Belgrade 'Donut' Finally Gets Development Plan; Residents Still Unclear What the 'Donut' Is

Mon, 04 May 2026 07:30:00 -0600

The City of Belgrade and Gallatin County announced this week that they have reached an agreement to transition development oversight of the “Belgrade Donut,” a ring of unincorporated land surrounding the city that has confused residents, frustrated developers, and delighted exactly one category of person: people who enjoy explaining obscure zoning terminology at parties.

“The Donut is the area outside Belgrade city limits but within its planning jurisdiction,” said Gallatin County planning director Steve Erickson. “It’s not technically Belgrade, but it’s not not Belgrade. The development standards have historically been — let’s say — ambiguous.”

BEE INVESTIGATION: The Belgrade Donut — Who Decides What Gets Built in the Hole?

Sat, 02 May 2026 16:00:00 -0600

For years, a ring of unincorporated land surrounding Belgrade — known locally and bureaucratically as the “Belgrade Donut” — has existed in a jurisdictional twilight zone where development rules are applied with the consistency of a coin flip and the transparency of a gravel pit.

The Bozeman Daily Bee spent two weeks investigating who, exactly, decides what gets built in the Donut. The answer, it turns out, is: it depends on who you ask.

Zoning on The Bozeman Daily Bee

Belgrade 'Donut' Finally Gets Development Plan; Residents Still Unclear What the 'Donut' Is

BEE INVESTIGATION: The Belgrade Donut — Who Decides What Gets Built in the Hole?