Bozeman commission reviews rewritten land-use code and MLUPA-driven process changes ahead of December hearings

Bozeman City staff and consultants conducted a work session on Nov. 10 to prepare the City Commission for upcoming public hearings on a proposed repeal and replacement of the Unified Development Code (Chapter 38).

City Manager Wynne and senior planner Chris Saunders outlined the scope and schedule of the three-year UDC update, which has produced multiple draft versions and extensive public engagement since the project began. Saunders said the draft was released Sept. 19 and that the Community Development Board has been taking public comment; that board is expected to finish its deliberations and forward recommendations to the commission before the Dec. 2 hearing.

Why it matters: The update implements changes required by the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) and restructures local review procedures. Those changes affect how people are notified of proposed map or text amendments, who makes initial decisions on administrative applications, and how appeals move through the system — items that directly affect developers, neighbors and community groups.

Saunders summarized key procedural changes driven by MLUPA and staff recommendations. Among the most notable: the city is…