The Sheridan Town Commission voted unanimously to pass their first ever set of zoning ordinances at their Nov. 24 special meeting. The new ordinances will take effect on Dec. 24 and will help direct the way the town manages growth into the future. 

“The Town has talked about zoning for decades and I found in our old files probably close to a dozen different efforts to establish zoning regulations,’ explained outgoing mayor Bob Stump. “ It wasn't clear why these old efforts failed, but I suspect it was due to it being too hard to convince everyone of the importance.”

“Zoning took on a new level of importance in town when the Crossings Subdivision was proposed,” he stated, referencing a controversial project that initially proposed subdividing one 18.5 acres parcel into 66 lots and was eventually approved to create just five parcels from the existing lot.  

“Numerous people thought they could stop the Crossings by initiating zoning, but that was not the case,’ continued Stump. “Passage of the Zoning Ordinance does not affect existing landowners in town unless those owners want to add on to the existing structures or build another structure.  In my opinion, the biggest impact will be on currently bare land that someone wants to develop or subdivide.  Time will tell the impact on the growth of our community.”

The process took just over a year and involved a significant dedication of time and resources from the zoning committee according to commissioner Jan Bowey who participated in the project. 

“As prescribed in Montana statute, the town council appointed six volunteers and a council member to serve on the zoning commission,” said Bowey as she began outlining the process. “The commission, with guidance from a professional land use planner, completed a community survey in March to assist in identifying how much (or little) regulatory planning the community desired.  We then spent the summer developing a draft ordinance.  A public hearing was held in September.  The commission made recommendations to the town council in October for changes to the draft ordinance based on public comment.  The town council held two readings of the ordinance before approving the final ordinance Nov. 24th.  There is a 30-day waiting period (Dec. 24) following approval before the ordinance is implemented.”

“A foundation for future growth is now in place,” she continued transitioning from discussing the process to the nuts and bolts of what the ordinance includes. 

“The zoning ordinance discloses the type of land use permitted in eight zoning districts, including three residential districts of varying housing density,” she explained. “It identifies minimum lot size and distance structures must be set back from streets and neighboring property.”

Commissioner Tammy Todd supported the effort and explained the value of the ordinances for the community.

“Zoning provides the following benefits to small towns like Sheridan: protects the unique rural character and culture, preserves agricultural areas, manages growth to coincide with current local scale, ensures compatible uses, assists with managing infrastructure needs, and provides predictability and guidelines for growth and Development,” said Todd. 

Diane Kaatz, who also serves as a town commissioner also commented on the value of the ordinances. 

“Having a Zoning Ordinance in effect is an important tool to guide the Town in managed and sensible growth both today and into the future,” she said. “It is easier to govern in general when there are policies and guidelines to follow as well as having a process for citizens to request a variance if circumstances warrant.”

While the commission is satisfied with the work rate and the commitment of the zoning commission, the real proof of how well the ordinances were crafted is yet to come according to Bowey. 

“A foundation for future growth is now in place,” said Bowey. “Did we find the balance between avoiding overburdening property owners with too much regulation and protecting property values from incompatible land uses? Does the ordinance encourage growth at a sustainable level? Only time will tell.”

A copy of the zoning ordinance can be found at www.townofsheridanmt.org/planning-and-zoning.