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Planning staff previews comprehensive‑plan land‑use amendments, proposes larger rural lot sizes and nomenclature changes
Summary
Pennington County planning staff said they will propose changes to the county comprehensive plan’s land use section, including raising the minimum lot size for low‑density residential from 1/2 acre to one acre and renaming several residential districts to reduce confusion with city zoning definitions.
Brittney Molitor, Pennington County planning director, told the Board on Jan. 22 that staff have completed a parcel‑by‑parcel review of the future land use map and will propose targeted changes to the comprehensive plan’s land use section.
Key proposals Molitor described include changing the low‑density residential minimum lot size from 1/2 acre to 1 acre to better accommodate wells and septic systems in the hills; renaming “suburban/urban residential” districts to clarify differences (for example changing names to Suburban Residential 1 and Suburban Residential 2); and tightening standards and renaming the county’s current Plan Unit Development (PUD) overlay to a “multiple use permit” within the Conditional Use Permit section to avoid spot zoning and to ensure true mixed‑use developments.
Molitor said staff also propose combining the commercial and highway service districts to reduce redundant uses, make some formerly permitted amusement uses conditional, and add a neighborhood commercial district to allow lower‑impact retail and services (e.g., salons) in smaller footprints. She said these changes are primarily nomenclature, threshold and clarity edits rather than broad material policy changes.
Public engagement and timing: Molitor said county staff will run outreach with the county marketing director and HR to publish materials online, hold informational meetings and publicize changes before the Planning Commission review. She told commissioners the land‑use sections and the future land‑use map will be the portion released for public comment; she expects meetings and Planning Commission hearings to begin in March with the potential to be in effect before summer.
Why it matters: Staff and several commissioners said the changes respond to rapid development patterns and to resident confusion when county district names resemble city “urban” districts that imply higher density and taller building heights.
Ending: Molitor said staff will return with public‑engagement materials and Planning Commission hearing dates and will provide a tracked‑changes packet when the proposed ordinance amendments are put before the board.
