MISSOULA — The City of Missoula is continuing its never-ending work of planning for growth, this time for the Northside of Missoula. The city passed its land use plan two years ago; that was subsequently followed by the passage of its new zoning code.
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But with the closure of Roseburg Forest Products, the city annexed part of the property, leaving new holes in the city’s plans.
With that, the city is now looking to reimagine what the area from Reserve to Scott Street may look like in the future.
“This is an attempt to weave it together, bring the infrastructure up, resolve some of the conflicts, and set it up for future success to create a really vibrant, exciting neighborhood for the city of Missoula,” Mark Sindel, principal planner for GGLO, said.
Sindel is working with the city to meet not only the city’s goals for growth, but also the community as a whole.
A lot of that plan looks like what the rest of the city may grow into.
More dense housing mixed in with commercial spaces alongside increased bike trails and pedestrian infrastructure.
The city is mainly looking to accomplish its goals through an Urban Renewal District (URD).
URDs are not new to Missoula, as there was one created over a decade ago to revitalize downtown. It essentially allows the city to keep increased property tax revenue from the area, in the area - to build out things like infrastructure.
Something that community members hope will address some of the goals they have for their community.
“I greatly hope that this plan establishes the basis for a trail that will allow a bicyclist to leave Grand Creek and find their way safely to the downtown trail system,” Bert Lindler, a Northside resident, said.
“Missoula has changed so much since I moved here over 50-some years ago. And it's going to continue to change. There's no stopping it and the growth. But so it's how we can arrange all of the people and the growth of the city comfortably for everybody,” Diana Sanchez, another Northside resident, said.
While serious planning is currently in the works, it doesn’t mean that growth and change are going to happen within the coming years.
The plan expects change in the area to most likely occur over the span of 30 to 50 years.
The Missoula City Council ultimately has final say on whether or not to adopt the plan, with a vote coming on June 22nd.
