Brookings Planning Commission Meeting - March 4, 2025
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Brookings Planning Commission Meeting - March 4, 2025
The Brookings Planning Commission met on March 4, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Chambers Room of the Brookings City & County Government Center. The meeting covered an annexation petition, a discussion on future land use map revisions, the 2024 annual report, and a training session on tax increment financing (TIF). The public hearing on the annexation received no opposition, and the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval to the City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda: Moved by Schmeichel, seconded by Aiken. All in favor. Motion passed.
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the February 4, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Annexation Public Hearing: Jason Harms, representing N.E. Hanson LLC (the applicant), spoke briefly in favor of the annexation, offering to answer questions. No speakers opposed the annexation.
Discussion Items
- Annexation (Item 4a): Ryan Miller, City Planner, presented a petition to annex approximately 55 acres located at 1501 U.S. Highway 14 Bypass (southeast corner of Highway 14 Bypass and 34th Avenue). The property is currently in joint-jurisdiction agriculture, single-owner, and within the Phase One annexation priority area. Staff recommended approval. Commissioners questioned the applicant about future rezoning; it was noted a rezone would come in about 90 days. The commission voted unanimously (8-0) to recommend approval to the City Council.
- Future Land Use Map Discussion (Item 4b): Ryan Miller introduced a request from the Brookings Historic Preservation Commission (BHPC) to revise the Future Land Use Map for six areas along 6th Street within the Central Residential and University Residential Historic Districts. The BHPC proposed changing the designation from medium- or high-density residential to "Residential Scale Preservation" to protect historic character. BHPC members Sandra Kalise and Matthew Weiss presented exhibits showing potential loss of historic structures and argued for preservation. Commissioners discussed affordable housing, neighborhood safety, walkability, and the risks of losing historic district designation. No formal action was taken; the commission expressed interest in advancing the discussion to property owners and the Development Review Team.
- 2024 Annual Report (Item 5a): Ryan Miller presented the annual report, summarizing 2024 activity: 21 variance requests, 8 rezoning requests, 2 joint-jurisdiction rezones, 4 conditional use permits, 6 preliminary plats (50 new lots), 5 commercial corridor site plan reviews, 2 initial development plans, 7 final development plans, 2 ordinance amendments, 6 comprehensive plan amendments, 1 TIF district, and 1 annexation. Challenges included board turnover and a current vacancy. Commissioners discussed board vacancies and the value of having developers on the commission. The report was approved with added discussion points on board recruitment and developer participation.
- Tax Increment Finance Training (Item 5b): Community Development Director Mike Struck conducted a training on TIF, covering the four classification types (local, industrial, economic development, affordable housing), the "but-for" test, eligible costs, and the approval process. He provided examples of past TIF districts, including a workforce housing project on 15th Street South. Commissioners asked about the timing of TIF relative to variances and the mechanisms to prevent misuse. No action was taken; the presentation will be shared electronically.
Key Outcomes
- Annexation (Item 4a): Motion to recommend approval of the annexation petition to the City Council passed unanimously (8-0).
- Future Land Use Map Discussion (Item 4b): No vote taken. Staff will proceed to contact property owners and gather feedback, with a potential public hearing at a future planning commission meeting.
- 2024 Annual Report (Item 5a): Approved with added discussion points on board recruitment and developer participation, to be shared at the upcoming City Council retreat.
- Tax Increment Finance Training (Item 5b): Informational only; no action required.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for April 1, 2025, with a heavy agenda anticipated.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. We'll get the meeting started here. Ryan, could you call the role? Roll is noted with all in attendance. Thank you. Next item on the agenda number two is approved of oh thank you. And we're doing the planning commission. No, that's the only one she gave me. We could just skip that this time. Just go to approval agenda. Yeah, that's the board of adjustments. That's fine. Just go a straight into the appropriate fitness. Ask for ask for a motion to approve these. Okay. Sorry about that, folks. Um, we'll get to our agenda number item number two is approval of the agenda. Is there a motion second? So moved. Second. Aiken. All in favor. Aye. Opposed. Motion passes. Number item number three on the agenda is approval of the minutes. Is there a motion second for um meeting minutes from last meeting on February 4th, 2025? So move so thank you. Um in favor. Aye. Opposed. Motion passes. Um item number three A, approval of February fourth. Oh, that's the minute, sorry. New business number four. Um, annexation of the west half of the northeast quarter. Excluding platted areas in section 20, Township 110, range 49, Brookings County, South Dakota, excluding land north of U.S. Highway 14. Ryan, would you like to introduce the topic? Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first item on the agenda tonight is an annexation petition for property located um at 1501 U.S. Highway 14 bypass. The applicant is N. E. Hanson LLC. As I mentioned, the property is located at 1501 U.S. Highway 14 bypass. This is in the southeast corner of the intersection of Highway 14 bypass and 34th Avenue. It's uh currently in the joint jurisdiction area zoned, joint jurisdiction agriculture.
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