Planning & Zoning Application

The purpose of this Title is to provide for the harmonious development of the municipality and its environs; for the coordination of streets within subdivisions with other existing or planned streets or with other features of the comprehensive plan; for adequate open spaces for traffic, recreation, light and air, and for a distribution of population and traffic which will tend to create conditions favorable to health, safety and convenience through the provision for an adequate scale of street, sanitary, water, utility and other improvements as land is subdivided.

Preliminary Plat Requirements 
Final Plat Requirements

The City of Sturgis and Meade County operate under a  3-Mile Agreement  for platting. Areas within the designated 3-Mile boundaries are subject to City platting regulations.

All plats within Area #1 must be approved by the Sturgis Planning Commission and the Sturgis City Council and must be reviewed by the Meade County Equalization and Planning Department prior to filing at the Meade County Register of Deeds.  For properties in Area #2, the plat application should be submitted to the Meade County Equalization and Planning Department, subject to comments by the City of Sturgis Planning and Permitting Department.

 If you are considering a plat within the 3-Mile jurisdiction, please contact the Planning and Permitting Department prior to submitting your plat. 

The use of land which is not the principal use and not in conformity with the regulations for the district in which the use is proposed, due to the specific nature and unique characteristics of the use, requires special standards and discretionary review to ensure conformance with the purpose of the Zoning Regulations.  All Use on Review Permits are reviewed on an annual basis and can be revoked at any time.

Typically these include at-home businesses.  A Use on Review is required when any of the following attributes apply:

Land Use Examples which may require a Use on Review*:

*Please be aware of any covenants on your property that may prohibit such uses.

The process to vacate street or alley right-of-way in the City of Sturgis is regulated by SD Codified Laws in Chapter 9-45. Along with the requirements of state law, the City requires specific steps to be followed in order to create a resolution that can be presented to the City Council and to assure the Council that community issues have been addressed.

 General Procedure 

The following is the general process for a typical right-of-way vacation:

• Petitioner creates a petition specific for the right-of-way to be vacated and obtains 100% of adjacent property owner's signatures (signatures must be on the petition).  An example of a petition is included in the Vacate Packet link below.
• An exhibit showing the proposed vacation must be submitted with the petition.
• The petitioner must notify all utility companies and obtain their written response regarding right-of-way.  An example of a letter to utilities is included in the Vacate Packet link.
• Upload completed Petition and fill out the Plat Application via   Citizenserve.  You can also pay any applicable fees and upload any other relative documents through the web portal.
• Documents are reviewed by City staff and a resolution is prepared.
• The Planning Commission will review the application and all related documents and will make a recommendation to the Council along with a request to set a Public Hearing.
• The Notice of Public Hearing and exhibits are published in the newspaper twice prior to the Public Hearing date.
• The Public Hearing for the proposed Vacation is held at the City Council meeting.
• If the Council approves the request, there is a twenty-day waiting period (after the date of publication of the Council Minutes) before the resolution takes effect.  During this 20 day waiting period, a member of the public could complete the requirements for a petition and ask for a referendum to require a vote of the people.  The resolution and vacation exhibit is filed at the Meade County Register of Deeds.

The cost of a right-of-way vacate application is $250.  

Vacation Packet Link

This packet includes examples and more specific information about the vacation process.  Please contact the Planning and Permitting Department if you have questions about this process.

The purpose of the variance is to modify the strict application of the specific requirements of the City of Sturgis Zoning Ordinance in the case of exceptionally irregular, narrow, shallow or steep lots, or other exceptional physical conditions, whereby such strict application would result in practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship which would deprive an owner of the reasonable use of his land. The variance shall be used only where necessary to overcome some obstacle which is preventing an owner from using his lot as the Zoning Ordinance intended.
 

A property owner currently outside the City Limits of Sturgis can file a petition with the City Council requesting Voluntary Annexation.

The City grows through the annexation process.  Prior to annexing property, the City looks closely at the location of the property.  All property considered for annexation must be contiguous to property already within City limits.  The property must be suitable to receive City services either immediately or by a pre-determined date in the future.  The cost of installing water and sewer infrastructure rests upon the property owner.

Close coordination between landowners and the City is required when annexation is considered. The time required for this process can vary greatly depending on the location and other factors specific to the property.

Petition for Voluntary Annexation by an individual landowner

Petition for Voluntary Annexation by a corporation

The application process for a voluntary annexation can be started on the CitizenServe web portal.  The petition will be scheduled for a City Council public hearing.  Once approved, a resolution to annex the property will be filed at the Meade County Register of Deeds.

From time to time, a request for a change to zoning is warranted.  If a property is being re-platted into one parcel, all property within the parcel must be zoned the same.  On occasion, a property is re-zoned to allow for a use not currently allowed in a zone.