Community Development

In October 2009, the Stevensville Town Council adopted the Town of Stevensville Growth Policy as guidance for the general policy and pattern of development of the Town of Stevensville.

(Excerpt from Stevensville Grown Policy)​
Stevensville’s Identity

There are many elements of Stevensville that serve to shape the town’s identity.  Stevensville’s connection to Montana’s beginnings, proximity to the natural environment, and the safe small-town feel all contribute to the sense of place that residents cherish and that serves to attract visitors and new residents.  Stevensville’s 2016 Growth Policy Update reflects the community’s desire to preserve these unique aspects of the town while envisioning a future of coordinated growth and ongoing success.

Growth Policy 101

A growth policy is a comprehensive plan for a community that addresses land use, natural resources, the economy, public infrastructure, housing and other topics identified by the community and required by state law. At its roots, a growth policy attempts to answer the following three questions – 1. Where are we today? 2. Where do we want to be tomorrow? and 3. How do we get there? The second two questions are really the meat of the growth policy document and are intended to reflect the goals and aspirations of Stevensville residents.

Previous Planning Efforts
Stevensville has a history of being proactive when thinking about the future of the town.  Nearly two decades ago in 1998, Stevensville residents engaged in a series of community meetings that led to a community workshop, where a vision for Stevensville’s future was defined as a desire to maintain a walkable and liveable community.  This effort eventually led to Stevensville’s first growth policy which was adopted in 2002.  In response to rapid population growth in Ravalli County and Stevensville during the early 2000s, Stevensville adopted a significant update to the 2002 growth policy in 2009.  This growth policy is an update to the 2009 growth policy. It reinforces and builds on the policy direction of the 2009 growth policy and provides additional guidance for Stevensville’s future by focusing on nine key issues.  The nine key issues, which were identified during the public engagement process include:

1. Diversifying Stevensville’s Tax Base
2. Water
3. Housing
4. Non-Motorized Transportation
5. Permitting and Enforcing Existing Regulations
6. Guiding Development Patterns South of Town
7. Annexation
8. Downtown
9. Access to the Bitterroot River