Large parcel being developed

By: 
Leslie Silverman

A large tract of land on Hwy. 16A is being developed for retail and residential use.

The parcel includes 20 acres in Keystone city limits and approximately 23 acres outside the city’s limits.

Developer Cody Schad, of Schad Corporation, is hoping the property outside the city will one day get annexed.

The process would involve petitioning the town board to include the property into its boundaries.

“The town annexes property,” said Keystone finance officer Cassnadra Ott. “From what I understand it is easier for people to petition the town to annex them in. Then the town has to agree to it.”

Keystone trustee Kwinn Neff thinks the property might “create valuable real estate up the highway.”

If development of the parcel continues according to Schad’s vision, the land might open up opportunities for the town to get grant money for water and sewer systems.

Schad has a vision of a mixed-use development with retail space along the highway’s frontage and resort style residences or vacation rentals in the more secluded areas of the property. He even sees potential for a mountain coaster, ziplines or zorbing.

“The plans are still up in the air,” he said. “If someone wanted to put a business in it or build a home, there’s a lot we can do with it. There are possibilities of storefronts with high visibility and secluded rentals in the cliffs with that wow factor.”

Schad envisions top of the line high-end homes or even affordable yurts for a more rugged experience. He thinks there can be over 200 stand-alone units on the site.

Schad has a permitted sewer system plan and depending on the scope of what occurs the suite will need another well.

He also thinks he can offer more parking to the town which is looking for creative ways to solve its summer parking dilemma.

According to Rich Zacher of the South Dakota Department of Transportation, Schad has a “permit just to remove material from his property” on one side of the road and will have to “hire an engineer to do some hydraulic calculations” on the other side of the road.

Schad is currently selling boulders and landscape rock tha have been removed from the site.

“We’ve got a lot of it in place,” said Schad about the overall project. “We’re open to a lot of things. If someone was looking for land for a tourism business or to live, or if someone had a vision of what they wanted and were looking for parcels. There are many possibilities.”

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