Division 11-10.20
Additional Procedures for Comprehensive Updates, New Elements, and Major Amendments to the General Plan

Sections:

11-10.20.010    Comprehensive Plan Updates

11-10.20.020    Major Plan Amendments and New Elements

11-10.20.010 Comprehensive Plan Updates

A.    A Comprehensive Plan update shall be initiated by the City and includes the adoption of a new General Plan or readoption of the City General Plan pursuant to A.R.S. Section 9-461.06.

B.    The adoption of a new General Plan or readoption of the General Plan shall follow the common procedures for General Plan amendments (Section 11-10.10.020) and the procedures for a major plan amendment (Section 11-10.20.020), except that it need not be heard at a single public hearing held during the calendar year in which the application was filed.

C.    The adoption of a new General Plan or readoption of the General Plan shall be approved by resolution of the Council by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Council, and ratified by the voters pursuant to A.R.S. Section 9-461.06.

D.    Pursuant to A.R.S. Section 9-461.06, a comprehensive update of the General Plan must be conducted and ratified by the citizens of Flagstaff at least once every ten (10) years. However, changing conditions may warrant a comprehensive update on a more frequent basis as determined by the Council.

E.    All Comprehensive Plan updates are subject to the public participation procedures established in Section 10-20.30.060, Neighborhood Meeting.

F.    Ratification.

1.    Each new or readopted General Plan shall be submitted to the voters for ratification at the next regularly scheduled municipal election or at a special election scheduled at least one hundred twenty (120) days after the governing body adopted the General Plan pursuant to A.R.S. Section 16-204. The Council shall include a general description of the General Plan and its elements in the municipal election pamphlet and shall provide copies of the proposed General Plan to the public in at least two (2) locations that are easily accessible to the public, which may include posting on the City’s official Internet website.

2.    If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the proposition approves the new or readopted General Plan, it shall become effective as provided by law.

3.    If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the proposition fails to approve the new or readopted General Plan, the current General Plan remains in effect until a new or readopted General Plan is approved by the voters pursuant to this section. The Council may resubmit the proposed new or readopted General Plan, or revise the new or readopted General Plan as provided by this section for subsequent submission to the voters. (Ord. 2015-13, Amended, 06/02/2015)

11-10.20.020 Major Plan Amendments and New Elements

A.    Major Plan Amendment Criteria. Major amendments to the General Plan are substantial alterations of the City’s land use mixture or balance as established in the City’s existing General Plan land use element and which involve changes that have an impact on large areas of the General Plan and/or can affect other issues or policies. These amendments alter the substance or intent of major General Plan policies. The criteria for determining whether a proposed change, including an annexation or a specific plan, will be treated as a major plan amendment can be found in the General Plan.

B.    Supplemental Procedures for Major Plan Amendments. In addition to the common procedures provided in Section 11-10.10.020, a major amendment to the General Plan shall be adopted in the following manner:

1.    Application Deadline.

a.    All applications for major plan amendments to the General Plan shall be heard by the Council at a single public hearing during the calendar year in which they are filed. In order to provide sufficient time for comprehensive review of an application for a major plan amendment, the Director shall determine the application date each year for major plan amendment requests. The following typical submittal dates apply:

April 1st – Pre-application meeting deadline;

May 1st – Application deadline for completeness review of the application by the Review Authority;

July 1st – Application deadline for submittal of the final application;

October – Planning Commission public hearings commence;

December – Council public hearing.

b.    Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the July 1st deadline established in subsection (B)(1)(a) of this section will not be processed.

2.    Application Requirements. In addition to the application requirements for all General Plan amendments, an application for a major amendment shall also include, at a minimum:

a.    An infrastructure and community services impact analysis to provide the information necessary to assess the proposal’s impact on utilities, roads, parks, schools and other community facilities and services. This includes:

(1)    Traffic analysis or traffic report that shows conformance with the General Plan and the City’s Transportation Master Plan;

(2)    Water/wastewater analysis that shows conformance with the General Plan and the City’s Water and Wastewater Master Plan;

(3)    Police and fire protection analysis that shows conformance with the General Plan;

(4)    School impact analysis, including a letter/memorandum from the appropriate school district(s) addressing the potential impact of the proposal on the school(s); and

(5)    Conformance with the General Plan’s goals and policies for public services and facilities.

b.    An economic development analysis that analyzes and weighs the cumulative economic impacts of the proposed amendment, including, if requested by the Director, an economic impact study conducted by an economic consultant.

3.    Additional Notice for New Plans, Comprehensive Updates, Elements, and Major Amendments. At least sixty (60) days before notice of the first hearing of the Planning Commission on a new, comprehensive update, an element, or a major amendment to the General Plan, the Director shall transmit the proposal to the Planning Commission and the Council and shall submit a copy for review and further comment to all government agencies listed in A.R.S. Section 9.461 as it may be amended from time to time, and any person or entity that requests in writing to receive a review copy of the proposal. The proposal shall also be posted on the City’s website and on the applicant or applicant’s agent’s website, if such website exists.

4.    Additional Planning Commission Hearings.

a.    The Planning Commission shall conduct at least two (2) public hearings for major General Plan amendments. Hearings on major General Plan amendments shall be held in two (2) separate locations in the City.

b.    Notice of the time and place of each public hearing on the General Plan or any amendments to the General Plan shall be made by publication of a notice at least once in a newspaper of general circulation published or circulated in the City at least fifteen (15) days but not more than thirty (30) days before the public hearing.

5.    Public Hearing – Council.

a.    All major amendments to the General Plan shall be presented at a single public hearing during the calendar year the application is made.

b.    Adoption or readoption of the General Plan or a major amendment to the General Plan shall be approved by affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Council. Approval shall be by resolution.

C.    Supplemental Notice for New Elements of the General Plan. In addition to following all the common procedures for amending the General Plan, the addition of a new element to the General Plan shall be noticed as set forth in Section 11-10.20.020(B)(3). (Ord. 2015-13, Amended, 06/02/2015)