Spearfish Planning Commission Regular Meeting – January 20, 2026

The Spearfish Planning Commission met in regular session at 4:00 PM on January 20, 2026, at City Hall and via Zoom. Commissioners unanimously approved routine items, re-elected 2026 officers, and focused their main discussion on the first draft of the Development Regulations Assessment prepared by Clarion. Staff also previewed upcoming planning items and introduced the new community development director.

Consent Calendar & Routine Approvals

• The commission approved the agenda as amended to add a preview of upcoming planning commission items and remarks from the new community development director under Items for Discussion.
• The minutes of the January 3, 2026 Regular Session were approved.
• No conflicts of interest were declared.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joe Jorgensen, 1905 Stage Barnes Circle, provided historical background on the C3 office commercial district: it originated when the first lot in the Lookout subdivision on North Avenue was sold to Dr. Brady, who wanted a medical office despite the single-family requirement; the designation then expanded along North Avenue, and the Jorgensen subdivision later designated four lots as office commercial.
• A subsequent commenter praised Jorgensen's earlier advice to 'keep it simple' and said she liked the planning and zoning director's statement that 'the most important thing is flexibility.'

Discussion Items

• Jamia presented the draft Development Regulations Assessment from Clarion, stressing that it is a diagnostic report and not a code rewrite, with no adoption pending. It reviews Chapters 52 (mobile and manufactured homes, adopted 2014), 54 (subdivisions), 55 (trees and landscaping, originally adopted in 1983), and 56 (zoning and supplementary regulations).
• The assessment was developed with input from staff, the development review team, stakeholder meetings with developers and frequent code users, local engineering firms, and a survey of home builders. It is aligned with the Comprehensive Plan adopted last spring, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and the 2013 Master Transportation Plan.
• The draft has three focus areas: maintaining community character, establishing clear development review procedures, and creating a more user-friendly code. Recommendations include more by-right approvals and administrative adjustments, adding accessory dwelling units, cottage courts, and tiny homes, resolving manufactured/modular/mobile home inconsistencies, updating telecommunication facility standards, defining kiosks, moving technical subdivision standards into engineering design standards, and adding pedestrian and bicycle facility requirements.
• Table 3 presents possible zoning district changes, including consolidating or retiring some districts and adding new ones. Examples discussed included making one- and two-family districts a medium-density district, multifamily a high-density district, changing C1 to mixed-use, and possibly retiring or redefining C3 office commercial, which currently serves primarily medical uses. New districts could include parks/recreation/open space and public/institutional, plus historic and recreation corridor overlays.
• Staff noted that about 18% of the city is zoned DRD (Development Review District), and developers often seek DRD because base zoning districts lack needed flexibility for varied housing types.
• Commissioner Megan asked whether data centers, listed under light industrial, need more regulation, especially given emerging AI-related demand.
• Commissioners raised several additional points: the need for clearer flood zone and FEMA standards, concerns that park-space requirements can seem out of proportion in subdivisions and favoring larger parks or creek corridors over small pocket parks, support for bike and pedestrian connectivity including a connected loop path, and support for reduced setbacks and parking requirements to allow accessory dwelling units.
• The new community development director introduced himself, said he has nearly 32 years in local government, and explained that a future code rewrite would likely be a 12-to-24-month process with public engagement and a steering committee. He invited commissioners to one-on-one meetings.

Upcoming Items

• Staff previewed a possible TIF preliminary project plan at the next commission meeting, a Parks and Recreation Master Plan presentation by Tyler, and a City Council study session on the Safety Action Plan on January 28.
• The draft assessment will be discussed again at the February 3, 2026 planning commission meeting, with a formal presentation of the final report expected later, likely as a joint planning commission/city council presentation.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda and minutes were approved unanimously.
• The 2026 chair and vice-chair positions were approved unanimously. Rick was nominated to continue as chair.
• No formal action was taken on the Clarion development regulations assessment; it remains a discussion item pending further review and feedback.
• Staff will consider commissioner and public feedback, including flood zone clarity and data center regulation, as the assessment is finalized.