Cascade County Growth Policy Update MAY 2014 ADOPTED CASCADE COUNTY GROWTH POLICY UPDATE Adopted May 27, 2014 Cascade County Planning Division 121 4th Street North #2H-2I Great Falls, MT 59401 Prepared by January 2014 This study was prepared under contract with Cascade County, with financial support from the Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of Defense. The content reflects the views of Cascade County, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Economic Adjustment. Cascade County Board of Commissioners Joe Briggs, Chair Bill Salina, Commissioner Jane Weber, Commissioner Cascade County Planning Board Bill Austin Elliott Merja Stuart Boylan Brian Ruckman Mark Carlson Ken Thornton Pete Fontana JLUS Coordinating Committee Joe Briggs, Carl Seilstad, County Commissioner Fergus County Commissioner Brian Clifton, Rudy Verzuh, Cascade County Public Works Malmstrom AFB Civil Engineering Director Susan Conell, Craig Raymond, Cascade County Planning Director City of Great Falls Community Development-Planning Direct Cascade County Planning Staff The Cascade County Growth Policy is managed by the Cascade County Planning Division. The staff members listed below were key to guiding and managing the development of this study. Joe Briggs, Susan Conell, County Commissioner Cascade County Planning Director Brian Clifton, Kim Thiel-Schaaf, Cascade County Public Works Cascade County Commissioners Director Grant Coordinator Malmstrom Air Force Base Special thanks goes out to Colonel Robert W. Stanley II, 341st Missile Wing Commander, and his staff at Malmstrom Air Force Base for their input and participation in the Cascade Growth Policy. Public Involvement Cascade County would like to thank all the citizens who gave their time in assisting in the development of the Growth Policy by participating in the public workshops and corresponding with members of Cascade County and the JLUS Coordinating Committee. Consultants Celeste Werner, AICP Mike Hrapla Rick Rust, AICP Bren Cox Please see the next page. PAGE 1‐2 CASCADE COUNTY 1 Introduction ..................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Growth Policy Purpose Statement .......................................... 1-1 1.2 History of Cascade County ...................................................... 1-1 2 Goals and Objectives ..................................................... 2-1 2.1 Primary Goals and Objectives ................................................. 2-2 2.2 Specific Goals and Objectives ................................................. 2-4 3 Population ....................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Findings ................................................................................... 3-1 4 Housing ........................................................................... 4-1 5 Economic Condition ....................................................... 5-1 5.1 Agricultural Employment .......................................................... 5-1 5.2 Government Employment ........................................................ 5-4 5.3 Utilities, Communication and Transportation ........................... 5-5 5.4 Transportation Employment .................................................... 5-5 5.5 Construction Employment ....................................................... 5-6 5.6 Manufacturing Employment ..................................................... 5-6 5.7 Wholesale and Retail Trade Employment ............................... 5-6 5.8 Economic Activity and Constraints: Agriculture and Agricultural Products ............................................................... 5-7 5.9 Constraints to Agriculture and Agricultural Manufacturing ...... 5-7 5.10 Economic Activity and Constraints: Manufacturing ................. 5-8 6 Local Service ................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Cascade County: Solid Waste Disposal .................................. 6-1 6.2 Water Supply ........................................................................... 6-2 6.3 Sewer Services ........................................................................ 6-3 6.4 Law Enforcement ..................................................................... 6-3 6.5 Fire Protection ......................................................................... 6-4 6.6 School Districts ........................................................................ 6-4 6.7 Recreation and Tourist Trade .................................................. 6-6 6.8 Circulation – Transportation .................................................... 6-7 7 Natural Resources .......................................................... 7-1 7.1 Landscape Units ...................................................................... 7-1 7.2 Rivers, Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs ................................. 7-2 7.3 Alluvial Lowlands ..................................................................... 7-3 7.4 Lowland Terraces .................................................................... 7-4 7.5 Benches and Dissected Benches ............................................ 7-5 7.6 Rough Breaks .......................................................................... 7-6 7.7 Uplands .................................................................................... 7-7 7.8 Mountains ................................................................................ 7-8 7.9 Buttes ....................................................................................... 7-11 CASCADE COUNTY PAGE I 8 Policy and Goal Implementation .............................................................................8-1 8.1 Method of Implementation ........................................................................................................ 8-1 8.2 Resource Protection Areas Designation and Establishment .................................................... 8-2 8.3 Prime Agricultural Soils Areas .................................................................................................. 8-2 8.4 Forest Cover Areas .................................................................................................................. 8-2 8.5 Conditional Development Areas Designation and Establishment ........................................................................................................................... 8-2 8.6 Subdivision Development Requirements ................................................................................. 8-4 9 Implementation Strategy .........................................................................................9-1 9.1 Implementation Resources ....................................................................................................... 9-1 9.2 Capital Improvements Financing .............................................................................................. 9-1 9.3 Housing Financing .................................................................................................................... 9-6 9.4 Heritage, Recreation and Tourism Development Financing .................................................... 9-8 9.5 Planning Assistance ................................................................................................................. 9-10 10 Timetable and Review Process ...............................................................................10-1 11 Review Criteria .........................................................................................................11-1 11.1 Definitions ................................................................................................................................. 11-1 11.2 Public Hearings on Proposed Subdivisions .............................................................................. 11-2 12 City and County Cooperation .................................................................................12-1 12.1 City and County Cooperation ................................................................................................... 12-1 TABLES AND FIGURES Table 3.1 Cascade County Population Projections ................................................................................... 3-1 Table 3.2 Population Growth Trends 1970 – 2010 .................................................................................... 3-4 Table 3.3 Trends – Population by Category in 2000 and 2010 ................................................................. 3-5 Table 4.1 Housing Units in Cascade County, 2010 ................................................................................... 4-1 Table 4.2 Average Price of Housing in Montana, 200, 2006, and 2008 .................................................... 4-2 Table 4.3 Housing Units by Structure Size, 2007-2011 ............................................................................ 4-4 Table 4.4 Year Structure built for Montana................................................................................................ 4-4 Table 5.1 Personal Income from Farm Employment, 2009 (Thousands of 2010 $s) ............................................................................................................. 5-2 Table 5.2 Number of Farms by Type, 2007 ............................................................................................... 5-4 Figure 1-1 Cascade County, Montana ........................................................... See separate maps attachment Figure 2-1