Zoning Reform Discussions

Commission Selects Preferred Direction for Zoning Reform

At their public meeting on October 21, the County Commission directed the Planning Department to begin work on Growth Area Zoning Reform. For those who have been following the entire process, this is Option 4 from the Zoning Reform Spectrum.

This means that efforts to expand or refine zoning will be focused within the areas of the County that are facing, or are expected to face, the greatest growth pressures and land use conflict in the near term. The exact boundary of the project limits is yet to be delineated and will be shared when available.

The Commission also acknowledged that while residents in some unzoned areas have participated and expressed interest in zoning, they did not hear from those in other unzoned areas facing less development pressure (generally those farther away from “The Triangle”). The Commissioners determined that engagement of residents in those areas is necessary before taking any action there. As a result, engagement to determine perspectives on zoning reform will continue in these areas while the Planning Department works to advance Growth Area Zoning Reform.

The next step will be defining the extents of the boundary that will form the project limits for Growth Area Zoning Reform and mapping out more detailed steps and timelines. Public participation has been and will continue to be an integral part of this project. See below and the sidebar for information on how to stay informed, resources that explore the topic of zoning reform, and a timeline of steps to date!

Stay Informed about Next Steps

More information on the next steps for zoning reform will be advertised on this website once available and distributed to folks on the Envision Gallatin email list, social media, and a variety of other formats.

To sign up for the email list, send a message to envision@gallatin.mt.gov. This conversation is just beginning- stay tuned for more opportunities to participate!

Stay informed about Gallatin County initiatives and engagement opportunities, sign up for the County Bulletin

Resources

Planning staff has published a video series to help residents understand zoning and potential reform options. Each link below leads to a video in the four-part series, except for Part 1, each video includes chapter links in the description to allow you to skip around to different parts at your discretion.

Part 1: Introduction to Series on Gallatin County Planning Framework

Part 2: Gallatin County Planning 101

Part 3: Why Talk about Zoning Reform as a Community?

Part 4: Zoning Reform, What Does it Mean and What Could it Look Like?

ZONING REFORM SPECTRUM HANDOUT

Background on Zoning Reform Discussions:

The County has a complex zoning framework consisting of 22 independently operating zoning districts that were created over the course of several decades. Though a tremendous amount of citizen participation has gone into the creation and updates of the 22 districts over the years, their independent nature makes it difficult to update them in response to community needs, new information about wildlife and water, or to reduce confusion or errors to better serve the public. For example, changing a simple typo across all districts requires at least 22 public hearings and 22 individual public notice procedures to make the same change, which can be confusing and costly for the public.

Additionally, about 74% of private land in the County is not zoned, which means that there are few local review mechanisms available in these areas to ensure that any impacts of development on water quality and quantity, agriculture, wildlife, roads, and more are mitigated. With increases in new and innovative land use types across the County, as well as tremendous growth pressures, the County Commission, boards, and staff are investigating what, if any, reforms to our zoning framework are needed to better serve residents and protect the County's most loved attributes.

Past Events

Commission Direction to Staff on Preferred Option:

October 21^stat 9:00 AM - County Commission, Planning Staff, Recording and Materials: AV Capture All

Update on Zoning Reform for Planning Board

September 23^rdat 6:00 PM - Planning Board, County Commission, Planning Staff, Recording and Materials: AV Capture All

Commission Direction to Staff on Next Steps for Zoning Reform

May 13th, 2025, at 9:00 AM - County Commission, Recording and Materials: AV Capture All

Listening Sessions on Zoning Reform Debrief

April 15th, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM - County Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Planning Board, and Planning staff listening, Partial Recording: AV Capture All

Community Listening Sessions on Zoning Reform

March 25th, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM - County Commission, Planning Board, and Planning staff listening
Recording: AV Capture All

March 13th, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM -County Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Planning staff listening
Recording: AV Capture All

February 18th, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - County Commission & Planning staff listening
Recording: AV Capture All