OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brookings Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission Meeting - February 3, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, February 3, 2026
BodyBrookings, South Dakota
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, February 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:26:38

Transcript — Verbatim
1:12

Roll is noted with all members in attendance.

1:15

Deborah Spears attending via teleconference.

1:23

First we'll uh approve the agenda.

1:26

Can I entertain a sec a motion in a second?

1:29

So move solemn.

1:31

Any discussion on the agenda.

1:34

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

1:37

Aye.

1:37

All opposed.

1:38

Aye.

1:41

Next item, uh approval of the minutes.

1:44

I get a uh motion and a second.

1:47

Motion to approve.

1:48

Second, Aiken.

1:50

Any discussion on the minutes.

1:54

Seeing none.

1:56

All in favor, say aye.

1:57

Aye.

1:58

Aye.

1:59

All opposed.

2:03

We now move on to open forum at this time.

2:05

If any member of the public may may make a brief announcement or invitation and request time in the agenda for an item not listed.

2:18

All right.

2:19

Seeing none, we'll close the open forum.

2:21

Now convene as the Board of Adjustment.

2:24

Uh the Board of Adjustment is a seven-member board which has the power to hear requests for variances and special exceptions.

2:31

The concurring vote of two-thirds of the full membership is necessary for approval of any action by the board.

2:37

A seven-member board requires five votes, a six-member board requires five votes, and a five-member board requires five votes.

2:46

In accordance with Robert's rules of order, we require a motion to approve a request before the request can be debated.

2:53

As a matter of policy, all motions are made in the positive board under specific powers granted it by the state shall authorize variances from the zoning requirements where special conditions existing on the land will result in unnecessary hardship for the applicant.

4:22

Thank you, Commissioner Heinert.

4:24

Any discussion on this?

5:05

Thank you, Commissioner Speer.

5:07

Noted.

5:08

Any further discussion on this.

5:22

Okay, we'll move on to item 5A variance for an accessory building.

5:42

The request is for a larger than permitted accessory building and residents R1B single family district.

5:48

The floor area of accessory buildings on lots with an area of two acres or more shall not exceed 2,000 square feet for all buildings combined and all floors combined, or 100% of the largest floor area of one story of the principal building, whichever is less.

6:05

Ryan, can you introduce the topic?

6:09

Thank you, Mr.

6:09

Chair.

6:10

The first item on the agenda is a variance for an accessory building proposed at 1231 West 8th Street South.

6:18

The applicant is the property owner, Mason Winterboer.

6:21

Properties located in a residence R1B single family district.

6:25

Request is for a 3,645 square foot accessory structure.

6:31

In this zoning district, the maximum allowed for an accessory structure is 2,000 square feet.

6:36

If the lot is greater than two acres, in this case, it is a three-acre lot.

6:40

The staff recommendation on the variance application is denial, and the Board of Adjustments action would be to approve, amend, or deny.

6:48

Section 6515 of our uh municipal ordinance um lists the criteria for um variances.

6:57

Uh one, due to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship, and the variance shall not violate the spirit of the ordinance, and substantial justice may be achieved as a result of the variance.

7:10

Unique circumstances apply to the property, which do not apply to other properties in the same vicinity or district.

7:17

The variance is necessary for the preservation of a property right that is substantially the same as that possessed by owners of other property in the same district.

7:26

The variance requested as the minimum variance, which would alleviate the hardship and reasonable use of the property is not permitted under the terms of this chapter.

7:36

The property in question, 1231 uh West 8th Street South, is um highlighted in the blue box on the left map, and a rough site plan is presented on the right half.

7:48

Uh it's the general location of the proposed accessory structure.

7:52

Uh this does show that it would meet the required setbacks.

7:57

This would be uh a site layout of where the accessory structure would be located.

8:02

Uh there's currently a two-stall garage uh with the dashed uh box kind of to the left of the proposed structure.

8:11

The proposed accessory structure would be a garage with a cupboard patio, office, and storage areas, as well as a bathroom.

8:21

Uh here are the elevation drawings presented showing the um proposed design of the structure.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Municipal Code Management████████████████████████████28%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████21%
Planning Commission████████████████████20%
Historic Preservation███████████████15%
Procedural█████████9%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Public Engagement█1%
Conflicts of Interest█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Brookings Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission Meeting - February 3, 2026

The Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission of Brookings, South Dakota, met on February 3, 2026, at 11:30 AM to discuss and decide on several agenda items. The Board of Adjustment considered two variance requests, and the Planning Commission considered two preliminary plats and one ordinance amendment. All members were present, with Deborah Spears attending via teleconference.

Consent Calendar

  • Agenda approved unanimously.
  • Minutes from previous meeting approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the open forum.
  • Public testimony was heard individually for each agenda item, as summarized below.

Board of Adjustment – Item 5A: Variance for Accessory Building (Mason Winterboer)

  • Request: Variance to allow a 3,645-square-foot accessory building (garage with covered patio, office, storage, bathroom) at 1231 West 8th Street South in an R1B district. The maximum allowed is 2,000 square feet. The lot is 3 acres.
  • Staff Recommendation: Denial.
  • Applicant Position: Mason Winterboer explained that the larger building is needed to store equipment and provide a home office. He noted the lot’s mature trees, septic system, and utility feed made attaching to the house impractical. He emphasized the building would match the house and not be an eyesore.
  • Board Discussion: Commissioner Letty proposed an amendment to cap enclosed square footage at 3,000 square feet (excluding the 361-square-foot covered patio), reasoning it aligns with a proportional allowance of 1,000 square feet per acre. The amendment was seconded and approved 6-1 (Letty voted no). The main motion with the amendment then passed 6-1 (Letty voted no).
  • Vote: Approved with condition that enclosed space does not exceed 3,000 square feet.

Board of Adjustment – Item 5B: Mount Calvary Lutheran Church – Four Variance Requests

  • Applicant: Represented by Kyle Rausch and Matthew Weiss. The church plans to remove the parsonage and expand the sanctuary, adding a covered carport along 9th Avenue.
  • Variances Requested:
    1. Expand a non-conforming building by more than 25% of gross floor area.
    2. Reduce front yard setback from 25 feet to 3 feet 8.25 inches for the carport canopy.
    3. Reduce off-street parking by 26 spaces, relying on proposed boulevard parking (subject to city staff approval).
    4. Reduce landscaping requirements and allow garbage receptacle in landscape area.
  • Staff Recommendation: No specific recommendation; board to decide.
  • Public Testimony: Sandra Khalis, neighbor and professional architect, spoke in favor, advocating for reduced parking mandates and emphasizing the Strong Towns philosophy.
  • Board Discussion: Commissioners asked about drainage, trash location, and potential alternatives. The applicant agreed to explore relocating the trash enclosure to a conforming space. Commissioners also noted that boulevard parking is not guaranteed and would be reviewed by staff. The board discussed the importance of preserving historic homes and the site’s constraints.
  • Vote: All four variances were approved unanimously (7-0).

Planning Commission – Item 6A: Preliminary Plat – Legacy Edition Phase 2 (Legacy Storage Condos LLC)

  • Request: Preliminary plat for lots 1-3 in block 3 and lots 1-2 in block 2 of Legacy Edition, located in the I-1 Light Industrial district.
  • Staff Recommendation: Approve as presented after confirming 34th Avenue right-of-way will be 40 feet.
  • Public Testimony: Justin Booker (Banner Associates) noted future phases will address drainage and floodplain issues.
  • Board Discussion: None.
  • Vote: Approved unanimously (9-0).

Planning Commission – Item 6B: Preliminary Plat – South Haven Addition (PMVK Limited LLC)

  • Request: Preliminary plat for block one of South Haven addition in the B3 Heavy district.
  • Staff Recommendation: Approve with conditions: Kalani Place must remain a private road (30-foot right-of-way), and Main Avenue South’s right-of-way must be widened to 40 feet.
  • Public Testimony: The civil engineer acknowledged both conditions.
  • Board Discussion: None.
  • Vote: Approved with conditions unanimously (9-0).

Planning Commission – Item 6C: Ordinance Amendment – Projecting Signs in B1 District

  • Proposal: Amend Section 94-473 to allow one projecting sign per 25 feet of building frontage in the downtown B1 district, replacing the current limit of one per building face.
  • Staff Recommendation: Approve.
  • Public Testimony: None.
  • Board Discussion: Commissioners discussed potential impacts on corner lots, multi-tenant buildings, and overall signage square footage. Staff noted only one prior variance had been granted for this issue.
  • Vote: Approved unanimously (9-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Variance for Accessory Building: Approved, with condition that enclosed square footage does not exceed 3,000 square feet. Applicant: Mason Winterboer.
  • Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Variances: All four variances approved without conditions, though the church may need to address trash and drainage concerns separately.
  • Legacy Edition Phase 2 Preliminary Plat: Approved, subject to final drainage and floodplain plans.
  • South Haven Addition Preliminary Plat: Approved with conditions regarding Kalani Place (private road) and Main Avenue South right-of-way.
  • Projecting Sign Ordinance Amendment: Approved; new rule allows one projecting sign per 25 feet of frontage in B1 district.
  • Next Steps: Remaining planning commission items (home occupation ordinance and annual report) were moved to the March 2026 meeting. A conflict-of-interest training for commission members is scheduled for February 17, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Roll is noted with all members in attendance. Deborah Spears attending via teleconference. First we'll uh approve the agenda. Can I entertain a sec a motion in a second? So move solemn. Any discussion on the agenda. Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Aye. Next item, uh approval of the minutes. I get a uh motion and a second. Motion to approve. Second, Aiken. Any discussion on the minutes. Seeing none. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed. We now move on to open forum at this time. If any member of the public may may make a brief announcement or invitation and request time in the agenda for an item not listed. All right. Seeing none, we'll close the open forum. Now convene as the Board of Adjustment. Uh the Board of Adjustment is a seven-member board which has the power to hear requests for variances and special exceptions. The concurring vote of two-thirds of the full membership is necessary for approval of any action by the board. A seven-member board requires five votes, a six-member board requires five votes, and a five-member board requires five votes. In accordance with Robert's rules of order, we require a motion to approve a request before the request can be debated. As a matter of policy, all motions are made in the positive board under specific powers granted it by the state shall authorize variances from the zoning requirements where special conditions existing on the land will result in unnecessary hardship for the applicant. Thank you, Commissioner Heinert. Any discussion on this? Thank you, Commissioner Speer. Noted. Any further discussion on this. Okay, we'll move on to item 5A variance for an accessory building. The request is for a larger than permitted accessory building and residents R1B single family district. The floor area of accessory buildings on lots with an area of two acres or more shall not exceed 2,000 square feet for all buildings combined and all floors combined, or 100% of the largest floor area of one story of the principal building, whichever is less. Ryan, can you introduce the topic? Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first item on the agenda is a variance for an accessory building proposed at 1231 West 8th Street South. The applicant is the property owner, Mason Winterboer. Properties located in a residence R1B single family district. Request is for a 3,645 square foot accessory structure. In this zoning district, the maximum allowed for an accessory structure is 2,000 square feet. If the lot is greater than two acres, in this case, it is a three-acre lot. The staff recommendation on the variance application is denial, and the Board of Adjustments action would be to approve, amend, or deny. Section 6515 of our uh municipal ordinance um lists the criteria for um variances. Uh one, due to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship, and the variance shall not violate the spirit of the ordinance, and substantial justice may be achieved as a result of the variance.

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