Codington County Paves Way for Rural Growth with Approval of New Residential Plats

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County’s rural landscape is set for a modest but meaningful expansion following the unanimous approval of two key residential plats during the Codington County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. The decisions mark a continued trend of steady residential growth in the county’s townships, balancing new construction with safety and agricultural guidelines.

The approvals—covering the Bunkers Addition and the Coteau Farm Addition—highlight the county’s commitment to transforming underutilized or vacated land into viable residential sites while ensuring emergency services maintain unfettered access to growing rural neighborhoods.

Safety First at Lake Pelican: The Bunkers Addition

The first resolution passed by the board officially established the Bunkers Addition, located along the western edge of Lake Pelican within Pelican Township. This plat served as the final procedural step in a process that began late last year with the vacation of a portion of West Pelican Drive.

A standout feature of the Bunkers Addition is a dedicated, hatched emergency turnaround area included in the site plans. Zoning Officer Luke Muller explained that this was a non-negotiable safety requirement to ensure that heavy emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambulances, can maneuver safely in what was formerly a dead-end area.

“The primary component to that plat is that he did have to keep an emergency turnaround in there,” Muller informed the board. “That is frankly just in the case of a fire or ambulance need that would come down that road, so we can guarantee there is the ability to do so.”

Transforming Agricultural History: The Coteau Farm Addition

The second approval focused on the Coteau Farm Addition, situated in Phipps Township, roughly two miles west of Florence. The board granted a farmstead exemption for the five-acre lot, which was historically used as a feedlot.

The site is slated for the installation of a new manufactured home, a move that commissioners noted would revitalize a piece of land that had served its agricultural purpose. Because the site sits on a former feedlot, the plat includes specific easements to account for existing underground infrastructure, such as buried pipes.

Navigating Complex Zoning Rules

The meeting also served as an educational moment for the board regarding the county’s “Farmstead Exemption” rules. Muller clarified that for residential development in agricultural zones, developers typically must maintain 35 acres unless they qualify for a specific exemption that allows smaller five-acre plots under strict conditions.

Reflecting on the importance of these routine reviews, Muller remarked:

“It’s a good point—every so many years, it doesn’t hurt just to update everyone on how that rule works. We acknowledge this is the place for that five-acre building right, and the board did that with its action.”