By Emily Stifler
On Monday January 4, five members
of the Big Sky Zoning Advisory
Committee, one staff from the
Gallatin County attorney’s office, and Tim Skop, Planner from the Gallatin County Planning Department,
met in Big Sky to discuss ongoing
text amendments in the district’s
zoning. This group is working to
develop a comprehensive package of
amendments in to the Gallatin Canyon/
Big Sky Zoning regulations.
The committee’s ultimate goal is to
amend the current zoning regulation. They are working to amend and adopt regulations on 17 different subjects
that cover new and old issues,
clarification of existing language,
and a review of how regulation
standards are working. The timeline
for this project is ongoing; it will be
complete, they say, when they have
a consensus and then approval by the
Gallatin County Planning and Zoning
Commission (PNZ) in Bozeman, the county seat.
The group is working to create
“a well-written document that is
enforceable,” said Mindy
Nowakowski, chair of the Advisory Committee. “Text amendments
this comprehensive take time to draft in a committee
like this when you only meet once a month,” she adds.
The standards they’re tackling
include lighting regulations, hillside
and ridgeline development, signing
regulations, and residentially zoned
property for commercial events,
short-term rentals and bed and
breakfasts. The work they are doing
is in Gallatin County and has no affect
on the Madison County part of
Big Sky.
New development and business must
“conform to the character of the community,”
says committee member
Steve Johnson.
The committee’s other big project is
updating the capital improvements policy and
looking toward the future infrastructure
needs of the community including
fire, police, water and sewer.
“I’d like to get more public input,” says
committee member and Town Center
developer, Bill Simpkins. “We are trying
to craft the best regulation we can.”
The group meets at 9:30 a.m. the first
Monday of each month at the Water
and Sewer building in the Meadow
Village.
