The City is embracing the opportunity to reorganize and reform our development codes. This will give us better tools for encouraging development that contributes to shared community goals. Examples of these goals are affordable housing, equity, and climate change mitigation. It will also make the code more clear and easier to use for residents and businesses.

Click here for more information on the code reform process.

The Code Diagnostic is an important first step in the Our Missoula process to understanding what changes are needed to align our development regulations with our community's vision for the future. It is an analysis of our existing conditions - not a recommendation of specific code changes - and will help us construct a roadmap for reforming the code.

This diagnostic identifies key issues with Missoula’s development codes and provides actionable insights and considerations for improving clarity, consistency and alignment with the community’s goals and state regulations. It is a synthesis of policy and regulatory documents, listening sessions with frequent code users in the community, staff input, and technical analyses. 

The findings in the Code Diagnostic are the basis for creating the Guiding Principles for Code Reform. The City will commit by resolution to use the Guiding Principles for Code Reform as the “North Star” for comprehensive code reform and they will guide all changes to the development codes and the zoning map. 

Click here to read the Code Diagnostic and the Guiding Principles for Code Reform and to provide your questions and comments!  

Near-Term Code Amendments

The 2023 Montana State Legislative Session passed a variety of land-use related bills, including a comprehensive re-write of the Montana Land Use Planning Act. In response, the City identified a phased approach to identifying and adopting amendments to local codes to comply with State mandates. These changes created a new baseline that will be considered within the ongoing Our Missoula: Growth Policy Update & Code Reform processes.

On March 25, 2024, the Missoula City Council held a public hearing on, and approved, an ordinance to adopt changes to Title 20 City Zoning Code and Title 16 Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home Parks. The City Council also approved a 12-month extension to the Interim Zoning Urgency Ordinance that was passed in October 2023.

During the public hearing, the City Council amended the proposed package of Title 20 changes in three areas.

• Increasing the maximum size of an ADU from the proposed 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet;
• Setting the first-floor floor-to-floor minimum height for the vertical mixed use building type at 10’ rather than the proposed 11 feet 11 inches;
• Amending the shared parking section to expand the use of the ULI (Urban Land Institute’s) methodology.

The zoning amendments to Title 16 and the extensions to the interim Conditional Use Ordinance and Interim Zoning Urgency Ordinance were adopted as proposed. The adopted changes to Title 20 and Title 16 went into effect starting on April 25th, 2024, and the extension to the Interim Zoning Urgency Ordinance went into effect immediately.

Click here for more information and
a complete summary of the code amendments that are now in effect.

Legislative Updates Impacting Engagement