Lewis and Clark County begins planning for updates to Growth Policy

About every 20 years, Lewis and Clark County tackles the thorny issue of drafting a new, updated policy to plan for anticipated changes as the result of population growth in the county.

Later this month, Lewis and Clark County will host a series of open house meetings to gather information from residents on the direction the county should take in develping a new Comprehensive Growth Policy. Since the county adopted its current policy in 2004, the county has seen a population increase of 15,000 people and a 135 percent rise in home values.

According to usafacts.org, a significant amount of that increase has occurred since 2020. The county population increased by its largest margin – 2.3 percent – in 2020 and added an1.9 percent and 1.8 percent respectively in 2021 and 2022. The average rate of growth has historically been 1.3 percent.

The open houses are designed to meet with stakeholders, establish a policy framework and a vision for the county. The plan will be refined throughout the summer, with a public working draft expected this fall or winter. The policy should be finalized in early 2025. More information on the project is available online at LCCgrowthpolicyupdate.com.

The open house in Lincoln is slated for April 24 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Library.

Additional open houses are planned for Augusta on April 23, Helena on April 25, two for the Helena Valley on April 25 and 29, and Wolf Creek and Craig on April 30.

According to the Lewis and Clark County Community Development and Planning Department web page, a growth policy is non-regulatory, but is used to "guide growth and development, identify policies and projects to influence character, and manage change to benefit residents."

As an April 8 press release from the county put it, "...the Growth Policy serves as a guide for future decisions related to land use, ensuring public health, safety, convenience, and welfare."

"The Growth Policy is a key guiding document for how Lewis and Clark County will grow and develop," Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Andy Hunthausen said in the press release. "As we work our way through the update process, it is an opportune time for all citizens to offer their thoughts on the newest iteration of this important document."

The county adopted its current Comprehensive Growth Policy in 2004, after seeing a population increase of around 17 percent between 1990 and 2004. Prior to that they developed a county Comprehensive Plan in 1983. That plan in turn stemmed from a 1973 recommendation that the county develop a county wide comprehensive plan. At the time, it was in the midst of developing ten different comprehensive plans for specific areas of the county, including Lincoln. A comprehensive plan for Lincoln was completed in 1974.

As the only community in the county west of the Continental Divide, with notably different environmental and economic challenges, Lincoln is the only specific area to have its own growth policy. Developed by the Lincoln Community Council with the help the Lewis and Clark County Consolidated Planning Board and the Community Development & Planning Department, it was adopted in 2005 as part of the overall county policy. While several of the priorities the Lincoln Growth Policy identified have since been addressed, many of the same issues remain. It remains to be seen if the Upper Blackfoot Valley Community Council will take on the task of updating the local policy.