Public Comment Open for Draft “Helena Forward” Land Use Plan

Published on June 23, 2025

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

HELENA, Mont. – The City of Helena is accepting public comment on a draft of its’ Land Use Plan, known as Helena Forward. A draft copy of the plan is available to view at www.helenamt.gov/helena-forward/. Public comments can also be submitted on the project website through the summer.

The City is working with consulting firm Houseal-Lavigne to create the Land Use Plan, which will direct future growth and development in Helena over the next 20 years. The Land Use Plan process kicked off last summer with a series of stakeholder meetings, public workshops, and online public engagement opportunities. Houseal-Lavigne analyzed previous planning documents and incorporated public input to develop the draft plan.

Staff from the City’s Community Development department is also available to provide presentations and gather feedback from community organizations. If an organization is interested in having a short presentation from City staff, they can coordinate a presentation by visiting the Helena Forward page on the City website and using the online scheduling tool.

Helena Forward is a multi-year process that stems from the passage of Senate Bill 382, 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 will be hosting a public open house later this summer prior to the formal recommendation and approval of the plan. The final Land Use Plan will be approved by the Planning Commission before adoption by the City Commission.

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