RE: NEWSFLASH, City passes Subdivision & Zoning Amendments to comply with 2023 State Land Use bills

The 2023 Montana State Legislative Session passed a variety of land-use related bills that necessitated changes in our local zoning and subdivision rules. The City of Missoula responded quickly with immediate changes to address twelve of the state bills that were effective on or before October 1, 2023. These included changes to the City Subdivision Regulations and the Title 20 Zoning Code. These amendments were mandated by the State Legislature, regardless of local community guidance.

On October 16, 2023, the Missoula City Council held a public hearing on the Resolution to amend City Subdivision Regulations and the Interim Urgency Zoning Ordinance. Both sets of regulations were adopted unanimously and are effective immediately upon approval.

The Interim Urgency Zoning Ordinance will be in effect for six months (Oct. 2023 - April 2024) and will need to be revisited to determine if permanent code changes will be adopted or if an extension of 12 months is needed to complete the amendment work.

The amendments to the City of Missoula Title 20 Zoning Code include the following:

Allowing microbreweries to co-locate with beer & wine sales.
Raise maximum limit for Residential Day Cares from 12 to 15 children/adults.
Allowing data centers & digital asset mining in industrial districts.
Allowing Religious Assemblies to accommodate temporary overnight visitors.
Setting a maximum of 1.0 parking space per unit for multi-dwelling buildings in Commercial districts.
Repeal TED standards related to: public noticing, parkland dedication, and conditions of approval.
Repeal the Design Review Board.
Amend and repeal design standards unrelated to public health & safety within Design Excellence (Section 20.25), Use- and Building-Specific Standards (Section 20.40), ADUs (Section 20.45), Landscaping (Section 20.65), and Signs (Section 20.75).

The amendments to the City of Missoula Subdivision Regulations include changes to various subdivision review processes, including:

Requiring a 20-day review and approval process for specific divisions, as well as specifying review times for the expedited review process; Amending Family Transfer laws.
Creating an Administrative Minor Subdivision process.
Clarifying when a subsequent public hearing will be required.
Allowing staff to administratively approve certain divisions, while retaining City Council approval for others.
Removing the requirement for a public hearing for phased development review in certain circumstances.

For more information, please see the Engage Missoula page on the City Subdivision & Zoning Amendments: Complying with 2023 State Legislation. The updated Subdivision Regulations will be available on the City Laws and Regulations page. The Interim Urgency Zoning Ordinance will be available on the City Ordinance Index.