Bozeman board weighs UDC phase 2 engagement; asks staff for graphics and targeted options ahead of May commission work sessions

The Bozeman Community Development Board spent its May 5 meeting on the Unified Development Code (UDC) update supplemental engagement (phase 2), reviewed public feedback and requested further materials from staff before upcoming City Commission work sessions on May 20 and June 24. Board members did not vote on code changes; the session was a work session to guide staff drafting.

Chris Saunders, community development staff, briefed the board on the project status and engagement. He said the UDC update ties to the city’s 2020 community plan and state planning requirements: “This project has 5 goals that were established by the commission when we first kicked this off,” and staff are working through supplemental engagement steps adopted in October 2024. Saunders told the board the supplemental engagement had produced workshop notes, surveys and a toolkit called “host your own UDC chat,” and that the online survey remained active through May 8.

Staff summarized common public comments and identified…