Late Breaking News...

Citizen Advocates for a Livable Missoula (CALM) Release Candidate Survey
As a member of the Montana Smart Growth Coalition, CALM surveyed Missoula area legislative candidates in the 2002 election. Here are the answers from the nine candidates who responded: Rosie Buzzas, Ron Erickson, Tom Facey, Dave Wanzenreid, Pascal Redfern, Gail Gutsche, Jon Ellingson, Kay James and Judith B. Smith.

MSGC PRESS RELEASES

Report Reveals Montana Losing Battle Against Sprawl
APA Report on Montana Planning and Land-Use Laws
Montana Smart Growth Coalition Sponsors APA Study
New Montana Smart Growth Coalition Unveils Action Agenda

• Sprawling development outside of towns is costs taxpayers more than $1.45 in services for every dollar collected in taxes for residential areas in Gallatin County, versus farmlands that cost only $0.25 in services for every dollar collected (page 7).
• 47% of Montana renters cannot afford fair market value for a 2-bedroom unit (page 9).
• 16 counties grew by more than 14% between 1990-2000 (page 3).

The APA report includes some 130 pages of analysis and 29 substantive recommendations for changes and clarifications to Montana's statutes. The APA found that a lot of "creative, thoughtful, and good faith efforts [are] underway by state government and counties, cities, and towns in implementing" existing planning and land-use laws in Montana. Unfortunately, these laws are often confusing, conflicting, and not always helpful at promoting smart growth on the ground. The APA's recommendations are presented in five categories: planning for growth, managing growth, planning and development review, paying for growth, and an enhanced state role in planning.

In its first year, the coalition is sponsoring a study by the American Planning Association that will examine Montana's land use statutes and recommend policy changes.

Members and member organizations of the Coalition represent a wide array of interests including: agriculture, architecture, downtown economic vitality, developers, planners, local officials, environmental groups, neighborhood organizations and affordable housing advocates.  The combined membership of the member organizations is at least 28,450. 

Members' reasons for joining are as diverse as the impacts of rapid growth:

·"I support the coalition because we don't have very smart growth right now," said Helena developer Alan Nicholson.  "I'm a native Montanan, I grew up in Roundup.  I was here when we had wide open spaces...when we had distinct downtowns, rather than houses sprinkled over 10-acre lots.  The Helena valley is now the largest unincorporated city in the state.  I'm rooting for this group.  I'm happy to join it.  I am hoping we will have smarter growth in Montana by the time my children are adults."

·"Forty years ago when my father-in-law purchased the ranch we currently own and operate, the sale of one steer paid the property taxes," said rancher Kelly Flaherty Settle, speaking for AERO and the Northern Plains Resource Council. "Today it took 33 steers to pay our property taxes." Sprawl development does not pay its own way, she added.  Instead, the local citizens pay the expense for ever-growing demands for local services-- from schools to road maintenance and fire protection. "Uncontrolled growth, allowed to continue, has and will continue to wreak havoc with agriculture....The Montana Smart Growth Coalition is a 21st century approach to what I see as a major 21st century issue." 

·"Our organization promotes reinvestment in downtown and inner city neighborhoods," said Bruce McCandless, director of the Downtown Billings Partnership.  "The issues of how and where we grow and the public investments that our communities make are critical to the health of downtown Montana.  The Montana Smart Growth Coalition is a valuable resource for us to learn more about smart growth principles and to advocate for them on a statewide basis and in a coordinated manner."

· "We are growing in a way that is completely tied to the automobile.  Our congestion is growing twice as fast as our population.  In 1963, in the northwest, there was one car for every two people. Today, there are more cars than licensed drivers," said Thompson Smith, executive director of the Flathead Resource Organization.

While coalition members clearly recognize some of the impacts of unplanned growth in Montana, they also realize there are great opportunities for change if groups work together. The APA analysis will provide essential background and understanding for the coalition's efforts to implement change from the local level to the state capitol.

"It is the intent of the Montana Smart Growth Coalition to draft legislation related to planning reform," said Dennis Glick, director of the Stewardship Program for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. This legislation "will reflect the views of Montanans and...will be appropriate to our state," he added. This coalition is moving forward on many other goals as well.  "We invite concerned citizens throughout Montana to join us."

Helena--Last November 350 citizens came together to explore the issues of growth at Montana's first statewide summit on growth, Big Sky or Big Sprawl.  A year later, a number of the summit's organizers will hold a press conference announcing the creation of a new statewide Montana Smart Growth Coalition.

At a Friday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. press conference in Helena, Coalition members will unveil their first major policy action--a study by the American Planning Association.  The study, which will be conducted the coming year, focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of Montana's land use and planning statutes.

Representatives of five coalition member groups will briefly address how the coalition will work to implement Smart Growth tools and policies to counter sprawl.  So far, 19  groups have joined the coalition along with many individual citizens, representing a range of interests from housing
developers and architects to downtown businesses and agriculture.

Coalition speakers at the press conference will address a few of the impacts unplanned growth has had on affordable housing, transportation, the environment, agriculture and Main Street economic vitality in Montana.

"We won't have farmland in much of Western Montana, if we don't start looking at growth issues," says Polson area farmer Jan Tusick, a board member of the Alternative Energy Resources Organization, a coalition member group. "We need to have planning processes with the criteria of protecting agricultural land," she adds.  "Ag people need to be at the table during the planning process."

"I think the coalition will be a vehicle for bringing together a broad array of interests to create a vision for Montana's future and to identify the steps as citizens we need to take to achieve that vision," says speaker Dennis Glick, stewardship program director for Greater Yellowstone Coalition, another growth coalition member group.

Montana Smart Growth Coalition — PO Box 543 Helena, MT 59624 — 406-449-6086 — smartgrowth@mcn.net