Box Elder City, South Dakota – Comprehensive Plan + Code Update

Rural Community Consultants had the opportunity to make their first venture into South Dakota by assisting in updating Box Elder City’s Comprehensive Plan and Code update initiative. Box Elder is home to Ellsworth Air Force Base and is expecting significant growth in the coming years as the base expands its capabilities.  At the time of this initiative, the City consisted of about 10,000 residents, disparate commercial areas, and a housing market that was outpacing average incomes. In order to position the community for the expected growth, the City wanted to conduct a focused planning initiative that updated its plan and development codes simultaneously. One of the key elements of the code update was to design a consolidated land use / design standards table and to create special regulations related to noise and airspace issues.