Commission agrees to sunset 2004 Missouri River Corridor Plan on Growth Policy adoption, keeps city parks designated as open space

The Great Falls City Commission on May 19 agreed by consensus to sunset the 2004 Missouri River Urban Corridor Plan as an active policy guide when the city's Growth Policy is adopted and to keep existing city parks designated as Open Space on the Future Land Use Map.

Planning and Community Development Director Brock Cherry told commissioners that the corridor plan — originally adopted in 2004 by resolution and later established through ordinance — contains planning principles some in the community still value, but staff incorporated only select provisions into the draft Growth Policy.

Stuart Lewin, a city resident who described himself as a member of the 2004 Missouri River Corridor Planning Group, urged the Commission to reincorporate the corridor plan into the Growth Policy, arguing the older plan offers more prescriptive guidance on open‑space preservation, superfund site management and riverfront development standards. "The corridor plan already provides detailed guidance on open space preservation, superfund site management, river protection, and development standards," Lewin said.

David Saslav, chairman of Citizens for Clean Energy, urged greater alignment between city and county growth planning and questioned late‑stage changes to the Growth Policy that he said appeared to bypass earlier public engagement.

Commission discussion about parks centered on community value and permanence. Commissioner Shannon Wilson cited a community survey naming the Missouri River and open space as the city's top assets and warned that "once a park is removed, it is lost permanently." Mayor Cory Reeves noted the city has 57 parks and questioned whether some underused properties could be repurposed, and Director Cherry flagged that some park properties have reversionary clauses that could legally constrain changes.

After debate, the Commission agreed to retain city parks as Open Space in the Growth Policy and to sunset the Missouri River Urban Corridor Plan upon adoption of the Growth Policy. Staff said determining which parks have binding reversionary clauses would require more detailed research and could affect the schedule, but the Commission opted to proceed with the original timeline.

Next steps: staff will proceed with Growth Policy adoption steps, including preparing any necessary actions to formally rescind or retire the corridor plan from active policy use at the appropriate time.