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Bill would let county commissioners terminate citizen-initiated zoning districts; opponents warn of property-rights loss
Summary
House Bill 614 would allow county commissioners to terminate citizen-initiated zoning districts if a county opts into the Montana Land Use Planning Act or creates a larger zoning district covering the same area; the Senate committee heard the bill and extensive public opposition.
House Bill 614, introduced in the Senate Local Government Committee by Representative Greg Overstreet, would permit county commissions to terminate citizen-initiated zoning districts after notice and a public hearing if one of two conditions is met: the county has opted into the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MALUPA) or the county has established a larger zoning district that encompasses the area in question.
Proponents said the change provides a clear, administrative path for counties struggling with a patchwork of many small, distinct zoning districts. "Counties are looking for solutions to this situation and...dissolving the old underlying districts," said a proponent, who described how some counties have dozens of separate zoning districts. The proponent told the committee that Gallatin County has 22 zoning districts, Ravalli County 44, Lewis and Clark…
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