The Wind Can Only Save Us for so Long

A friend sent us a link to an article in Forbes Magazine on Sunday evening: “America’s Top 5 Coolest Towns to Buy a Vacation Home.” Guess what town landed on that top 5 list?

Livingston, Montana.

The thing is—it’s true. The article touts the open space, the small and historic downtown, access to the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48, an easy drive to the airport, and of course, Yellowstone National Park. It’s these assets that are attracting people from all over the world to our community, but it’s these very assets that are at risk from the potential of unfettered growth.

Growth is inevitable. It’s our responsibility to protect the rural character of our community, open space, the Yellowstone River and our access to public lands. We have to ensure that the next generation of Park County kids can afford to come home.

What can we do?

GOAL: Update Livingston’s Growth Policy.

PCEC is working with a diverse group of local partners and downtown businesses to encourage the City of Livingston to update our city’s growth policy. This is the tool that shapes how we grow. It should be informed by a robust community dialogue.

Downtown business owners LaNette Diaz and Joe Scalia III, recently submitted an editorial to the Livingston Enterprise, we agree:

“We care about our economy, steady jobs and stable businesses.  We want strong schools and reliable social services. We care that all Livingston residents have food, housing, clean air and water.  We appreciate our public parks, local trails and bikeways. We value a healthy river. We care about our future, we appreciate our past.

And we’ve been around long enough to know these things don’t just happen.

In Montana, the process for planning for the future is called a growth policy.  Per state statute, communities are empowered to prepare unique road maps to help inform a productive, proactive future.  The process should be open and rigorous. It requires people to show up and speak up.”

Learn more about the Livingston Growth Policy

GOAL: Ask the Park County Commission to move forward with Highway 89 Zoning District.

Thanks to you, Park County passed a robust growth policy intended to guide future development in our backyard. At the request of community members, the Planning Board is prioritizing Goal 16 of the Park County Growth Policy. Read Goal 16 HERE.

The Planning Board has proposed moving forward with a draft zoning district to limit large billboards in the Paradise Valley. The Commission will consider their proposal at a commission meeting on June 7th at 9:00am. The agenda for Thursday's meeting and proposed draft rules can be found HERE.

Residents can attend monthly Planning Board meetings to learn more and comment on their work. The schedule and agenda can be found online HERE. The next planning board meeting will be held at the Gardiner Community Center on June 21st at 4:00pm.