City manager tells Featherstone representative to file formal zone-text amendment application

City Manager Neil responded to the public comment on the Featherstone property by outlining the formal process for a zone-text amendment and urging adherence to established steps.

"So, the path forward to force a review is to submit it to the community development department," Neil said, adding that there is an associated fee and that the planning commission would make a recommendation before the council could consider any amendment. He emphasized the city cannot unilaterally rewrite the code on the spot and noted staff's preference that applicants follow the standard review process.

Neil also observed that several Montana cities—Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, Kalispell, Helena and Whitefish—have 90-day requirements for industrial re-occupancy, and he cautioned that deviating from the city's adopted downtown plan could trigger a broader reevaluation of the downtown and urban renewal plans.

The council did not initiate a code change at the meeting. Neil encouraged the applicant to submit the formal application so that planning staff and the planning commission can review and provide a recommendation to the council.