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Commission hears Regional Plan 2045 update; public review ending and several heritage-related policies highlighted
Summary
Staff told commissioners the Regional Plan 2045 public review closes the following day, outlined chapters affecting historic preservation and open-space priorities, and described plans for additional targeted engagement and a March 2026 ballot timeline instead of November 2025.
Staff summarized the Regional Plan 2045 status and how it intersects with heritage preservation.
Sarah told the commission the plan has been out for a 60-day public review that closes tomorrow and that the online engagement platform (hosted by Coconino County) has collected more than 1,200 comments overall, with approximately 150 unique online commenters and about 60 people attending in-person meetings. She directed commissioners to the plan chapters most relevant to heritage preservation — growth goals and policies (Chapter 3), resource stewardship and resilience (Chapter 7), and parks and recreation (Chapter 8) — and flagged two recurring issues in comments: historic preservation and dark skies.
Staff said the plan proposes continuing inventorying and historic overlays where appropriate and includes action items for resource protection overlays and a heritage preservation action plan for Flagstaff. Sarah explained that Coconino County does not currently operate a historic preservation program or hold CLG (certified local government) status; the plan includes an action calling for the county to pursue CLG certification to expand preservation capacity across the region.
Commissioners raised concerns about infill and affordability trade-offs. One commissioner warned that developers will search for loopholes in policy language; Sarah said staffer Tiffany Antal is conducting case studies to identify language that might be exploited and that staff expect substantive changes between draft and final. Commissioners also asked about architectural and compatibility standards; Sarah said the plan is somewhat agnostic on architectural details but that design guidance and streetscape improvements are part of the proposed approach.
For next steps, staff said targeted public engagement on certain topics is planned for March or April, a joint retreat with planning and zoning, council and the board of supervisors will precede formal hearings (likely beginning in July), and the ballot timeline has been shifted to March 2026 to allow additional engagement.
The commission was encouraged to submit comments, attend committee meetings or send representatives, and staff agreed to circulate details for further involvement.
