Planning Commission recommends approval for five‑story jail addition that would double bed capacity

The Rapid City Planning Commission on March 6 recommended approval of a major amendment to the planned development overlay to allow an eastward expansion of the Pennington County Jail on St. Joseph Street that would add up to 600 beds, doubling the facility’s capacity from 600 to 1,200 beds.

Project scope and exceptions: Kip Harrington, Long Range Planning, described a five‑story addition that would contain officer stations, cells, program and recreation space, and flexible upper floors with roughly 110 to 148 beds per floor. The project requests exceptions including a zero‑foot setback for a sally port, allowance for fencing up to 12 feet in select internal locations (previous approvals allowed an 8‑foot front fence), and an increase in maximum stories from the public district standard of four stories/45 feet to five stories and approximately 127 feet, which matches the existing jail profile.

Why it matters: Staff said the sally port will improve detainee transfer safety by allowing buses and vans to enter and exit in a single direction without blocking St. Joseph Street; the city council previously vacated the public right of way where the sally port will connect. The project will decrease on‑site landscaping modestly and reduce 51 parking spaces, but staff cited an earlier parking study (from a prior PD) and proximity to the county parking garage and county‑owned land as evidence there is sufficient parking in the complex.

Commission comments and applicant presence: Commissioners asked about sidewalk continuity across the new sally port entrance and whether county‑owned properties were available for overflow parking. Staff confirmed the sidewalk will be shifted and that the county owns nearby properties, including a recently purchased building and parking areas east of the site that provide overflow capacity. Commissioner Mike Quasney (first name recorded as Mike/Mark in the transcript) expressed support for the project and moved approval with stipulations.

Outcome and next steps: The Planning Commission recommended approval with stipulations; the project will require final administrative and permitting actions consistent with plan development requirements. The transcript does not include construction funding sources, a project timeline, or the final number of beds per floor beyond the range staff presented.

Clarifying details: Staff said the sally port location is the result of the recently vacated right of way and will allow buses to enter and exit in one direction to reduce traffic impacts. The project will match materials to the existing jail with precast concrete and dark bronze metal accents. Parking reductions were noted but the prior parking study and adjacent county garage were cited as mitigating factors.