Southwest Montana News

The community is invited to help shape the City of Helena’s future by participating in an upcoming event for its Land Use Plan, known as Helena Forward. On October 2, the public can participate in a visioning workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Helena Civic Center. The workshop will be interactive with maps available to draw and discuss ideas. It will be hosted by consulting firm Houseal-Lavigne.

In addition to the workshop, the Helena Citizens’ Council is also hosting a Helena Forward event on September 25. The HCC event will run from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Civic Center.

The Land Use Plan will direct future growth and development in Helena over the next 20 years. More information on the Helena Forward project is available at www.helenamt.gov/helena-forward/.

Currently, the team from Houseal-Lavigne is analyzing previous planning documents and conducting public engagement. Along with the upcoming events, the project website offers a Community Questionnaire with questions about important issues and opportunities facing the City. There is also an engaging online tool, map.social, that allows participants to provide feedback and ideas using an interactive map.

The project kicked off in early June with key stakeholder meetings in Helena. Houseal-Lavigne has also conducted interviews with various business owners and civic leaders as part of the data collection process. The team has created DIY Kits that allow residents to conduct their own small group workshops to gather input on the Land Use Plan. DIY Kits can be requested by emailing Ellie Ray with the City’s Planning Division at eray@helenamt.gov.

Helena Forward is a multi-year process that stems from Senate Bill 382, known as the Montana Land Use Planning Act. The Land Use Plan will replace the City’s Growth Policy, which was last updated in 2019. The project team expects the full process to last approximately one and a half years.