The city planning department is looking for citizen input on where HOH belongs. Here the questions they are asking and F3’s thoughts.

The following answers are meant to be informative only and not at all suggestive of how you should answer. In fact, we would LOVE to hear your responses as well as your thoughts on our responses.

Question 1:
The Draft High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan proposes to require a public process for “large” mixed use buildings in Highway Commercial, Community Commercial, and Commercial Services zones that:

1. have a density of more than 50 units per acre (about the density of the Standard), or

2. have a bedroom density that is more than 125 bedrooms per acres (assumption 2.5 bedrooms per dwelling unit), or

3. have a site that is larger than one acre (about the size of half of a city block in downtown Flagstaff) .

Do you think this proposal would be a good way to address compatibility for “large” HOH development ?

Our answer: Yes, As long as public process is actually impactful. I would hate to see a public input process created that just frustrates people by allowing them to voice an opinion without effecting change.

Our question back to the planning department: How would this process work in a Prop 207 state?

Question 2:
Which of the activity centers shown in red do you believe are acceptable locations for HOH?

Our answer:
Downtown – Inappropriate
The Sawmill – Butler Ave. / Lone Tree Rd. – Activity Center needs to be moved to be on top on Aspen Place and not overlap with historic Southside

Question 3:
Given that the new policies would discourage HOH in the brown hatched areas on the map above, which of the following activity centers do you believe should be “Historic” or “Old Town” Activity Centers?

Our answer: All of them; U1 – Downtown, U8 – Five Points, S7 – Route 66 and Milton Road, U2 – Lone Tree and Butler (Sawmill)
Since all of these include historic neighborhoods they all either need more protections or the Activity Center needs to be re-drawn into a more thoughtful shape. Circles are simple, but this part of the city is not simple. Why not replace the circles more specific lines? The lines could be drawn to correspond with what is already designated differently in the transect map or they could be drawn around the brown hatched areas you have here. Developers will see what they want as we learned with the transect code. Therefore it is dangerous to make it look like we are encouraging HOH within activity centers, but discouraging it in some parts of those centers.

Question 4:
Another option for addressing the impact of the new development at Lone Tree and Butler is to move the center of this activity center away from the historic Southside Neighborhood.  Placing it closer to the commercial center of the new development (Picadilly Dr. and Market St.).

What do you think of a proposal to move the center of this activity center rather than marking it as a “Historic” or “Old Town” location?
Our answer: We support this idea. However, the circle is still creeping into the historic district. Why not a different shape that keeps the activity center out of the historic neighborhood entirely?

We encourage all of you to take this survey, it will shape the future of our city for a long time to come!

At last week’s meeting City Council meeting, there were three agenda items brought forward by or of importance to the Indigenous population.

Indigenous Youth STEM Academy at Picture Canyon
Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff Presentation
Uranium Transportation Update

Each was a complex issue requiring a lot of work and thought and they were thoughtfully presented. The pictures above were taking during discussion on Uranium transportation.  Uranium is often transported through reservations and there are many questions about the health effects of uranium exposure. City Council is determined to find solutions that make native populations safer on their own soil.

These are important issues worth keeping an eye on.
You can watch the video of the council meeting HERE

F3 supports any council actions that gives the indigenous population more agency and protects the health of Northern Arizona residents. We will continue to work with Indigenous Circle on ways to help see their vision of a community center and Indigenous People’s Day realized.

The Uranium transportation issue was particularly alarming. Canyon Mine is about 6 miles southeast of Tusayan in the Kaibab National Forest.  The company is planning to truck uranium ore covered only by a tarp.  Their preferred haul route is Hwy 64; south to Valle, east to Hwy 89A, through the Navajo Nation to Kayenta, and north to Blanding, Utah.  Much of this route is on the Navajo Nation.  Also, everyone driving to Grand Canyon National Park from Flagstaff, Williams, or Page will share roads used by these trucks.

Find out more here:  www.haulno.org

Duffie and Charlie have been hard at work making Flagstaff more livable and protecting our historic resources for nearly two decades. Their most recent project, The Townsite Community Land Trust  is what landed them their nomination.

The Townsite Community Land Trust focuses on “promoting historic preservation and community investment with permanently affordable owner-occupied homes.”

Find out more about what Duffie, Charlie, and the Townsite Community Land Trust are doing by following their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/townsiteclt/