Ben Brewer and Emily Gluckin, City of Missoula Planning and Development Services (CPDI)
What is Our Missoula?
Our Challenge Today
- The City must deliver its mission to promote equitable, sustainable, and quality growth and development
- The City is not adequately implementing the policies for the community’s vision of growth.
Our Missoula Goals
- Update our codes to better align with our policies.
Our Missoula: City Growth Policy 2035
- The City Growth Policy is a community plan for managing Missoula’s growth and development over the next 20 years.
- The plan provides direction for new development, sets a vision to sustain and enhance a successful community, and meets Montana State Code requirements.
The City Growth Policy addresses
- Land use
- Housing
- Economic conditions
- Local services
- Public facilities
- Natural Resources
- Community character
- Culture & History
Guiding Principles
- Livability: neighborhoods, historic preservation, education, local services, and quality of life amenities
- Safety & Wellness: fire and police services, recreation, emergency preparedness, social services, and health care facilities
- Economic Health: industries, jobs, wages, fiscal sustainability, technology infrastructure, and business support
- Housing: affordability, choice, student impact, fairness, and homelessness
- Community Design: connectivity, building form, infrastructure, transportation, City-County interface, and land use
- Environmental Quality: air, water, climate, hazards, local food, urban forest, and open space
What is Zoning? What is Development Code?
Zoning regulates how land can be used, where the buildings can be located, and the size and shape of the building. It is one piece of development code.
The Project Goal
- Equity
- Connectivity
- Climate
- Housing
Policy + Code = Outcomes We Desire
Project Engagement and Approach
https://www.engagemissoula.com/our-missoula
Ashley Brittner Wells
Community Engagement Specialist
(406) 552-6221 | [email protected]
A New Approach to Engagement
Partnership with Common Good Missoula:
- Our Missoula has partnered with Common Good Missoula, a local broad-based community organizing group, with the goal of achieving diverse and inclusive engagement surrounding the project.
Community Launch Event: Dec 13 at the County Fairgrounds
- This event was comprised of a mix of educational presentations (in Common Good’s “civic academy” model) and interactive stations.
- Goal: to educate and create awareness around the project and its long-term scope.
- A live recording of the event is available on the project website.
Project Timeline & Engagement
- Began scoping summer 2021
- RFP in spring 2022 - continued scoping in summer 2022
- Project kickoff in Dec 2022
- Now, heading into next phase...
Looking Ahead
Planning Board Role
- Public Forum: Public Engagement Venue
- Approval Process: Recommendation to Council
- Project Guide: Checkpoint and Touchstone
Phase 2: Next Steps
- Technical Deliverables:
- Equity in Land Use Audit
- Community Form Analysis
- Upcoming Engagement
- Workshops
- Walking Focus Groups
- Tabling & "Office Hours"
- Common Good Missoula Table Talks
BOARD QUESTIONS
Ms. Gilels stated that she had been impressed by the event at the fairgrounds in December. She inquired about strategies to resolve inconsistencies between various policy documents and if the growth policy update would provide a resolution. Mr. Brewer affirmed that the policy update should address code and policy inconsistencies and that those inconsistencies would be evaluated by a project consultant team. Ms. Gluckin added that representing the city’s goals and policy in the updated growth policy won’t negate the existing policy.
Mr. McCoy stated that he had participated in the last growth policy update and inquired how similar this process might be to the previous, referring to workshops and focus groups. Mr. Brewer responded that based on feedback regarding the engagement from the 2015 policy adoption, a similar level of engagement was anticipated using some similar strategies.
Mr. McCoy asked how the development community would be engaged in the process. Mr. Brewer responded that the intent is to work closely with and to provide opportunities for participation to the development community.
Mr. Hall asked how residents of manufactured homes would be engaged and if the trends within those communities would be addressed in the process, referring to the impacts of gentrification on affordable homes. Ms. Gluckin explained that wasn’t something that was specifically investigated but could be incorporated into outreach.
Mr. Kanwischer inquired how the implementation of the code reform would be rolled out. Mr. Brewer explained that there are multiple sources of input, including the outcomes of the state legislative session that would need to be incorporated into project evaluation.
Ms. Costello commended the project’s partnership with Common Good and the effort to reach those disempowered from normal engagement routes. She asked if there were any model examples that the project would hope to emulate. Ms. Gluckin responded that there were no specifics at this early stage and that those details would develop through community dialogue.