City to Hold Open House on Proposed Zoning Regulations Updates

Published on September 04, 2026

Yellow flower with the City of Helena's downtown in the background.

HELENA, Mont.— The City of Helena invites community members to attend an upcoming open house at the Helena Civic Center from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, to review and discuss the Zoning Regulations Update Preliminary Recommendations Report (PRR).

The PRR evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the City’s current zoning code and presents initial recommendations for potential updates. The recommendations have been informed by community input, staff feedback, and alignment with the City’s long-range plans.

The open house will provide an opportunity for residents, property owners, business owners, and other community members to learn more about the findings and recommendations, ask questions, and provide feedback as the zoning update process moves forward.

Community members are encouraged to review the PPR before attending the open house. The report is available on the project website: https://hla.fyi/HelenaUpdate.

What are Zoning regulations?

Zoning regulations are the means by which local governments regulate land use. Local governments receive the authority to establish and adopt zoning regulations by the state zoning enabling act to manage how land is developed and used in order to protect public health, safety, and welfare. The City of Helena’s current Zoning Regulations have not been comprehensively updated since 2008. Many changes have occurred in since then, making it necessary for ordinances to change as well.

Community feedback is essential in helping ensure that the updated regulations reflect the priorities and needs of residents. Those who are unable to attend are encouraged to visit the project website and take the online questionnaire at https://city-of-helena-zoning-code-update-hlplanning.hub.arcgis.com/pages/about-the-plan.

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