Watertown City Council to Decide on Gravel Pit Annexation
- Steve Jurrens
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - A pending annexation of nearly 100 acres into the City of Watertown has brought a dispute between a local gravel pit operator and Codington County officials to a boiling point. J&J Land Sales, LLC is seeking city annexation to continue its mining operations, a move that township and county officials fear could wipe away a trail of recent zoning and right-of-way violations.
The Watertown City Council will review petitions on June 15 to annex two parcels—one measuring 54.65 acres and the other 41.06 acres—and zone them as A-1 Agricultural District. This zoning is a strict prerequisite for mining operations, which require a minimum of 35 acres within the city limits to receive a conditional use permit.
On May 18, 2026, the Joint Jurisdiction Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for the site, but attached a delayed effective date. Under the county’s ruling, mining operations are officially halted until July 18, 2026. By fast-tracking annexation into Watertown, J&J Land Sales hopes to secure an effective conditional use permit from the city, allowing it to bypass the county’s delay and continue lucrative mining operations during the peak summer construction season.
While the city processes the annexation, Codington County officials are grappling with a history of non-compliance at the J&J Earthworks gravel pit located in Elmira Township. At a recent County Commission meeting, Travis Paulson of the South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships spoke at an open public forum, reporting the operators for a “blatant disregard” of local ordinances.
According to county records, the facility’s original conditional use permit expired in 2015. Since then, operations have reportedly encroached on property lines and public right-of-ways. Paulson also raised concerns over the lack of a road haul agreement for a 400 to 600-foot stretch of township road heavily utilized by mining trucks, which creates an undue financial burden for the township.
Codington County Zoning Officer Luke Mueller confirmed to the commission that while the operators eventually complied with a mandated 65-foot setback, they blatantly continued to mine and crush rock without a valid conditional use permit. In response, the county has forwarded multiple citations to the State’s Attorney’s office for potential prosecution.
“They’re written citation and they just continue to do [it]. It’s like it doesn’t matter,” Paulson told the commission.
Commission Chair Troy VanDusen echoed this, stating, “That’s like the city of Watertown writing a junk citation, but there’s no repercussions if you don’t clean up your yard. What’s the point?”
The core of the current debate is the looming June 15 city annexation hearing. Township officials are urgently seeking immediate legal remedies, fearing that if the land is absorbed into the city limits, the pending county violations and citations might be dismissed or left unprosecuted.
