Lawrence County Citizens Urged to Act: Save Centennial Valley Loses Court Case, Considers Appeal to South Dakota Supreme Court

Deadwood, SD – April 21, 2025 – Save Centennial Valley, a group of concerned Lawrence County citizens, is calling for urgent public support after losing their court case challenging Ordinance 24-05. The ordinance, passed on November 26, 2024, amends the Lawrence County Zoning Ordinance to transfer authority over Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) from the County Commissioners to the Board of Adjustment (BOA), eliminating the public’s right to challenge BOA decisions through referendum. Save Centennial Valley is gauging plausibility of an appeal of the ruling to the South Dakota Supreme Court and is urgently seeking donations to fund their legal fight against this government overreach.

Currently, CUPs—permits for uses like kennels, campgrounds, sporting arenas, water treatment and waste facilities, commercial outdoor recreation, utility substations, mineral extraction, antennas, microwave and communication towers, or gravel quarries in agricultural zones—are approved or rejected by the Planning & Zoning Committee and voted on by the County Commissioners. Citizens can challenge these decisions by gathering signatures from 5% of registered voters to place the issue on a ballot. Ordinance 24-05 effectively removes this democratic safeguard by granting final authority to the BOA, whose members—Bob Ewing (Chair), Brandon Flanagan (Vice-Chair), Eric Jennings, Richard Sleep, and Rick Tysdal—are appointed by the Commissioners, who have appointed themselves to the BOA.

“This ordinance silences the voice of Lawrence County voters by stripping our First Amendment right to petition the government,” said a Save Centennial Valley spokesperson. “The BOA’s decisions cannot be challenged through referendum, giving them unchecked power to approve projects that could permanently alter our county’s landscape and quality of life.”

In response, citizens collected 1,730 signatures—far exceeding the required 1,111—during a petition drive in December 2024, to demand a referendum. Despite this strong public opposition, the Commissioners through a decision by the County Auditor refused to schedule a vote, forcing Save Centennial Valley to pursue legal action. Following a pre-trial hearing on March 26, 2025, at the Lawrence County Courthouse, the court ruled against the group, prompting a consideration for appeal to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

The implications of Ordinance 24-05 are profound. Now unchecked, the BOA could approve CUPs for over 30 uses in agricultural zones and add usage such as data mining centers, pipelines, and power plants, without public recourse. “This fight is about preserving our right to shape the future of our county,” the spokesperson added.

Save Centennial Valley, with a history of successfully overturning CUPs through referendums in 2016, partnering with citizens who led a successful referendum in December 2023, is calling on citizens to contribute to their fundraising efforts to support a possible appeal and effort to stop this erosion of our constitutional rights to have a say in what happens where we live.

Donate to Save Centennial Valley’s legal fund.

Spread the word to fellow Lawrence County residents.

About Save Centennial Valley

Save Centennial Valley aims to help the residents and those individuals who are interested to promote the beautification of Centennial Prairie in Lawrence County, South Dakota and the remainder of the Black Hills; to help to serve said property and area in its aesthetic and agricultural value for present and future generations; to protect the same from groundwater and subsurface water contamination and other environmental hazards; to take an active part in the issues of zoning and taxation as they affect agricultural land; to help inform, create fellowship and better understanding between rural people and the general public.