Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2018-50:  A resolution of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff, Arizona amending the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 by amending the Future Growth Illustration (Maps 21 and 22) and the Road Network Illustration (Map 25) to make the land use and road network designations consistent with the McMillan Mesa Natural Area to clarify the extent of surrounding land uses on City property, to correct mapping errors, and establishing an effective date.

The McMillan Mesa Natural Area Major Plan Amendment was initiated by the City Council to make the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 (Regional Plan) consistent with Proposition 413 - Initiative for the Greater Buffalo Park, a voter initiative passed in November 2016. This amendment also includes corrections of overlapping area types. A plan amendment that decreases the size of an Employment Area or Special District requires a major plan amendment.  This will be the first plan amendment proposed in this category since the Regional Plan was ratified in 2014.

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a motion to forward the attached application to the City Council with a recommendation of approval on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

Several projects that have been planned for transportation, water, and sewer infrastructure may have increased design and construction costs as a result of the need to avoid the McMillan Mesa Natural Area.

This amendment creates several projects and policies that will need to be reconsidered as part of the McMillan Mesa Natural Area Management Plan and as part of the next Regional Plan update.   

As a result of not constructing the future "Access" road between Ponderosa Parkway and Gemini Dr., vehicle trips on Switzer Canyon Dr., Pine Cliff Dr., Turquoise Dr., and 4th Street are expected to increase above what was originally predicted in the Regional Plan Development Scenarios Analysis. This impact will not be easily resolved or mitigated.  Water and sewer utilities in the area will need to use existing easements and surrounding available properties. This may include the redesign of the gravity sewer for the USGS campus, and avoidance of or indirect drilling to access possible water supply locations along fissures within the Natural Area.

Suddenlink, APS, and other utility companies will likewise need to avoid creating the need for new easements in the Natural Area. The City's Engineering staff is currently working with the Open Spaces program to identify all existing utility easements and determine how they can be managed in the future to allow for continued access and maintenance while minimizing impacts to the designated open space.

In the next comprehensive update of the Regional Plan, the reduction in available land for housing and business park uses will need to be offset in another location.  Staff will also evaluate proposals from property owners that would like to develop a business park and housing, and consider the cumulative impact of these decisions until the comprehensive update begins in 2022.

The adoption of the proposed amendment supports 37 goals and policies in the Regional Plan related to open space, natural and cultural resources, Great Streets and viewsheds, neighborhoods, connectivity and preservation to support employment areas, recreation, non-motorized transportation, water resources, and stormwater.

There are 11 conflicting goals and policies from the Regional Plan concerning this plan amendments impact on growth and land use, transportation and climate change. None of these goals and policies need to have their text amended because of the McMillan Mesa Major Plan Amendment. An analysis of the amendment's conformance to the Regional Plan's goals and policies is provided in the staff report.

On November 28, 2016, the City Council declared official and adopted the results of the General Special Election held on November 8th of that year, thereby approving Proposition 413 that established the McMillan Mesa Natural Area. City Council initiated this plan amendment through a work session in January 2018. Council also held a second work session to review the amendment during the 60-day public review on July 3, 2018.

Proposition 413 left the properties’ current Zoning Code and Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 (Regional Plan) designations in place. Community Development staff has been asked by the City Council to prepare a major plan amendment and align the Regional Plan and Zoning Code with the outcome of Proposition 413. This is an additional protection that is at the discretion of the City Council.  The Council may choose to approve all or part of the proposed amendment.

This plan amendment is based on a voter initiative that reflects the Empower level of public participation.  The city-led public involvement for the plan amendment only included opportunities to Inform the public because the voters have already made the primary decisions during the 2016 General Special Election.