Residents and neighbors urge more public input on Midtown Commons and UDC code changes

Missoula — Residents and neighborhood advocates used public comment time Dec. 15 to press the City of Missoula for more accessible engagement on the Midtown Commons option and on the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) rewrite.

Beth Judy, a Lower Rattlesnake resident, asked council to consider trees in the new code and said narrow setbacks would rule out mature street trees. "I ask you to consider trees and what they need to thrive," she said. Judy also expressed support for a 35-foot maximum height in some zones and backed a planning-board amendment to reduce floor-area ratio (FAR) in a high-density zone.

Gwen Hoppe, who regularly attends council meetings, said she felt the claim that "over 9,000 people" participated in the Midtown plan was misleading and that there has been "no room for citizen involvement" in specific Midtown Commons design decisions. Katie Thompson said community input promised as part of a potential public purchase of Midtown Commons "really hasn't happened" and asked the city to provide printed side-by-side versions of the old and new code so residents who are not online can compare changes.

Councilors and staff noted additional committee meetings and upcoming January outreach opportunities; the mayor and staff encouraged residents to use the city's online comment form as another avenue for input.