Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Parkston, South Dakota

Parkston’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Large accessory buildings (144 sq ft or larger) inside Parkston city under the zoning ordinance

  • Excepted: maintenance and interior structural alterations within existing exterior walls.
  • Permit issued by the zoning administrator on recommendation of the planning and zoning commission.
  • City's FAQ reportedly says all new construction needs P&Z approval; not opened.

  permit threshold: >= 144 sq ft (maintenance or interior alterations within existing exterior walls)

  “large accessory buildings require a building permit. no such building or structure (144 square feet or larger in area) shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a permit therefore issued by the zoning administrator, except when performing maintenance”

• InspectionsLimited

  Footing inspection by the zoning administrator inside Parkston city

  • Only footing inspection before cement is poured was found; no general building-code inspection program found.

  “(b) footing inspection. the zoning administrator or an authorized representative has the right of entry to the property to inspect and approve footings before cement is poured.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Parkston city limits

  • Document on the city site is the 2015 ordinance book; currency of later amendments not confirmed.

  “this chapter may be known and may be cited and referred to as athe zoning ordinance of the city of parkston, south dakota@”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Parkston city

  • Districts: agriculture, residential, commercial, highway commercial, industrial, public/semi-public.

  “agriculture district residential district commercial district highway commercial district industrial district public/semi-public district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential district, inside Parkston city

  • Two-family: 7,500 sq ft, 100 ft wide; multiple-family: 12,000 sq ft, 100 ft wide.

  single-family minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft · single-family minimum lot width: >= 50 ft

  “(e) minimum lot requirements. (1) single-family residences: area - 7,500 square feet; width - 50 feet; (2) two-family residences: area - 7,500 square feet; width - 100 feet; and (3) multiple-family dwellings: area - 12,000 square feet; width - 100 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agriculture district, inside Parkston city

    “the minimum lot area shall be 20 acres; and the minimum lot width at zoning 36 the front building line shall be 200 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential district, inside Parkston city

  • Planning and zoning commission may allow extension into the front yard on blocks where 51% of structures do not comply.
  • Applies to all buildings and structures including decks, patios and carports.

  front yard: >= 25 ft · rear yard (dwellings): >= 20 ft · side yard (interior lots): >= 5 ft · side yard (corner lots): >= 25 ft

  “front 25 feet rear (dwellings) 20 feet rear (large accessory buildings) 5 feet; 20 feet on garages having vehicle access to an alley or street rear (small accessory buildings) 3 feet; 5 feet if door opens towards and alley side (interior lots) 5 feet side (corner lots*) 25 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agriculture district, inside Parkston city

    “(a) front yard of not less than 40 feet deep: (b) side yard of not less than 40 feet depth; and (c) rear yard of not less than 50 feet deep.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwelling units in the agriculture district, inside Parkston city

  • Does not apply to antennas, spires, belfries, cupolas, water tanks, ventilators, chimneys and similar rooftop structures.
  • All structures must comply with airport clearance requirements.
  • Residential district height limit not retrieved.

  maximum dwelling height: <= 35 ft

  “the height of any dwelling unit shall not exceed 35 feet. this does not apply to antennas, spires, belfries, cupolas,”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and mobile homes not in parks, residential district, inside Parkston city

  • Lot size and yard requirements same as single-family dwellings.
  • Home must be placed parallel to the street and skirted; other listed requirements apply.
  • Pre-existing manufactured/mobile home parks may not be enlarged or altered without conforming.

  “manufactured homes and mobile homes, not in parks, subject to the following requirements: (a) the home shall meet or exceed hud manufactured home construction and safety standards;”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Construction in the flood hazard area inside Parkston city

  • Approved uses must meet the district's minimum lot area, yards, maximum height and off-street parking.
  • Variance only if § 152.15(e) conditions are met.

  “(2) the board of adjustment may permit construction in flood hazard area only after the city=s floodplain administrator has reviewed and approved the plans and specifications.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Parkston or Hutchinson County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Parkston city
• Building code adopted — Parkston city
• Certificate of occupancy — Parkston city
• Minimum dwelling size — Parkston city
• Lot coverage — Residential and agriculture districts, Parkston city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.