Commercial Site Review
Beginning December 1, 2025, the Planning Division of the Department of Community Development will offer a new process separating traditional site plan reviews from the building permit process. The purpose of the Commercial Site Review process is to ensure that proposed commercial developments comply with applicable zoning regulations, design standards, and infrastructure requirements prior to issuance of any building permits. This process is intended to address site-specific considerations such as access, parking, zoning district dimensional and design standards, circulation, landscaping, stormwater management, utility placement, and compatibility with adjacent land uses.
The City of Helena has always required a site plan review and approval in conjunction Building Permit review and approval. The Planning Division now has separated these reviews for certain commercial and multi-unit residential projects allowing for the site review to take place prior to building permit application. The intent for having site plans separately reviewed and considered is to allow project applicants, design professionals, engineers, the development community, and city staff to:
• Identify and resolve issues early in the planning and design process to avoid costly changes later on;
• Provide more timely and certain feedback to project developers and design professionals without holding up a building permit review;
• Improve coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency of city processes and regulations and our reviewing departments and staff;
• Facilitate a quicker and more efficient building permit review and approval process
City of Helena staff will review commercial site review submittals for conformance to city policy, regulations, and standards (zoning, parking, access, site design, landscaping, traffic engineering, site circulation, utilities, stormwater) and will act on the submitted plans prior to the submittal or approval of building plans or permits. Concurrent Building and Commercial Site reviews are permitted but a Building permit will not be issued until the site review process has concluded successfully.
Staff began working on this updated site review process early in 2024 with an individual pilot plan review in September 2025. We will continually review the effectiveness of application procedures and make adjustment as needed. Feedback from applicants and our stakeholders is encouraged.
Our Commercial Site Review submittal and review process can be accessed via Civic Access.