Watertown City Council Reviews Annexation Request for 13th Avenue NE Accessory Structure Project
- Steve Jurrens
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council is reviewing an annexation and zoning request that would allow a local homeowner to bypass a county restriction and build an accessory structure on his property.
During the August 3, 2026, meeting, the council held the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-29, which seeks to establish an R-1 Single Family Residential District zoning designation for a small tract of land just south of the Prairie View addition.
The petitioner, Aric Martens, is requesting the annexation of approximately 13,558 square feet of land located southerly adjacent to his existing residential lot at 2700 13th Avenue NE.
Martens currently owns four acres in the area, but the specific parcel where he wishes to build the accessory structure currently sits just outside city limits in Codington County. Earlier this year, Martens attempted to get permission to build the structure through the county but was met with regulatory roadblocks.
· In February 2024, the Joint City of Watertown/Codington County Board of Adjustment denied Martens a variance to build on the lot.
· The variance was denied because Codington County enforces a 35-acre minimum requirement for building structures in that agricultural district unless there is an existing farmstead.
· To proceed with the build, the land must be properly annexed into the City of Watertown and rezoned from its current county agricultural designation to R-1 Single Family Residential.
Council Discussion and Pasture Use
Community Development Manager Brandi Hanten presented the ordinance to the council, explaining the mechanics of the annexation.
“It’ll be added onto the existing lot that it is adjacent to within city limits by a development lot agreement,” Hanten said. “The main purpose for it is to utilize the area for an accessory structure as the property owner owns that entire four acres.”
Councilman Michael Heuer asked for clarification regarding the remainder of Martens’ four-acre property, wondering if the extra space was being reserved “just for like pasture use, essentially.”
The county’s February denial letter explicitly noted that the property could still be used as a pasture for horses, provided vegetation remains.
Hanten confirmed that the un-annexed portion of the land “will just remain the A1 agricultural use that it is in the county.”
Next Steps
The request aligns with the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and previously received a 5-1 recommendation for approval from the Planning Commission during its July 23 meeting.
As this was the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-29, no official action was required from the council. The ordinance is scheduled for its second reading and potential adoption at the next City Council meeting on Monday, August 17, 2026.
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