Boulder community members will have a chance to weigh in on priorities and direction for the local Growth Policy and Downtown Master Plan when a public meeting is held on Thursday, February 22.
The meeting will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Boulder city hall at 304 N. Main.
Land Solutions, the firm consulting on updating the 2009 Growth Policy and creating the Downtown Master Plan, will be on hand to share information and to listen to community input.
“The Growth Policy will serve to prioritize community goals and guide redevelopment efforts,” said Community Planner/Landscape Architect Jessica Holdren of Land Solutions.
“Perhaps more importantly, the plan will include recommendations for specific projects that local officials and their partners have the capacity to implement,” she said.
The Growth Policy will also be used to seek additional funds to supplement the legislatively approved $500,000 Boulder Development Fund, she said.
The Downtown Master Plan will coordinate with the Growth Policy update and be a separate plan focused on strategies for improving the economic conditions and aesthetic aspects of downtown Boulder, said Holdren.
“The plan will be action oriented, with the intent that the City of Boulder and partnering organizations will use it to achieve measurable results,” she said. It “will identify specific short, medium, and long-term revitalization strategies, potential funding opportunities, and a path to implementation.”
Land Solutions consultants have been reviewing documents from the ongoing effort by community members to envision Boulder’s future through the “Making Boulder’s Future Bright” project. They will be building on that as well as accepting public comments at the February 22 open house.
“We intend to capitalize on ideas already generated during Boulder’s recent planning effort, but also bring in ‘best practices’ from around the state and nation,” Holdren said.
Dave DeGrandpre, also of Land Solutions, told the Boulder Development Fund Board in early January that population changes, natural resources, public facilities and more will also be considered in the review.
While Land Solutions can provide some guidance, “we need to make sure the plan reflects your values, your interests and what you can get done” realistically, DeGrandpre told citizens at the BDF Board meeting.
He estimated the project will take a year, but said a “solid draft” should be ready in May or early June to help flesh out the projects.
The final aspect of the Land Solutions project will be to update the city’s zoning ordinance and map, making sure it meshes with the recommendations provided in the Growth Policy and the Making Boulder’s Future Bright Master Plan.
A website has been created to keep interested parties abreast of the project and to obtain feedback from community members. By visiting www.planbouldermt.com, residents can complete a form on the home page to subscribe to future project updates.
Funding for the work is coming from the Montana Department of Commerce, the Montana Main Street Program, and the Boulder Development Fund. The work will be carried out through the BDF Board and the City of Boulder.
More information on the project can be obtained from Diana Van Haecke with the City of Boulder at (406) 225-3381, or from Jessica Holdren of Land Solutions at jessica.landsolutions@blackfoot.net or (406) 493-6153.
