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Glasgow's Growth Policy

Planning Board Debuts; Little Input At Public Hearing

As more home businesses are becoming part of today’s culture and Glasgow is shifting into a time of change, the city has looked to add a Growth Policy. The decision was made to go ahead with the policy through the firm DJ&A.

Recently, the company asked Glasgow for an additional $3,000 for their work on the Growth Policy and they were denied it as the city signed a contract to pay a set amount. The Growth Policy was needed to help make changes to local zoning ordinances. Those ordinances have become outdated with the new changes, and some terms are vague. Due to state law, changes can’t be made unless a Growth Policy was put into place.

The first meeting of the Glasgow Planning Board took place on Thursday, Dec. 19. That meeting included a public hearing for those who were interested in the Growth Policy and what it had to say about Glasgow. Bob Kompel, the public works director, was appointed president of the board.

The information in the Growth Policy included several interviews with key individuals in the city and covered the city’s amenities, such as the airport, the library, police department, schools and the public health department. It had to cover a variety of topics based on Montana laws. Land use, population, housing needs, economic conditions and natural resources were all listed.

The projected trends and growth were included, along with a description of policies, regulations and implementations. Maps were also included to show areas of growth, wild land areas and projections of growth.

While the public hearing opened for review, a few members from the library board asked for changes. The policy said the library had adequate services, but the library has been facing issues with access, leaks and lighting. No one else attended the public hearing to comment on the Growth Policy.

After the hearing was closed, the planning board discussed reviewing the document more thoroughly before approving the draft. Kompel added that the city council, landowners and the planning board could amend the draft any time it was necessary.

The new board will meet once every quarter, with their first meeting of 2014 at the end of January to discuss and review the final draft of the Growth Policy before recommending the approval. The Growth Policy must be reviewed at least once every five years.

 

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