Public Hearing, Consideration and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2018-05:  Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff amending the Flagstaff Zoning Map to rezone approximately 1.38 acres of real property generally located at 3050 N West Street from Public Facility (PF) to Medium Density Residential (MR) with conditions; providing for severability, and establishing an effective date.  (3050 N West Street Concept Zoning Map Amendment)

A Concept Zoning Map Amendment request from the City of Flagstaff Housing Division for approximately 1.38 acres at 3050 N West Street from Public Facility (PF) zone to Medium Density Residential (MR) zone as directed by City Council for the purpose of developing affordable multi-family housing.  Please refer to attached vicinity map.

The Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing to consider the zoning map amendment request.  The Commission voted (6-0) to forward the request with a recommendation of approval with conditions.

The Concept Rezoning has no financial impact.

The Concept Rezoning has no policy impact.

Council Goals:
Support development and increase the inventory of public and private affordable housing for renters and home-owners throughout the community.

Regional Plan:
A complete analysis of the regional plan goals and policies can be found within the attached Planning and Zoning Commission staff report.  All relevant goals and policies are included in the project narrative.

On July 7 the City Council approved the Housing Section's Request for Proposals for the development of three City owned parcels for multi-family affordable housing.  On September 12 the City Council provided direction to staff to pursue a Concept Zoning Map Amendment on two of the three City-owned parcels for the purpose of developing multi-family affordable housing.

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

The Applicant, the City of Flagstaff Housing Section, on behalf of the property owner, the City of Flagstaff, is requesting a Concept Zoning Map amendment to rezone approximately 1.38 acres from the Public Facility (PF) zone to the Medium Density Residential (MR) zone for the purpose of developing affordable multifamily residential development.
 
If the property is rezoned, the Housing Section will pursue a process by which an affordable multifamily residential project is delivered by a successful respondent to a Request for Proposals (RFP).  The Housing Section put out an RFP for a Scattered Site Affordable Housing development on August 14, 2017. It is anticipated that the successful respondent to the RFP will begin their site planning process as City staff takes the Concept Rezoning cases through the public hearing process.

City staff will require that as part of the developer’s Site Plan application, a neighborhood meeting will be held.  The Site Plan application will also be required to be approved by the City Council.  This will allow the community an opportunity to review the proposed building design, exterior building elevations, parking layout, outdoor lighting, and site landscaping prior to approval.  These elements are not required to be part of the concept rezoning process.

The Concept Zoning Map Amendment process does not require final site plan, building floor plans, exterior building elevations, final landscaping plans, or exterior lighting plans.  This information will be provided as part of the Site Plan Review Application, and once approved by the IDS process, will come before City Council for approval.

Community benefits and considerations related to this request are addressed in more detail in the attached Planning and Zoning Commission Staff Report, dated November 30, 2017.  Rezoning this property provides the community additional affordable housing units.

Public hearings before the Planning and Zoning and the City Council are conducted in conjunction with requests for rezoning.  In accordance with State statute, notice of public hearing was provided by placing an ad in the Daily Sun, posting notices on the property, and mailing a notice to all property owners within 300 feet of the site.  In this case, a notice was mailed to all property owners within 1,000 feet of the site.

The applicant held a neighborhood meeting in regards to this case.  The meeting was held on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 5:00 pm in the dance room at Hal Jensen Community Center, located at 2403 N Izabel Street.  Approximately twenty-seven people from the public attended.  The primary concern raised was the desire to keep the parcel as undeveloped, or to develop it as a City park.  There were also concerns about the amount of parking proposed being inadequate and complaints concerning the traffic on Linda Vista.  It was pointed out that the proposed parking calculation meets City code, and the increase in traffic was due to the construction on Lockett Road.  There were also concerns about the height of the building.  A Citizen Participation Report was prepared in relation to the comments and concerns presented dated November 8, 2017.  The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2017.  At the public hearing, six members of the public spoke on the subject case.  Two of those that spoke were in favor of the project.  Four presented concerns in relation to wanting the property to remain undeveloped, the effects of affordable housing on property values, the proposed development adversely affecting quality of life, incresed traffic, increased crime and noise, and inadequate parking.