Planning and Zoning

The Planning Department evaluates zoning changes and zoning/conditional use permits, prepares County’s comprehensive plan, reviews subdivision plans, prepares and updates the zoning and subdivision regulations and provides staff support to the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, and County Board. The Planning and Zoning regulations were approved and adopted by the Custer County Board of Supervisors on January 27, 2004. The Planning department also serves such purposes as:

• Developing both urban and non-urban areas;
• Lessening congestion in the streets or roads;
• Reducing the waste of excessive amounts of roads;
• Securing safety from fire and other dangers;
• Lessening or avoiding the hazards to persons and damage to property resulting from the accumulation of run-off of storm or flood waters;
• Providing adequate light and air;
• Preventing excessive concentration of population and excessive and wasteful scattering of population settlement;
• Promoting such distribution of population such as classification of land uses, and such distribution of land development as will assure adequate provisions for transportation, water flow-age, water supply, drainage, sanitation, recreation, soil fertility, food supply, and other public requirements;
• Protecting the tax base;
• Protecting property against blight and depreciation;
• Securing economy in governmental expenditures;
• Fostering the state’s agriculture, recreation, and other industries;
• Encouraging the most appropriate use of land in the county;
• Preserving, protecting and enhancing historic building, places, and districts

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission is made up of 9 members.  The Zoning Administrator calls for a meeting when there needs to be any action taken by the Commission.

Board of Zoning Adjustment

The Board has 5 members, plus one alternate.  One member must be a member of the Planning Commission.  This quasi-judicial body’s powers include hearing and deciding appeals, map interpretations and granting variances from the Zoning Regulations. 

Please remember to apply for permits before starting construction or moving a building.  No building or structure shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a Zoning Permit having first been issued by the Custer County Zoning Administrator. 

Permits are needed for the following; feedlots, grain storage, signs, towers, confined feeding facilities, houses, home based businesses, commercial businesses, bulk plants, and additions to any of these uses or structures.

There are also other uses and structures requiring permits.

Local floodplain management ordinances require that permits be obtained for any construction or development activity in a floodplain area, including the repair or reconstruction of structures damaged by a disaster.

You may pick up the appropriate permits at the Zoning Office which is located at the Custer County Courthouse, 431 South 10th Ave. 

Our phone number is (308) 872-2410, Mon-Fri.