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Friends of Flagstaff’s Future update for Aug. 23

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In This Issue

  • Goals of the new High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan
  • Zoning Amendment next steps from Stand Up for Flagstaff
  • Join the Transportation Tax Commission – Attend 10 meetings and shape the future of Flagstaff’s transportation system for 20 years
  • Southside Community Association CommUnity dialogue: response to Charlottesville

HOH Specific Plan: Part 3 of 3

The current HOH Specific Plan draft lays out the current development and growth climate of Flagstaff and proposes eight goals for future High Occupancy Housing.
Goal 1: New buildings, including HOH, connect and enhance the urban patterns, especially those of the Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. This may be achieved through the promotion of small and medium-scale buildings, historic preservation, street patterns, and pedestrian connectivity.

Suggested Improvements for this goal:

  • Add an implementation strategy that specifically relates to retaining single family homes downtown and on the South Side. This could be done by incentivizing building and maintaining single family homes through tax breaks, grants for up-keep, etc. 
  • Additional direction in Implementation Strategy 5 (When the demolition or removal of a historic structure cannot be avoided in an HOH development, encourage the developer to make the building available for relocation) directing city staff to look at ways of making it easier and less costly to relocate a home.

Goal 2: HOH buildings anchor the commercial core of activity centers. Their proportions and design are tied to the activity centers type (urban, suburban, rural), scale (central business, regional, neighborhood), and proximity of historic districts and neighborhoods.

Goal 3: The creation and operation of HOH development supports increasing the mode share of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel.

Goal 4: Civic and pedestrian spaces provide high quality “front porch” experiences that enhance cultural and social activity for high occupancy housing residents and neighbors.

Goal 5: Balance the needs of stormwater management and place-making to remove barriers to small and medium HOH development.

Goal 6: HOH developments make significant contributions to Flagstaff’s energy and solid waste goals.

Goal 7: Ensure continued and improved coordination between the City and NAU to collaborate on projects of concern to NAU and the wider community and to address nuisance issues in neighborhoods.

  • This goal needs to include an Implementation Strategy about communicating directly with The Arizona Board of Regents, ABOR. As NAU’s governing body, ABOR is making decisions for NAU about growth that directly effect our lives in Flagstaff, but without ever consulting the city itself. This has to change for us to see any substantive change in the way NAU’s growth effects our daily lives. 

Goal 8: HOH buildings create housing choices and transportation, land use and building efficiencies that support meeting Flagstaff’s sustainability and affordable housing goals.

Goal 9: HOH buildings are designed as flexible and adaptable buildings that can support changing economic conditions and support entrepreneurship and local business.

Overall, this is an impressive document and I would encourage everyone to read the Goals and Implementation Strategies. However, if you don’t have time, you can (and should) still show up to any of the public workshops!
Upcoming Public Workshops on this Issue:
·  Wednesday, August 30, 2017 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Flagstaff Aquaplex (1702 N. 4th St.)
·  Thursday, August 31, 2017 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall (211 W. Aspen Ave.)

A Note from Stand Up for Flagstaff
Dear neighbors,

This Wed, Aug 23 the Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss the proposed zoning amendments. The meeting begins at 4pm in Council chambers, and the amendments are the 4th item on the agenda. Public comments are welcome at this meeting.

On Sept 13, the Commission will hold the public hearing on these amendments. Public comments are welcome at this meeting. .

City Council’s hearings on the amendments is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 3 and Oct 17. Public comments will be welcome.

This is our chance to correct some of the most critical ambiguities that led to the Hub. We hope you can come to demonstrate and express your interest in protecting Flagstaff’s historic neighborhoods.

Thanks for standing up for Flagstaff!
Stand Up for Flagstaff Board of Directors

This survey will support the new Transportation Tax Commission.  This Commission will advise the City on using sales tax for roads, sidewalks, transit and bike facilities. A question to extend the current tax may appear on the November 2018 ballot.  Go to www.flagstaff.az.gov/bc to apply or contact Deputy City Clerk, Stacy Saltzburg at 213-2077 or email ssaltzburg@flagstaffaz.gov.  The Commission will meet 10-12 times between September 2017 and April 2018 at which time it will be discontinued.

Applications are due by August 23, 2017