Slim turnout for County Growth Policy open house

An open house at the Lincoln Library April 24, designed to gather the first round of information for updates to the Lewis and Clark County Comprehensive Growth Policy, saw only light turnout.

About eight people showed up to the event facilitated by the planning and design firm SE Group, which is partnering with the county on the growth policy update. They provided input on ta variety of topics that will be taken into account as the county develops the policy updates

The open house didn't include speakers, but instead presented a series of informational and feedback display boards covering various topics such as the type of growth and development residents would like to see, housing issues, recreation & tourism concerns and cultural preservation priorities.

Participants were given colored stickers and sticky notes to provide feedback for the questions on the boards. The stickers allowed people to show, on continuum diagrams, their level of concern on various issues. The sticky notes allowed them to include more detailed information on certain questions.

Roger Dey

A pair of planning/feedback boards include responses to questions about the Lincoln Planing area and howling issues.

Some of the participants took the opportunity to sit down with the facilitators from the SE Group to discuss some concerns and issues that weren't included in the topics on the boards.

The facilitators also handed out a flyer bearing a QR code that will take residents directly to a survey in which they can answer questions related to growth in the county. It also includes an interactive map of the county and allows residents the ability to place icons showing where they'd like to see improvements, development, preservation of open spaces and agriculture, and areas of historic signficance.

A flyer handed out during the open house features a QR code that takes residents directly to a survey and interactive map that allows them to [provide feedback on their growth priorities.

The growth policy update is broken down into six planning areas: Lincoln, Augusta, Canyon Ferry-York, Wolf Creek-Craig, Marysville-Canyon Creek and the Helena Valley.

The current growth policy adopted in 2004, includes five of those areas. Lincoln is the only area with its own separate growth policy. The Lincoln Community Council worked with county planners to create the individual growth policy for Lincoln, due in part to being the only community in the county west of the Continental Divide, its location surrounded by National Forest and the loss of most of its historic industries.

Roger Dey

A planning/feedback boards includes detailed information on the Lincoln area.

The Upper Blackfoot Valley Community Council, (the Lincoln Community Council was reconstituted under the new name around 2008) will likely discuss whether, or how, to update the local policy. Both the current County Growth Policy and the Lincoln Growth Policy can be found online at https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Community-Development-and-Planning/Growth-Policy.

For more information on the growth policy update, resident can go to LCCgrowthpolicyupdate.com, email [email protected] or contact the Lewis & Clark County Community Development and Planning Department at 406-447-8374.