Discuss and provide direction to staff on the proposed work programs pertaining to comprehensive planning and the development codes.

For the last several years, the Planning and Development Services staff has provided an update to the City Council on its previous year’s and proposed work programs for Comprehensive Planning (CP) staff and the Zoning Code Manager (ZCM).  The previous year’s (2019) and proposed (2020) work programs pertain to the City’s Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 (Regional Plan), related strategic planning documents and the development codes.  The policies and requirements of these documents are typically “living” provisions; and, it is a generally accepted practice to regularly evaluate and update them to maintain contemporary provisions that address the community’s input and expectations, development trends, legal decisions, and state requirements.  Furthermore, planning related initiatives, such as the 2020 Census, Climate Action & Adaption Plan and the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) Milton Road Corridor Master Plan typically have the potential to significantly affect citywide policies and resource decisions. Therefore, it is essential to accommodate planning-related initiatives into the department’s work program. 
 
The proposed programs are intended to address priorities to update and incorporate new plan components to the Regional Plan and related strategic planning documents, the city's development codes, and planning related initiatives.  The work plans of the CP staff and ZCM are closely related; and, the work completed by the CP staff in any given year typically causes an increase in the ZCM’s work plan for the following year.   This is in addition to other ZCM work plan priorities, such as citizen and City Council initiatives, state law modifications, and general maintenance of the code.  A good example of the correlation of the work plans between the CP staff and ZCM is CP’s completion of the High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan, La Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Specific Plan, Climate Action & Adaption Plan, and Southside Plan. Except for the Southside Plan, these plans have been ‘transferred’ into the implementation phase, which have impacted the ZCM’s work plan.

Council Goals

• Revise the zoning code to remove ambiguities, and ensure it is consistent with community values and the Regional Plan.
• Regional Plan Goals:
  • Goal CC.2. Preserve, restore, and rehabilitate heritage resources to better appreciate our culture. 
  • Policy CC.2.3. Mitigate development impacts on heritage resources.
  • Policy CC.2.4. Support restoration and rehabilitation of historic housing, buildings, structures, and neighborhoods.
  • Goal CC.3. Preserve, restore, enhance, and reflect the design traditions of Flagstaff in all public and private development efforts.
  • Policy LU.4.1. Develop neighborhood plans, specific plans, area plans, and master plans for all neighborhoods, activity centers, corridors, and gateways as necessary.
  • Policy LU.4.2. Utilize the following as guidance in the development process: Natural Environment maps, Environmental Planning and Conservation policies, Considerations for Development, Cultural Sensitivity, and Historical Preservation maps, and Community Character policies, while respecting private property rights.
  • Goal LU.5. Encourage compact development principles to achieve efficiencies and open space preservation.
  • Policy LU.7.1. Concentrate urban development in locations that use land efficiently, and are served by roads, water, sewer, and other public facilities and services, and that support transit, reduced vehicle trips, and conservation of energy and water.
  • Goal NH.1. Foster and maintain healthy and diverse urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods in the Flagstaff region.

Comprehensive Planning
The primary responsibility of the CP staff is to update, revise and assist in the implementation of the Regional Plan and related strategic planning documents. Typically, the CP staff leads these efforts. The program houses the Heritage Preservation program and carries out Flagstaff’s responsibilities as a Certified Local Government. As a Certified Local Government, Flagstaff receives access to funding, technical assistance, the ability to consult on federal projects in our jurisdiction, and other preservation successes under the guidance of the National Park Service and the State Historic Preservation Office. Lastly, the Comprehensive Planning Manager is the local government representative for the US Census Bureau, and as such, is responsible for organizing data responses to the Bureau and providing support to the 2020 Census efforts. 

When other city departments or governmental agencies have work programs that may have an impact or influence on the city’s long-range planning efforts, CP staff will provide assistance and analysis to ensure that the work program products correlate and further the implementation of the Regional Plan and related strategic planning documents. A comprehensive summary of the CP staff responsibilities is included as Attachment 1.
 
The Regional Plan is the broadest policy document in the planning hierarchy for the city (See Attachment 1, Comprehensive Planning Program – What We Do for graphic).  As a requirement of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) and the city’s charter, the Regional Plan serves as the general plan/comprehensive plan for the city.  Also, it serves as a Coconino County area plan for the areas of the county that are adjacent to the city. 
 
Chapter III of the Regional Plan states that the plan is to be “…used for decision making so that Flagstaff city government is accountable for publicly derived policy outcomes and goals….”  Furthermore, the Regional Plan and related specific plans are “…not static documents; they recognize that growth is a dynamic process…” and community expectations and conditions “…may require revisions to the plan as circumstances or changes warrant.”  Examples of such amendments, modifications and new plans that the City Council has directed staff to create and/or amend include the: La Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Specific Plan; High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan; Southside Community Specific Plan; and related Regional Plan amendments.  These documents and amendments provide more specific direction on the methods to implement the goals and policies of the Regional Plan.
 
Over the past year, CP staff has assisted with, completed, and started several of the items of its 2019 work program. These include the:

• Production of a draft Southside Community Specific Plan for a 60-day public review;
• Integration of the Heritage Preservation program and hiring of a new Neighborhood Planner/Heritage Preservation Officer;
• Completion of the 5th Regional Plan Annual Report;
• Formation of a joint census team with Coconino County and creation of a 2020 Census campaign, I Count, You Count, in coordination with Maricopa Association of Governments and over 20 local partners; and
• Participation in and providing staff support for numerous planning efforts carried out by other agencies and departments.

Several of the above-referenced projects are anticipated to be completed midway through the year. The anticipated work program for CP over the following 18 months is anticipated to have four major activities.  These include:

• Providing support to the Zoning Code Manager for implementation of the La Plaza Vieja, High Occupancy Housing and Southside Specific Plans;
• Providing education, research, and outreach to proactively improve Heritage Preservation outcomes with homeowners and small business owners;
• Beginning the outreach and relationship building for the Pine Knoll – Brannen Neighborhood Planning;
• Beginning the baseline data management and analysis in preparation for the 2022 to 2024 Regional Plan update; and
• Beginning the initial scope, stakeholder outreach, and public participation design for the Regional Plan update. Several of the above projects are dependent on funding and the workload of the Community Development applications.

In past years, the CP program has recommended pursuing Regional Plan amendments to keep the 2014 Regional Plan up to date.  The outstanding amendments primarily pertain to community character, Great Streets and miscellaneous edits to text and maps that provide clarifications (See Attachment 2).  Based on the need to prioritize other work with limited resources, the CP Program recommends folding these potential amendments into the 2022-2024 Regional Plan update.

Zoning Code Manager
The primary responsibility of the Zoning Code Manager (ZCM) is to administer and interpret the development codes, specifically the Zoning Code and the Subdivision Code. This activity includes providing assistance to community members and City Staff that use and enforce these codes.  Also, the ZCM coordinates, oversees, and assists with revisions to the development codes to further the implementation of the Regional Plan and related specific planning documents. When needed, this includes working with other departments, such as solid waste, building, current planning, engineering, sustainability, etc., that have work programs to modify or could affect the City’s development codes, design standards, guidelines, and specifications. The City’s interdepartmental cooperation is essential to coordinating the related requirements with the development codes, minimizing conflicts and furthering the implementation of the applicable provisions of the Regional Plan, and other related specific planning documents.
 
In addition to the responsibilities indicated above, the ZCM: 

• Is the liaison to the Board of Adjustment;
• Coordinates Board of Adjustment applications (variances);
• Coordinates minor modification applications;
• Coordinates and oversees the completion of Zoning Verification Letters;
• Coordinates with the CP staff on amendments to the Regional Plan and other related specific planning documents to ensure sufficient direction, goals, and policies are incorporated to effectuate the necessary modifications to the City Code and implement the plans; and
• Coordinates with the Code Enforcement staff pertaining to Zoning Code enforcement considerations. 

Over the past year, the following Zoning Code amendments have been completed:  

• Seasonal Indoor Recreation Use (North Pole Experience);
• Industrial Zones and Related Miscellaneous Updates;
• Updates to the Accessory Dwelling Unit Provisions; and
• 2019 Comprehensive Miscellaneous Update. 

In addition to the amendments that have been completed, the following amendments are currently being processed:

• Lake Mary and I-17 Rural to Urban Floodplain (Private Application);
• Updates to Zoning Code 2020 - Miscellaneous Part 1;
• High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan Implementation;
• Community Commercial (CC) zone building height change from 60 feet to 45 feet;
• Updates to the Outdoor Lighting Requirements;
• La Plaza Vieja Specific Plan Implementation;
• Transect Remapping (North End); and
• Resource Protection Standards.

A detailed summary of the Zoning Code Manager’s 2020 and Extended Work Plan is included in Attachment 3.