Get Involved! Our Missoula Workshops!

The Our Missoula: Growth Policy & Code Reform project, led by the Community Planning, Development, & Innovation Department (CPDI), is an extensive planning process that will work with the community to update Missoula's vision for future growth and to modernize the City's development regulations, one of the key tools for achieving this vision.

Our Missoula Workshops: Expanding Housing Options in Neighborhoods graphic with buildings, people, trees, in front of mountains.

The City of Missoula is hosting three Expanding Housing Options in Neighborhoods Workshops during the last week of February and the first week of March as part of the Our Missoula: Growth Policy Update and Code Reform project. The same workshop will be held at three different times and locations:

February 27, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Garden City Harvest, 1657 River Rd.
February 28, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Missoula Public Library, 4th Floor
March 6, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Burns Street Community Center, 1500 Burns St.

Input received during these events will help inform scenario modeling that will be presented and discussed during the following engagement cycle. That cycle will focus on reviewing the scenario modeling results and working towards a preferred scenario with the community. The preferred scenario will inform a revised Future Land Use Map and land use designations in the updated Growth Policy.

These interactive events will feature brief presentations from City staff followed by a facilitated small group activity that will ask residents to consider how the City can provide a wider variety of housing options while advancing equity, affordability, and sustainability. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide input that will help the City understand preferences and concerns surrounding “missing middle housing” - housing options that are similar in scale to single family houses but provide more homes - throughout the city.

The “Focus Inward” concept outlined in Missoula’s Growth Policy calls for new housing in existing neighborhoods and commercial areas. Additional State laws passed in 2023 require the City to implement additional reforms to allow a wider variety of housing types in residential zoning districts. However, the current policy and zoning code contributes to housing and equity issues by limiting housing options in many neighborhoods across the city. These events will explore the ways to allow for more housing options and housing that is more affordable by design while preserving what residents value about Missoula's neighborhoods.

Legislative Updates Impacting Engagement

During the most recent legislative session, the State of Montana passed Senate Bill 382, or the new Montana Land Use Planning Act. As a result of the bill, the emphasis of public participation will shift to be during the planning and adoption of the land use plan and regulations, rather than during site-specific projects, many of which will be reviewed administratively following the bill. Because of this shift, community input on growth and development is critical during the Our Missoula project.

Have questions? Want to tell us your idea? Want to know more? Join us for Office Hours!

Our Missoula staff will hold office hours at various locations around town where residents can drop by, meet staff, and chat about the project. If you have questions, want to tell us your idea, or want to know more, you can find us here!

Missoula Public Library, Community Resource Counter, 455 E. Main St.,
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Have a question or idea and cannot make it to office hours? Would you like us to hold office hours at your location? Reach out to Community Engagement Specialist Ashley Brittner Wells at brittnerwellsa@ci.missoula.mt.us.

Find out more, sign up for updates, and stay in touch here.