Planning board recommends variance so Ingalls can seek building permit on unplatted parcel

Robert Ingalls, a property owner, asked the Meade County Planning Board for a variance to allow a modular home to be placed on family ranch land after a Highway 212 right-of-way left the parcel below the county’s 40-acre minimum.

The planning board recommended the County Commission grant the variance and the board then sat as the board of adjustment and approved the request. The approvals carry conditions set by planning staff: only one primary dwelling may be permitted, permits for outbuildings may be issued, accessory dwelling units are not allowed without platting, and the landowner must obtain a South Dakota Department of Transportation (SD DOT) residential-approach permit before building.

Why it matters: Meade County’s ordinance requires parcels under 40 acres to be platted to qualify for building permits. The applicant told the board he and his wife plan to move a modular home onto the family ranch and requested relief to avoid the time and expense of a plat revision after the highway right-of-way reduced the contiguous acreage.

Board and staff discussion focused on whether the highway split the lot and on safe access. A planning staff member said they reviewed highway plats and concluded the quarter-quarter lies north of Highway 212 and that the highway does not split the lot in half; staff recommended waiving the platting requirement under those conditions. The staff member also explained that any future additional residents or accessory units would require platting.

During discussion board members asked about access points and section-line approaches; the applicant said two access options exist and that he expects to use section-line access, subject to SD DOT approval. The board approved the variance and then, in the board-of-adjustment role, formally granted the same relief so the applicant may pursue the building permit process.

Action and next steps: The planning board’s recommendation will be sent to the County Commission for final action on the variance for platting requirements; the applicant must obtain a DOT-approved approach before a building permit is issued.