MISSOULA — With broad support, Missoula's new land use plan went back to committee as intended on Monday night, where any final tweaks will be debated before adoption later this month.
The plan covers 40,000 acres and sets a vision for Missoula's growth over the next two decades. During that time, the city will need to create nearly 27,000 new homes to meet current and future demand.
“Missoula will require between 19,000 and 23,750 new homes by 2045. We must also address a deficit of about 3,700 homes,” said city planner Madson Matthias. “This brings the total housing need to approximately 27,500 homes.”
Under current conditions, city planners acknowledge that reaching that figure will be challenging. Without any adjustments, the city can only exceed current demand by roughly 14,000 homes. But under the proposed land use plan, Matthias said it could add room for 50,000 homes.
To achieve that, the plan sets a number of goals surrounding development, from smaller lot sizes to incentives. It also looks to increase infill development and allow for a greater diversity of housing types.
“This is especially important in residential neighborhoods where infill development is often limited,” said Matthias. “By focusing on compatibility, we create space for more diverse housing types such as missing-middle housing in predominantly single-family neighborhoods.”
The current lack of housing supply has led to low vacancy rates and rising costs.
But those behind the plan believe that housing diversity in all neighborhoods — including established single-family neighborhoods – can help unleash needed development.
Under the plan, the city must create “an inclusive and equitable housing market,” adding that “it's essential to distribute affording housing opportunities throughout all neighborhoods, rather than confining them to specific areas."
The plan's call for an “equitable” housing market led many members of Common Good Missoula to praise the document on Monday night.
But others view it as an attempt to break up traditional single-family neighborhoods.
That concern led to the formation of Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification, which filed several lawsuits in Bozeman last year regarding what it views as forced density in single-family neighborhoods.
The lawsuit eventually went to the Montana Supreme Court, where the group ultimately lost its case.
Missoula's new plan will require all neighborhoods to accommodate their share of growth, from apartments and duplexes to commercial needs.
“One of the key shifts in the plan is to allow for commercial uses to some degree in all neighborhoods in the city,” said city planner Ben Brewer. “The intent is to open that up and allow for a higher opportunity for the presence of commercial services and businesses in our traditional neighborhoods.”
Matthias said the plan's description of place types represents a vision for development across the city.
They also provide policy guidance that will inform future building codes and zoning maps. That includes everything from building heights and setbacks to street design and lot size.
“While urban infill remains the priority, we're also planning for growth in less urban areas and incentivizing development where infrastructure is already in place,” she said. “Infill development will still be necessary to meet housing needs. We're planning for housing capacity that exceeds the projected need."
