Division 10-10.20:
Legislative Intent and Purpose

Sections:

10-10.20.010    Legislative Intent

10-10.20.020    Purpose of Zoning Code

10-10.20.010 Legislative Intent

In adopting this Zoning Code, it is the intent of the City to protect and promote the public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the citizens of the City by exercising all powers related to the regulation and use of land and structures within the City that are authorized by the City Charter and Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.).

10-10.20.020 Purpose of Zoning Code

A.    The purpose of this Zoning Code is to further the legislative intent by gathering together and organizing the zoning regulations for the development of land within the jurisdiction of the City in a form that is comprehensive, straightforward, easily understood, and usable by those who wish to develop land, citizens, public officials, and those who will be responsible for assuring that the development of land within the City proceeds in the prescribed logical and legal manner.

B.    The purpose of this Zoning Code is also the implementation of the adopted General Plan of the City (General Plan) and amendments thereto by accomplishing the following purposes. Each purpose listed below serves to balance the interests of the general public of the City and those of individual property owners and residents:

1.    Land Use Patterns.

a.    Establishing a rational pattern of land use and encouraging the most appropriate use of individual pieces of land throughout the City.

b.    Dividing the City into zones according to the use of land and buildings, the intensity of such use (including floor area ratio and height), and the surrounding areas.

c.    Providing suitable transitions between areas of different land use intensities.

d.    Regulating and restricting as necessary the location and use of buildings, structures, and land for trade, industry, residences, and other uses.

e.    Securing adequate natural light, privacy, convenient and safe access to property, and a safe environment.

f.    Limiting the size, scale, and density of new structures and additions to existing structures to preserve the desired character of neighborhoods and the community.

g.    Encouraging quality, attractive, and marketable development.

h.    Encouraging neighborhoods with a variety of housing types to serve the needs of a diverse population.

i.    Reinforcing the character and quality of downtown neighborhoods.

j.    Protecting and promoting appropriately located commercial and industrial activities in order to preserve and strengthen the City’s economic base.

k.    Removing barriers to the furtherance of good walkable urban environments and providing incentives for walkable urban developments.

2.    Sustainability.

a.    Living and managing activities in a manner that balances social, economic and environmental considerations to meet Flagstaff’s current needs and those of future generations.

b.    Ensuring that new development conserves energy, land, and natural resources such as forests, water, or air quality.

c.    Promoting development patterns that support safe, effective, and multi-modal transportation options, including auto, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit, and thereby minimizing vehicle traffic by providing for a mixture of land uses, walkability, and compact community form.

d.    Reducing auto-dependency by allowing for more compact mixed-use land use development patterns.

3.    Natural Resources.

a.    Preserving and protecting the City’s natural resources, such as floodplains, steep slopes, and forests.

b.    Avoiding or lessening the hazards of flooding and stormwater accumulation and runoff.

4.    Public Infrastructure.

a.    Creating an environment that is safe from fire, flood, and other dangers.

b.    Encouraging the most efficient use of existing and planned water and sewer systems, transportation, schools, parks, and other public facilities and utilities.

c.    Reducing the danger and congestion of traffic on roads and highways.

d.    Protecting and enhancing a pattern of streets, highways, bikeways, trails, and pedestrian systems that produces a unified, safe, and efficient system for movement within the City.

e.    Protecting residential streets in residential zones from nonresidential traffic.

f.    Ensuring adequate and safe roads and facilities by limiting land use intensity to the capacity of the roads or facilities.

g.    Establishing and regulating setback lines along streets and highways, property lines, and drainage facilities.

h.    Promoting economy in local government expenditures.

i.    Protecting the tax base by facilitating cost-effective development within the City.

5.    Justifiable Expectations and Taxable Value.

a.    Protecting and enhancing the taxable values of land and buildings.

b.    Protecting landowners from adverse impacts of adjoining developments.

c.    Protecting and respecting the justifiable reliance of existing residents, businesses, and taxpayers on the continuation of existing, established, and planned land use patterns.

d.    Protecting and enhancing real property values.

6.    Administration.

a.    Defining the powers and duties of administrative officers and bodies necessary to administer this Zoning Code.

b.    Prescribing penalties for the violation of the provisions of this Zoning Code.

(Ord. 2016-07, Amended, 2/16/2016)