On Jan. 14, 2014, the City Council unanimously adopted the City of Flagstaff’s new general plan – Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030: Place Matters. The city and county chose to partner on this plan even though they were not required to do so by state mandate. The plan addresses a wide variety of issues that do not end at the city’s boundaries. Incorporating the larger geographic perspective makes the plan more meaningful and provides a tool for continuity in the way we grow as a region.
For most initiatives, approval by city elected officials would be the successful end to a public process. The plan is different though, as Arizona law requires city voters to ratify a “general plan” in order to enact it. “Ratification is the final important step in the Regional Plan process,” said City Planning Director Dan Folke. “It empowers voters to make the plan theirs and to hold local governments accountable to adopt and implement a plan that reflects the community’s goals and values.” This special mail-in election will be held in May. The Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 is the only ballot item in this special election, and voting is as simple as choosing “yes” or “no.”
The plan is a tool for decision-making that holds the city government accountable for publicly derived goals and policies. It is aspirational in its scope as it provides a vision for the future of Flagstaff and the region. The plan also provides the framework for regulations and decisions that will determine the physical and economic development within the Flagstaff region.
At the start of the process to update the city’s existing 2001 Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan (RLUTP), the Flagstaff City Council and County Board of Supervisors appointed a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to draft the plan. The final plan is the product of countless hours of work by the CAC, and it incorporates results from a citizen survey, thousands of public comments and hundreds of public meetings. Throughout the five-year process, city staff and the CAC received and incorporated hundreds of suggested edits. During the City Council’s review of the plan last year, many people addressed the Council to express their support for the plan, and to suggest changes, many of which were incorporated into the final document that was unanimously adopted in January.
The proposed plan builds upon the goals, policies and approach of the current RLUTP. For example, the vision, guiding principles, and desire to promote a more sustainable Flagstaff remain the same, and the plan continues to find a balance between economic growth and natural resource preservation. There are, however, a number of important differences:
• The former Land Use Map that provided fairly precise land use designations has been replaced by a more generalized Growth Illustration that maps the region as being urban, suburban, rural, or for employment. Activity centers, in which more compact development is encouraged, are also mapped.
• Since the Growth Illustration is less specific than the former Land Use Map in the RLUTP, greater emphasis will be placed on evaluating goals and policies when applying the plan or evaluating development proposals.
• Goals and policies in many chapters have been strengthened to reflect the desires of community residents, including open space, water resources, energy and heritage preservation.
• Consistent with state law, new housing, energy and economic development elements have been added.
In late April, information pamphlets and ballots will be mailed to all registered city voters. The information pamphlet will include an introduction to the plan, a list of pro and con statements, and a sample of the ballot question. All completed ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 20, at the Coconino County Elections Office located at 110 East Cherry Ave., Flagstaff.
A public information meeting on the content of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030 document has been scheduled at City Hall, 211 W. Aspen Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16.
The plan may be reviewed at www.FlagstaffMatters.com, at the CD front counter at City Hall, and at both library locations. FBN
Sara Dechter is the comprehensive planning manager for the City of Flagstaff. For more information, she can be reached 928-213-2631 or sdechter@flagstaffaz.gov.