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FLUM/HS FAQ


FLUM= Future Land Use Map

HS= Housing Strategy


Email any comments or additional questions to envision@gallatin.mt.gov

Q: What is the Future Land Use Map and how will it be used?

A: A Future Land Use Map (hereafter referred to as “FLUM”) is a visionary map of how the community wants to grow over time. The map shows where different types of development should happen and will guide future County plans and regulations.


Q. What is the Housing Strategy and how does it relate to the FLUM?

A: The Housing Strategy (hereafter referred to as “HS”) will guide specific policies and strategies that encourage and support housing in alignment with the FLUM. It will also look at how our county can help with the challenges related to affordable and attainable housing.


Q: What is the difference between regulatory and non-regulatory planning documents?

A: Non-regulatory documents (Growth Policy, neighborhood plans, etc.) give general guidance for policies that help shape regulations. On the other hand, regulatory documents (zoning, subdivision, floodplain regulations) have specific rules, often numeric standards for building and development. Both types of documents are created through public processes and are heavily shaped by public input.


Q: How is feedback from the public being used in the FLUM/HS?

A: Your thoughts on the FLUM/HS are crucial. We’ll read each comment, summarize them into key themes, and post them on our website with responses from our planning staff. Responses may address how concerns in each theme are being considered to inform the FLUM/HS, how comments are addressed by other county regulations or planning documents, or in some cases limitations on the county’s ability to address a concern.


Q: What is the Existing Land Use Profile Story map?

A: The Existing Land Use Profile Story map shows available data on existing conditions in terms of land use, sensitive lands, services, infrastructure, and much more. It is not the final product; it can be thought of like a menu of potential data that could be used in the analysis to develop the draft FLUM. We know no data is perfect, so we’re sharing it openly for your input. Your feedback will help us decide what data to use in creating the FLUM.


Q: What is the FLUM/HS steering committee’s role in this process?

A: The FLUM/HS steering committee is a group of people who represent different interests in land use and housing. We have representatives from the County Commission, the County Planning Board, the County Planning and Zoning Commission, the City-County Environmental Health Department, the Human Resource Development Council, and the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District. They give feedback, oversight, and direction to planning staff and the consultant working on the FLUM and HS. The meetings are open to the public. Visit www.envisiongallatin.com to find out how to attend, see what’s on upcoming agendas, and read past meeting notes.


Q: What is the consultant’s role? Why did you hire a consultant for this?

A: We hired a consultant to help us because they have the skills and experience we need for a project of this size. They’re good at gathering data, engaging with the community, and analyzing information. They’ve done similar work in other places, so they can give us useful advice. The consultant and our county planning staff are working together as a team. The consultant’s work is overseen by our planning staff, with input from the steering committee and feedback from the public.


Q: How will the FLUM/HS impact existing part 1 and part 2 zoning districts?

A: The FLUM/HS project doesn’t change zoning rules by itself, and we’re not sure yet how the FLUM/HS will affect current zoning. When the time comes to consider amendments to existing zoning and County’s zoning framework, we’ll use the FLUM/HS and the data and feedback from this project as a guide to make informed decisions.


Q: What is the difference between a zoning district, a zoning regulation, and a zoning sub-district?

A: A zoning “district” is the overall geographic area that is zoned. For example, Four Corners has a zoning district, as does Bridger Canyon and Bozeman Pass. Inside each zoning district, there are sub-districts (e.g. rural-residential, commercial, etc.), with specific rules about what can be built there, how many buildings, what they should look like, and how to get permission to build. The zoning “regulation” is the name for the actual document that describes the rules for the zoning district.


Q: How many Zoning districts does the County have?

Gallatin County has 22 different zoning districts, each with its own set of rules including instructions, procedures, and definitions unique to that zoning district. As a result, terms like height, setback, building can mean different things depending on the district.


Q: What will the FLUM/HS or future zoning reform do to existing covenants or HOA rules?

A: The FLUM/HS and zoning updates won’t affect existing private covenants or HOA rules. These are private agreements and are not enforced by the County. Some subdivisions do have County-required covenants, but those won’t be impacted either.


Q: How will the FLUM/HS impact existing subdivision/planned unit development approvals?

A: The FLUM/HS will not have any impact on existing subdivision or planned unit development approvals. The FLUM/HS are both non-regulatory documents meant to provide guidance on future development.


Q: How is water availability being considered in this process?

A: Water availability is a complicated topic in Montana and the greater western U.S. This is not addressed in the Land Use Profile Story Map, because there is no detailed County-wide data on water availability (both physical and legal) granular enough to be useful in the analysis to inform the FLUM. However, the county is aware of how growth impacts water availability and quality. To address this important issue:

  • We are working with state and local water-resource advocates and officials throughout the FLUM/HS development process to get feedback on how best to address this issue:
  • We are rating areas served by public water and sewer higher, and rating areas on well and septic lower in the draft suitability analysis step;
  • We are considering how to use a variety of different data on water quality and quantity, including on channel migration zones, riparian areas, floodway and floodplain, groundwater recharge areas, high groundwater areas, and more;
  • We will protect agricultural irrigation ditches in the development review process, through zoning and subdivision; and
  • Ultimately, the FLUM/HS is a guidance document and doesn’t regulate water use but will help inform future regulations to protect water quality and quantity.


Q: What is the County’s stance on SB 382 (Montana Land Use Planning Act)?

A: County planning staff and the County Commission are looking into SB 382, also known as the Montana Land Use Planning Act. Currently, the law only requires participation for certain cities, and counties can choose to opt-in. You can read the new law here: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0760/chapter_0250/parts_index.html If you have comments on whether the county should adopt this law, contact the County Commissioners here: https://www.gallatinmt.gov/gallatin-county-commission


FLUM/HS FAQ


FLUM= Future Land Use Map

HS= Housing Strategy


Email any comments or additional questions to envision@gallatin.mt.gov

Q: What is the Future Land Use Map and how will it be used?

A: A Future Land Use Map (hereafter referred to as “FLUM”) is a visionary map of how the community wants to grow over time. The map shows where different types of development should happen and will guide future County plans and regulations.


Q. What is the Housing Strategy and how does it relate to the FLUM?

A: The Housing Strategy (hereafter referred to as “HS”) will guide specific policies and strategies that encourage and support housing in alignment with the FLUM. It will also look at how our county can help with the challenges related to affordable and attainable housing.


Q: What is the difference between regulatory and non-regulatory planning documents?

A: Non-regulatory documents (Growth Policy, neighborhood plans, etc.) give general guidance for policies that help shape regulations. On the other hand, regulatory documents (zoning, subdivision, floodplain regulations) have specific rules, often numeric standards for building and development. Both types of documents are created through public processes and are heavily shaped by public input.


Q: How is feedback from the public being used in the FLUM/HS?

A: Your thoughts on the FLUM/HS are crucial. We’ll read each comment, summarize them into key themes, and post them on our website with responses from our planning staff. Responses may address how concerns in each theme are being considered to inform the FLUM/HS, how comments are addressed by other county regulations or planning documents, or in some cases limitations on the county’s ability to address a concern.


Q: What is the Existing Land Use Profile Story map?

A: The Existing Land Use Profile Story map shows available data on existing conditions in terms of land use, sensitive lands, services, infrastructure, and much more. It is not the final product; it can be thought of like a menu of potential data that could be used in the analysis to develop the draft FLUM. We know no data is perfect, so we’re sharing it openly for your input. Your feedback will help us decide what data to use in creating the FLUM.


Q: What is the FLUM/HS steering committee’s role in this process?

A: The FLUM/HS steering committee is a group of people who represent different interests in land use and housing. We have representatives from the County Commission, the County Planning Board, the County Planning and Zoning Commission, the City-County Environmental Health Department, the Human Resource Development Council, and the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District. They give feedback, oversight, and direction to planning staff and the consultant working on the FLUM and HS. The meetings are open to the public. Visit www.envisiongallatin.com to find out how to attend, see what’s on upcoming agendas, and read past meeting notes.


Q: What is the consultant’s role? Why did you hire a consultant for this?

A: We hired a consultant to help us because they have the skills and experience we need for a project of this size. They’re good at gathering data, engaging with the community, and analyzing information. They’ve done similar work in other places, so they can give us useful advice. The consultant and our county planning staff are working together as a team. The consultant’s work is overseen by our planning staff, with input from the steering committee and feedback from the public.


Q: How will the FLUM/HS impact existing part 1 and part 2 zoning districts?

A: The FLUM/HS project doesn’t change zoning rules by itself, and we’re not sure yet how the FLUM/HS will affect current zoning. When the time comes to consider amendments to existing zoning and County’s zoning framework, we’ll use the FLUM/HS and the data and feedback from this project as a guide to make informed decisions.


Q: What is the difference between a zoning district, a zoning regulation, and a zoning sub-district?

A: A zoning “district” is the overall geographic area that is zoned. For example, Four Corners has a zoning district, as does Bridger Canyon and Bozeman Pass. Inside each zoning district, there are sub-districts (e.g. rural-residential, commercial, etc.), with specific rules about what can be built there, how many buildings, what they should look like, and how to get permission to build. The zoning “regulation” is the name for the actual document that describes the rules for the zoning district.


Q: How many Zoning districts does the County have?

Gallatin County has 22 different zoning districts, each with its own set of rules including instructions, procedures, and definitions unique to that zoning district. As a result, terms like height, setback, building can mean different things depending on the district.


Q: What will the FLUM/HS or future zoning reform do to existing covenants or HOA rules?

A: The FLUM/HS and zoning updates won’t affect existing private covenants or HOA rules. These are private agreements and are not enforced by the County. Some subdivisions do have County-required covenants, but those won’t be impacted either.


Q: How will the FLUM/HS impact existing subdivision/planned unit development approvals?

A: The FLUM/HS will not have any impact on existing subdivision or planned unit development approvals. The FLUM/HS are both non-regulatory documents meant to provide guidance on future development.


Q: How is water availability being considered in this process?

A: Water availability is a complicated topic in Montana and the greater western U.S. This is not addressed in the Land Use Profile Story Map, because there is no detailed County-wide data on water availability (both physical and legal) granular enough to be useful in the analysis to inform the FLUM. However, the county is aware of how growth impacts water availability and quality. To address this important issue:

  • We are working with state and local water-resource advocates and officials throughout the FLUM/HS development process to get feedback on how best to address this issue:
  • We are rating areas served by public water and sewer higher, and rating areas on well and septic lower in the draft suitability analysis step;
  • We are considering how to use a variety of different data on water quality and quantity, including on channel migration zones, riparian areas, floodway and floodplain, groundwater recharge areas, high groundwater areas, and more;
  • We will protect agricultural irrigation ditches in the development review process, through zoning and subdivision; and
  • Ultimately, the FLUM/HS is a guidance document and doesn’t regulate water use but will help inform future regulations to protect water quality and quantity.


Q: What is the County’s stance on SB 382 (Montana Land Use Planning Act)?

A: County planning staff and the County Commission are looking into SB 382, also known as the Montana Land Use Planning Act. Currently, the law only requires participation for certain cities, and counties can choose to opt-in. You can read the new law here: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0760/chapter_0250/parts_index.html If you have comments on whether the county should adopt this law, contact the County Commissioners here: https://www.gallatinmt.gov/gallatin-county-commission


Page last updated: 03 May 2024, 09:05 AM