Help Guide the Future of Livingston’s Parks & Neighborhoods
Action needed this week: The City of Livingston is asking for your input on two critical plans that will shape our community for years to come. Please take a moment to share your feedback before these deadlines:
Parks Master Plan: Comments are due by 5 PM this Friday, September 5th.
Zoning Code Update: Initial comments are due by next Tuesday, September 9th.
If you care about trails, native grasses, the Yellowstone pedestrian bridge at Mayor’s Landing, park signage and way-finding, ADA accessibility, maintaining the lagoon, building heights, affordable housing, Livingston’s heritage and more, I encourage you to take both surveys and share them widely.
Your voice helps ensure that future development enhances rather than erodes the community character we've worked to maintain and nurture.
The other evening I walked from downtown through Sacajawea Park along the levee. I admired the historic streets, the short walking distance to the wild and free flowing river; I saw kids running between the trees, birds soaring in the sky, evidence of a resident beaver, and a couple of travelers stopping to watch the river and take photos. It struck me, these are a few of the things that connect me to this place and make Livingston home.
Growing up here, some of my earliest memories are of riding in the tree watering truck with my mom and Warren McGee—a man with a grand vision of investing in parks, public spaces, and the urban forest that now shades our summer gatherings. Warren understood something fundamental: parks aren't just amenities, they're investments in our community's soul. Parks give roots to our deep sense of place and enhance our quality of life. Warren’s legacy lives on in every tree we water, every trail we maintain, and every space we protect and commit to steward.
This matters because when we speak with one voice about the Livingston we want—walkable, connected, rich in public space and green spaces and a thriving downtown—we position our city to access and compete for grants and resources that fund only these priorities without using our general fund and tax dollars. Federal and state programs will more likely invest in communities that demonstrate clear vision and strong public support for sustainable, livable development.
More about the Parks Plan and Zoning Code Update
Parks Master Plan Survey, comments due this Friday by 5pm – Take the survey here and weigh on what amenities are most important to you, such as park naming signs that indicate public space, ADA access, trail connectivity including the bridge across the river at Mayor’s Landing, improved access to the river, and investing in planting native plants along riparian areas and in park spaces.
Livingston is lucky to have so many public green spaces and it is important that residents weigh in on priorities to help the City guide park resources, even if it means maintaining the feel and character that we already cherish. While the survey rates the importance of possible amenities, there is a comment section for more input at the end.
We encourage you to think about parks being more than recreational spaces, they're critical infrastructure for climate resilience, biodiversity, environmental health and underpin our sense of place. The Parks Master Plan is our opportunity to prioritize native plantings, expand urban wildlife corridors, and create spaces that connect people to the natural systems and biologically diverse areas that improve our quality of life. When we invest in green accessible infrastructure, we're building community resilience.
Zoning Map Update – Comments due next Tuesday, September 9 for initial review – review the Story Map here and provide your comments here.
Livingston is updating its zoning code to better align with our Growth Policy and address modern challenges like affordable housing, preserving community character, and supporting sustainable growth that considers dark skies, environmental and riparian sensitive areas, and enhances what makes Livingston special. The current code doesn't effectively guide the kind of development we want to see, such as very tall buildings and highway commercial along Park Street. This zoning code update helps guide the development we want to see and specifically addresses the disconnect between our community vision and current regulations.
Initial comments are due Tuesday, September 9, with the draft going to the Land Use Board on September 17. You can review the proposed text, annotated version, and Story Map, then share feedback here.
Some of PCEC’s earliest efforts in the late 1980s and early 1990s focused on stewarding our shared spaces: launching the Trash for Trees program, cleaning up miles of HWY 89, and starting and managing community recycling efforts. We know that our community character isn't only defined by what we build, but by how we care for the places that matter most and what we envision for all generations to be welcome here.
For years, many of you have participated in these planning processes, offering thoughtful comments and vision for our community's future. Thank you for your sustained engagement. Your voices have helped shape the Growth Policy that guides these updates, and your continued participation ensures that our zoning code and community plans reflect our values and not just development pressures.