Downtown Dwelling: Board Approves Alley-Access Apartment at Former Tattoo Shop
- Steve Jurrens
- Mar 22
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - A long-standing commercial space in downtown Watertown is set for a residential transformation. The Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a conditional use request to establish a dwelling unit on the main floor of a commercial structure at 24 Midway Alley.
The property, owned by Casey Pratt and Brian Brandriet, was previously home to a local tattoo parlor. The owners intend to renovate the 785-square-foot space into a single-unit apartment, featuring one or two bedrooms depending on the final layout.
Board member Todd Kays spoke in favor of the project, noting how it utilizes the unique geography of the downtown district. “(Staff) tries to preserve as much window space for commercial development on main streets, but, being that this is an alley access, to me it makes sense. It’s a perfect fit,” Kays said.
However, the proposal did raise concerns among some downtown residents. Rosie Smith, who lives in a nearby building along the alley, raised questions regarding safety and the loss of commercial inventory.
“I was not necessarily against renters being in there, but a little concern would be... the continued change of commercial property into residential property downtown and a loss of that,” Smith stated. She also noted that despite the perception of lower traffic at residences, “there’s a lot of traffic there at that entrance right along the alley... it’s a safety concern.”
In response to these concerns, Board member Rhonda Dargatz-Johnson clarified that this approval is an exception based on the property’s location in the alley rather than on a primary storefront street. “Typically, we would not allow residential on the main level of downtown,” Dargatz-Johnson explained. “This board would be very much against that as a whole”.
