2.A.
Combined City Council Work Session/Special Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 01/14/2014
- From:
- Roger Eastman, Zoning Code Administrator
TITLE:
Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2014-01: A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council adopting the Flagstaff Area Regional Plan 2030 Place Matters as the general plan for the City of Flagstaff.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1) Read Resolution No. 2014-01 by title only.
2) City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2014-01 (if approved above)
3) Adopt Resolution 2014-01 (adopting the Flagstaff Area Regional Plan 2030).
2) City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2014-01 (if approved above)
3) Adopt Resolution 2014-01 (adopting the Flagstaff Area Regional Plan 2030).
Policy Decision or Reason for Action:
At the January 14, 2014 meeting the Council will consider whether to adopt the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030.
Financial Impact:
None.
Connection to Council Goal:
1. Retain, expand, and diversify economic base
2. Effective governance.
2. Effective governance.
Has There Been Previous Council Decision on This:
Over the past 6 months the Council has held numerous work sessions and two public hearings on the draft Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030. The Council provided direction on proposed text amendments to the draft Regional Plan at the December 6th retreat and December 17th meeting.
Options and Alternatives:
1) Adopt by resolution the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030
2) Do not adopt the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030
Background/History:
The Flagstaff Regional Plan serves as the general plan for the City of Flagstaff and as an amendment to Coconino County’s Comprehensive Plan. The Plan was drafted by a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), with members appointed by the Flagstaff City Council and Coconino County Board of Supervisors, in collaboration with City and County staff, area residents, and businesses allowing for a more holistic approach for a future vision for the Greater Flagstaff Region. Preparing the Regional Plan was a grass-roots planning effort, with community members and City/County staff developing a document to guide the future growth and development of the region.
The planning area follows the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) boundaries which encompass 525 square miles.
Starting with a kick-off meeting in March 2009, the CAC, along with City of Flagstaff and Coconino County planners, Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization staff, and hundreds of committed citizens have been working on an update to the Flagstaff Regional Plan as required by state law.
By Arizona state statute, every community with over 2,500 residents must update their general plan every 10 years. The City’s last general plan (the current Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan) was ratified by City voters in 2001. The Arizona State Legislature extended the 10-year deadline in 2010 to 15 years in light of the economy and available resources at that time to complete such a planning endeavor.
Public engagement was a hallmark of the Regional Plan process, and such techniques as open houses, focus groups, stakeholder meetings, and working groups, were employed as well as the use of a community-wide survey prepared by Northern Arizona University, social media, video interviews, and a community design charrette. The July 2011 Community Design Charrette attracted over 200 people who drew maps and expressed opinions on how the region could grow over the next 40 years using three potential development scenarios as the basis for their decisions. These three scenarios were developed through a public process made possible by a Planning Assistance for Rural Arizona (PARA) Grant through the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Kimley-Horn and Associates, an Arizona planning and design firm, incorporated these various scenarios into Community Viz software, enabling the team to analyze such metrics as water and energy use, housing mix, jobs produced, and land consumption based upon each scenario. These metrics enabled an informed discussion with the CAC, City and County planners, and interested residents with regard to future land use patterns to fulfill the community’s vision.
Incorporating thousands of community members’ ideas and opinions, and those of a diligent and dedicated CAC, the Flagstaff Regional Plan has been developed by residents of the FMPO region. Each draft of the Plan received and incorporated hundreds of suggested edits. Also, a website was created as an important tool so that the Regional Plan was accessible to the general public and voters - www.flagstaffmatters.com.
On October 23, 2013, the City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended adoption of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 document by the City Council with some recommended changes to the text and the maps. On October 29, 2013 the County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended adoption by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors with no recommended changes. The Board of Supervisors adopted the Plan on December 3, 2013, also with no recommended change to the CAC drafted plan.
After returning from summer recess the Council has held numerous work sessions on the draft Regional Plan in which the document was carefully reviewed chapter-by-chapter. Two public hearings were held at which many members of the community chose to share their opinions on the draft Plan. The Council developed a ‘parking lot’ list of issues and ideas that warranted further discussion by the Council, and on December 6th in an all day retreat, Council reviewed these items and provided direction to staff on how to update these issues and ideas into the final document. On December 17, 2013 the Council provided final direction to staff on amendments to the Regional Plan, including moving former Policy LU18.3 (ITEM 38b on the Parking Lot Master List) into the list of strategies. Attached is the final Parking Lot Master List that includes all of the changes to the Regional Plan document identified by the Council.
Since then staff has completed all necessary changes and amendments to the Regional Plan document. An electronic version was posted on the City webpage on January 6, 2014, while a printed version of the Plan was made available to the Council and members of the public by Thursday afternoon, January 9, 2014. At this meeting the Council may also call a public election for ratification of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 – Place Matters potentially to be scheduled on May 20, 2014 (Refer to the next Agenda Item).
The planning area follows the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) boundaries which encompass 525 square miles.
Starting with a kick-off meeting in March 2009, the CAC, along with City of Flagstaff and Coconino County planners, Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization staff, and hundreds of committed citizens have been working on an update to the Flagstaff Regional Plan as required by state law.
By Arizona state statute, every community with over 2,500 residents must update their general plan every 10 years. The City’s last general plan (the current Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan) was ratified by City voters in 2001. The Arizona State Legislature extended the 10-year deadline in 2010 to 15 years in light of the economy and available resources at that time to complete such a planning endeavor.
Public engagement was a hallmark of the Regional Plan process, and such techniques as open houses, focus groups, stakeholder meetings, and working groups, were employed as well as the use of a community-wide survey prepared by Northern Arizona University, social media, video interviews, and a community design charrette. The July 2011 Community Design Charrette attracted over 200 people who drew maps and expressed opinions on how the region could grow over the next 40 years using three potential development scenarios as the basis for their decisions. These three scenarios were developed through a public process made possible by a Planning Assistance for Rural Arizona (PARA) Grant through the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Kimley-Horn and Associates, an Arizona planning and design firm, incorporated these various scenarios into Community Viz software, enabling the team to analyze such metrics as water and energy use, housing mix, jobs produced, and land consumption based upon each scenario. These metrics enabled an informed discussion with the CAC, City and County planners, and interested residents with regard to future land use patterns to fulfill the community’s vision.
Incorporating thousands of community members’ ideas and opinions, and those of a diligent and dedicated CAC, the Flagstaff Regional Plan has been developed by residents of the FMPO region. Each draft of the Plan received and incorporated hundreds of suggested edits. Also, a website was created as an important tool so that the Regional Plan was accessible to the general public and voters - www.flagstaffmatters.com.
On October 23, 2013, the City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended adoption of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 document by the City Council with some recommended changes to the text and the maps. On October 29, 2013 the County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended adoption by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors with no recommended changes. The Board of Supervisors adopted the Plan on December 3, 2013, also with no recommended change to the CAC drafted plan.
After returning from summer recess the Council has held numerous work sessions on the draft Regional Plan in which the document was carefully reviewed chapter-by-chapter. Two public hearings were held at which many members of the community chose to share their opinions on the draft Plan. The Council developed a ‘parking lot’ list of issues and ideas that warranted further discussion by the Council, and on December 6th in an all day retreat, Council reviewed these items and provided direction to staff on how to update these issues and ideas into the final document. On December 17, 2013 the Council provided final direction to staff on amendments to the Regional Plan, including moving former Policy LU18.3 (ITEM 38b on the Parking Lot Master List) into the list of strategies. Attached is the final Parking Lot Master List that includes all of the changes to the Regional Plan document identified by the Council.
Since then staff has completed all necessary changes and amendments to the Regional Plan document. An electronic version was posted on the City webpage on January 6, 2014, while a printed version of the Plan was made available to the Council and members of the public by Thursday afternoon, January 9, 2014. At this meeting the Council may also call a public election for ratification of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 – Place Matters potentially to be scheduled on May 20, 2014 (Refer to the next Agenda Item).
Key Considerations:
As stated above, Arizona law requires that all cities and towns with over 2,500 residents update their general plan every 10 years. The Arizona State Legislature extended the 10-year deadline in 2010 to 15 years in light of the economy at that time. As the City’s last general plan (the current Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan) was ratified by City voters in 2001, it is timely that the latest Regional Plan that has been developed over the past 4 or more years be presented to the Council for possible adoption, and ratification by City voters. If the Regional Plan is not approved by City voters later this year, the current Regional Plan will still prevail until an updated Plan is adopted and ratified.
Expanded Financial Considerations:
None.
Community Benefits and Considerations:
The residents of the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County within the FMPO planning boundary will benefit from an updated Regional Plan that has been developed in response to the many comments, ideas, and values of area residents over the past 4 or so years as the Plan has been developed.
Community Involvement:
As stated above, the foundation of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 has been an extensive public engagement process from the inception of the process to update the City's existing Regional Plan in March 2009. Throughout this process, community residents have been informed, consulted, and involved in the development of the updated Regional Plan. They have also collaborated in the Plan's creation, and through the residents of the City's ability to vote on the Plan later this year, they will be empowered by making the final decision on whether to accept the updated Plan or not.
Expanded Options and Alternatives:
Refer to Page 1.