Consideration and Possible Adoption of Ordinance No. 2014-14:  An ordinance amending the Flagstaff Zoning Map designation of approximately 33.6 acres of real property located at the southwest and southeast corners of Route 66 and Fourth Street and at the northwest corner of Huntington Drive and Fourth Street, from Light Industrial (LI) and Light Industrial-Open (LI-O) to Highway Commercial (HC). (Amending Zoning Map for "The Trax" commercial development).

The Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission conducted Public Hearings to consider this Zoning Map amendment request at its regular meetings on May 14, 2014 and May 28, 2014.  The Planning Commission voted (7-0) to forward the request to the City Council with a recommendation of approval subject to two conditions.  The attached ordinance lists the two conditions of approval.  Zoning Map amendments are required to be adopted by ordinance.

Subsidiary Decisions Points: If the first reading of the ordinance is successful, the attached Development Agreement will be scheduled for consideration by the City Council on July 1, 2014, prior to the second reading of the ordinance.

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Retain, expand, and diversify economic base
Effective governance

The Council considered, approved, and amended a purchase and sale agreement for the subject property on May 20, 2014.
This Zoning Map amendment request is accompanied by a Regional Plan amendment request.
First read of the ordinance was held on June 17, 2014

The City Council may approve the ordinance with the proposed conditions, approve the ordinance with additional or modified conditions, or deny the ordinance.

The site is currently vacant, undeveloped and un-subdivided land. At the date of this report, the property is owned by the City of Flagstaff.  The applicant, Evergreen Devco, Inc., intends to close escrow on the property by September 2014 and following site plan and engineering construction plan approvals, to provide the development with new public and private infrastructure that includes roadway work, FUTS trail construction, water, sewer, and storm water infrastructure.  
 
Land uses north of the property, across Route 66, consist of commercial buildings with uses that include motels, restaurants, auto repair, retail, plant nursery and offices.  New commercial construction on the north side of Route 66 includes the completed Walgreens at the northeast corner of Route 66 and 4^th Street, a new bank east of the Walgreens (in construction), and a Tractor Supply Co. (in construction) at the northeast corner of Route 66 and Arrowhead Drive.  The terrain on the Areas A, B, and C of the subject site is generally flat at an elevation ranging between approximately 6,840 to 6,860 feet. Area D is flattest at the corner of 4^th Street and Huntington, and then slopes down towards the west; it is has a fairly even distribution of Ponderosa pine tree resources.
 
A resolution for the development agreement must be approved prior to the second reading of the zoning ordinance (see attached draft development agreement). The development agreement will address responsibilities for constructing a FUTS trail, providing outdoor public space, preserving the trestle bridge, ensuring that construction of public improvements coincide with the phased development of the project, and designing drive-through facilities to ensure the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles. Additionally, the Developer will be required to contribute an agreed upon monetary sum into the City’s escrow account towards future I-40 Bridge improvements and to cover a pedestrian crossing study and any recommended improvements to Route 66 related to the development of the property.  The development agreement also covers Route 66 lighting (ADOT requirements) and dedication of public easements and rights-of-way.  The applicant received Inter-Division Staff (IDS) approval for the Conceptual Site Plan on April 3, 2014.  The conditions of IDS review were addressed when the applicant submitted a revised Conceptual Site Plan for the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z).  Those conditions relating to requirements for future Site Plan submittals were agreed by the Developer in the “response to conditions.” Any outstanding, unresolved provisions addressed in the Conditions of Approval will be included in the development agreement.

Zoning Map amendments are adopted by the City Council via ordinance.  Ordinance No. 2014-14 changes the Zoning Map designation of approximately 33.6 acres from the Light Industrial (LI) and Light Industrial-Open (LI-O) zones to the Highway Commercial (HC) zone.

Community benefits and considerations related to this Zoning Map amendment request are addressed in the attached Planning and Zoning Commission Zoning Map Amendment Staff Report, dated May 6, 2014.

Inform
The Developer held a neighborhood meeting on February 20, 2014 at the Aquaplex; 37 people signed in for the meeting. Notice of the neighborhood meeting was provided in accordance with the Zoning Code.  The results of the meeting are included in the Record of Proceedings, a copy of which is included in the attached Planning & Zoning Commission attachments.  The Planning & Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing on May 14, 2014 and May 28, 2014.  Notice of those public hearings was provided in accordance with State statute and the Zoning Code.  As of this writing, staff has received general inquiries from three members of the public at the Community Development Counter, and one email which expresses concern over the effect (commercial competition) the amendment might have on the 4th Street corridor north of Route 66; increased traffic flow and safety; and reducing the amount of light industrial land in areas that have easy access to housing.

• (Recommended Action):  The City Council may approve the Zoning Map amendment as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission and staff by reading and adopting Ordinance Co. 2014-14.
• The City Council may approve the Zoning Map amendment with additional or modified conditions of approval.
• The City Council may deny the Zoning Map amendment.