Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Comprehensive Plan Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coconino County staff previews Envision 2045 update, schedules 60-day review and public meetings
Summary
County planners described major changes and outreach progress for the Envision 2045 comprehensive plan update and the Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan, opened a 60‑day public review period and outlined next steps including community open houses and anticipated public hearings in September–October.
Coconino County staff told the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 28 that the countywide comprehensive plan update, branded Envision 2045, has entered a 60‑day public review and comment period running May 19–July 18 and that multiple community open houses are scheduled across the county.
Melissa Shaw, the county’s long‑range planner, told commissioners the draft responds to public feedback collected since 2023 and that the draft reduces policy duplication, reorganizes goals and policies, and includes new material such as a countywide housing‑needs action and water‑demand projections required by Arizona Revised Statutes.
The update will be released for formal public review for 60 days starting May 19, with printed copies at county libraries and online materials. Shaw said staff will hold open houses — already held in Belmont and Doney Park — with additional events at Fort Valley and Tuba City and a webinar in July. She also previewed the implementation plan: 50 action items organized by priority, with housing needs assessment listed as a high‑priority action slated for the first one to two years after adoption.
Why it matters: the comprehensive plan guides land use, water planning, transportation and community services on the county’s private land and is intended to coordinate local, regional and federal partners. Commissioners asked for time to review revisions generated after a May 2 joint retreat with the City of Flagstaff and for clearer glossary definitions for terms such as “affordable” and “attainable” housing.
Commissioner Nancy Best asked for additional review time before the document is routed to Planning and Zoning and supervisors; staff said they will coordinate with city planners on a rollout timetable and with the commission on further study sessions. Jess McNeely, Community Development, said the county will schedule its public hearings after the county’s comprehensive plan process is further along so public review periods do not conflict.
Staff noted the draft will include appendices with detailed existing‑conditions analyses, community profiles, water‑demand projections and a prioritized implementation table that ties action items directly to goals and policies. Shaw said the Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan will follow a city P&Z then city council schedule in September–October, and county hearings will come afterward.
Looking ahead: staff asked commissioners to advise if they want a follow‑up deep dive on specific chapters (notably housing, water and public safety) before public hearings. The board of supervisors will receive a work session about the county plan on June 10; formal adoption will follow public hearings later in 2025.
