Dickinson County planning commission approves Gerbers Subdivision final plat with conditions

The Dickinson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6–0 on Dec. 15 to approve the final plat for Gerbers Subdivision, with conditions requiring clearer mapping of outlot A, identified drainage easements and homeowners‑association restrictions on accessory structures.

Megan Kardell, Dickinson County zoning administrator, presented the final‑plat materials and introduced surveyor Pat Mohning of Mohning Land Surveying, who explained the plat layout and the location of drainage easements, including a south‑end easement by Crowley Road and easements tied to roadway drainage. Commissioners raised concerns that many lots near sections labeled 1B–16B sit close to the floodplain and that the plat did not explicitly mark outlot A or several drainage easements the commission wanted shown on the map.

Applicant Jim Gerber, representing JMAR, Inc., told the commission that a homeowners association had been signed by property owners and filed with the state, and that the roadway is currently identified in the abstract and will be turned over to lot owners when appropriate. Gerber said the intended use for certain accessory structures is storage rather than residential living space.

Commissioners pressed staff and the surveyor for written confirmation of several items. Chairperson James Blum asked that the map show the outlot and the drainage features that allow runoff from the private road to reach the retention pond, and Carol Pierce sought explicit, written HOA language preventing accessory buildings from being used as residences. Kardell confirmed that HOA documents were attached to the plat submittal and that the Sanitary District has indicated it does not have capacity for additional sanitary service in the area.

Pierce moved to approve the final plat with the stipulations that: HOA accessory‑structure restrictions be documented in writing; outlot A be identified on the final plat; and specified easements be shown (the motion listed the easements tied to lots noted during the discussion). Derek Lee seconded; the commission approved the motion 6–0 (Blum, Besch, Heywood, Menke, Lee and Pierce). The commission’s approval was conditional on the stated mapping and HOA clarifications.

The commission did not set a separate timeline for recording; next steps are for the applicant to revise the final plat to incorporate the requested easement delineations and HOA language and resubmit the final documents for recording.