Helena Forward

The Helena Forward Land Use Plan charts a clear, community‑driven vision for Helena’s future—one that honors our city’s historic character while embracing thoughtful, sustainable growth. Developed through extensive public engagement and grounded in careful analysis of Helena’s evolving needs, the plan provides a comprehensive framework to guide land use, development, housing opportunities, transportation, and environmental stewardship over the coming decades. As the City’s foundational guide for all land use analysis, zoning considerations, and development decisions, Helena Forward ensures that every action we take aligns with our long‑term goals and shared values. The plan reflects our collective commitment to fostering a vibrant, resilient, and welcoming community for generations to come.

Adopted Land Use Plan

Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Update

The City of Helena has embarked on an ambitious and forward-looking effort to comprehensively rewrite its zoning and subdivision regulation ordinances in partnership with Houseal Lavigne, a nationally recognized planning and urban design firm. This initiative marks a pivotal moment for Helena as we work to modernize our regulatory framework, ensure alignment with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA), and create a more intuitive, transparent, and community-driven approach to land use management. With a focus on clarity, usability, and long-term sustainability, the project aims to establish a regulatory foundation that supports Helena’s evolving needs while preserving the unique qualities that define our community.

The ordinance rewrites will provide an opportunity not only to achieve MLUPA compliance, but also to rethink how Helena guides growth, development, and public investment. As the city faces new challenges—from housing availability and affordability to infrastructure demands, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience—this effort allows us to shape a regulatory system that is responsive, predictable, and adaptable. The updated ordinances will emphasize best practices, incorporate modern planning concepts, and reflect extensive input from residents, businesses, and community partners.

Working closely with Houseal Lavigne, the City is committed to a collaborative and inclusive process that engages the community. Through research, analysis, public workshops, and stakeholder conversations, the project team will translate the goals and objectives of the Helena Forward Land Use Plan into clear development standards and procedures. Ultimately, this work will help position the City of Helena for a more vibrant, connected, and sustainable future by ensuring that land use decisions remain aligned with the community’s vision for decades to come.

Project Page

Zoning Regulation Update Kick-Off Open House

Join us for an open house to kick off the City of Helena Zoning Regulations Update on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM in Room 125 at Helena College. Community feedback is essential to this process and we encourage your participation to help ensure the updated Zoning Regulations reflect the priorities and needs of residents.

More information on this even can be found here.

City Commission Draft Reviews

Draft Title 11 Zoning Ordinance(PDF, 753KB) (March 2026)
Draft Title 11 Zoning Ordinance - Redlined(PDF, 806KB) (March 2026)
Draft Title 12 Subdivision Ordinance(PDF, 330KB) (March 2026)
Draft Title 12 Subdivision Ordinance - Redlined(PDF, 223KB) (March 2026)

Planning Commission Draft Reviews

Targeted Amendments - February 3, 2026(PDF, 681KB)

Houseal Lavigne Research and Memos

January 2026 Legislative Research Memo(PDF, 380KB)

Land Use Plan Process

In partnership with the team at Houseal-Lavigne, the City of Helena has embarked on a 1 1/2-year planning project we are calling "Helena Forward." With the passage of SB 382, the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) in May 2023, what was known as a Growth Policy (under the Montana Subdivision and Platting Act) has been retitled and retooled as a Land Use Plan. MLUPA supersedes the requirements of the previous act and sets forth new required components of a comprehensive plan for jurisdictions of a certain size in Montana, such as Helena

The citizens of Helena, as well as all our partners and stakeholders, will have numerous opportunities to give input during the creation of Helena Forward. This page will be continually updated and refreshed, and we hope you will come back here often to participate in the many public engagement opportunities, keep up on our progress, and review material and drafts relative to the planning process.

Helena Forward is a once in a decade opportunity to help shape the future of the City of Helena - providing opportunities and leaving a legacy for future generations.

Visit Project Site

Draft Land Use Plan

Planning Commission Draft Reviews

April 17, 2025(PDF, 113KB)

Draft Land Use Plan Chapters 6-11(PDF, 16MB)

April 3, 2025(PDF, 183KB)

Draft Land Use Plan Chapters 1-5(PDF, 10MB)

December 5, 2024(PDF, 112KB)

Draft Vision, Goals, and Land Use Plant - December 2024(PDF, 10MB)

October 3, 2024(PDF, 183KB)

Existing Conditions Memo - September 2024(PDF, 24MB)

October 2nd Community Visioning Workshop

Please join City staff and the Helena Forward consultant team on October 2, 2024, at 6:30 PM in the Civic Center ballroom for a visioning workshop to discuss ideas for the present and future of Helena. All are encouraged to attend this event to provide public comment on the community prior to drafting the new Land Use Plan. More information is available on the Project Site page.

Engagement Opportunities

The team at Houseal Lavigne has created and is hosting a Helena Forward project and public engagement site with information about the Helena Forward Plan, news and updates on the planning process, public engagement and community meeting opportunities, project documents as the plan progresses, and a way to send us feedback and plan input.

Please follow this link to the Helena Forward Project site…https://hla.fyi/HelenaLandUsePlan

Helena Business Community Workshop

Date: June 4th, 2024

Time: 7:30 A.M

Location: The Helena Area of Chamber of Commerce (225 N Cruse Ave Ste A, Helena, MT 59601)

The City is hosting a Business Workshop to introduce the planning process and gain insight into specific concerns facing the business community that must be addressed by the Land Use Plan. This is your opportunity to tell us what you think, before plans and recommendations are crafted.

All business owners and operators are encouraged to attend! Come prepared to: 1) identify specific issues and opportunities facing the business community; 2) build consensus on the long-term character and composition of businesses in Helena; and 3) identify projects and improvements that will have a positive long-term impact on local businesses and entrepreneurship in Helena.

We hope to see you there!

Community Stakeholder Interviews

Date: June 4th-5th, 2024

Time:2:00PM-5:00PM and 10:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Helena College, University of Montana (Donaldson Campus, 1115 N Roberts St, Helena, MT 59601)

The City is hosting Community Stakeholder Interviews to gain insight into specific concerns facing various communities that must be addressed by the Land Use Plan. This is your opportunity to tell us what you think, before plans and recommendations are crafted. These interviews will start on Tuesday, June 4th and conclude on Wednesday, June 5th.

Land Use Plan Kick Off

The Planning Commission held a meeting on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM in Commission Chambers and online via Zoom, to kick-off the Land Use Plan process. The Mayor, City Commission, and members of the Helena Citizens Council have been invited to attend this meeting. The agenda can be found here(PDF, 182KB). Additional meeting details, including the Zoom link, can be found here.

2025 Land Use Plan Conversion (Fall 2023)

The City of Helena is currently seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide professional services for the review and conversion of the 2019 City of Helena Growth Policy into a Land Use Plan (LUP) in alignment with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) established during the 2023 Montana Legislative Session with passage of Montana Senate Bill 382. This will entail a general review and, where necessary, updates to elements of the Growth Policy, and, as part of the document conversion, introduction of newly required elements or statistical information, inclusive of future population and housing need projections for a defined 20-year period.

The selected consultant will work in close collaboration with City of Helena staff on this effort. The specific scope of work and deliverables expected are discussed in detail within the full RFP and will include holding and facilitating several public hearings and additional meetings as necessary, per the City of Helena and Montana law.

View full RFP here.(PDF, 442KB)

Public Comment Record

Neighborhood Plans and Previous Growth Policy

The 2019 City of Helena Growth Policy was the foundational guiding document that established the City’s long-term vision prior to the adoption of the Helena Forward Land Use Plan. The Growth Policy document is being provided here for historic context and as a resource for land use applications and requests moving through the review and approval process prior to our transition to the State of Montana’s applicable Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA).The Planning Division has also been actively involved in supporting the efforts of city neighborhoods to develop their own neighborhood plans. These plans provide a critical examination of neighborhood scale issues that expand on the vision laid out in the City's former Growth Policy.

2019 Growth Policy

On June 29th 2020, the Helena City Commission approved the 2019 City of Helena Growth Policy. This update will focus city resources, formalize and facilitate a more robust public process, encourage better coordination with Lewis and Clark County, state agencies and the private sector as well as making the document more user friendly with updated information. A main component of the update is the shift to focusing our growth into “Neighborhood Centers” which is a more place based and contextual development paradigm.

If you have questions, please call (406) 447-8490 or email citycommunitydevelopment@helenamt.gov

Growth Policy Update process materials

Storefront Studio Event

Below are linked materials, including two workshop exercises and a photo archive, from a Storefront Studio participation event held by the City Planning Division on April 3rd-6th.

Activity Centers 1(PDF, 58KB), 2(PDF, 157KB), 3(PDF, 145KB)

Workshop #1: Groups 1(PDF, 10MB), 2(PDF, 25MB), 3(PDF, 24MB), 4(PDF, 22MB), 5(PDF, 24MB)

Workshop #2: Groups 1(PDF, 23MB), 2(PDF, 28MB), 3(PDF, 26MB), 4(PDF, 23MB)

Graffiti Wall 1(PDF, 54MB), 2(PDF, 59MB)

Scenario Boards/Comments 1(PDF, 128KB), 2(PDF, 59MB), 3(PDF, 145KB)

Development and Neighborhoods 1(PDF, 53MB), 2(PDF, 106KB)

Streets and Public Realm 1(PDF, 298KB), 2(PDF, 39MB)

Relevant Planning Documents:

FAQs

View Frequently Asked Questions(PDF, 24KB)

6th Ward Railroad District Neighborhood Plan

6th Ward Railroad District

Adopted Neighborhood Plan - May 2025(PDF, 22MB)

Draft Neighborhood Plan - December 2024(PDF, 22MB)

Draft Neighborhood Plan - November 2024(PDF, 20MB)

The City of Helena is partnering with an experienced planning consultant to complete a neighborhood level plan for the city’s historic 6th Ward Railroad District (also known as Midtowne). The project area will generally follow the URD located there and will likely also include some adjacent areas. The area has been the subject of several planning efforts over the years so an emphasis of this effort will be on implementation and potential funding sources. This effort will be overseen by the City’s Community Development Department staff and adopted as addendum to the 2019 Growth Policy and by both the City/County Planning Board and the City Commission.

The consultant hired for the project, SCJ Alliance, knows Helena well. They produced Helena’s 2019 growth policy. SCJ Alliance has a track record of innovative and inclusive public engagement and the City is excited to see how the public process impacts the project’s direction.

This project is on pace to begin in October and will advertise through the city’s Public Information Officer any upcoming public events or other input opportunities.

Downtown Neighborhood Plan

The Downtown Helena Master Plan is the story of a grassroots effort to define, understand, and capture opportunities for the Downtown and the greater Helena community. The Master Plan is an exciting glimpse into the future, and will help Downtown Helena build on past success, leverage its unique sense of place, and prepare for new opportunities to achieve the best potential for this magnificent place.

Below are links to the Downtown Neighborhood Plan and its related appendices.

Downtown Neighborhood Plan(PDF, 33MB)

Cruse Avenue Revisioning

The City, in its efforts to increase economic development opportunities in the Downtown District are seeking to transform one of its most underutilized assets. The Cruse Avenue corridor. In its present form, Cruse Avenue has existed since the Urban Renewal era and was originally envisioned as a bypass from Highway 15 to downtown. This vision was never realized and the remnants are an under utilized and overbuilt downtown right-of-way.

The goal of this significant economic development project is to activate this corridor, remake and revision it seamlessly into the existing downtown district. To provide an amenity to the residents of Helena and Lewis and Clark County as well as an asset to the Downtown District.

As we move through the process, we will house all documents created and information gathered through the public process. For more information regarding this project, please contact the Community Development Department at citycommunitydevelopment@helenamt.gov or call (406) 447-8490.

Public Meetings

The City of Helena's Planning Division hosted public meetings via the Zoom Virtual Meeting platform on the following dates to discuss the Redevelopment of Cruse Avenue. Recordings of these meetings can be found on our City's YouTube channel.