Notice:The
Planning Division will be closing the front counter Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. This closure will begin on
Tuesday, April 21st. The Customer Service counter will be closed
except by appointment only from 8 am to 12 pm Tuesdays
and Thursdays and closed for lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm daily. This
schedule change is due to staff reductions in the Planning Division.
Public Hearing Notice: On May 5, 2009, the Board of County
Commissioners passed a
Resolution of Intent to Adopt Amended
Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulations. They then held
a Public Hearing date for
June 2, 2009, and voted 2-1 to
form an ad hoc review committee to further evaluate the proposed
amendments before adopting them. The review committee is expected
to bring forward a recommendation by
September 1, 2009
for the Commissioners consideration.
These proposed amendments generally affect road standards for
new subdivision proposals, and specifically Sections 4.4 and 4.6
of the current subdivision regulations. A copy of the amendments
originally proposed on May 5th can be downloaded
here
(.pdf). A copy of the proposed amendments drafted by the ad hoc
review committee will be posted as soon as it is compiled. Questions
and comments regarding the review committees recommendations
should be sent to County Commissioner, John Ostlund who is serving
as the committee chairman.
The Planning Division provides community planning and development
services to Yellowstone County, the City of Billings, and the
Town of Broadview. The staff also supports the Yellowstone County
Board of Planning, as well as the City and County Zoning Commissions
and Boards of Adjustment. Originally established under the supervision
of the Board of County Commissioners in 1984, the department changed
administrations in 1995 and is currently under the general supervision
of the City of Billings.
The department's responsibilities are broad based
and consist of current planning, long range planning, and transportation
planning. While performing these duties, an emphasis is continually
placed on customer service and community involvement.
The staff of five planners, a planning assistant,
one clerk, and four code enforcement officers strives to recognize
public needs and respond in a timely and courteous manner. On
a daily basis, our planners review and process building permits,
subdivision, and zoning applications as well as annexation petitions.
Each code enforcement officer monitors City and County land
use and investigates zoning complaints and other code violations.
All planners perform multiple duties to ensure customers receive
accurate and immediate service. One of the major responsibilities
of the division is to administer the Unified Zoning Regulations
for the City of Billings and Yellowstone County's Zoning jurisdiction,
as well as Special Zoning Districts 12, 14, 15, 17, and 19.
As staff to the City and County Zoning Commissions and Boards
of Adjustment, the department is required to review zoning applications
and prepare recommendations for Special Reviews, Zone Changes
and Variances.
The County Planning Board reviews City and County subdivision
applications and forwards its recommendations to the governing
bodies. It is the responsibility of staff to ensure that subdivision
applications comply with local regulations and state law before
presenting recommendations to the Planning Board. The staff
also reviews all applications for consistency with the 2008
Growth Policy update, the 2005 Transportation Plan and the Heritage
Trail Plan. Each planner assigned to a subdivision application
coordinates the review of proposed subdivisions with other City
and County departments. The final decision on whether to approve,
conditionally approve or deny applications is made by the governing
bodies.

Long-range planning is important to maintain a high level of
public service and quality of life. The Planning and Community
Services Department is constantly assessing public needs and
identifying community issues either during the development of
a planning document like the Yellowstone County and City of
Billings 2008 Growth Policy Update or Heritage Trail Plan, or
by attending neighborhood planning meetings and public hearings.
Most of the planners are involved in long-range planning, but
the Neighborhood Planner has the primary responsibility of developing
neighborhood and townsite plans. The Yellowstone County Planning
Board, as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization,
is charged with the responsibility for transportation planning
for the Billings Urban Area. The transportation planner is responsible
for developing the Unified Planning Work Program each year.
The UPWP contains a discussion of transportation projects to
undertake during the upcoming program year and information on
funding staffing and project scheduling. In addition, the transportation
planner compiles and maintains traffic volume and accident statistics.
Along with the Alternative Modes Coordinator, the transportation
planner coordinated the completion and adoption of The Heritage
Trails Plan, and updated non-motorized transportation plan for
the Billings Urban Area. The Alternate Modes Coordinator position
is a contracted position managed through the Planning Division
and funded by the Federal Highway Administration.