Commission sets April 22 public hearings for ADU rules and building-eligibility transfers in county and joint jurisdiction

Minnehaha County commissioners on April 1 authorized publication of public-hearing notices for a package of zoning text amendments, setting hearings for April 22, 2025. Kevin Hookman of the county planning department said the amendments stem from the county’s Envision 2045 comprehensive-plan updates and were unanimously recommended by the Joint Planning Commission.

The package includes four text amendments: (1) joint-area zoning amendment No. 2504 to add accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations to zoning districts that allow single-family dwellings; (2) joint-area amendment No. 2505 to remove a same-ownership requirement for transferring building eligibilities within the joint jurisdiction (still requiring a conditional-use permit); (3) county-wide amendment No. 2506 to add ADU regulations to the county zoning ordinance outside joint areas; and (4) county-wide amendment No. 2507 to change transfer-of-building-eligibility requirements for county zoning.

Hookman described the ADU rules as covering general ADU requirements and separate rules for attached and detached ADUs, including definitions and a parking requirement that staff said would generally be satisfied by on-site garage or driveway spaces. He said callers had mixed feedback during the planning process: generally favorable toward ADUs but concerns raised about traffic on rural roads and about whether ADUs could affect the market for existing building eligibilities.

Commissioners voted to set April 22 as the hearing date for all four text amendments; each motion to publish notice carried on a roll call with no recorded opposition. The planning department will bring the amendments to the joint hearing for public testimony and final action.