Missoula city staff on Oct. 1 released and presented a draft zoning framework intended to implement the city’s Missoula 2045 land use plan, outline a new Unified Development Code and launch a public engagement period that runs through mid-November, staff said.

The presentation, delivered by Emily Blackan, senior planner and a project manager on the zoning update, and introduced by Mayor James and Councilman Mike Nugent, outlined core changes the draft would make to how land is regulated across Missoula. Key elements include consolidating existing zones, encouraging greater housing diversity, use of floor-area-ratio (FAR) to regulate building size, permitting neighborhood-scale commercial uses in residential areas and removing minimum parking requirements for residential development.

The draft is part of a multi-document package that staff said will include the full Unified Development Code (UDC) and a Standards and Specifications Manual. "Zoning is a set of regulations that determines how land can be used and developed, and it really controls the types and intensity of uses," Blackan said during the roughly 15- to 20-minute presentation. She said those full drafts are scheduled for public release Oct. 29 and that the planning-board public hearing will begin Nov. 18, followed by city council public hearings and a possible adoption at the Dec. 22 city council meeting. If adopted on that schedule, the new code would take effect one month later, on Jan. 22.

Why it matters: The zoning framework is the regulatory tool staff say will implement policy choices in the Missoula 2045 land use plan adopted last year. "We need to make sure that our codes align with what our priorities are today," Blackan told attendees, adding that the city’s current code dates to 2009 and has been maintained piecemeal since then.

What’s proposed
- Zone consolidation: Staff said the proposal reduces the number of distinct zoning categories from 79 under the current code to 25 under the new framework.
- Housing diversity: The draft aims to increase housing choices across neighborhoods while including standards intended to preserve compatibility with existing homes.
- Floor-area-ratio: The draft would introduce FAR as a primary tool to limit building bulk instead of relying solely on unit counts; staff said FAR is intended to incentivize smaller, potentially more affordable units.
- Neighborhood commercial: The framework would permit a neighborhood-commercial building type in residential districts to allow small-scale businesses that are compatible with residential character.
- Parking changes: The city proposes removing minimum parking requirements for residential uses and reducing minimums for many nonresidential uses. Staff cited recent state-law changes as one driver of that policy.

Community outreach and context
Blackan said the zoning framework is the product of roughly three years of work and public outreach. Staff reported holding 18 citywide events similar to the presentation and more than 150 stakeholder meetings; they said more than 3,000 people have provided input to date. Councilman Mike Nugent, who chairs the council’s Land Use and Planning Committee and represents Ward 4, said the council directed staff to begin the process three years ago and emphasized that some elements are required by state law. "There are some things that the state legislature has mandated that we do," Nugent said, noting local discretion is limited for those items.

Next steps and timeline
City staff advised attendees the draft zoning framework materials are available online for comment through mid-November. The full Unified Development Code and Standards and Specifications Manual drafts were scheduled for release Oct. 29. The planning-board public hearing is scheduled to begin Nov. 18, followed by city council hearings and a potential adoption vote Dec. 22. Staff said the new code would take effect a month after adoption. Staff encouraged attendees to review materials online and at information stations set up at the event.

What was not decided
No formal votes or regulatory adoptions occurred at the presentation. Presenters described the draft, the outreach and the timeline; they solicited public comment and outlined the adoption process. Specific numeric standards tied to FAR, exact parking reductions by district, and final text of the UDC and Standards and Specifications Manual were not included in the short presentation and will be provided in the full drafts released later in October.

Attendee engagement and program history
Blackan said the effort stems from adoption of the Missoula 2045 land use plan last year and a 3-year staff project to convert policy into regulatory code. She noted the current code’s complexity and said one goal of the draft is to simplify and consolidate rules that are currently spread across multiple documents.

City staff asked meeting attendees to submit comments online or at staff tables; Blackan and other staff remained after the presentation to answer questions.