Planning commission backs Pine Haven rezoning, recommends $1.8 million contribution to affordable housing fund

The Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission on July 23 recommended that City Council approve a direct-ordinance zoning map amendment for Pine Haven (PZ-22-00109-04), a proposed 83-unit, medium-density residential project at 2951 South Masonic Lane.

The commission's recommendation follows a staff presentation describing the 13.82-acre site and the applicant's commitments, including an approximately $1,800,000 financial contribution to the City of Flagstaff Affordable Housing Fund in lieu of building 10 on-site category 1 affordable units. The rezoning request would change split residential/commercial zoning and resource-protection overlays to the MR (Medium Density Residential) zone with the resource protection overlay, allowing an average density of six units per acre.

Staff planner Ben Mahi said the proposal meets the MR density range (6'9 units/acre in the resource protection overlay), and that the project is consistent with the regional plan area type of suburban neighborhood. The applicant proposed a mix of mostly three-bedroom units (72 of the 83 units) and said the development would meet parking and bicycle parking requirements (189 vehicle spaces and 12 bicycle spaces versus required 188 and 9, respectively). Mahi also described off-site public improvements the developer committed to provide, including a bike lane and sidewalk along East Zuni Drive, two bus stops on Zuni (both directions), and a right-turn lane from Lone Tree Road.

Why it matters: The contribution to the affordable housing fund is the largest the city has received under its program to date and substitutes for on-site affordable units. Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on transportation, pedestrian safety, resource-protection (tree preservation), and neighborhood amenities; several requested that certain previously proposed features be removed from the approved site plan.

Details of the proposal and developer commitments - Zoning and density: Rezoning to MR within the resource protection overlay for 83 units (6 units per acre). Staff said the density falls within the general plan's suburban neighborhood range of 2'1 units per acre. - Affordable housing: The applicant will make a roughly $1,800,000 contribution to the City of Flagstaff Affordable Housing Fund in lieu of providing 10 category 1 on-site units (12% of the total unit count). Housing staff confirmed the city tracks and allocates fund contributions to affordable housing projects and incentives. - Development agreement highlights: public right-of-way improvements, development phasing, administration of the affordable housing payment, a ban on short-term rentals (no leases under 30 days), commitments to sustainability (100% electric units, EV hookups to each unit, two publicly accessible EV chargers on site, a first-year owner bus-pass program, and pollinator-friendly landscaping), and compliance with the city's dark-sky requirements. - Resource protection: The applicant plans to preserve roughly 33.6% of forest resource "points" on site (the affordable-housing incentive reduced the preservation requirement from 50% to 32.5%); staff explained preservation is scored by tree point values (diameter at breast height) rather than a simple count of trees. - Site design: Two development phases; Phase 1 (west of Masonic Lane) includes 40 units and the clubhouse; Phase 2 includes 43 units. Sidewalks, trails, public-access open space, and a detention basin for stormwater were described. The applicant said only ~40% of the site will be built out and 60% retained as open space.

Transportation and pedestrian safety concerns Commissioners and nearby residents questioned the traffic analysis (completed in December 2022 based on an earlier 87-unit proposal), crosswalks and pedestrian access at the Lone Tree/Zuni intersection, bus stop design, and the timing of Lone Tree Road improvements. Stephanie Santana, the city's transportation engineer, said the project's expected peak-hour trips did not trigger a full transportation-impact analysis under the city's thresholds; the applicant provided a traffic statement and a right-turn-lane warrant analysis. Santana explained that striped crosswalks at an intersection require a warrant (pedestrian counts or other criteria) and that intersection striping across Lone Tree would require further analysis; she said the agency can perform counts or a study on request. During civil plan review, staff reported a striping comment for Zuni and Lone Tree and the applicant's engineer stated the applicant had agreed to stripe the intersection.

Neighborhood engagement and project changes The applicant held two neighborhood meetings (10/17/2024: 17 attendees; 11/21/2024: 10 attendees). Concerns raised included traffic, parking, impacts to the natural environment, fractional ownership proposals, and short-term rentals. The developer said fractional ownership was removed from the proposal; short-term rentals are prohibited by the development agreement.

Design and wildfire resilience The applicant's architect highlighted WUI (wildland-urban interface) design guidelines incorporated into unit design to reduce wildfire risk (reduced roof overhangs, compact massing, and lower floor-to-floor heights) and said most units are dark-colored to visually recede into the pine forest. The applicant also emphasized native/open-space landscaping, pollinator-friendly plantings, and planned public access trails.

Public comments and clarifications requested by the commission Public speakers who identified themselves as nearby residents expressed general support for the applicant's responsiveness in neighborhood meetings but pressed for clarity on tree removal calculations and tracking of the affordable housing contribution. A resident said staff and the applicant indicated striping across Zuni and Lone Tree would be provided during civil review; the applicant's engineer confirmed a civil-review comment had requested striping and the developer agreed to it.

Commission decision and conditions The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend City Council approve the rezoning request in accordance with staff findings and with conditions discussed during the hearing. The commission's recorded recommendation included the following items to be reflected in the development agreement or conditions of approval: - Deletion of the rooftop deck for the clubhouse (applicant confirmed it was removed from plans); - Removal of the large "pine cone" observation feature and any prominent observation deck; the public-access trails and benches remain; - Formal prohibition of fractional-ownership sales and short-term rentals (no leases under 30 days) in the development agreement; - Striping (four-way crosswalks) at the Zuni/Lone Tree intersection to be addressed during civil review; staff indicated the developer agreed to address striping comments in civil review.

Action recorded (agenda item PZ-22-00109-04) - Kind: motion / recommendation to City Council (direct-ordinance rezoning recommendation) - Motion: recommend approval to City Council in accordance with staff findings and with the conditions described at the hearing (rooftop deck and observation feature removed; no fractional ownership; short-term rental restrictions; crosswalk striping at Zuni/Lone Tree; developer obligations summarized in staff report) - Mover: not specified in the transcript - Second: not specified in the transcript - Vote tally: yes 6, no 0, abstain 0, absent 1 (chair Carol Mandino absent at roll call) - Outcome: recommendation of approval forwarded to City Council - Notes: the development agreement will document the $1,800,000 contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund and operational commitments described above; if final civil plan approval is not obtained within two years of the effective rezoning ordinance, the city may schedule a public hearing to consider reverting the zoning per the code provision cited by staff.

What happens next The Planning and Zoning Commission forwarded the recommendation to City Council for final action. The project will proceed to civil plan review and building permits if the council approves the rezoning; the development agreement and civil-review comments will govern the specific commitments (off-site improvements, affordable-housing payment administration, dark-sky compliance, EV infrastructure, and short-term rental restrictions).

Sources and provenance This article is based on the July 23, 2025 meeting transcript of the Flagstaff City Planning and Zoning Commission, staff presentations by planner Ben Mahi, developer presentations by Tom Staub and architect Mark Lind, testimony from transportation engineer Stephanie Santana and project engineer Luke Carraway, public comments from residents, and comments from city housing staff (Justina Costa).

Ending: The commission's recommendation advances the Pine Haven rezoning to City Council; council will consider the direct-ordinance rezoning, the development agreement and the developer's $1.8 million affordable-housing payment at a future meeting.