In 2021, Livingston adopted a Growth Policy to serve as a comprehensive guide for future land use patterns and development decisions in the City. The Growth Policy was adopted after extensive public outreach that garnered over 1,500 public comments over the course of 36 months. The overwhelming support received from the community during the Growth Policy planning process, and since its adoption, attests to the importance of its vision for future growth and development in the City. To provide the regulatory capacity to implement the Growth Policy, the City’s zoning ordinance requires extensive updates to effectively support the goals, objectives, and strategies identified in the Growth Policy. The primary impetus for updating the zoning ordinance is to ensure the City’s regulatory code effectively supports the goals and objectives identified in the Growth Policy and fully complies with current state, county, and local laws. The anticipated result of these proposed code updates is a zoning ordinance that not only aligns with the future land use needs of our community, as reflected in the Growth Policy, but also provides the foundation for its successful implementation. In the fall of 2023, the Montana Department of Commerce provided aid to the City of Livingston through its Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) to help the City begin the process of prioritizing elements of the needed zoning code update; conducting background research and review of existing regulatory code and long-range planning documents; and preparing a Project Management and Engagement Plan, all of which were outlined in a Growth Policy and Zoning Code Assessment and Recommendations Report (the 2023 CTAP Report). This report is included in this RFP as Appendix A, and the Selected Proposer is expected to build on the findings and recommendations identified in the report. Livingston, Montana has a current estimated population of 8,790 that is expected to grow to over 10,000 by 2030. This anticipated growth, coupled with unmet community housing needs, underscores the City’s urgency to update its zoning ordinance to not only facilitate compliance with the Growth Policy, but also address the burgeoning demand for housing to accommodate the increasing population.
