Zoning, building permits and septic rules in New Underwood, South Dakota

New Underwood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Single-family dwellings and accessory buildings in the General Residential (GR) district inside New Underwood city

  • Also required for all fences in GR
  • Permit issued by the zoning administrator (mayor) with council approval
  • Permit term may not exceed six months; extensions up to six months with council approval
  • Section XXVI (building permit) and forms not read in full

  “b. permitted uses (building permit required) 1. single-family dwellings, including mobile homes ref. section xiv) or manufactured homes”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside New Underwood city limits (Pennington County)

  • Jurisdiction covers the corporate limits plus additional territory permitted under SDCL ch. 11-6 and agreed by the county commissioners
  • Administered by the zoning administrator (mayor) with city council approval

  “this ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the zoning ordinance of the city of new underwood, south dakota.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  New Underwood city zoning districts

  • Districts are shown on the zoning districts map kept by the zoning administrator
  • Zoning maps are also posted on the city website

  districts: GR, GC, CB, GI, GA, RS

  “for the purposes of this ordinance the city of new underwood is divided into the following districts: district name district symbol general residential district gr general commercial district gc central business district cb general industrial district gi general agriculture district ga rural service district rs”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  General Residential (GR) district, single-family dwelling, inside New Underwood city

  • Minimum width 50 ft at front building line
  • Two-family: 9,000 sq ft and 75 ft width; multiple-family: 6,000 sq ft plus 1,500 sq ft per unit
  • Commercial uses have no minimum; residential uses in GC follow GR
  • A council-minutes snippet mentions Ordinance 25-08 amending Article IV with a 20,000 sq ft minimum on public water and 1 acre on a well; district and effect not verified
  • Subdivision ordinance sets separate health-based minimums for new lots

  minimum lot area: >= 6500 sq ft

  “a. for each single-family dwelling and building accessory thereto, there shall be a lot area of not less than six thousand, five hundred (6500) square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  General Residential (GR) district inside New Underwood city

  • Front setback may not exceed adjacent structures in existing developed areas
  • Where offsets occur or corner-lot setbacks are in doubt, the council decides
  • GC district front yard may be on the property line

  front setback from street right-of-way: >= 25 feet (or not to exceed adjacent structures in existing developed areas) · other property lines: >= 10 feet

  “twenty-five (25) foot setback required from street right-of-way line or not to exceed the adjacent structures on the frontage in existing developed areas. all other property lines will have a minimum ten (10) foot set back.”

• Building heightSpecified

  General Residential (GR) district inside New Underwood city

  • GC district has the same 30 ft limit with exceptions reviewed by the governing body

  maximum height: <= 30 feet

  “no structure shall be erected with a flat roof in excess of thirty (30) feet from the ground and a gable roof with the bottom of its rafter of gable roof not in excess of thirty feet from the ground.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on lots in the General Residential (GR) district inside New Underwood city

  • Council may make exceptions for special circumstances
  • RV must be connected to an external electrical source and a vehicle generator may not be used
  • Rules for other districts not read

  guest RV stay: <= 7 days per 3-month period (council exceptions for special circumstances)

  “3. one (1) guest recreational vehicle is allowed for a maximum of seven (7) days in any three (3) month period.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Transported homes (mobile/manufactured) on single lots inside New Underwood city

  • Only after a hearing, with adjoining owners notified
  • Lot must meet district minimum size, setbacks and yard rules; one transported home per lot
  • Must meet local, state and federal building codes and be connected to all utilities before occupancy
  • Skirting of fire-retardant material within 30 days; permanent foundation or piers
  • Must be at least twenty feet wide, with wood-appearance siding and a peaked non-reflective roof
  • Mobile home parks require at least 35,000 sq ft and five spaces

  minimum width: >= 20 feet

  “transported homes on single lots may be permitted after a hearing for use on review if they meet the following requirements”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Transported (mobile/manufactured) homes on single lots inside New Underwood city

  • Applies to transported homes approved after hearing as a use on review
  • General connection rule for site-built homes (Article 3 Utilities) was not read

  “4. all transported homes shall be connected to all utilities prior to occupancy.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  New subdivisions inside New Underwood city

  • Separate Article 4 subdivision ordinance exists on the city site; its text was not opened

  “lot width: (for new subdivisions, see subdivision ordinance) for single family detached dwellings”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Structures and land inside New Underwood city

  • Separate Article 5 flood control ordinance exists; its text was not opened

  “no structure or land shall hereafter be located, altered, or have its use changed without full compliance with the terms of the flood control ordinance and other applicable drainage regulations.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask New Underwood or Pennington County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside New Underwood city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside New Underwood city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside New Underwood city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside New Underwood city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside New Underwood 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.