Staff recommends the Yellowstone County Board of Planning review the proposed District expansion and Plan amendment, and make a recommendation to the City Council that the expansion and plan amendment are in conformance with the 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy.

South Billings Urban Renewal Association Coordinator Jim Tevlin working with Planning and Community Services Department Director Wyeth Friday in the past 8 months has been in contact with property owners and agents interested in having property included in the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District. Several of these properties face significant hurdles to development with property conditions and cleanups, and public infrastructure needs that align with the goals and purpose of urban renewal efforts in South Billings. City staff also is proposing Riverfront Park be included in the District expansion as the SBBURD Urban Renewal Plan calls for park improvements and amenities, and Riverfront Park has significant infrastructure deficiencies as well as park amenity needs. The proposal to expand the District was brought to the City Council at a Work Session in December 2021 and Council directed staff to move forward with the process to expand the District in 2021. This action by the Planning Board is one of the critical steps to move the process forward to the City Council for action on the expansion.

The SBBURD was formed and amended in 2008, and the Urban Renewal Plan for the District was amended in 2019. However, the District boundary has not been expanded since 2008. While expanding urban renewal districts is not common, it is a tool available to communities under the urban renewal laws, and Billings has most recently used the tool in the East Billings Urban Renewal District in 2015. The process mirrors the process to create a district, with Council taking action on a resolution of necessity to expand the District, update the Urban Renewal Plan, provide notification of property owners that would be included in the expansion, Planning Board review of expansion, legal notice of public hearing, and final public hearing and Council action to expand the District. Several of the properties are in the County (Adkins, Driscoll and Riverfront Park as noted below) and are in the process of going through annexation to the City in coordination with the District expansion process so that they are in the City before the City Council acts on the District expansion in May.

The following properties are proposed to be included in the SBBURD expansion:

Adkins Property - Northeast corner of the intersection of Jackson Street and King Avenue East, about 4 acres, owned by Jason Adkins with an in-holding owned by Robert Ronshaugen. The In-holding property has not indicated definite participation in expansion process at this time. Property is in the County. Property has some possible characteristics of blight and also would involve frontage and infrastructure improvements along King Avenue East and Jackson Street to facilitate development.

Compton Property - 3218 South Frontage Road, about 17 acres, owned by KSKC Properties, LLC (Tim Compton). Property is former Knife River gravel pit that was remediated, annexed into the City and sold to KSKC Properties, LLC in 2015. Property requires remediation work to develop due to the fill material on the site. Water and sewer infrastructure extensions and access are significant in this area but improvements would benefit this and other properties in the area to access City services.

Driscoll Property - 3508 South Frontage Road, about 36 acres, owned by Driscoll Family, LP (sale pending). Property is in the County. Development would involve significant frontage and infrastructure improvements along the South Frontage Road.

Hogan Property - 3716 South Frontage Road, about 3.6 acres, owned by Evolution HC, LLC. Property was Annexed by the City Council at its meeting on November 23, 2021. A minor subdivision is in process for the property with further commercial development planned.

Riverfront Park (City) -  East of South Billings Boulevard and north of the Yellowstone River, about 300 acres, owned by the City of Billings, Parks and Recreation.Much of the park is natural area but there is a significant area that is day use by the public. Improvement and maintenance needs today include, but are not limited to: Trail connections/improvements (paving) west end and trail development on east end of the park by Washington Street; Road and parking lot repair and paving; Automated irrigation improvements; Shelter addition and repairs.

City staff find that several of these properties have qualifying conditions per MCA 7-15-4202 and 7-15-4206 (2), that all of them require public infrastructure improvements as identified in the 2008 and 2019 project and program recommendations of the adopted SBBURD Urban Renewal Plan, and that including these properties in the District would ensure development with municipal services and building to the infrastructure, site, land use and building requirements and standards of the City of Billings. Staff in coordination with SBURA Consultant is moving the process of expanding the SBBURD forward to the City Council in April and May 2021.

The Yellowstone County Board of Planning must review the proposed expansion of the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District and Plan update, and affirm for the City Council that the District expansion conforms to the 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy.  Specifically, several Growth Policy Guidelines are addressed by potential development and redevelopment that may occur on properties to be included in the District expansion. Some examples are called out here for the Board's reference:
 

Essential Investments (relating public and private expenditures to public values)

• Developed parks that provide recreation, special amenities (community gardens, dog parks, viewing areas), and active living opportunities are desirable for an attractive and healthy community

• Walking Paths and Trails – Construct sidewalks, trails and pathways throughout the District with landscaping to ensure the safety of children and all pedestrians, as well as provide access to neighborhoods and services.

• The safety of all users and the connectivity of the transportation system are important criteria to consider in roadway designs and transportation plans

• Infill development and development near existing City infrastructure may be the most cost-effective

• Infrastructure and service investments that stabilize or improve property values, secure future utility costs, consider maintenance costs, and improve our environmental quality far into the future (i.e. energy efficient) are desirable

Community Fabric (attractive, aesthetically pleasing, uniquely Billings)

• Planning and construction of interconnected sidewalks and trails are important to the livability of Billings

Home Base (healthy, safe and diverse housing options)

• A mix of housing types that meet the needs of a diverse population is important

There are multiple opportunities for direct and indirect public participation for the process to expand the SBBURD boundary. This item is not a public hearing for this meeting, but the Planning Board meeting is open to the public so that the community may be aware of this process. This process will come before the City Council at two separate meetings, both of which are open to the public, and one of which will be a public hearing. Further, the property owners of the properties that are being proposed for inclusion in the District expansion will be directly noticed via mail of the public hearing at the Council Meeting. This is all per Montana Code requirements for a District expansion process and public hearing notification.
 

The Planning Board may:

• Find the proposed expansion of the SBBURD and Plan amendment are in conformance with the 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy; or,
• Find the proposed expansion of the SBBURD and Plan amendment are not in conformance with the 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy. However, review of the adopted 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy demonstrates several statements and guidelines in the policy align with the SBBURD purpose and future development opportunities with the District expansion.

There is no direct fiscal impact by making a recommendation of conformance of this expansion to the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal Plan with the 2016 City of Billings Growth Policy. However, this District expansion will open up future development and public infrastructure improvement opportunities with urban renewal funds in the future.