By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
The Flagstaff City Council has unanimously approved a rezoning necessary to allow development of Lake Mary Housing, a proposed 202-unit apartment and townhome community on 13.96 acres on South Lake Mary Road, approximately two miles south of Interstate 17.
Atlantic Developments & Investments, Inc. requested the rezoning from estate residential to high density residential. Flagstaff’s estate residential zoning allows for large-lot homes and limited agricultural uses. Maximum allowed density under the proposed zoning would be 262 units. Both zoning designations carry with them a resource protection overlay. As part of the request, Atlantic submitted a natural resource survey and protection plan.
In October, the Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend Council deny the request.
Atlantic’s company focus is affordable housing development, and it bills itself as the largest affordable housing developer in Arizona. According to the narrative, “The Project will provide new market rate rental homes while also maintaining 20 percent of these new residences at an ‘affordable housing’ rental rate, increasing access to this important and underserved portion of the rental residential market.”
Atlantic’s plan for Lake Mary Housing features 71 multifamily units and 131 townhomes. Amenities will be distributed throughout the development, with the primary amenity area located on the west side. According to the submitted narrative, “Amenities proposed include, but are not limited to, a clubhouse, pool, ramada, seating areas, fire pits, barbeques, and play areas. A detention area will be located in the northern section of the Site for stormwater management and for passive open space.”
Along with a walkway plan to promote connectivity within the Lake Mary Housing community, the development plans to take full advantage of the Flagstaff Urban Trails systems. The narrative says, “…the location of the Property will allow residents to take advantage of existing and planned trail systems in the area. Although no direction connection is proposed, the proposed trail should be able to be accessed via Frontier Road (located on the south side of the Property).”
The maximum allowable building height under the zoning is 60 feet. The multifamily portion is planned for 46 feet. The two-story townhomes are planned for 30 feet, with the three-story townhomes reaching 37 feet, according to the approved site plan.
The multifamily portion has a proposed mix of 35 one-bedroom, 30 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. The townhomes will feature 84 two-bedroom and 47 three-bedroom units.
Rezoning Approved Despite Vocal Opposition
Despite declaring a housing emergency in 2020 and producing a local housing plan, Flagstaff remains one of the most challenging jurisdictions in the state to develop new housing, particularly multifamily, because of local opposition.
Since the DATABEX project database launched in mid-2016, 13 developments have been completed, and another eight are listed as under construction. Most of those projects, however, have been in the approval and development cycle for a long time, and new proposals are infrequent, particularly for a college town with an admittedly high need for new housing options.
Not counting the Lake Mary Housing proposal, only two projects are listed as being in design or design/plan review, and only two more are listed in pre-construction.
In contrast, five projects have been canceled and another four are listed as on hold.
While every jurisdiction has its NIMBY component, Flagstaff’s local culture invites a wider diversity of opposition arguments than most, including a full spectrum of environmental impact allegations and worries about components like the carbon footprint impact of the construction cycle.
Local news outlets reported 24 people spoke about the Lake Mary project during the Council meeting. Of those, 19 spoke in opposition. “There were several complaints that the public listed about the housing developments,” the article said, “but the three main concerns were about traffic safety, environmental risks and using Atlantic Development and Investments as the contractor for the project.”
Planning and Zoning Commission Vice Chair Mary Norton, addressing Council as a private resident and not in an official capacity, was quoted as saying, “Not every development is a great one and deserves to be built. Just because we have a housing crisis doesn’t mean we welcome everything regardless of what it entails and brings along with it.”
Those speaking in support of the proposal addressed what they perceived as the quality of the planned development. Some praised Atlantic’s reputation as a developer and expressed appreciation for Council acting to add more housing units to the local supply.
Tom Bogas, a Flagstaff business owner and former contractor, was quoted as saying, “The blessing here in Flagstaff is that we have limited land and lots and lots of forest service. So, with the projects that are left to do and with the housing crisis and the things that face us, I would just encourage you to consider that this is a good project, and these are quality developers.”
Atlantic Developments & Investments, Inc. is the developer. The architect and landscape design firm is Biltform Architecture. CD&E is the civil engineer. Traffic engineering services are provided by CivTech, Inc. The land-use attorney for the development is Snell & Wilmer, LLP.
