Pennington County planning commission approves multiple land‑use applications, including treehouse camping overlay

The Pennington County Planning Commission on Nov. 10 approved a slate of land‑use applications, including a plan‑unit development overlay for a proposed luxury treehouse camping site and several minor plats, a preliminary plan, a comprehensive plan amendment and a rezone for a property housing Black Hills Nursery.

Planning Director Britney Hahn told the commission that the consent agenda contained multiple conditional‑use reviews and an overlay item for a “special tree reserve” that would include three tent sites, one treehouse with living quarters and a caretaker residence. Commissioner (speaker 5) asked whether the treehouse and bathroom/shower facilities were already built; Hahn replied they had not been constructed. The commission voted to approve plan‑unit development overlay PUR22‑04 with 26 staff‑recommended conditions.

Assistant Planning Director Jason Thennison presented minor plat COMPL25‑0002 (Andreson’s Acres), a subdivision of 78.41 combined acres into four lots sized 11.16, 10.28, 10.08 and 46.58 acres. Staff recommended approval after interdepartmental review and noted the highway department’s requirement that the parcels be incorporated into the Keeper Ranch Road District; the commission approved the plat with conditions.

The commission also approved linked applications for property owned by John and Linda Light: preliminary plan COPPL25‑0011 to create two lots, comprehensive plan amendment COPA25‑0010, and rezone CORZ25‑0012 to change Lot 2 from Agriculture District to Low‑Density Residential at 1.25 acres. Neighbor Cynthia Cramtree told the commission she supports the rezoning and said the local road district has no plans to upgrade the gravel road.

Applicant John ("Scott") Light told the commission the lot split was needed because insurance companies had refused coverage when a commercial nursery and a residence were on the same parcel; he said separating the residence from the nursery will allow the nursery to continue operations while making it easier to obtain home insurance.

The commission approved minor plan COMPL25‑0003 (Hanson Heights) to create Lot 2A (15.39 acres) and Lot 2B (16.35 acres), which staff said would allow an existing guest house to be used as a vacation home rental once the legal requirements are met. All formal motions recorded in the transcript were adopted by voice vote; no formal roll‑call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript.

These planning commission approvals are advisory and will be forwarded as recommendations to the Pennington County Board of Commissioners, which will take final action on Nov. 18, 2025.

"Staff did recommend approval," Hahn said when presenting several of the items. "Any conditions not met at this time will be met before the planning director signs the mylar."