Discussion Item: Discussion to identify policy amendments to the Flagstaff Zoning Code.

On November 1, 2011, the Council, by unanimous vote, adopted the new Flagstaff Zoning Code. At the time of the Code’s adoption, staff notified the Council that within 6-9 months a round of amendments to the Zoning Code would be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Council for approval. With a document as complex as the Zoning Code, and despite staff’s best efforts and attention to detail, it was realized that some standards or issues would be incomplete or incorrect. Over the past few months, City planning staff, as well as staff that work with the Zoning Code on a regular basis (i.e. from the engineering, traffic, stormwater, housing or legal sections/divisions), have documented sections of the Code where possible amendments would be required. Through a series of meetings that are still ongoing, staff from all of these sections/divisions is discussing the noted corrections and reaching agreement on how they should be amended and corrected. Ideas for amendments submitted by Flagstaff residents have also been included, and over the coming months members of the public will have opportunity to share their suggestions with staff.
 
At a work session with the Council on October 9, 2012 staff presented a suggested path forward for the adoption of amendments to the Zoning Code. At this meeting, it was agreed that staff would summarize the proposed amendments into a table so that decisions could be made as to whether the amendment was technical in nature or one that required a policy discussion by the Council – see Attachment A.
 
At a subsequent work session on November 27^th a general discussion on policy and technical amendments to the Zoning Code took place. This was followed by a discussion on December 12^th in which it was agreed that at a work session in January the Council would decide whether or not the policy issues identified so far would be kept on the list for consideration with the identified amendments to the Zoning Code.
 
At this time possible policy issues include the following:
 
Division 10-20.50 - Zoning Map Amendment process
This policy topic was originally suggested by the Mayor. The Zoning Code provides for three levels of submittal (small, medium, and large) based on the size and potential impact of a request for a Zoning Map amendment (sometimes more commonly referred to a zone change application). The submittal requirements for each level vary with the least requirements applicable to a small scale application. The Mayor has suggested the need for a Council discussion on whether further reductions in rezoning submittal requirements could lead to more lands, within the City, being zoned with a designation to allow for quicker development.
 
Section 10-50.80.040.A - Increase the amount of parking for residences with 4+ bedrooms
This amendment is suggested by staff. In recent months, staff has seen an increase in applications for multi-family residential projects where each unit contains 4 or more bedrooms intended primarily for students. Unfortunately, the current standard for parking for multi-family units of this scale does not provide sufficient parking which has resulted in increased complaints from neighbors and surrounding property owners and problems with on-street parking especially in the winter months. Staff proposes to increase the minimum number of parking spaces for residences with 3 or more bedrooms.
 
Section 10-50.80.040.A - Delete the reduced parking standards for affordable housing
This amendment is suggested by staff. Staff has determined that the reductions in parking standards for affordable residential units do not work as people who live in these units do not necessarily have fewer vehicles than those who live in market-rate units. As a deficit of parking has resulted in recently completed affordable housing projects, with associated impacts to surrounding property owners, staff suggests that the parking standards for affordable residential units should be deleted. In the alternative, the reductions may only be applied to multi-family developments over a certain threshold based on the number of units or site area.
 
Section 10-50.80.060 - Reduce parking reduction within ¼ mile of transit
This amendment, suggested by staff, would decrease the allowed parking reduction for residential projects within ¼ mile of a transit stop from 10% to 5%. The reason for this suggestion is that most projects are within ¼ mile of a transit stop, and this reduction when added to other reductions (for affordable housing, preservation of resources, etc.), results in insufficient parking on a site.
 
Section 10-50.80.080 - Parking for disabled persons
This amendment, originally suggested by some members of the Council, would eliminate the additional standards for the number of accessible parking spaces and the increased dimensions for them as originally promoted by the Disability Awareness Commission, and instead would refer to applicable Federal ADA Standards.
 
Section 10-50.100.060 - Simplify permanent sign standards
These comprehensive amendments are suggested by staff. The Zoning Code includes the same standards from the former Land Development Code for the calculation of the area of building mounted signs, as well as very precise standards to determine where the signs may be placed on a building. These are often restrictive and difficult to apply when an unusual circumstance arises. Staff has therefore suggested that these standards be amended (this is supported by many sign design professionals) by eliminating the restrictive requirements on where a sign may be placed on a building, and instead allowing the business owner or property owner to decide where to place their sign. This change would provide less restrictive standards than those in the Zoning Code today.
 
Section 10-50.100.070 - Banners for NAU and temporary signs
This amendment, suggested by staff, would allow for the placement of temporary banners welcoming the Cardinals and NAU students, and supporting NAU sports teams. These banners are not currently authorized under the Zoning Code. Staff further suggests that the concept of temporary business signs should be reassessed and a different approach taken to make them more manageable to business owners and their use easier to administer by the City. Staff has developed a number of ideas to resolve this issue that will be presented to the Council at a future meeting. Related to this issue is an idea, suggested by staff, to allow for additional freestanding sign area so that all tenants in a multi-tenant building such as a strip mall may have an opportunity to have signage to advertise their business.
 
Section 10-50.100.090 - Expand the Comprehensive Sign Program so it can apply to non-commercial uses
This suggestion by staff would allow the concept of a Comprehensive Sign Program (it allows for greater sign height and area if specific design performance measures are incorporated into the sign) to also be applied to non-commercial uses (multi-family residential, institutional, etc.).

Section 10-50.110.030 - Add Stacked Triplex as a building type
Staff has received a request from a Flagstaff resident to add the Stacked Triplex as a new building type within the Form-based Code component of the Zoning Code.

Once the Council provides direction to staff on which policy amendments should remain on the list of possible amendments, these issues would then be presented to the public for their comment and input before being presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission at a public meeting and a public hearing for a recommendation of approval and eventually the City Council for final approval. During this process it is possible that Flagstaff residents and/or the Planning and Zoning Commission may suggest additional policy or technical amendments.