Billings City Council Learns About Updates to Subdivision Bylaws

The city is considering amending the regulations on the division of housing estates, and the issue of lighting is an important element of the discussion.

The Annafeld estate is one of those mentioned in the city council agenda as having good lighting.

Residents of the estate claim that the streets are well lit at night.

“It’s lit up, so you can definitely see the road and oncoming traffic and people parked and crossing the street,” Katy Stricker said.

“The way they’re placed along the block makes it so you can see all the way to the bottom,” Molly McCrary said.

The main reason for proposing mandatory lighting in new residential estates is concern for the safety of residents.

“I would say residential lighting would help deter some of this crime,” said Dan Brooks, director of business outreach for the Billings Chamber of Commerce. “And I think we should look at that in other neighborhoods.”

Brooks made his comments at a Billings City Council work session Monday evening.

He said the city has good lighting on many roads, and requiring lighting in housing estates would deter criminals, citing a recommendation from the city’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Program, or CPTED.

“In the Strong Neighborhoods Guidelines, the Growth Policy states that zoning and land-use regulations that utilize Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED, strategies result in safer neighborhoods,” Brooks said.

Lighting is just one of the issues presented to the council in a 153-page bill to amend the zoning regulations.

Lighting financing options presented include district taxation and private contracts.

However, the council also heard some opposition to the idea and in an agenda document said that “the greatest opposition was to the proposed street lighting requirement”.

“I really wouldn’t want to see us start requiring street lights on all residential streets for a variety of reasons,” Councilman Roy Neese said at the work session. “If the developer or the homeowners themselves want to do that, sure.”

The planning commission recommended the changes and determined they would not cause any financial impact to the city.

“It’s pretty bright,” Stricker said of the lights in the Annafeld neighborhood. “I can see people if I’m outside or if my Ring camera goes off.”

“I can see who’s walking by,” McCrary said of the area. “It makes me feel a lot better than walking out into total darkness.”