Planning & Community Development

The City of Great Falls Planning and Community Development Department plays a key role in shaping the future of urban development in Great Falls. We serve Great Falls residents by guiding the City's urban form from concept to construction. Our goal is to serve all persons in a positive and courteous manner and help ensure that Great Falls continues to be a healthy, safe, attractive, and enjoyable place to live, work or visit. 

Active Transportation

The Montana Department of Transportation has set aside a portion of its TA funding for the Great Falls MPO.  With approximately $3.1 million to allocate, The Great Falls MPO is currently soliciting and evaluating applications for eligible projects for the Great Falls metropolitan area. Eligible applicants include local governments and other similar entities. Examples of eligible projects include bicycle paths, sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities, including safety projects and ADA improvements.

Applications may be submitted from March 15 through April 19 at 5 PM, 2024.

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The City of Great Falls is committed to constantly improving its development processes. We take pride in providing an efficient and collaborative approach to development in our community. To maintain our high standards of service, the Development Review Team, consisting of staff from Planning and Community Development, Public Works, and the Fire Department, is currently conducting a Development Review Audit. The purpose of the audit is to identify areas for improvement in our processes. We value your input and invite you to participate in a survey using the link provided below.

Survey Link: 2023 – 2024 Development Review Audit Survey

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The City of Great Falls Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs moved from the Planning and Community Development Department to the Finance Department on July 1, 2023. This organizational change does not change the programs that are offered through CDBG/HOME or the application cycles.

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Chickens (and other fowl) are defined in Title 6 of the City’s code as livestock. Code states that it is unlawful for a person to keep, harbor, or maintain livestock within the corporate limits at any time, except within the R-1 zoning district, as defined in Title 17.

To determine whether your property is zoned R-1 you can call Planning and Community Development at (406) 455-8430 or visit the Interactive Zoning Map.

 

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Effective Monday, April 3, 2023, The Planning and Community Development office will be closing at 4:30 P.M. daily, due to need for staff to reconcile all payments by end of business day – 5 P.M.  We will be open for all business during the normal business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to serving your needs as fast we can - every day.

 

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This page is intended to provide general information regarding commercial marijuana business activities within the City of Great Falls. If you have specific questions, please call Planning and Community Development at 406-455-8430. 

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CDBG, HOME and the other Grant Funded Programs/Services are moving from the Planning and Community Development Department to the Finance Department effective July 1, 2023.

Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City of Great Falls receives annual grants on a formula basis. There are two programs that the City receives annual grant funds through which are the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs. These grants have provided funding for other City supported programs and services as well providing funding to area organizations and businesses.

 

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The City of Great Falls Planning & Community Development Department, Building Safety Division has officially adopted the 2021 Building Codes as of September 9, 2022. The State of Montana officially adopted the 2021 International Building Codes along with the 2020 National Electrical Code, 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, 2017 ICC A117.1 and 2018 NFPA 99 including amendments on June 9, 2022. From that date, the state gave all cities 90 days to officially adopt those codes locally. Resources are available in Planning and Community Development as well as various resources on file at the City of Great Falls Library.

TIF Districts Map

A tax increment finance district identifies a specific area based on the need for stimulated economic development, and then establishes a base taxable value for all properties within that boundary. Property owners within a TIF district have their property taxes above this base valuation assigned to be used to finance public improvements in the designated area. Each TIF district is created to provide local funds for community development, redevelopment, and revitalization, and the public improvements funded by a TIF should increase property values and expand the tax base within the district.

Downtown Urban Renewal District Map

On July 6, 2021, the Great Falls City Commission adopted Ordinance 3229 which created three programs intended to encourage and support public safety, blight elimination and increased code compliance in the historic Downtown Urban Renewal Area. The three programs include the Downtown Urban Renewal Area Façade Program, the Life Safety Code Compliance Program, and the Environmental Safety Program. More information on each program and the Downtown TIF Application is available by clicking "Read more".

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The City frequently hears complaints about junk cars, trash on lawns, overgrown weeds, and a variety of related problems. These issues affect property values and the image of the neighborhood. The complaints often end with, “There ought to be a law…” Indeed, there is a law in place for most chronic neighborhood problems. This guide provides a quick reference for city residents, providing an overview of some of the Official Code of the City of Great Falls (OCCGF), to provide information on commonly reported problems and who to call to obtain a particular service or receive additional information.

Zoning Map Preview

The City now has an embedded interactive zoning map available to residents and business owners online. It can be used to determine what zoning district a property is located in and the requirements for the district. Users enter an address within the Great Falls city limits and the map will zoom to the location and show the zoning district.