Staff recommends the Planning Board review the West Billings Neighborhood Plan and forward a recommendation to the Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners of approval of the West Billings Neighborhood Plan.

The West Billings Neighborhood Plan updates the 2001 West Billings Plan and provides guidance for future growth and development in the West Billings area. The Plan covers approximately 15,000 acres and includes developed neighborhoods, commercial areas, agricultural lands, and natural open spaces. The planning area includes land within the City of Billings, unincorporated Yellowstone County, and areas outside the County's zoning jurisdiction. This Plan recognizes and addresses the differing authorities, responsibilities, and regulatory frameworks of the City of Billings and Yellowstone County throughout the document.

Since adoption of the 2001 West Billings Plan, the area has experienced significant growth, with population and housing development substantially increasing over the past two decades. While many of the goals and guiding principles established in the 2001 Plan remain relevant, the update evaluates current conditions, incorporates projected growth trends, and provides updated recommendations to address future development, land use, transportation, and infrastructure needs.

The Plan builds upon the vision and policy direction established in the 2001 West Billings Plan and the 2016 West End Multi-Modal Planning Study. It identifies goals, policies, and implementation strategies intended to guide future zoning decisions, infrastructure investments, and development patterns. Key objectives include directing growth toward areas with existing infrastructure, improving transportation connectivity, expanding multi-modal facilities, enhancing public safety, and preserving community character and open space resources.

The West Billings Neighborhood Plan was prepared in compliance with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) as a neighborhood land use plan. However, the Plan also was developed to help guide development on the City-County interface and inform transportation planning for areas in the County outside the City fo Billings. The Plan is intended to be consistent with Billings 2045 and will serve as a guiding document for future planning, zoning, subdivision, and capital improvement decisions within the West Billings area. In the event of any inconsistency between the two documents, Billings 2045 shall take precedence.

This project included significant community engagement and outreach throughout the planning process. Public involvement efforts included a project website with project updates, multiple public surveys, stakeholder collaboration, public open houses, future land use workshops, presentations to community organizations and elected bodies, and ongoing coordination with the West End Neighborhood Task Force. 

The Planning Board may:

• Recommend the Board of County Commissioners adopt the West Billings Neighborhood Plan; or
• Recommend the Board of County Commissioners not adopt the West Billings Neighborhood Plan; or 
• Delay action on making a recommendation.

This project was funded by a Montana Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant applied for by Yellowstone County, PL funding from the Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization (for the West End Multimodal Plan update), and additional support from the City of Billings for land use planning work of the Planning Division. Should the Commissioners choose to deny the West End Neighborhood Plan, the grant may require local reimbursement to the MT Department of Commerce. 

The West Billings Neighborhood Plan (Plan) updates the 2001 West Billings Plan and the 2016 West End Multi-Modal Planning Study to provide a coordinated framework for transportation, and infrastructure planning within the West Billings area. The Plan area encompasses approximately 15,000 acres between Shiloh Road and 64th Street West, extending from Interstate 90 to the rimrocks, and includes land within the City of Billings, Yellowstone County, and areas outside zoning jurisdiction.

Since adoption of the 2001 West Billings Plan, the area has experienced rapid population growth, substantial housing development, and major infrastructure expansion, accompanied by a steady conversion of agricultural land to urban and suburban uses. This update responds to those changes by integrating current demographic, housing, economic, and transportation data with extensive public engagement to guide growth over the next 20 years. 

A major focus of the Plan is the integration of land use and transportation planning to address continued growth and increasing transportation demands in West Billings in the City and County. Existing development patterns within the area are characterized by disconnected street networks, limited pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, and constrained transit service. Public outreach conducted throughout the planning process consistently identified traffic congestion, safety, connectivity, and multimodal transportation improvements as key community priorities.

The Plan also updates the 2016 West End Multi-Modal Planning Study, which evaluated the cumulative impacts of existing and anticipated growth on the transportation system west of Shiloh Road. The transportation analysis incorporates current traffic counts, projected population growth, anticipated development patterns, and the updated Future Land Use Map to evaluate future transportation needs within the study area. Using this information, the Plan identifies potential transportation deficiencies, evaluates mitigation strategies, and prioritizes future transportation improvements. The resulting recommendations are intended to help the City of Billings and Yellowstone County coordinate roadway, pedestrian, bicycle, and trail investments with future growth and development in West Billings.

In addition to transportation planning, the Plan establishes Future Land Use Categories and a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) consistent with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA). These tools are intended to guide future growth, zoning decisions, infrastructure investments, and development patterns over the next 20 years while promoting coordinated and efficient growth within the West Billings area. The FLUM and associated land use categories were reviewed through a public engagement process and adopted by the Billings City Council on May 11, 2026. The FLUM serves as the long-range vision for future development within the planning area and provides the foundation for the land use, transportation, and implementation recommendations contained in the West Billings Neighborhood Plan.

MLUPA does not apply to Yellowstone County growth, future development projects or land use processes. The FLUM will not guide development or be used in a regulatory way for development completed within the County.  The transportation analysis and coordinated effort between County Public Works and City Public Works regarding transportation improvements are important for residents and businesses in the City and County in West Billings, which is why the West End Multimodal Plan and West End Neighborhood Plan are combined to be a tool for both jurisdictions.