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A new hope for growth in Davison County

Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota
Brent Duerre
/
SDPB
Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota

After years of preparation and months of committee discussion, Davison County has a new 20-year development plan.

The comprehensive plan is a 276-page document outlining all the changes Davison County plans to implement over the next 20 years.

The plan is a partnership effort between the city of Mitchell, Mount Vernon, Davison County, and the town of Ethan.

It factors in all aspects of county planning and development, including outlining land use, generating new policies and goals and providing historical data.

Mitchell City Mayor Bob Everson said the Davison County plan needed updating.

“So it was very important to update it and bring it into modern times because as you know it, a lot has changed in the last 30 years," said Everson. "Technology has changed, people have changed, attitudes have changed. So with all those changes it was time to look at what we were doing, and try to bring it kind of into the modern times.” 

Modernizing takes many shapes throughout the plan and extends to every facet of the county.

Everson said the City of Mitchell has been the slowest growing major city in the state for over ten years and that he hopes this new plan will help the city grow.

“We’re excited about everyone coming together and having a plan and looking at where we expect growth to take place and how we can work together to make it a better growth. As well as more complementary to the zoning that’s around the areas that we expect to grow in,” said Everson.

The comprehensive plan was officially adopted by the Davison County Commission on May 23.

Evan Walton is an SDPB reporter based in Sioux Falls. Evan holds a Master’s in English Literature from Southern New Hampshire University and was honorably discharged from the United States Army in 2015, where he served for five years as an infantryman.