Northwest Bozeman Area Plan: The Draft for 3,000 Acres Is Out

Summary: The City of Bozeman released the draft Northwest Bozeman Area Plan for public review on October 13, 2026, covering roughly 3,000 acres north of Durston Road and west of Harper Puckett Road. Four board work sessions run October 13 to 20, and the City Commission makes the final adoption decision, which the city's project page lists for winter 2026.

What is the Northwest Bozeman Area Plan?

The Northwest Bozeman Area Plan is the city's long-range plan for roughly 3,000 acres in the northwest corner of Bozeman's growth boundary, north of Durston Road and west of Harper Puckett Road. Per the City of Bozeman, it will guide future land uses, transportation connections, parks and open space, infrastructure coordination, and natural resource protection, in line with the Bozeman Community Plan.

A draft exists now, but nothing is adopted or approved. The city is working with Sanbell, a local community design firm, and Sanbell principal Chris Naumann described it to KPAX in June as a look at "what growth might look like when and if it happens." Most of the land isn't annexed into the city yet, and KPAX reported the area as primarily residential with some mixed-use areas. Per the city's project FAQ, the plan doesn't approve any specific projects either, so each one would still need its own application and review.

Why is the Gooch Hill sewer project driving the timeline?

The plan is tied to the proposed Gooch Hill Sanitary Sewer Lift Station, a separate engineering project near Harper Puckett Road and East Valley Center Road that would give the area the sewer capacity it needs before real development can happen. The lift station is in the city's long-range Capital Improvements Plan, and KPAX reported this summer that it was in design and could be built as early as 2027.

No sewer capacity, no new neighborhoods. The Area Plan decides what happens once that capacity exists, so the city isn't leaving 3,000 acres to fill in piecemeal the way Midtown has with projects like The Northern and Aspen 8. We watch infrastructure calls like this closely at BREG because they're usually the earliest signal of where Bozeman's next neighborhoods will land, years before a single lot hits the market.

How did public input shape the Northwest Bozeman Area Plan draft?

The city held three public events this summer, with no formal presentation and the same information at each:

• Open House #1: June 30, 2026, Gallatin High School
• Open House #2: July 8, 2026, Gallatin High School
• Pop-Up: July 14, 2026, Bozeman Farmers Market at Lindley Park

More than 200 community members and stakeholders took part, according to the City of Bozeman's October 13 release, counting those events plus meetings with local stakeholders. That feedback went straight into the draft now out for review.

When do boards review the Northwest Bozeman Area Plan draft?

Four work sessions give city and county boards a chance to review the draft, ask questions, and discuss recommendations before formal adoption proceedings begin:

• October 13: Gallatin County Planning Board
• October 14: City Sustainability Board
• October 19: City Community Development Board
• October 20: Bozeman City Commission

These sessions are for discussion, not a vote. Public comments will be documented, used to refine the plan, and shared with the boards and the Commission before it moves into formal adoption, and the Bozeman City Commission has the final say. You can read the draft and leave a comment at engage.bozemanmt.gov/goochhill. The city hasn't posted a comment deadline, so if you live or own land out near Durston or Harper Puckett, sooner is better.

How big is 3,000 acres in Bozeman terms?

Three thousand acres is roughly the size of Lewistown, Montana, and that's the whole town. That's the scale on the table for northwest Bozeman, an area that's stayed mostly open land and low-density housing while growth concentrated in Midtown and along the city's other edges. The next stop is the City Commission work session on October 20, with public hearings and adoption to follow this winter.

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