Rapid City Public Works approves appeal; staff says Chapter 13 will be amended to allow accessory water connections for greenhouses

The Rapid City Public Works committee voted to approve an appeal and discussed changes to city rules on water service for accessory structures after a resident asked to run a buried water line to a backyard greenhouse.

The issue arose during public comment when Gary Larson, a resident, said he planned to build a greenhouse about “probably 20 yards” from his house and wanted to run a buried water line about 6 feet underground to supply a sprinkler system. “It's just a greenhouse,” Larson said, adding the structure would not be occupied and the water would not be used for drinking.

Vicky, a Community Development staff member, told the committee the existing ordinance requires accessory structures to have a separate service line extending to the main in the right of way. She said the rule is intended to prevent a situation in which an accessory structure connected to a house later becomes a separate principal structure served by the same connection after being platted off as a separate lot. “Currently, the ordinance does require that those accessory structures have a separate service line that would extend to the main in the right of way,” Vicky said. She added staff will propose an amendment to Chapter 13 to address that specific situation and to allow greenhouses, sheds, bathhouses and garages to connect to the principal structure.

Committee members moved to approve the appeal after the discussion. The motion carried; the meeting record does not list a roll-call vote tally by name.

Votes at a glance — items recorded in the meeting - Motion to approve consent items 1 through 4: passed (no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript). - Motion to approve item 5: passed (no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript). - Motion to approve the appeal (item 6): passed (no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript).

The committee also heard an earlier question from Councilman Namaha about the location of the Whitehead fields on Canyon Lake Drive; Parks and Recreation staff (Jeff) confirmed the two fields are next to the park maintenance shop and are separate from the Canyon Lake complex and open to the public. Daniel and Kevin—members of the dais who spoke—did not object to moving forward with the appeal.

Staff said a formal amendment to Chapter 13 will be drafted and presented to address exceptions for greenhouses and similar accessory structures; no date for that amendment was provided in the meeting.