Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Amen. Thank you.

Well, you know, during COVID, it was the most fantastic time for business. I can do most of what I do remotely.

So Brenda and I, we went on a vacation.

We've been all over the country that year. So, yeah.

I just wonder.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to July 9th, 2026, the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, starting at 7 a.m. in the morning. If any member of the audience wishes to speak to an item on the agenda today, there are speaker request forms on the left side of the room. Please grab the request, fill it out with the agenda number of the item you wish to speak to, and hand it to the staff seated on that side of the room. The public hearing on item number one, the approval of the June 25th, 2026 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting minutes is hereby open.

Motion to approve.

All right, Vince made the motion to approve and Mike Quasney seconded that motion. Any discussion on the motion to approve those meeting minutes? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item number two.

Good morning. Item number two is a variance request to reduce the minimum front yard setback from 35 feet to 13 feet to replace the storage shed right here at 2421 Lockwood Drive. So the property is own low density residential district and storage sheds are permitted accessory use in the zoning district. Future land use is low density neighborhood. Property is located west of Sheridan Lake road, which is classified as a principal arterial street on the city's major street plan. And this is an image of the existing or the original 10 by 10 shed that was, has been placed on this property for over 30 years. Unfortunately, recently this shed was damaged by a vehicle and has since been removed by the applicant. And that's just another image of that accident. Really the purpose of this variance application is to replace that shed in the same location as it is in this picture. So this is the proposed site plan. You can see that this property contains a single family dwelling, a detached garage, and a detached storage shed in the back, and the applicant's proposing to construct a 10 by 12 storage shed in the southwest corner of the property. That shed's gonna be set back 13 feet from the front property line, the same as the shed that was originally there, and 35 feet is required, hence the need for a variance to reduce that setback requirement down to 13 feet. And then this is the elevation of the proposed storage shed. It is going to be residential in nature and doesn't appear, the shed doesn't appear that it'll detract from the character of this residential neighborhood. Also with the previous shed, the location of the previous shed that we've never received a complaint on the location. And we did receive a written letter of support from the neighboring property owner for this variance application. That letter has been attached to the agenda. So this variance doesn't appear to be injurious to the neighborhood or detrimental to the public welfare for some of those reasons. And then this is where that storage shed is gonna be placed. You can see that the neighboring property does sit quite a bit higher than the applicant's property. And we thought that that change in topography does provide some visual buffering for this shed. And then this is just looking at the opposite view. The Apkin does have some existing landscaping along that shared property line. It's gonna provide a little bit of an additional buffer, and that landscaping is gonna stay. So with the visual buffer, with the change in topography, and with the existing landscaping, staff thought that constituted a special circumstance that would justify approval of this request. And then on to site photos, this is looking north along Lockwood Drive. Looking south along that same street. This is looking east along Cameron Drive. And looking west along that same street. So staff is recommending that this variance be approved because storage sheds are permitted accessory use in the district. The variance doesn't appear to be injurious to the neighborhood or detrimental to the public welfare. And with the visual buffering with the topography and the existing landscaping, staff thought that constituted a special circumstance. This justifies approval. Without, stand by for any questions. And the applicant is in the audience as well. Thanks. Thank you.

Anything from the Board of Adjustment on this?

Karen?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It appears that this seems to be like something that you should be able to do to replace something that was destroyed. And so I'm going to make a motion to approve this based on the fact that there's minimal adjustment needed and it's not injurious to the neighborhood and a special circumstance. Second.

All right, Karen made her motion. Jeff seconded that motion. Eric Heikes?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm in agreement with the motion and the second. I just want to note the significant difference that one shrub makes in this situation. The lilac that's there does a really nice job of buffering this. So small things make big differences. Thank you. I'll be voting yes.

All right. Any other comments on the motion? The motion is to approve the variance. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Are there any opposed? Motion carries. And that is our last item on the Zoning Board of Adjustment agenda. Okay, Karen made the motion to move Zoning Board of Adjustment. Second. Vince seconded that motion. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. We will now then commence the Rapid City Planning Commission meeting for July 9th, 2026. Starting it at 7.06 in the morning. Again, though, if any member, hey guys, Tanner.

Sorry, that was my interruption.

Appreciate it. All right. If any member of the audience wishes to speak to an item on the Planning Commission agenda, there are speaker request forms along the left wall of the room. Please fill out the request with the item number you wish to speak to and hand it to the staff seated on that side, and we'll make sure you have time to speak on that item. items one through three have been placed on the consent calendar and may be approved as a group today action will be taken on all consent items in accordance with staff's recommendation by a single vote any item may be removed from the consent calendar any planning commissioner staff member or audience member for separate consideration at this time the findings of this planning commission are recommendations to the city council the city council will make the final decision are there any items one through three that staff would like removed for separate consideration

No, thank you.

Any items one through three that any planning commissioner would like removed for separate consideration? And are there any items one through three that any audience member would like removed for separate consideration? Seeing none, the chair would then entertain a motion to approve those items one through three in accordance with the staff's recommendation.

Motion to approve items one through three in accordance with the staff's recommendation. Second.

All right, Vince made the motion, and Eric Heikes seconded that motion. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Are there any opposed? The motion carries. Item number four.

Good morning. Item number four before you is a conditional use permit to allow an annual pumpkin festival. So this is the property located at Memorial Park. We've seen this frequently. This property is zoned in the flood hazard district, future land uses, parks, and greenway. And access to this property is off of North 5th Street or Mount Rushmore Road. So this application before you, this is seeking approval to continue doing the annual one-day pumpkin festival, the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival. Historically, this has been on one Saturday in September. This is an annual event. Set up for this event usually takes place the Friday before the event, and teardown is usually done This Saturday after the event concludes I guess potentially it could carry into Sunday, but teardown does happen fairly frequently so the reason for this request is that because the Memorial Park is located in the flood hazard district any structures or Crowd generating activities do require conditional use permit. So this essentially is just somewhat of a housekeeping Measure for the the downtown pumpkin festival So as you can see on this map There are portions of the pumpkin festival that do take place in both Main Street Square and in the City Hall parking lot here Those properties are not located in the flood hazard district So they are not part of this conditional use permit and do not require a conditional use permit Just what takes place in Memorial Park requires the conditional use permit because of the flood hazard So in Memorial Park, that's where they do the pumpkin launching competitions. That's where they have their mini pumpkin launchings. They have a food truck. They have some tents and vendors over there. So that is what this conditional use permit would approve. They do also close down a portion of the streets, as you can see on the map here. They have vendors that come in here on 6th Street. And then they also have vendors in the pumpkin way off and things that happen on Main Street as well down here. So they do request the closure of those streets in accordance with what is needed to shut those down and put up traffic barriers each year as well. They do have a team of volunteers along with a hired security company and they also partner with the Rapid City Police Department to station people throughout the festival grounds to make sure that there's pedestrian safety, crowd control, Enforce some safety protocols and things like that as this is a huge event for the city and then parking They are people who attend this event are able to park in the monument parking lots They are still able to access the parking garage the Main Street Square parking garage from the 5th Street side and Since 6th Street is closed, but you can still access it from the 5th Street side Over here and then obviously downtown parking anywhere that it's available during this festival So each year they do also have to obtain a temporary use permit. They do have to do a special event permit with the Parks and Rec Department and they do also have to do a floodplain development permit each year for this event and that is just because the the nature of where things are placed and stuff like that can change or what kind of structures they're using so that's the reason for those to be renewed annually this conditional use permit would not be something that needs to be renewed annually it would follow along so long as it stays within the same scope that it is in now staff does recommend that if the scope changes if it if they add anything substantial that we would relook at this conditional use permit but as long as it stays the same As has what has been successful in the past, then this conditional use permit will not need to be renewed every year. So this is the area of the park where they do the pumpkin chunking. This is where they do the large launches. This is the portion of the park where they do the smaller mini four buck chuck where you can purchase a pumpkin and kiddos can launch it. And then this is the other side of Memorial Park. I don't know that this side of Memorial Park is currently used for anything with the Downtown Pumpkin Festival, but this also would be included if in the future it were to change. So with that, staff is recommending approval of the conditional use permit, and I will stand for any questions.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chair.

Vicki.

Quick point of clarification. Similar to what we do for other uses on city property and Memorial Park is city-owned parkland, this conditional use permit is being approved for five years. And we've done that with other uses as well. Just to make sure there isn't a higher and better use after that five-year mark or to ensure that if there's anything regarding the operation of the use that needs to come back for reconsideration, So if you'll look at that first stipulation of approval, approving it today would secure the approval of it for the next five years, which puts it through 2030.

All right, thank you. Eric Heikes.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I LOVE A GOOD SPECIAL EVENT. THIS IS IN SEPTEMBER? YES. CORRECT? MY ONLY REGRET IS THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON IN SEPTEMBER. IT'S HARD TO CHOOSE HERE. WE'VE GOT THE BUFFALO STAMPEDE, WE'VE GOT THE DEADWOOD JAM, THIS EVENT, THE WEST BOULEVARD BLOCK PARTY. SEPTEMBER IS PACKED WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND SOCIALLY INTERACT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. SO I'M REALLY GLAD THIS IS This is one of the choices I'm going to be moving to approve this conditional use permit for the next five years. Is that correct? That's my motion.

Including the other stipulations.

Including other stipulations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

That works for you, Alicia.

Okay.

Eric Heikas made the motion to approve with the stipulations. Alicia seconded that motion. Comments on the motion? I'll just throw out, Eric, anytime you have the chance to go watch pumpkins thrown not just far, but accurately, you should do it. Make a point this year. All right, anything else? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item number five.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, Planning Commission. This property should look a little bit familiar. This is a remnant that was left out of a previous rezone to mining extraction district. We've met with the property owner, and they've agreed to change this proposal from rezoning to mining extraction to rezoning to a low-density residential one. So just to take a look at the property here, it is what we were calling the sliver west of Sturgis Road. It is part of a larger parcel that has not been subdivided. That was a quarter-quarter section, the rest of it being east of Sturgis Road here. So we're south of St. Martin's Drive. The future land use was mining extraction, again, because that original parcel was part of the cement plant property that was previously owned by the state and operated in that way. And we originally had the... South Dakota codified law section 11, four 30 showing as the, what superseded our zoning in that case, but it is bounded by agricultural, um, and residential zoning. And so they were okay with, uh, updating that property to a residential zoning district, namely of its size and location. It's not really conducive to any other operations and it's appropriate for that area. Again, we're off Sturgis Road, just south of St. Martin's. This is just showing the portion that is legally described in the rezone for this consideration today. And here's a look at that property. There are a lot of, again, topography constraints. The size of the property is very small. I think it is appropriate to extend that residential zoning north here. And you'll note they did post-signage on that. They moved one of their signs to this property to notice that that was a new rezone. This is looking south on Sturgis Road, north, and then back at the property. on the other side of St. Martin's to the west. You can see not much development out there. There is the sign for some of the things that are down that road. So staff is recommending approval on this request to rezone from that state law to low density residential district one. And I will stand for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Anything else from the county commission? Justin, I'm just going to ask, the earlier withdrawal that we acknowledged, can you confirm, was there another application coming on that piece?

Correct. It'll be at the July 23rd, our next Planning Commission meeting. When we looked back at the property, it is part of what is covered in the South Dakota Codified Law. And so we've corrected which zoning district it is going from to. It'll stay to mining and extraction. They did want to try to keep that. So we'll discuss that at the July 23rd meeting.

There doesn't appear to be anybody here, but has that been communicated to the neighbors in that area? That was kind of a parcel at our last one, our last, last one.

Yeah, we had one come. We'll send a mailing out again as well and re-advertise. That's one of the reasons we did it as a new application so that it, It re-advertises and we put it in the staff report as well. So if they looked back at the RZ11, they would know the new number is RZ29. Okay.

Thank you.

I apologize for getting off topic. No, no, I'm glad you asked.

Anything on this item number five, the sliver? Karen?

I move approval of the item.

I'll second. Okay.

Karen made the motion to approve the rezoning, and Vince seconded that motion. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. And that's the end of our regular agenda today. Any staff items or discussion items? Vicki?

Not today, other than looking at the weather forecast. Hydrate, stay cool. We're in for it starting this weekend.

May everybody's air conditioning systems continue to work. Anything from the Commission? Karen made the motion to adjourn.

Oh, sorry Eric Did we settle on a time for our planning 101 session? Have we figured out a time on our planning 101 session I

We've got a doodle poll floating around out there. We've got 10 responses, but we're still waiting for everyone to weigh in on it. So if you haven't, please do so.

Good reminder. Thank you.

One of those not responded people is sitting right here, and I will do that after the meeting. All right. Karen made the motion to adjourn. Is there a second? Okay.

Oh, Vince seconded it.

Okay. All those in favor of adjournment, please say aye. Aye.