Project Re: Code, first initiated in 2017, has been a collective effort of over 32 volunteers serving on the project Steering Committee and/or Working Groups, logging more than 6,300 hours of review and work on the draft code. Three VISTA members have put in over 6,100 hours since January 2018. The City Council was last updated on the zoning code at its January 6 and January 21 Work Sessions, where many topics and specific areas of the draft code were reviewed.

At the time of the January Work Sessions, staff discussed a preliminary Public Review schedule for public hearings before the Zoning Commission and City Council for March and April. Between some delays in the complete draft code being ready for review in late February and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, staff is waiting to reset a public hearing schedule. Given the complexity and significance of this code change, staff believes reliance only on virtual meetings is not sufficient opportunity for public input. Written comments are always acceptable, but some in-person engagement is vital to achieving the best code for the City.

The big news for the Work Session is all of the major code Public Review drafts are now posted on-line at https://project-recode.com/code-outline. This public posting and the delay in the public meeting process will give the Council and interested citizens an unprecedented opportunity to review, comment and discuss the code prior to any future public hearings.

Project Re: Code Website Resources
Planning staff will re-introduce the Project Re: Code webpages at the Council Work Session. Here are a few items to be aware of as Council reviews the final draft code:

• Staff encourages the Council to review the code “as a whole” since all of the sections work together to make sense of the zoning across the City. Some sections appear to stand alone but all sections are inter-connected and adjustments must be carefully considered since changes to one part of the code will necessarily and inevitably effect other code sections.
• As part of the review, it is important to look back to the Guiding Principles adopted by the Project Re: Code Steering Committee in January 2018 (attached). The Guiding Principles were intended to help the Working Groups, staff and the consultant team through the drafting, review and revision process that ensued. We can now step back and see how we have effectively implemented and held true to these Guiding Principles.
• Familiarize yourself with the elements of the Project Re: Code webpage.
  • Home Page:
    • About
    • Links to Maps
    • Links to Fact Sheets
    • Links to Working Groups
    • Time Line
    • Sign up for Updates
    • Link to Billings Pattern Guide
  • Project Page:
    • Brief Description
    • Links to Documents
    • Links to Map
  • Code Outline Page:
    • Code Outline for City and County Code Sections 27-100 through 27-1800 

Outreach and Education Efforts
Planning staff, prior to the Stay-At-Home directive, was presenting educational information on the new code to interest groups, neighborhood task forces and was engaged with the development community on the proposed new code. This contact has continued online, via email and phone, and has been especially active with the development community. Planning staff has already heard from more than 2 dozen land owners, developers, real estate businesses, marketers and professional consultants about development plans in the works for Billings and Yellowstone County based on the proposed zoning code. Staff is also in contact with property owners as they understand the new zoning districts and the options it will give them for their existing land uses and future plans for their property.

Stakeholders and citizens across the community are learning the new code will help improve the quality of in fill development as well as provide the type of flexibility needed for new city neighborhoods from the Heights to the Westend and the Southwest Corridor. The new administrative processes will encourage and support the engagement of neighbors and interested citizens in the places where Billings is growing and changing.
 

Staff encourages the City Council in the upcoming weeks to review the code “as a whole” since all of the sections work together to make sense of the zoning across the City. Some sections appear to stand alone, but all sections are inter-connected. Adjustments must be carefully considered since changes to one part of the code will necessarily and inevitably effect other code sections.