The Public Hearing Draft of the Regional Land Use Plan 2045 (Draft Regional Plan) was recently released by the City of Flagstaff online (PDF here; this is a large file and may take some time to download). A take home hard copy of the Draft Regional Plan can be requested by emailing Elsa Erling at elsa.erling@flagstaffaz.gov.
The public now can provide verbal or written comments on the Public Hearing Draft Regional Plan during the four Public Hearings that are scheduled to take place this summer and fall (see below for dates).
The Draft Regional Plan is a policy guide and serves as the City’s general plan and an amendment to the Coconino County Comprehensive Plan. It is a statement of community goals and development policies related to land use in the Region, and includes maps and implementation measures that support achievement of those goals. It guides land use which includes how the government organizes and regulates what happens on a parcel of land in the future. For example, whether the parcel is developed as a housing development, a commercial business, or a park.
Significant revisions to the Draft Regional Plan were made to address public comments received last year during the 60-day comment period, and new and revised content has been added based on internal discussions and direction from City Council.
F3 recommends that you read, at a minimum, Chapters 1 and 2 to understand how the Regional Plan works, and Chapters 3 and 4 which outline the Regional Plan’s vision to address the top two priorities of the Regional Plan: Housing Attainability and Equity & Climate Action.
The content of Chapter 3 — Goals and Policies, and Chapter 4 — Growth and Land Use, will be used by the City of Flagstaff & Coconino County personnel to implement the Regional Plan 2045 when making land use decisions such as zoning map and text amendments, annexations, dedications, abandonments, and specific plans.
Chapters 3 and 4 outline a vision for the Flagstaff Region that includes:
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Increasing the supply and accessibility of attainable housing in every neighborhood,
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Development and revitalization of sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods with a diversity of people and housing,
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Achieving and maintaining carbon neutrality by reducing emissions from all sectors,
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Focusing future development to efficiently use land and water resources,
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Increasing and improving public transit and multimodal transportation to make them an affordable and convenient alternative to driving, and,
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Increasing and diversifying renewable energy sources and systems in the Region.
Chapters 5 through 11 provide background and current practices related to the specific topics of water, parks and recreation, open space, transportation, resource stewardship, energy, and social and economic systems. These chapters also include informational maps and action item for implementing the Regional Plan.
