Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) Implementation

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)

The City of Helena’s Public Participation Plan will provide a framework for communication and engagement to ensure access to public information, and continuous and ongoing public involvement throughout the three year process for adoption of the future land use plan and associated regulations.View the Public Participation Plan(PDF, 1MB)  . 

The Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) established during the 2023 Montana Legislative Session with passage of Montana Senate Bill 382, provides for the establishment of a Planning Commission, as a stand-alone Planning Commission, a combined multi-jurisdictional board, or by the designation of an legally authorized board (planning board, coning commission, or board of adjustment) in existence prior to the enactment of SB 382.

The City of Helena is moving toward the creation of, by resolution(PDF, 411KB), a new Planning Commission for the City.  Upon full implementation and compliance with the MLUPA, the Planning Commission will be created by ordinance with all the roles and responsibilities outlined in the act – combining the functions of a traditional planning board with the functions and responsibilities of the zoning commission and board of adjustments.

Initially, this board will be tasked with the development, adoption, review, and approval of a new Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map, updating the City zoning regulations and zoning map, and updating the subdivision regulations.  Once fully established and all the requirements of the MLUPA being met, the Planning Commission will be not only tasked with the amendments to these documents but also with hearing and deciding on appeals from any site-specific land use decisions made by the City Planning Administrator.