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Belgrade council adopts new 'Master Planned Community' zoning and advances Foundry, Copper Ranch rezonings to Feb. 2 hearing
Summary
The council approved a citywide zone-text amendment creating a Master Planned Community district (second reading) and set first-reading approval and Feb. 2 final hearings for a 120‑acre Foundry rezoning and a 320‑unit Copper Ranch apartment rezoning; officials said state parking limits constrained local rules.
Belgrade's City Council on Monday adopted a zone-text amendment creating a new Master Planned Community zoning district and advanced two related rezonings to formal public hearings on Feb. 2, 2026. The ordinance on second reading passed unanimously after staff clarified that religious assembly will be allowed without a conditional‑use permit, as the council requested.
Brad Stein, the city's senior planner, told the council the new district is intended to allow smaller lots, a mix of attached and detached housing, and reduced parking in recognition of recent state limits on municipal parking regulation. Stein said the change is citywide but would be applied by request to specific areas and any map changes would still require council approval. He cautioned that the higher height allowances in some districts are intended for attached units such as townhomes and cottages and that developers commonly use covenants to limit atypical single‑family height increases.
The council then considered two map amendments tied to the new text. The first, for roughly 120 acres east of Jackrabbit Lane (now being called The Foundry), would change several parcels—including community living, mixed residential and flex-employment commercial zones—to the Master Planned Community district. Staff recommended approval and asked the council to set final adoption for Feb. 2; Josh Smith of Allied Engineering, representing the applicant, said the recent text amendments were intended to support this rezoning. Councilmember Minicucci moved to approve first reading and schedule the Feb. 2 public hearing; the motion passed unanimously.
The second map amendment would rezone a portion of property owned by Yellowstone Crossing H.C. LLC (the Copper Ranch area near Depot Drive and the Yellowstone Airport Plaza) from commercial corridor to the Community Living district to permit an apartment development. Developer Joey of Inland Group said his firm proposes a deed‑restricted, income‑restricted apartment community of about 320 units targeted at roughly 60% of area median income, with HRDC and the Montana Board of Housing noted as potential partners. Councilmember Erin Bell moved to approve first reading and set the Feb. 2 public hearing; that motion also passed unanimously.
City Manager Neil Cardwell told residents that state law changes are increasingly constraining cities’ ability to set parking minimums, and staff said designs seek to address practical matters such as snow‑plow turning and circulation. Resident Linda Angeloni spoke during public comment urging the council to consider local car‑dependence and parking needs.
Next steps: the council scheduled final hearings and votes on the Foundry and Copper Ranch rezonings for Feb. 2, 2026, and staff said platting and site plans will provide the detailed open‑space and setback guarantees described in tonight’s presentations.
