Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc. v. Seeba

2006 SD 7, 709 N.W.2d 824, 2006 S.D. LEXIS 8, 2005 WL 3693211
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 20, 2006
DocketNos. 23737, 23738
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 2006 SD 7 (Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc. v. Seeba) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc. v. Seeba, 2006 SD 7, 709 N.W.2d 824, 2006 S.D. LEXIS 8, 2005 WL 3693211 (S.D. 2006).

Opinions

[¶ 1.] Justice STEVEN L. ZINTER

delivers the opinion of the Court on:

Issue 1, which holds that the 250 foot setback restriction in SDCL 46-8-1.2 applies to routes acquired under the provisions of SDCL ch 46-8, including routes for water pipelines;

Issue 2(a), which holds that the width of the route is measured from the outside dimension of the pipeline rather than the exterior boundary of the easement;

[828]*828Issue 2(b), which holds that “other buildings on the premises” include grain bins and sheds located on the same farmstead as the dwelling house; Issue 2(c), which holds that the route proposed by Lewis & Clark may not cross below, on, or through any existing noncommercial orchard or garden; Issue 2(d)(i), which holds that a landowner, who has no dwelling, building, orchard or garden within the prohibited proximity of the pipeline, lacks standing to assert a condition of SDCL 46-8-1.2;

Issue 2(e), which holds that a landowner, who has actual knowledge of the intended pipeline route, cannot construct a dwelling house, building, or noncommercial orchard or garden to block or alter construction of the intended pipeline; and Issue 2(f), which holds that SDCL 46-8-1.1 only governs general pipeline parameters not addressed in SDCL 46-8-1.2, and that the circuit court may not modify the specific conditions in SDCL 46-8-1.2 through SDCL 46-8-1.1.

[¶ 2.] Justice RICHARD W. SABERS delivers the opinion of the Court on:

Issue 2(d) (ii), which holds that SDCL 46-8-1.2 does not give a landowner the right to object to a pipeline located on someone else’s property.

[¶ 3.] ZINTER, Justice, writing the opinion on Issues 1, 2(a), (b), (c), (d)(i), (e) and (f).

[¶ 4.] Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc. appeals from the circuit court’s interpretation of a statute that regulates the use of eminent domain. Lewis & Clark contends that the statute does not apply to its underground water pipeline project. If the statute does apply, Lewis & Clark challenges the circuit court’s interpretation of the statute’s restrictions as the pipeline passes dwellings, buildings, and noncommercial orchards and gardens. We affirm the circuit court in part, reverse in part, and remand.

Facts and Procedural History

[¶ 5.] Lewis & Clark was created by an act of Congress to plan, develop, construct, and operate a water pipeline system. The system will pump water from aquifers located near the Missouri River and transport the water to municipalities and rural water systems. It will provide potable water for approximately 200,000 people in eastern South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. The water will be distributed through approximately 337 miles of pipeline across an area of 5,000 square miles, crossing approximately 700-850 parcels of property. Approximately 189 miles of pipeline and 350-475 of those parcels are located in South Dakota.

[¶ 6.] In order to construct and maintain the pipeline, Lewis & Clark sought seventy foot permanent easements and eighty foot temporary construction easements from landowners along the proposed pipeline route.1 Because some easements could not be negotiated, Lewis & Clark filed condemnation actions invoking the right of eminent domain for waterworks under SDCL 46-8-1. That statute provides:

Any person may exercise the right of eminent domain in the manner provided by law to acquire as a public use any property or other rights necessary for application of water to beneficial uses or to enlarge an existing structure for conveyance of water for use in common with an existing or former owner. Applica[829]*829tion of water to beneficial use is a public use, in the public interest and of benefit to the public.

Landowners, however, argued that Lewis & Clark was not entitled to use eminent domain because the pipeline route did not meet a' 250 foot setback restriction in SDCL 46-8-1.2. That statute provides:

No routes acquired under the provisions of this chapter may be located within two hundred fifty feet of a dwelling house or other buildings on the premises or across any noncommercial orchard or garden without written consent of the owner. This section does not apply to works located in public rights-of-way.

[¶ 7.] These appeals involve three separate properties. The first property, parcel 170, is owned by Loren Seeba, et al. (See-ba). The pipeline route proposes to run on the Seeba property for a certain distance, cross a public road to property not owned by Seeba, and then re-cross the road to again run on the Seeba property. Seeba objected to the proposed location of the pipeline at the point where it would be across the road on another’s property but approximately 140 feet from Seeba’s dwelling. Seeba contended that eminent domain could not be utilized because the pipeline route was within the 250 foot restriction in SDCL 46-8-1.2. Lewis & Clark responded that Seeba did not have standing to object because Seeba did not own the real property through which the pipeline would run when it was within 250 feet of his dwelling.

[¶ 8.] The second property, parcel 180, is owned by Gary Buse, et al. (Buse). The pipeline proposes to run across the Buse property and will come within 250 feet of two types of buildings that are on his property. The first type is a group of three grain bins. The pipeline is proposed to be located approximately twenty-five feet from the grain bins, and a portion of one of the bins is within the permanent easement. The second type of building is a machine shed that was constructed after the scope of the project and intended route became public. The pipeline is proposed to be located approximately seventy feet from this shed, and a portion of it is within the permanent easement.

[¶ 9.] Buse asserted that the pipeline route violated the 250 foot setback restriction with respect to both types of buildings. Lewis & Clark responded that these buildings did not violate the setback restriction because they were not “other buildings on the premises” within the meaning of SDCL 46-8-1.2. Additionally, Lewis & Clark contended that the setback restriction was inapplicable to the shed because it was constructed after the plans for the pipeline became public.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2006 SD 7, 709 N.W.2d 824, 2006 S.D. LEXIS 8, 2005 WL 3693211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-clark-rural-water-system-inc-v-seeba-sd-2006.