The Planning Division is presenting to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) the Inner Belt Loop Corridor Study with the intent to have the TAC make a recommendation to the three local governing bodies: Yellowstone County Board of Planning, City Council and the Board of County Commissioners with the intent to forward a positive recommendation to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC).

The Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) through a competitive process hired Sanderson Stewart to develop a corridor planning study of the future Inner Belt Loop corridor in Billings and Yellowstone County.  The extent of the study area is from the Skyway Drive/West Wicks Lane intersection on the northeast to the Montana Highway 3/Zimmerman Trail intersection on the south terminus of the connection.

The Inner Belt Loop project has been discussed for almost 30 years as a way to provide a much-needed connection between the Billings Heights and West End. Formal work on this project began in 2005 with a planning study to identify the feasibility of a connection through northwest Billings and identify a preferred route.  This study include substantial public participation and was approved by the community.  Design of the roadway was started in 2009 with construction of Skyway Drive completed in 2014.  The City has allocated in the current CIP $7 million toward construction of the road in 2022 with the remaining $7 million needed to complete the road in 2024.  In addition, the City of Billings applied for a BUILD Grant in May for the amount of approximately $16.8 million to complete the construction of the Inner Belt Loop, Skyline Trail, and Stagecoach Trail.  If awarded, the city will be able to save the additional $7 million to complete the roadway that was anticipated to be needed in 2024.  Staff anticipates hearing on the results of this grant late fall. 

Through extensive outreach to property owners, city and county staff and officials, and other interested stakeholders, this yearlong study developed a vision for the corridor that considered design elements, land use and future traffic needs.  The process to develop the vision included: technical analysis, landowner and agency meetings, projections of future development, visioning for traffic and land use and recommendations.

Several recommendations were formed as an outcome from this study and include:

• Formalized intergovernmental agreement between the City and County to develop a coordinated approach to land use and development within the City or the County along the corridor.
• Development tools such as neighborhood planning; continued review and update to the Limits of Annexation Map; identify design standards within project ReCode for appropriate zoning; and develop a plan for utility expansion, primarily water and sewer.
• Design considerations such as recommending that the current Right-of-Way width of 90 feet be expanded to 100 feet to provide flexibility in building setbacks, multi-use facilities, drainage, lighting, boulevard sidewalk and raised center median for access control.
• The study also identified options for roadway phasing if the city is not successful in the BUILD grant and local funding is split between years 2022 and 2024.
• Water and sewer infrastructure tools that will support development along the Inner Belt Loop that could include private property owner agreements, reimbursement agreements, and Special Improvement or Rural Improvement Districts.

 
 
 

Staff is requesting that the TAC forward a recommendation of approval of the Inner Belt Loop Corridor Study to the Yellowstone County Board of Planning, Billings City Council and the Yellowstone Board of County Commissioners with the intent to forward a positive recommendation to the PCC.