The downtown Helena zoning code update is a direct result of the master planning process undertaken in 2015. With the adoption of the Downtown Helena Neighborhood Plan last fall, it's time to re-align the zoning code with the community's vision for the downtown core.
The zoning code update seeks to streamline the existing code through the use of extensive graphics, limited text, innovative development incentives and the consolidation of districts, making the code easier to interpret and administer while also promoting continued vitality and livability in downtown Helena.
The Downtown Helena Neighborhood Plan
The development of the Downtown Helena Neighborhood Plan was a community-based planning effort aimed at identifying issues and opportunities in the City's traditional core, forming clear goals and a vision for the downtown area, and setting a course toward implementing those goals and bringing the vision for downtown Helena into focus. One of the outcomes of this grassroots effort recognized the downtown area as three unique districts, each with distinct design characteristics and a defined sense of place. These districts - the Great Northern District, Last Chance Gulch District and Fire Tower District - will serve as the basis upon which the downtown Helena zoning code is updated, paying close attention to the qualities and identities present in each area.
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