Flagstaff locals and Coconino County residents have an upcoming opportunity to shape the future of their region with the introduction of two long-range planning documents. The City of Flagstaff announced public hearings to discuss adopting the Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan 2045, which acts as the comprehensive update to the city's general plan and is set to guide policy decisions for the next 20 years. This plan specifically targets future land-use decisions and the public can access it online. Likewise, Coconino County is holding hearings on the Coconino County Comprehensive Plan, or Envision 2045, an updated vision that anticipates the county's development for the two next decades based on community feedback.
The Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan details will be deliberated in a series of public hearings hosted by the Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission and Flagstaff City Council. According to their official release, the first hearing by the Planning and Zoning Commission is slated for 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on September 10 at the Flagstaff Aquaplex, followed by a second one on September 24 at the City Hall Council Chambers starting at 4 p.m. The Flagstaff City Council will then hold another hearing on October 9 at City Hall Council Chambers, commencing at 3 p.m.
Concurrently, Coconino County is also preparing to garnish public input for its Envision 2045 plan. The draft for public discussion is available as of September 2 and can be easily accessed at their dedicated site. The Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission will initiate the discussion virtually on September 24 at 5:30 p.m., with the Board of Supervisors following up with a hearing on November 18 at 219 E Cherry Ave, starting at 6 p.m., according to the City of Flagstaff website.
In an unusual coinciding of schedules, both the city and county are holding overlapping hearings on September 24; yet the organizers assure that there are multiple opportunities for community members to engage in each of the processes. All hearings will be available virtually, and the recordings made available online afterwards. Interested individuals can voice their opinions by attending the hearings in person, virtually, or by submitting comments in advance via email to either [email protected] for the Regional Plan, or [email protected] for the Comprehensive Plan feedback.
Following these hearings, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors is slated, to schedule additional meetings to officially adopt the Regional Plan as a formal amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. For those seeking more details on the Regional Plan, connections to Sara Dechter, the city’s Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Manager, can be made through Flagstaff's official site, while inquiries about the Comprehensive Plan are to be directed to the county’s Long Range Planner, Melissa Shaw, at the respective emails provided or by phone calls listed in their official announcement.
