Board approves rezone for New Cooperative and advances rule allowing borrow pits as conditional use

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved a second reading to rezone a parcel for New Cooperative Inc. from Agricultural Preservation (AP) to General Industrial (GI) and advanced a separate zoning text amendment to classify borrow pits for earth materials as a conditional use in Agricultural Estates (AE) zoning.

Planning and zoning staff said the New Cooperative rezone is the second of three public hearings and readings required for the change. Daniel Priestley, planning and zoning, said the zoning commission reviewed the borrow‑pit issue after a board directive and recommended the text amendment on a 4-0 vote. "They examined this... and sent you their recommendation, 4 to 0 vote, to recommend approval to change the zoning to allow for a conditional use permit for agricultural estates," Priestley said.

Frank Huseman, representing New Cooperative, thanked the board and offered to answer questions. Supervisors discussed reasons for the conditional-use approach for borrow pits, including notification of neighbors, haul‑route transparency, traffic control, dust control and erosion control. One supervisor said: "Traffic control, dust control, erosion control... there shouldn't be a problem with it being done if it's done right."

The board closed the public hearing on the rezone and approved the second reading by a 5-0 vote. The board also received the zoning commission's final report on the borrow‑pit amendment, opened and closed the public hearing on that amendment, and approved a first reading on the text amendment by a 5-0 vote. The zoning commission and board record show the commission vote was 4-0 and the board votes were unanimous on actions recorded in the meeting.