Consideration and Approval of Preliminary Plat:  Case No. PZ-20-00089-01 CDR 276, LLC requests Preliminary Plat approval for Canyon Del Rio Block G located at 3200 E Butler Avenue, a single-family townhome subdivision on 9.03 acres in the MR (Medium Density Residential) Zone.

The vacant subject site is located within the northwestern corner of the larger Canyon Del Rio development, which encompasses 261 acres. Canyon Del Rio includes 1,426 residential dwelling units and 225,000 square feet of commercial development.  The Canyon Del Rio Block G subdivision, consisting of 50 single-family townhome lots located on 9.03 acres in the MR (Medium Density Residential) Zone.

In considering the advancement of the proposed Preliminary Plat, action is needed by the City Council.

No financial impacts are anticipated with this Preliminary Plat.

There are no policy impacts affiliated with this Preliminary Plat.

Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives
Robust Resilient Economy - Grow and strengthen a more equitable and resilient economy.

Regional Plan

• Policy LU.5.1. Encourage development patterns within the designated growth boundaries to sustain efficient infrastructure projects and maintenance.
• Policy LU.5.2. Promote infill development over peripheral expansion to conserve environmental resources, spur economic investments, and reduce the cost of providing infrastructure and services.
• Goal NH.1. Foster and maintain healthy and diverse urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods in the Flagstaff region.
• Policy WR.4.3. Development requiring public utility services will be located within the Urban Growth Boundary

In June 2019, the City Council approved a rezoning request, development agreement, and preliminary block plat allowing the development of Canyon Del Rio, consisting of 1,426 residential dwelling units and 225,000 square feet of commercial development. The development includes a mixture of high-, medium-, and single-family residential units combined with commercial service and open space on 261 acres.

The Canyon Del Rio Development Agreement sets out the development provisions for the development standards, density and zoning, plats, and site plans within the development.  The agreement provides for a workforce affordable housing in-lieu contribution of 1,000 equal installments of $650 as building permits are pulled for the first 1,000 dwelling units.  This serves as a 5% credit for the use of incentives of the individual blocks within the development.  The development also provides for the in lieu of construction contributions for off-site and on-site public improvements.  

1. Approve the Preliminary Plat with no conditions, as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
2. Approve the Preliminary Plat with conditions.
3. Deny the Preliminary Plat based on non-compliance with the Zoning Code, the Subdivision Code, and/or the Engineering Design Standards and Specifications for New Infrastructure.

The applicant, CDR 276, LLC, is seeking Preliminary Plat approval for a 50-lot single-family residential subdivision within the larger Canyon Del Rio development. Lot sizes range from 6,000 square feet to 13,366 square feet. The subdivision is one of the first blocks within the Canyon Del Rio to be platted. New infrastructure will need to be provided for the project including two new residential roads (Tarragon Drive and Valerian Lane), 8” water and sewer lines, dry utilities, and stormwater detention. City Staff approved the Preliminary Plat on March 19, 2021, based on conformance with all relevant development standards. All areas in the subdivision not allocated as lots are reserved as tracts or rights-of-way. Tract A is located at the northeastern portion of the subdivision and is designated as open space and Tract B along the eastern boundary of the subdivision is designated for open space and stormwater detention.

The property is zoned MR, Medium Density Residential. The Development Agreement for Canyon Del Rio requires 50 lots on this block, which is what is proposed.  The MR Zone has a minimum density requirement of 6 units per acre and a maximum density of 9 units per acre in the Resource Protection Overlay.  The proposed 50 lots on 9.03 acres is a density of 5.54 units per acre, which meets the minimum density for the MR Zone per Section 10-10.30.070, and allows for rounding of density requirements. 
 
Planned Residential Development (PRD) is a permitted use in the MR zone. Division 10-40.60.280 of the Zoning Code addresses specific use standards for Planned Residential Developments.  PRDs may use different building types (i.e., Carriage House, Single-Family Cottage,  Duplex) as part of an integrated site planning process in non-transect zones and for achieving gross densities on undeveloped land where substantial natural resources are present on the site.  Division 10-50.110 of the Zoning Code provides standards for specific building types and specifies the transect zones in which they are allowed.  The T4N.2 transect zone allows the Townhouse and Single-Family Cottage building type in new neighborhoods. 
 
The Single-Family Cottage building type permits a minimum lot area of 2,500 square feet, and the Townhouse building type permits a minimum lot area of 1,440 square feet. The lots within this subdivision comply with the minimum lot area per building type. The preliminary plat complies with the applicable standards and building form and placement standards such as setbacks and height allowed in the T4N.2 transect zone (Division 10-40.40.060 of the Zoning Code). 
 
Setback requirements for the T4N.2 transect zone are:
 
Front                  5’min, 12’ max
Side                    3’ min
Side Street         10’ min, 15’ max
Rear                    3’ min
 
Each building type has specific frontage types that must be used when developing the individual lots.  In this case, the Projecting Porch frontage type has been applied to all lots.  Division 10-50.120.040 addresses the standards for the Projecting Porch frontage type.  With this frontage type, the house has a small to medium setback from the property line.  The resulting front yard is typically very small.