P&Z rezones vacant Wehrkamp lot as General Business Home-based sourdough bread business approved with conditions

A vacant corner lot at one of Brandon’s busiest intersections moved one step closer to commercial development Thursday after the Brandon Planning and Zoning Commission cast a unanimous vote to rezone the property from residential to general business.

Commissioners voted to recommend changing the zoning of the property at 100 S. Sioux Blvd. from R-1 residential to General Business. The request now advances to the Brandon City Council for consideration on Aug. 3.

Property representative Scott Wehrkamp said they wish to move forward with the General Business designation over Neighborhood General Business as suggested at the P&Z’s previous meeting on July 2.

Wehrkamp told commissioners the property owners met with city staff and reviewed Brandon’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan before following the P&Z’s meeting earlier this month.

Addressing a concern raised by a neighbor at the previous meeting, Wehrkamp said also does not want to see another convenience store on the site.

“The one comment made by a neighbor is that they don’t want to see a convenience store type of thing,” Wehrkamp said. “That’s not going to happen because it’s such a tight corner.”

He said he envisions a building on the north portion of the lot with vehicle access from the south.

“We’re just trying to be good neighbors to establish to its fullest potential,” Wehrkamp said, adding the family receives several inquiries each year about whether the property is available for development.

Commissioner Mike Toates acknowledged the property’s unique characteristics and suggested at the July 2 meeting that Wehrkamp consider Neighborhood Business zoning based on its location. He noted that Neighborhood Business zoning limits the types of businesses allowed on a property, which could affect future development.

“I agree it’s not residential. I was more looking at what would be the difference between general business and neighborhood general business. I understand where you’re coming from is that it’s most likely not going to be a high traffic thing because you’re not going to be able to go through there. You’re going to have to come and go out the same place. It’s a unique lot, so it will be interesting to see what happens there,” Toates said.

Commissioner Brian Heidbrink, who was absent from the commission’s previous discussion on the request, said the property’s access challenges would exist regardless of its zoning designation.

“Access is an issue. To me, that’s a non-issue,” Heidbrink said, explaining those concerns would have to be addressed during site design and should not be factored into the zoning decision.

He added the intersection is no longer suitable for residential use.

Heidbrink used Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls as an example of the potential for this lot. “They (houses) were residential, they face the street, and what are they now? They’re still houses, but they’ve been converted over to businesses. So, we’re operating business out of what were previously houses on an arterial street. Is that the best place for a business in an old renovated house? Probably not. But here we have an opportunity. We’ve got a bare lot. Let’s zone it at the appropriate zone and we’ll build the appropriate structure to accommodate that. … In my mind, General Business is the appropriate use for this,” Heidbrink said. “It’s at probably the second busiest intersection in our town, and for it to be residential, I don’t think that’s appropriate. Maybe it was 40 or 50 years ago, but now and 20 years down the road, this needs to be General Business.”

Home bakery approved with conditions

The commission also approved a conditional use permit allowing Danielle Grimmius to operate a small home-based sourdough bread business from her residence at 721 S. Seventh Ave. There was no public opposition to her business plan, and the business is seasonal (no winter sales).

Grimmius told commissioners she plans to have about 20 loaves of home-baked sourdough bread on a mobile cart from 3 to 8 p.m. every other Friday with customers primarily ordering online in advance.

“It’ll be virtually invisible, low traffic,” Grimmius said. “It’s not a big operation by any means. It’s just literally for fun.”

She explained the business complies with South Dakota’s cottage food laws and began the venture as a hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People will watch my Facebook page to be able to place their order,” Grimmius said. “I make the sourdough bread in my kitchen, package it in my kitchen. It all follows the cottage food laws.”

Grimmius said the stand is an old computer hutch on wheels that would be placed near the sidewalk on the first and third Fridays of each month before being returned to the garage.

Commissioners expressed their concern about minimizing traffic in the residential neighborhood where the loaves of bread would be picked up.

Toates said he would be more comfortable if the operation focused primarily on pre-orders rather than walk-up sales, while Heidbrink suggested limiting operating hours to control customer traffic.

P&Z Chairwoman Barb Fish noted the commission has historically tried to strike a balance between allowing home occupations and preserving residential neighborhoods.

“The challenge with these situations, you know, one of the pushback arguments we can get is ‘We’re in a residential area, we didn’t move here to have a business beside us,’” Fish said. “So, we’ve tried to limit it to services.” 

Commissioner Megan Bassett said she views Grimmius’s business as “more of a service for the general public because ‘it’s sourdough.’”

“It’s very specific,” Bassett said. “People aren’t coming to try on clothes or searching for their perfect shade of makeup. They aren’t spending a long time there. They usually know what they want and they’re going to come grab it and go. I see it as more of a service. … I see the other side where it could be retail, but I see it as very much more of a service bakery.”

The commission ultimately approved the permit with two conditions: the bread stand may operate no more than six hours per week, and at least 51 percent of her bread sales must be pre-orders.