MISSOULA — A new land use plan is starting to make its way through the Missoula City Council process to be officially adopted.
The Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan has been in the works for years and looks at the city's growth for the next 20 years.
Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said during a Wednesday news conference that there are expected to be as many as 220,000 people in Missoula by 2045.
Given the current state of home costs and the cost of living in Missoula, the land use plan is aimed at lowering costs for Missoula homeowners.
Land Use and Planning Committee Chair Mike Nugent says that this land use policy will address out-of-date policies as well.
“As a community have recognized that growth has put pressures on our community, as it has all of Montana, and that the zoning map is out of date, and the tools that we have just really aren't meeting the moment and kind of what, what this community's pressure is feeling around growth,” Nugent said.
The city has struggled for decades to keep up with the demand of people looking to move to Missoula. Moving forward, this plan aims to adapt to the changes that could be coming.
“That's one of the big things about this plan is it is the City of Missoula recognizing that supply is not met demand in any sector of housing be that permanently affordable or market rate, and that we had to do something about it to meet the moment, because people who work here have to be able to afford to live here, and we have to create an environment where we can create permanently affordable housing that works for people who are making below the median income,” Nugent said.
Providing additional affordable housing is also a major goal of the plan.
“We also have to be able to create housing that works for people who are maybe above the area median income [and] will never qualify for any sort of subsidy, but nonetheless struggle to afford to live here," Nugent said. "And that's one of the big goals in front of us on this. And if we do this right, I think we'll create an environment where it makes it easier for people to achieve, achieve those needs."
With the expected increase in people that could lead to an increase in tax base. Nugent explains the impact this could have on services that the city provides.
“The thing about responsible growth is like, if growth occurs close to services or infill, it's actually less taxing on our infrastructure and our services. So it's actually less expensive for the community than growth that stretches out the sprawls," Nugent said. "So I think that if we can get this right, we can encourage growth in areas that are already serviced by our fire department, that are already covered by our police department, that are in the city sewer service area, so there aren't large dollars that are associated with that, and that, in turn, kind of lowers the impact on our staff and lets us absorb that in a more healthy way."
This is the beginning of a multi-step process that includes code reform.
A formal public hearing regarding the land use plan will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 9 during the Missoula City Council meeting in council chambers.
Click here to view the plan. Additional information can be found at https://www.engagemissoula.com/.
