Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Vacant Land Assessment Chapel Valley topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pennington County keeps assessment of Chapel Valley vacant parcel at $74,000 after owner appeal
Summary
Following an appeal by the owner of a 3.29‑acre vacant parcel in Chapel Valley, the Pennington County board raised the local board’s certified figure from $65,000 to $74,000, citing comparable land sales and an existing reduction for an on‑site water tank.
The Pennington County Equalization Board adjusted the assessment of a vacant 3.29‑acre parcel in the Chapel Valley neighborhood to $74,000 after an owner appeal that centered on buildability and an existing reduction for an on‑site water tower.
Nicole, a staff appraiser with the Pennington County Department of Equalization, told the board that the parcel (addressed in county records as 5150 Copper Hill Ridge, tax ID 64969) had been mailed an assessment of $90,000 before the local Rapid City board reduced it to $65,000, a 28% reduction. Nicole said the property was being flat‑valued previously, a method reserved for unbuildable lots, whereas recent sales of similar hilltop parcels produced a median price per acre of about $54,000. She recommended removing the flat valuation and applying market adjustments while keeping a substantial reduction for the water tank and other nonconformities; that approach would place market value, before reductions, well above the local figure.
The owner (who appeared in the record and described historical arrangements with the Chapel Lane Water Company) said a 30,000‑gallon water tower sits on part of the parcel and that easements, a required 20‑foot utility buffer and a previous building moratorium tied to emergency access concerns limit developable area. The owner said only roughly one acre of the 3.29 acres appears buildable.
Commissioner discussion focused on the math behind the county comparables and on how the existing 65% reduction for the tower affects the market value. One commissioner calculated that applying the county median acreage price and then applying the reduction would yield a net value in the mid‑$60,000s; after board discussion the commission moved to raise the assessment from $65,000 to $74,000, and the motion carried.
Nicole told the board she had provided photographs, parcel maps and comparable land sales in the meeting packet. The final assessed value of $74,000 replaces the local board’s $65,000 figure for tax‑roll purposes; the county will publish the change in meeting minutes and update assessment records.
