Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves rezone on South Highway 16 after traffic safety questions
Summary
The planning commission approved a comprehensive plan amendment and rezone for a 27-acre property at 13535 South Highway 16 to allow commercial storage and related development, after discussing DOT approach approval and local sight-distance safety concerns.
The Pennington County Planning Commission voted May 26 to adopt a comprehensive plan amendment (COCA26-0004) and to rezone a 27-acre property at 13535 South Highway 16 from agricultural to commercial (CORZ26-0002), actions that clear the way for commercial storage and related development on the site.
Senior Planner Cody Sack told the commission the landowner is Raymond Hupp and that the parcel's existing zoning is agricultural with a current future land use of Ranchette; the applicant requested a change to commercial future land use and a rezone to commercial. "The request appears to be in harmony with surrounding and future land uses," Sack said, and staff recommended approval of both the comprehensive plan amendment and the rezone.
Commissioners sought details about acreage, existing structures, and traffic access. Sack clarified the property is about 27 acres and contains a large structure previously used for storage and commercial purposes. Commissioners expressed concern about visibility and safety at the property approach on Highway 16 near Rockerville; one commissioner described the approach as "very, very blind" in morning hours and cautioned that commercial traffic and unfamiliar drivers can create hazardous conditions.
Sack and commissioners noted the applicants have an approved approach permit from the South Dakota Department of Transportation; Sack added the office would defer to DOT for traffic counts and approach criteria. Sack also said the proposed commercial use in the near term appears to be storage units, not an RV park; "storage units ... [have] significantly less" traffic than an RV park, he said, as commissioners discussed how future change-of-use reviews could require additional DOT coordination.
A motion to approve the comprehensive plan amendment was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; commissioners noted in the record that comprehensive plans cannot be conditioned. A separate motion to approve the rezone from agriculture to commercial was also moved, seconded and carried by voice vote. The commission recorded no roll-call vote tallies in the transcript and the votes were carried by voice.
The planning commission's approvals are recommendations to the Pennington County Board of Commissioners, which will consider the items at its June 3, 2026 meeting.
