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Planning Commission backs Jones Ranch rezoning and preliminary plan; telecom tower, no‑build easement and lot sizes discussed
Summary
The commission approved a comprehensive-plan amendment and rezone for a 2‑acre addition to Lot 3 of the Jones Ranch subdivision and the related preliminary plan; commissioners discussed a one‑acre telecom tower lot, a no‑build easement, a tower‑height setback variance and neighbor concerns.
The Pennington County Planning Commission on June 9 recommended approval of a comprehensive plan amendment, a rezone and a preliminary plat for a portion of Jones Ranch that will expand Lot 3 by roughly two acres.
Planner Megan Talmadge told commissioners the request would change the future and current land use for about two acres within Lot 3 so the preliminary plan can adjust the lot from five to seven acres. "Currently Lot 3 of Jones Ranch Subdivision is 5 acres. The preliminary plan will make it 7 acres, so that additional 2 acres needs to be rezoned to rural residential," Talmadge said.
Commissioners focused on a proposed one‑acre lot intended to host a cell tower and an accompanying no‑build easement. Talmadge said the applicant had filed a variance to permit a one‑acre telecom lot in an agricultural zoning district and that the tower lot would still have to meet agricultural setback rules. She also explained the proposed no‑build easement around the tower: "That easement is only on this plat. It isn't on that neighboring property," Talmadge said, but she cautioned that staff would verify exact measurements and how the easement interacts with adjacent parcels.
A neighboring property owner, Charles Ridley, spoke at the meeting and said the notices he received had raised concerns that more extensive lotting might occur. Ridley said he understood the present proposal was limited: "No. And they just recommend putting an easement up there that will probably never happen... I'm not even gonna fence that out it's still gonna be in the pasture." Commissioners told Ridley they would confirm the scope of the plat and the easement with the surveyor.
Commissioners also discussed tower setback calculations. Talmadge explained the standard tower setback used for the no‑build easement is "1.1 times the height, which is where we got that no build easement from," and that the applicant is seeking a variance on tower height setbacks to allow the tower to be closer than normally permitted.
The commission approved comprehensive plan amendment COCA25‑0006, rezone CORZ25‑0008 and preliminary plan COPPL25‑0005 with eight conditions; staff said the telecom tower on the property was originally permitted in February 2007. The commission directed staff to confirm exact measurements, the location of rights‑of‑way and the easement language before forwarding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.
