a public review opportunity. In defining large wind-energy conversion systems, commissioners proposed excluding energy-storage-only facilities from being treated as accessory uses to avoid unintended allowance of large battery farms under a broad accessory-facility definition.

After the review, a motion to send the recommended ordinance amendments to a public hearing in April carried on a roll-call vote. Commissioners indicated the ordinance would proceed to the county commission: the formal public hearing is scheduled for April, with readings and a vote anticipated during the first and third Tuesdays in May. Several commission members asked that planning commissioners attend the county commission hearing and be prepared to make three-minute public comments if requested.

Votes at a glance

- Cadence plat approval: Approved (roll call recorded affirmative votes from five members). (Details: approval motion made and carried during the meeting.) - Move ordinance recommendations to public hearing (April): Approved (roll-call affirmatives recorded; readings and county commission vote expected in May).