Upcoming Gallatin County Future Land Use Map & Housing Strategy Adoption Hearings

For immediate release: Nov. 12, 2024

Media contact:
Meghan Hazer-Alvarez, Gallatin County Planning Department
406-582-3130
meghan.hazeralvarez@gallatin.mt.gov 

Upcoming Gallatin County Future Land Use Map & Housing Strategy Adoption Hearings 

After nearly a year of collaborative planning, the Gallatin County Planning Department is excited to announce that the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) and Housing Strategy (HS) have entered the adoption phase. As these plans move forward, community members are encouraged to take part in the upcoming public meetings and share their input, helping shape the future of growth, development, and housing in Gallatin County.

The County Growth Policy, adopted in 2021, set a vision to guide growth, development, and land use to protect quality of life and align with community goals. As a key action item in the Growth Policy’s “Implementation” chapter, the FLUM has been developed to fulfill this commitment. Proposed as an amendment to the Growth Policy, the FLUM offers a visual representation of how the written goals and policies are applied across Gallatin County. It will serve as a guide for future land use decisions and inform updates to the county’s regulations.

Developed alongside the FLUM, the HS provides a menu of policy options for addressing the county’s affordable and attainable housing needs. While the FLUM is proposed as an amendment to the Growth Policy, the HS will be considered separately. However, the simultaneous development of these documents allowed for a cohesive approach, ensuring that insights from one plan informed the other.

Both the FLUM and HS were shaped by public outreach. The first round of outreach in March 2024 helped inform the first drafts of the FLUM and HS. A second round of outreach in September 2024 gathered feedback on these drafts. Detailed summaries of both outreach efforts can be found on the Envision Gallatin project website.

The adoption phase will span the next couple of months:

Planning Board hearing for FLUM: November 19 at 6 p.m. The Planning Board will review the FLUM and make recommendations to the County Commission.

County Commission Hearing FLUM and the HS: November 26 at 9 a.m. The Commission will consider a resolution to adopt the HS, and a resolution indicating their intent to adopt the FLUM as an amendment to the Growth Policy.

County Commission Decision on FLUM Adoption: December 10 at 9 a.m.

All hearings will be held at the Gallatin County Courthouse at 311 W. Main St. in the Community room on the third floor, with a virtual attendance option. Project materials, including how to participate virtually, will be posted publicly prior to each hearing on the Planning Board and Commission webpages.

Public involvement has been key throughout the development of the FLUM and HS, and continued participation during the adoption phase is vital. Community members are encouraged to share their feedback during hearings. Verbal comments can be made at the hearings, and written comments are welcome before each meeting.

Written public comment can be submitted to the Gallatin County Department of Planning and Community Development located in the County Courthouse at 311 W. Main Street, Room 108, Bozeman or to the project email, envision@gallatin.mt.gov

For more information on the project and to review the latest drafts of the FLUM and HS, visit https://envisiongallatin.com.

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