By Aberdeen Insider - September 3, 2026 in NOTICE OF HEARING OF THE BROWN COUNTY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO BROWN COUNTY ORDINANCES IN PORTIONS OF BROWN COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2020-2040
A public hearing will be held before the Brown County Commission on the 22nd day of September 2026 in the Commissioner’s Chambers, Courthouse Annex, Brown County, South Dakota to consider amendments to Brown County Ordinances in portions of Brown County Comprehensive Plan 2020-2040. Chapter 2 – Land Use which in turn changes the page numbers in the Table of Contents and Appendix A. (Full Ordinance with changes is available at the Auditor’s Office)
CHAPTER 2 – LAND USE.
Guidelines:
- Establish buffer areas to ensure residential areas are separated from incompatible land uses; use buffers to separate all incompatible land uses, and to serve as framework for County-wide open space systems.
- In addition, religious farming communities present unique challenges to the zoning ordinance. These communities rely on agricultural activities as the primary economic driver, and thus the use is compatible with most agricultural uses. In many cases religious farming communities include Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) as a component of the agricultural operation. The county has adopted policies and regulations specifically regulating CAFO’s, therefore application for CAFO’s at the location of a religious farming community are to be separate from the application to operate a religious farming community.
Based upon constraints in providing adequate services (emergency and public utility) to the high densities of rural populations and stress on rural roads, the County has an interest in regulating the density of development in the unincorporated areas of the county. However, religious farming communities are characterized by numerous farm owners, workers, their families, and some that provide ancillary services to live on site. The number of dwellings required on the same legal description directly conflicts with the density requirements of the unincorporated areas of the County.
It is important to note that the County does not discourage religious farming communities. At the same time, the county has adopted regulations for high density development not associated with agricultural activities. A case-by-case review of applications for religious farming communities will reveal whether those rules for higher density residential development apply in the case of each individual application for a religious framing community.
The public is invited to attend the hearing and to present comments and testimony regarding any one of or all of the amendments to Second Revision Brown County Ordinances pertaining to amending Title 4 Zoning Ordinances. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Brown County Commission may adopt first reading of Ordinance No. 336.
ATTEST: /s/Lynn Heupel, Brown County Auditor
Published once on September 3, 2026, at the total approximate cost of $33.99 and may be viewed free of charge at www.sdpublicnotices.com and www.aberdeeninsider.com