Rapid City, SD Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Rapid City does not zone veterinary clinics as a permitted use everywhere; in the Urban Commercial (UC) district, section 17.66.070(U) puts them on the list of supplemental, use-specific standards that the chapter's introduction says are applicable to uses as specified by Table 17.66.020, and it requires that all conditional uses comply with the regulations in section 17.54.030, the citywide conditional use permit chapter. That means a veterinary establishment cannot simply pull a building permit; the owner or agent files a conditional use application with the Department of Community Development, the Development Review Team reviews it and forwards a recommendation, and the Planning Commission holds a public hearing before acting under section 17.54.030(A) and (C).

Notice of that hearing has to be posted on site at least 7 days before the hearing and mailed to owners within 250 feet at least 7 days out, per section 17.54.030(A)(3). The one substantive standard section 17.66.070(U) attaches to the use itself is narrow but absolute: all animals must be kept inside a soundproof, air-conditioned building, which controls both noise and odor from a clinic or kennel operating in a commercial storefront district. The Planning Commission can add further conditions on any conditional use under section 17.54.030(D) based on the review criteria in section 17.54.030(E), covering things like screening, parking, hours, and traffic.

Any person aggrieved by the Planning Commission's decision has 7 calendar days from the decision to file a written appeal to the Common Council under section 17.54.030(F). A conditional use permit issued for a veterinary establishment automatically expires if the use is not undertaken within 2 years or ceases operating for 2 years or more, under section 17.54.030(K).