Harrisburg council advances zoning change to let larger accessory buildings on private lots
December 13, 2024 | Harrisburg City, Lincoln County, South Dakota
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The Harrisburg City Council on first reading advanced an ordinance that would change how the city limits the size of accessory buildings such as detached garages and shops.
A staff presenter explained that the current code set a fixed maximum of 784 square feet for accessory buildings. The proposed Ordinance 2024‑15 would instead cap accessory structures at 30 percent of the property’s available rear yard. Using a typical local lot example — 70 feet by 135 feet (about 10,000 square feet) with a rear yard of about 3,850 square feet — the presenter said the 30 percent rule would allow an accessory building up to roughly 1,155 square feet.
"We go to a maximum of 30% of the available rear yard," the presenter explained while outlining the changes and offering the numeric example used by planners. The presenter said the change reflects updates to an ordinance that was drafted roughly 20 years ago and that the planning commission discussed the measure in multiple meetings before forwarding it for council consideration.
Council members asked and staff answered clarifying questions about corner lots and lots with dual frontage; staff said the draft includes provisions to address atypical lot configurations and that planners prepared materials to explain those cases to the commission. The presenter acknowledged the change will scale accessory building allowances with lot size — smaller lots would yield smaller accessory structures and larger lots could support larger ones.
Council moved to schedule second reading of Ordinance 2024‑15 for Dec. 17, 2024. No final vote on adoption was taken at the meeting.
Why it matters: Changing from a fixed square‑foot limit to a percentage of rear‑yard area alters the maximum size of accessory structures across the city and may affect homeowners’ renovation options, property values, and how staff calculates zoning-related fees or permits. Questions remain about how the rule will apply at corner lots and other nonstandard parcels; staff said those situations were discussed at planning commission hearings and that additional guidance is included in the draft ordinance.
Next step: The council set a second reading for Dec. 17, 2024, where council may vote to adopt, amend, or defer the ordinance.
A staff presenter explained that the current code set a fixed maximum of 784 square feet for accessory buildings. The proposed Ordinance 2024‑15 would instead cap accessory structures at 30 percent of the property’s available rear yard. Using a typical local lot example — 70 feet by 135 feet (about 10,000 square feet) with a rear yard of about 3,850 square feet — the presenter said the 30 percent rule would allow an accessory building up to roughly 1,155 square feet.
"We go to a maximum of 30% of the available rear yard," the presenter explained while outlining the changes and offering the numeric example used by planners. The presenter said the change reflects updates to an ordinance that was drafted roughly 20 years ago and that the planning commission discussed the measure in multiple meetings before forwarding it for council consideration.
Council members asked and staff answered clarifying questions about corner lots and lots with dual frontage; staff said the draft includes provisions to address atypical lot configurations and that planners prepared materials to explain those cases to the commission. The presenter acknowledged the change will scale accessory building allowances with lot size — smaller lots would yield smaller accessory structures and larger lots could support larger ones.
Council moved to schedule second reading of Ordinance 2024‑15 for Dec. 17, 2024. No final vote on adoption was taken at the meeting.
Why it matters: Changing from a fixed square‑foot limit to a percentage of rear‑yard area alters the maximum size of accessory structures across the city and may affect homeowners’ renovation options, property values, and how staff calculates zoning-related fees or permits. Questions remain about how the rule will apply at corner lots and other nonstandard parcels; staff said those situations were discussed at planning commission hearings and that additional guidance is included in the draft ordinance.
Next step: The council set a second reading for Dec. 17, 2024, where council may vote to adopt, amend, or defer the ordinance.
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