New Resident Information

Welcome to Mountain Plains 2

The Mountain Plains 2 (MP2) subdivision was established in 1979, and construction of the first two homes began in 1993. MP2 consists of 480 acres bordered by Spearfish Canyon, National Forest Service land, Mountain Plains 1 subdivision, and Fish Hatchery Gulch. There are 113 lots. Most homeowners live here year-round, but several are seasonal residents. We are located in Lawrence County, just outside the Spearfish city limits, and function much like a small city, responsible for many of our own utilities and services. We are structured as an incorporated non-profit homeowners' association, and our equivalent of a "city council" is our board of directors. To help you get settled, here are some practical hints and information about the neighborhood.

Board of Directors: The MP2 Homeowners' Association (MP2 HOA) is governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of our own residents. The board consists of nine members, each of whom is elected to a 3 year term and three of whom are replaced each year with newly elected members. You can find a listing of current board members and their assigned responsibilities under the HOA Contact Information tab above. Please do consider serving on the board of directors. You will find a tour as a director very rewarding as you work to improve your neighborhood. And you will find it a great opportunity to become better acquainted with many of the residents on our beautiful mountain.

Brush Clearing: Owners are strongly encouraged to clear their lots of scrub and brush for Firewise purposes and to more easily access the pine trees for spraying. Owners creating their own slash piles can have them hauled away by local companies or do it themselves to the Spearfish Rubble Site on U.S. Highway 85 just north of town.

To encourage brush and limb removal, the MP2 Board of Directors annually approves a credit, usually $100, to be deducted from the annual general assessment upon submission of a receipt for clearing or hauling. All brush piles should be removed from the sides of roads before the first snow fall so snow removal and plowing can take place safely and efficiently.

Communication: There is an annual MP2 Homeowners Association meeting, usually in the second week of June. This MP2 website is maintained with pertinent neighborhood information. There is an MP2 Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mountainplains2/) for residents to ask questions and be the first informed about news and happenings in our neighborhood. There is an email distribution list to which you will be added that is used for neighborhood matters. We request that you provide your mailing address, email address, home phone numbers and cell phone numbers to the MP2 Board at mp2hoabod@gmail.com.

Construction or Remodeling: Several qualified building contractors are available in the area. A good way to find a contractor that will provide you quality work is to ask your neighbors whom they have been satisfied with.

Covenants: MP2 is a covenant governed community. A copy of the covenants may have been provided by your Realtor, but be certain that you have the current copy (most recently revised in 2015) on the Covenants page of the website. Please familiarize yourself with them. As excerpted from the covenants, “These covenants and restrictions are for the purpose of creating and keeping the development desirable, attractive, beneficial, free from nuisance, and suitable in architectural design, materials and appearance, and for the purpose of guarding against fires and unnecessary interference with the natural beauty of our development, and for the mutual benefit and protection of all the owners of lots in our development."

The covenants are legally binding on all homeowners within MP2. The homeowner becomes subject to the covenants at the same time the contract to purchase property in MP2 is executed. The board of directors is required by the MP2 by-laws to administer and enforce homeowner compliance with the covenants. If there are issues you feel need changing within the covenants, the procedure to obtain amend the covenants is detailed in the covenants and by-laws. Until any such amendments are approved, the covenants stand as currently authorized by the homeowners and should be honored.

Electricity: Provided through Black Hills Power, (605)722-2400.

Fire: We are served by the Spearfish Rural Fire Protection District (emergency 911). Wildfire is a very real concern in MP2, especially in the summer. We encourage all residents to do what they can to protect their property from wildfire and ensure there is a defensible space surrounding their home. General assessment of lots for fire vulnerability can be obtained at no cost from Rob Mattox, (605)578-1556, Wildland/Urban Fire Specialist for Lawrence County.

If you witness a fire or smell wood smoke from an unidentified source, it is extremely important to report the incident by calling 911. The Spearfish Rural Fire Protection District officials have advised they would much rather fight small fires than give the fire time and opportunity to become a major incident. The fire department recommends that all homeowners have a weather alert radio and register with CodeRed. Should an evacuation become necessary in the event of a wildfire, warnings will be issued over the weather alert station and CodeRed. CodeRed information is available on this MP2 website.

Firewise Community: MP1 and MP2 were designated as a national Firewise Community in 2002. As part of this designation, a fuel reduction cost sharing program may be available from the state. Contact Fire Management Officer at (605)584-2300 for additional information. Being designated a Firewise community brings special responsibilities for us as homeowners. One of the recommendations is to thin wooded areas around the home so there are 15 to 25 feet between trees and the house. Pine needles should be cleaned out of rain gutters several times a year and raked away from the house. No wood piles should be kept by structures. Firewise materials with numerous other suggestions can be obtained from the Firewise page or the MP2 director in charge of that committee.

Funding: Each homeowner pays an annual association assessment to cover MP2 expenses, over 90% of which are related to the water system and road maintenance/snow removal. The board of directors determines the amount of assessment annually based on anticipated expenditures. Special assessments are also occasionally necessary for large projects but must be approved by a vote of the majority of owners. The yearly assessment billing is mailed to each lot owner in December and is payable before the first of February.

Garbage: There are two options for garbage pickup, Refuse Solutions at (605)723-7723 and Kieffer Sanitation at (605)892-4635. No garbage should be placed for pick up unless it is in a garbage receptacle. Spearfish has a rubble waste site located on Highway 85 approximately 1 ½ miles north of I-90 exit 10. Contact (605)642-1333 for times, charges, and types of material the site will accept.

Internet: High speed Internet connectivity is available through several sources in the area including Celerity Networks (605)340-0641, CenturyLink (866)963-6665, and Bluepeak (888)975-4258.

Libraries: The Grace Balloch Memorial Library is located in the city hall complex at 625 North Fifth Street, Spearfish, phone (605)642-1330. Remote access library services are free to county residents. Black Hills State University also has a public library, phone (605)642-6250 .

Medical: Monument Health Hospital in Spearfish provides 24 hour emergency room care by physicians. Emergency ambulance service is available by calling 911. Black Hills Urgent Care is open 7 days a week at (605)722-777 and Monument Health Clinics are available for routine care.

Natural Gas: Provided through Montana-Dakota Utilities at (605)642-2654.

Newspapers: The Black Hills Pioneer at (605)642-2761 and The Rapid City Journal and Lawrence County Journal at (800)843-2300.

Noxious Weeds: Noxious weeds are a problem for most of the MP2 area. It is the responsibility of residents to destroy noxious weeds on their property. Lawrence County ordinances allow the county to address noxious weed problems on private property that are not controlled by the property owner, at the owner’s expense. Additional noxious weed information is available on this website and can also be obtained by contacting the Lawrence County Weed and Pest Control Officer at (605)642-1976. Weed control contractors are available in the area.

Pets: Lawrence County ordinance (a link is provided on the Dog Control Ordinance Page) requires that pets be controlled or restrained at all times. In addition, MP2 covenants require all pets to be restrained. Monitoring your pet’s noise, location and body waste is a wonderful way to show consideration of your neighbors. The sheriff may issue citations to owners who allow pets to roam free. Pets do not need to be licensed in MP2, but for a small charge you can obtain a pet license and tag from animal control located in the police department at 625 5th Street, Spearfish. For additional information call (605)642-1308.

Pine Beetle Mitigation: Black Hills pines, including those in MP2, are under attack by pine beetles. An accepted fact by the scientific community is that the only effective method of protecting trees against infestation is by thinning or spraying them with designated insecticides in spring before beetle migration flights begin when temperatures warm above 70 degrees for a few consecutive days. Treatment is generally held to be 95% effective but must be repeated annually. Infested trees must be felled and chunked to dry quickly.

Local companies can be engaged for spraying. Look under Tree Service in the Yellow Pages. Much additional information on pine beetles is available on the Mountain Pine Beetle page located under the Environmental Information tab above, and you can contact the Lawrence County Resource Conservation and Forestry office at (605)584-2300. Dead trees and brush are to be removed by property owners to lessen breeding material for beetles and to reduce fire potential.

Police: MP2 is under the primary jurisdiction of the Lawrence County Sheriff at (605)578-2230. Spearfish police are available in an emergency by calling 911.

Recycling: Recycling service is provided by Green Star Recycling at (605)559-0333 or Northern Hills Recycling Center in Belle Fourche at (605)722-1807. Rapid City has three recycling locations for free drop-off - call (605)355-3496 for additional information relating to times, locations and types of material.

Sewer: Each house is on its own septic system. The covenants require that your septic tank be serviced at least triennially. Septic cleaning services are listed in the phone books.

Snow Removal: MP2 contracts with an independent plowing service, Pedersen Excavating, to handle snow removal and sanding of the roads. The arterials, Oak Ridge Road and Pine Cone Avenue, are plowed first. Every attempt is made to have them plowed by 7:30 AM after an overnight snow storm. Side streets are plowed next and may not be finished until later in the morning. Please note that severe snow storms can affect the successful completion of snow removal. We enjoy the benefits of living in a mountainous area and so we may sometimes pay to enjoy this benefit by having to deal with snow-covered or icy roads.

Residents are asked not to contact our contractor directly. If you have issues with road clearing, contact a Road Committee board member. Drivers should always use caution on our roads, and this becomes far more important during winter driving.

Homeowners are responsible for their own driveways. Arrangements can be made with snow removal services if desired. Four wheel drive vehicles are not necessary but can prove beneficial. Snow or studded tires are advisable.

Telephone: CenturyLink, (800)244-1111. Local area includes Spearfish, Lead, Deadwood and Whitewood. Rapid City, Belle Fourche and Sturgis are long distance. Copies of the phone book are available by calling CenturyLink at (800)422-8793, at the Spearfish Chamber office, and at the County Court House.

Television: Cable service is available through Bluepeak at (888)975-4258. Satellite service is available from Dish Network at (800)333-3474 and DirecTV at (800)675-8668.

Water: MP2 provides water for all its residents. Two wells in the subdivision supply water from the Madison Aquifer and pump it into a 150,000 gallon storage tank on Elk Run Road and a 15,000 gallon underground cistern near the junction of Flat Top Circle and Spirit Mountain Road, providing the neighborhood with a large reserve. A third well is on standby basis. The altitude changes within the development require an elaborate water system with pressure reducing valves and an intermediate storage and pumping station. A major improvement project was completed in 2004 which increased capacity and reliability. In 2009 two well houses were added to the system along with equipment to chlorinate our water supply in accordance with state requirements. Further enhancements are planned and will be built as funds become available.

Each home must be equipped with a water meter and a remote reader which is read monthly by our contracted water system manager. Individual residence check valves and pressure reducing valves are necessary and are the responsibility of the homeowner. Failure to have pressure reducing valves may result in plumbing damage and flooding of the home. There is a charge for usage in excess of 10,000 gallons per month as detailed on the Water Fees page. You will be mailed a water bill for any monthly consumption above the 10,000 gallons.

Our water meets the standards of the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the EPA. Biological testing is performed monthly. A current copy of the report is available on this site, or you may contact a Water Committee Board Member. The water is considered hard and homeowners generally have found water softeners to offer an advantage. The water contains very little fluoride (<0.3 ppm), so young children may need fluoride supplementation.

Wild Animals: Deer and wild turkey are pervasive in the development. Occasional sightings of raccoons, skunks, foxes, mountain goats, coyotes, porcupines, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, flying squirrels, and transient bears have been reported. Mountain lion sightings should be reported to the Game, Fish and Parks at (605)394-2391 or 911 in an emergency. If you injure or kill a deer with an automobile, call the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office at (605)578-2230. Hunting is not permitted in the subdivision. It is recommended that wild animals, other than birds, not be fed, as that may indirectly result in attracting mountain lions.

We hope you enjoy living in the Spearfish area and the Mountain Plains 2 subdivision. This package has been prepared to assist you in becoming comfortable in your new home. If we may be of additional assistance in helping you settle into the area, please feel free to contact any of your Board Members.

Sincerely,

MP2 Board of Directors

P.S. If you feel any changes or additions to this document would be useful, please contact the Board.

Latest update 09/2022