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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.

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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 committee’s recommendations should be sent to County Commissioner, John Ostlund who is serving as the committee chairman.

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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.