Planning & Zoning
The purpose of planning and zoning is to provide for orderly land use development that minimizes conflicts and reduces impacts to local resources.
The Comprehensive Plan lays out policies that will guide future land use decisions. The County Planning Commission is responsible for adopting the Comprehensive Plan and for reviewing conditional use permits, subdivisions, ordinance amendments, and zoning classification amendment proposals. They recommend actions to the County Board of Commissioners for final approval.
The Land and Related Resources Management Ordinance (Amendment 1) and Big Stone County Subdivision Controls Ordinance ( Amendment 1) are the tools used to reach the goals established in that plan. These ordinances lay out which activities can occur in certain areas or zoning districts, as shown on the Official Zoning Map.
Big Stone County is laid out into the following zones:
- A-1 Agricultural District
- A-2 Agricultural District
- OS Open Space District
- UD Urban District (Residential)
- C-1 Commercial
- I-1 Industrial
- Shoreland Management Zone
In 2026, the Planning Commission studied wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems. The County Board adopted the Renewable Energy Ordinance to deal with these land uses.
Take a look at our permit viewer and zoning map if you are planning any land development.