HELENA — Lewis and Clark County is seeking public input on proposed County-Initiated Part 2 Zoning for the Helena Valley.
The area has traditionally not had zoning and the County wants to make sure they’re doing what’s best for the people that live there. Two public hearings will be held this week:
• December 18 at 6 pm at Montana WILD, 2668 Broadwater Ave.
• December 19 at 6 pm at Tri-Lakes Fire Station, 3200 Spokane Creek Rd.
The County has come up with a preliminary draft based on the 2015 Helena Valley Area Growth Policy to help address: Water, Wastewater, Roads, Fire Protection and Flooding.
Community Development and Planning Director Peter Italiano says zoning can restrict what can be done with a property, but that also helps protect property values for land owners.
“Zoning kind of brings that level of consistency and predictability,” said Italiano. “That predictability often times plays out throughout the county, adds to property values and keeps the property value from going below what it should be.”
There are currently 35 Citizen-Initiated Part 1 zoning districts in Lewis and Clark County.
The Part 2 County-Initiated zoning would have five different types of zone districts intended to support an agriculture/rural/large lot lifestyle, along with both urban and suburban districts for additional lifestyle options.
Additional meetings are planned for January of next year and will be announced at a later date.
More information about County zoning can be found here.
