Oct. 23, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

It doesn’t get much more fundamental than water.

And, for the community of Valley Springs, improvements were needed to position the city’s water infrastructure for the future.

“We’re getting our two wells hooked together with one dedicated line so that both go directly to the water and a new well house that will take some of the hardness out of the water,” said Mayor Carl Moss, who has led the community for 15 years.

“The water project is hopefully going to be finished by the end of the month, and then the well house more than likely won’t be up until the end of next year.”

For the community, an updated water system is one element helping support future growth.

“We’ve got plenty of capacity where we’re at for water and sewer and utilities,” said Ron Kuipers, who owns Homestead Construction with his wife, Lori.

Homestead Construction steadily has been opening up residential lots and building homes in the community, working on a property on the southwest side of town that can hold about 70 homes.

“We’re progressing,” Kuipers said. “We’ve grown quite a bit and are in the process of putting in some additional streets for phase three. We did water and sewer for another 35 lots, and we’ll be putting in curb and gutter in the spring.”

Not quite halfway through the development, “we’ve just about filled up the lots we had ready,” Kuipers said. “It’s people moving back to small towns, I would say. More affordable housing. You can get a lot more for your money in Valley Springs and still be close to the conveniences of the larger city.”

Moss has noticed the same thing in the community of just under 900 residents.

“They like small-town living,” he said. “We’re close to Sioux Falls, so you have that small-community feel, but you’re not that far away. Most residents work in Sioux Falls, and it’s a 20-minute drive at the most. People are moving into town, so the population is slowly growing.”

Kuipers still has lots available, including walkouts and those designed for both single-family and twin homes.

“I think interest rates have affected the demand, but it’s still strong,” he said. “We just completed three homes and put two on the market, and they sold right away.”

Prices for completed single-family homes range from $400,000 to $500,000, with lots from $52,000 to $90,000.

Both Kuipers and Moss said they’d like to see more commercial activity in the community, though it is coming.

“There is a large storage unit complex going in on the north end of town along the highway with RV and boat storage and some business condos along the highway,” Kuipers said, adding he’s also looking at developing at least 20 more lots in a future phase.

“That’s probably a couple years down the road,” he said.

The success of Homestead’s residential development is encouraging, Moss said, adding the city also plans to support it by developing a small park in the area.

“We’re in the process of putting a park there with some playground equipment, but we don’t have a timeline set,” he said.

Upcoming events

Want to pay a visit to Valley Springs? The Community Club is hosting a Trunk or Treat event from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Legion Park.

And On the Rocks will host a Halloween party at its bar and restaurant, 320 Broadway Ave., starting at 8 p.m. Saturday.