Coconino News

In April 2018, the Flagstaff City Council approved the rezoning of approximately 18 acres of land known as the Mill Town property. This area is located between Milton Road and Beulah Boulevard. The rezoning was part of a public-private partnership involving the City, Vintage Partners—a real estate development company—and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). This collaboration led to several changes, including relocating the Harkins theater to east Flagstaff and moving local ADOT offices to the former Harkins site. Additionally, transportation improvements were made near Beulah and University, such as the Milton pedestrian underpass, opening up Mill Town for residential and commercial development by Vintage.

A development agreement was signed in June 2018 between the City and Vintage. This contract outlined that Vintage's approved site plan would be governed by existing development codes for five years from the agreement's effective date. However, after relocating the ADOT facility, progress on Mill Town stalled.

In October 2021, an amendment to this agreement was made. It specified that "the City would now assume responsibility for administering design and construction of the transportation improvements at Beulah and University," outlined payment methods for Vintage’s financial responsibilities regarding the Milton pedestrian underpass, and extended Vintage’s right to develop Mill Town in line with initial plans for two more years.

In 2024, Vintage sought amendments to its approved site plan. They were informed that a second amendment to both the rezoning ordinance and development agreement was necessary to use zoning codes valid at project approval time. A two-year extension request accompanied this proposal.

The proposed second amendment clarifies that any amended site plan must still gain Council approval during a later rezoning hearing but can proceed under original zoning codes.

A significant difference between past zoning codes from May 2016 and current ones is High Occupancy Housing (HOH) regulations' absence in older versions. Section 10-40.60.170 of Flagstaff Zoning Code outlines HOH provisions not applicable if amendments are accepted; these include limits on units with four or more bedrooms.

If approved, further steps involve public hearings where community feedback will be considered before final decisions by City Council. If denied, Vintage retains rights over an already-approved site until December 2025.