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Flagstaff commission previews ADU model plans; staff to map townsite compatibility
Summary
City staff showed a 12‑plan accessory dwelling unit (ADU) model‑plans library intended to lower design and permitting costs and grow housing supply. The Heritage Preservation Commission asked staff to prepare a memo identifying which plans meet Townsite design standards and which would need changes.
Flagstaff's Heritage Preservation Commission on Feb. 18 previewed a new city ADU model plans library designed to make accessory dwelling units easier and less expensive to build.
Genevieve Pertree of the Flagstaff Sustainability Office and Jamie Larson, housing and transportation coordinator, described a 12‑plan library of preapproved, all‑electric, energy‑efficient detached ADU designs. "The goal is to promote ADUs in Flagstaff, grow the supply of ADUs, and make permitting easier," Pertree said, adding that using a preapproved plan reduces design costs and speeds building‑plan review.
Heritage preservation officer Lauren Clementino told commissioners that for properties inside the Townsite overlay, applicants using a model plan still must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the commission before applying for a City of Flagstaff building permit. "As new work, the proposed work has to be consistent with the applicable development standards and design guidelines," Clementino said, noting staff will continue site‑specific reviews for setbacks, yard requirements and compatibility with surrounding historic resources.
Commissioners asked how the state ADU law intersects with local standards. Clementino said state law allows detached ADUs up to 800 square feet in many cases, but that townsite overlay requirements (including setbacks, roof pitch and a contiguous yard guideline) still apply and may constrain what will actually fit on small historic lots.
Commission discussion focused on roof pitch, materials and scale. Commissioner Jeanne Stevens suggested a scoring or labeling system to help property owners quickly see which model plans are likely to meet Townsite standards or could work with minimal modifications. Pertree and staff cautioned that substantial modifications can convert preapproved model plans into custom plans, which would lose the preapproval benefits.
The commission agreed staff should prepare a memo identifying which model plans likely meet Townsite standards, which could meet them with modifications, and general guidance for making designs appear subservient to historic houses without mimicking historic fabric. Clementino said she will prepare the memo with Pertree and Larson and return it to the commission for further guidance.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the ADU library itself; the next steps are a staff memo and future certificate‑of‑appropriateness reviews when specific projects apply.
