City staff seek commission guidance on Arizona's SB 2719; zoning changes for duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes due by 2026

Tiffany Antal, zoning code manager for the City of Flagstaff, briefed the Heritage Preservation Commission on state legislation (identified during the meeting as SB 2719) that would require municipalities to permit so-called "middle housing" — duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes — on lots zoned for single-family use in specified locations.

Antal told the commission the city is under a deadline to update local code by Jan. 1, 2026, if it is to craft local implementing language. She emphasized that no code has been drafted yet and that staff are seeking direction from commissions before preparing text.

"We cannot discourage the development of these types of housing, or make it impractical," Antal said, describing statutory limits on how municipalities may regulate middle housing. She explained the statute applies only to lots zoned for single-family within one mile of a municipality'designated central business district (or districts) and to at least 20% of any new development area that is over 10 contiguous acres. Antal said applying the statute narrowly would require creation of overlay zones and a clear, local definition of the city's Central Business District(s).

Antal suggested several policy tools staff are considering to manage intensity without banning middle housing outright, including using floor-area ratio (FAR) limits to control building scale and ensuring density caps already embedded in many zones would still apply (for example, rural residential zones that specify units per acre). She said FAR could be applied in overlays or continuous zoning districts and could help shape unit sizes and intensity in a way that mirrors existing patterns.

Commissioners focused on distributional impacts and neighborhood character. Several members, including Commissioner Duffy Westheimer and Commissioner Emily Daley, said a citywide approach could spread new housing more evenly and avoid placing disproportionate development pressure on older, historic neighborhoods such as Plaza Vieja and portions of the Townsite. Commissioner Jesse Dominguez and others asked whether certain areas already contain missing-middle types and whether the law would accelerate change in those neighborhoods.

Antal noted a new draft bill introduced Jan. 29 would exclude areas the municipality designates as historic or properties listed on the National Register, and she said staff would pursue legal review of that language. She also described coordination with economic vitality staff because defining a Central Business District could affect other programs tied to that designation, such as the government property lease excise tax used for economic incentives.

Antal said staff plan to brief other commissions in coming weeks, including the Housing Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission, and then return with draft code that reflects commission direction and state requirements.

Ending: Staff asked commissioners whether they preferred a citywide approach or a more geographically targeted overlay strategy; several commissioners expressed preliminary support for a citywide approach so that impacts would be distributed across the city rather than concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Antal said staff will return with draft code and additional analysis, including maps, FAR options and coordination with transit and parking policies.