FLAGSTAFF — After a year of public involvement, the City of Flagstaff has published a Draft High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan for a 60 day public review. The draft plan responds to community concerns surrounding some of the larger buildings, recently completed or in development review. At public hearings and workshops, the community expressed concerns that these larger buildings are out of context with their surroundings or will negatively affect their neighborhoods.
What to expect from the Draft HOH Specific Plan?
The draft plan describes the history, current influences, and potential strategies for addressing future High Occupancy Housing projects. It will not immediately change any development standards and will not impact any current applications that the City has received. A specific plan provides more detail with goals and policies to a specific area or topic from the Regional Plan. This lack of specificity was often a point of contention at hearings for the Standard and the Hub. “The draft plan can provide the Council and staff a better framework for making decisions,” says Daniel Folke, the City’s Planning Director, “We see it as a path forward for updating City codes to get better outcomes from these projects. The community want better design, more community benefits, fewer impacts, and appropriate locations for High Occupancy Housing.” The plan includes 53 potential strategies that the City could use to guide future amendments to the Zoning Code and other City Codes and to guide the outcomes of High Occupancy Housing Proposals involving discretionary decisions. Some of the strategies would also need to apply to all development in order to be effective.
How can you learn more and get involved?
The draft plan will be reviewed at numerous Board and Commission meetings during the 60 day review. You can find a full schedule of when each board will be providing input on the City’s website at www.flagstaff.az.gov/hohplan. The City will hold office hours, where staff are available to sit down one-on-one or in small groups to go over the content of the draft plan and answer questions. The office hours will be held at both libraries:
- Wednesday August 2, 10am to 1pm at the East Flagstaff Community Library Community Room (3000 N. 4thSt.)
- Thursday August 3, noon to 2:30pm at the Flagstaff Main Library Community Room (300 W. Aspen Ave.)
In addition, the City of Flagstaff will hold two High Occupancy Housing Plan public workshops during the comment period. The project team will be available to answer questions and take comments. The workshops will be held on: :
- Wednesday, August 30, 6pm to 8pm at the Flagstaff Aquaplex ( 1702 N. 4thSt.)
- Thursday, August 31, 6pm to 8pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall (211 W. Aspen Ave.)
The City is also hosting a public meeting on updating the Transect portion of the Zoning Code on August 8th at 6pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, 224 S. Kendrick Street. The draft plan recommends this as one of strategies for the community to consider. Brian Kulina, the City’s Zoning Code Management, presented this strategy at the June 14th City Council work session.
You can find the High Occupancy Housing Plan online at www.flagstaff.az.gov/hohplan, or you can review a hard copy at both City libraries at the reference desk and at the Community Development Counter in City Hall. Comments on the High Occupancy Housing Plan should be submitted to the City by September 27, 2017. Comments can be submitted to: Sara Dechter, Comprehensive Planning Manager, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001. You can also submit comments by email at: sdechter@flagstaffaz.gov