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Planning commission approves ADU at Rushmore Ranch after fire-safety and water-supply questions
Summary
The commission approved a minor PUD amendment to allow an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 13707 Hermosa Court, with conditions requiring fire-safety changes and plan review by the county fire coordinator; commissioners also discussed water supply for the Rushmore Ranch area.
The Pennington County Planning Commission approved a minor planned-unit-development amendment allowing an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 13707 Hermosa Court in Rushmore Ranch on Jan. 27, 2025, with 15 conditions that include fire-safety revisions and review by the county fire coordinator prior to final building-permit approval.
The ADU request was presented by Kelsey Rausch, a planner with the Pennington County Planning Department, who told the commission the property meets the county’s ADU criteria under section 324 of the Pennington County zoning ordinance and that the structure already had a building permit as a detached garage with a loft. "I believe the plan is to put a deck, on and then have stairs down to the to the ground so they can have direct access," Rausch said, describing the required change to provide an outdoor, direct egress from the loft.
The commission asked staff about water supply in the Rushmore Ranch area. Jason Thedison, assistant planning director, said the county had routed the proposal to the water district and that, based on conversations with the district, "Rushmore Ranch has enough water from their water district to support any development within that PUD." A commissioner asked whether additional accessory dwellings and buildings could reduce water available to adjacent subdivisions; Jason said the district indicated they could support Rushmore Ranch and, conditionally, the adjacent Mountain Meadows subdivision.
Applicant Rick Kerstad, representing property owner Dana Kierstead, told the commission he had spoken with Jerome Harvey, the county fire coordinator, and described the safety work discussed: "...he told us that we needed to add another row of sheet rock up above and fire tape it and then build the deck for egress out the backside." Kerstad said the building is engineered for the intended use and that the contractor is familiar with local requirements.
The commission’s approval requires that the applicant submit revised building plans showing direct outdoor egress and that the county fire coordinator review those plans prior to final permitting. The motion to approve COPU24-007 carried on a voice vote; the minutes record the outcome as approved with 15 conditions.
Ending: Staff will verify compliance with the fire coordinator’s recommendations during the building-permit review process. The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners where applicable.
