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Missoula presentations outline UDC changes that ease parking and add green-space incentives
Summary
City staff summarized elements of the Unified Development Code (UDC) update and the PROST (parks, recreation, open space and trails) plan integration: a 20% landscaping/activity-area standard with cash-in-lieu options, and incentives allowing up to a 30% reduction when pollinator gardens or native prairie are planted to increase flexibility on constrained sites.
City staff used a Dec. 12 program recap to explain how Missoula’s Unified Development Code (UDC) update will change development requirements and integrate the PROST parks and open-space plan.
Emily Armstrong of the city described a 20% landscaping and activity-area standard intended to ensure on-site outdoor space in new development, with a cash-in-lieu option to fund nearby park improvements where on-site area is unavailable. Armstrong said the UDC includes an incentive that can reduce the landscaping/activity requirement by up to 30% if developers include pollinator gardens or native prairie plantings, a provision designed to provide flexibility on constrained sites while promoting habitat.
Speakers also described formation of a city-focused land-use commission to review and make recommendations on zoning and subdivision matters as part of the UDC implementation; the commission would be advisory, have nine members plus two alternates with three-year terms, and its duties and meeting rules would be set in the enabling resolution.
The host and guests discussed tradeoffs: while green-space incentives could improve neighborhood access to parks, speakers said added green requirements can be framed as reducing potential space for dense housing or requiring tradeoffs with parking. The program noted the city is separating some county work from city UDC items as part of scheduling.
What’s next: The UDC and related commission rules will proceed through the planning and adoption process; the program recap did not record a city vote or final adoption on Dec. 12.
