|
Information |
TITLE: |
Consideration of Support: Downtown Business Alliance's Downtown Flagstaff Vision and Action Plan (Plan). |
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: |
City Council supports the Downtown Vision and Action Plan and requests staff to consider it when making decisions related to Downtown Flagstaff.
|
Executive Summary: |
The Downtown Business Alliance (DBA) has worked to develop a unified vision and action plan for Downtown Flagstaff. Funding partners included the DBA, City of Flagstaff, Coconino County and Mountain Line, and the effort was led and managed by the DBA. The mission of the Downtown Vision and Action Plan is to make a more connected, beautified, active environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Flagstaff.
The Plan area consists of approximately 8 x 8 city blocks with boundaries of: Dale Avenue (north), Elden Street (east), Butler Avenue (south), and Milton Road (west). The area is bisected by the BNSF Railway Company railroad tracks, which run east-westerly.
The objective of the Plan is to: develop a market-based vision through a collaborative process; encourage meaningful engagement from a broad variety of stakeholders, including those who may not typically participate in community processes; identify economic develop opportunities; identify opportunities for local business development and support; identify zoning impacts; identify opportunities for public art and engaging STEAM; prioritize buildings, and setting standards, for historic preservation; assess public infrastructure needs for walking, cycling, transit; explore opportunities for activation of civic and community spaces; explore development of in-lieu parking program; and develop tactical and measurable implementation strategies to support the vision. The Vision and Action Plan will identify priorities and initiatives to guide improvements in Downtown Flagstaff over the next five to ten years. |
Financial Impact: |
Support of the plan does not generate any direct financial impact. Any specific implementation actions the City decides to engage in will be identified and funded through the regular applicable budget and Council processes.
The Plan does identify potential funding from a variety of parts of the City including ParkFlag and Beautification among others, but support of the document does not provide a formal commitment to that funding. Council support would provide staff direction to consider the items in the plan as potential actions and initiatives over the next few years. |
Policy Impact: |
Support of the plan does not change policy directly. However, the plan provides a unified vision for the future of the downtown that will be used in policy discussions and recommendations in numerous areas in the coming years. Recommendations may impact policies related to street trees and furniture, landscaping of public spaces, parking management, development standards and code updates, beautification and public art investments, historic preservation initiatives, and other focus areas. Any of these policy changes will need to be implemented individually through the City's standard processes and other potential factors will need to be considered as well. |
Connection to PBB Key Community Priorities/Objectives & Regional Plan: |
Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives
Safe and Healthy Community
Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure
Robust Resilient Economy
Livable Community
Environmental Stewardship
Carbon Neutrality Plan
DD-1 Encourage vibrancy, appropriate density ,and attainability in existing neighborhoods, so that more residents live within walking distance of their daily needs.
DD-3 - Encourage Flagstaff residents and visitors to walk, bike, roll and take the bus.
EP-2 - Support the adaptation efforts of local businesses as the climate changes and economic landscape shifts.
Regional Plan
Goal CC.1. Reflect and respect the
region’s natural setting and dramatic
views in the built environment
Goal CC.2. Preserve, restore, and rehabilitate
heritage resources to better
appreciate our culture
Goal LU.9. Focus reinvestment, partnerships,
regulations, and incentives on
developing or redeveloping urban areas.
Goal LU.11. Prioritize the continual
reinvigoration of downtown Flagstaff,
whose strategic location, walkable
blocks, and historic buildings will continue
to be a vibrant destination for all.
Goal LU.12. Accommodate pedestrians,
bicyclists, transit riders, and private cars
to supplement downtown’s status as the
best-served and most accessible location
in the region.
(There are other relevant Regional Plan Objectives in addition to those listed)
|
Previous Council Decision on This: |
Council has received updates on the process and provided feedback, but has not made a previous decision on the plan. |
Options and Alternatives: |
Potential options and alternatives:
Support the Plan as presented by the DBA,
Provide feedback on desired changes and support the Plan contingent on their inclusion,
Provide feedback on desired changes and postpone the support of the Plan until further amended,
Not support the Plan. |
Key Considerations: |
The Plan is intended to provide a market based, unified vision for Downtown that allows various partner agencies and property owners to have a common goal in their activities.
The Plan has a variety of strategies that address broad components of the Downtown ranging from preserving the historic character to providing enhanced housing opportunities to continually improving parking management to beautification enhancements and more.
The Plan was developed with feedback from the community.
The Plan is not a binding document, but provides direction to all those who are engaged for their efforts and activities.
The Downtown is a key cultural and commercial area with great opportunities and challenges. |
Community Involvement: |
The Downtown is a central and critical part of the Flagstaff community. It is a gathering place, an economic driver, a place of historic character and a place the arts can grow and flourish. Support of the strategies in this plan will provide support and guidance for its continued improvement and prosperity over the next years to come. |
Expanded Options and Alternatives: |
The DBA worked with Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) to hold stakeholder groups, capture community input, and develop recommendations and strategies based on that input. While Covid-19 did impact the method and timeline for those activities, the public was clear about what was important to them and that has been reflected in the document. The Plan has also been presented to the Sustainability Commission, the Heritage Preservation Commission, the Beautification and Public Art Commission, the Creative Flagstaff Board of Directors and many other groups as it has been developed and refined. |
|
|