June 29-30, 1998 Focus Group Summaries

FOCUS GROUPS

The following are focus group meeting highlights. These meetings allowed City staff and consultants to discuss design and development issues from the perspective of special interest groups.

Design and Engineering Community Representatives Focus Group

June 29,1998

What are your favorite places in Flagstaff?

1. Coconino Estates

2. Buffalo Park

3. City Pond/Thorp Park

Other places:

· Historical West Side/West End

· Walnut Canyon

· Woodland Commercial District

· NAU Campus

· Museum of Northern Arizona

· Little America

· McMillan Mesa

· Lowell Observatory

· Historic Amtrak Station

What are the design ingredients that make these special Flagstaff places?

1. Downtown-Stable and mature district, inclusive of everybody, pedestrian scale, walkable, proximity , low scale, close to residential, sidewalks work, the core from which everything grew

2. Coconino Estates-Rio de Flag trail system, grid pattern, no cut throughs, park, mature landscaping, proximity, auto orientation

3. Woodlands Plaza-materials, sloped roofs, malipai stone, open space, steep roofs and overhangs

Other General Characteristics:

· Natural edges and access to open space

· Parks are close

· New LDC responds to natural environment

What are emerging trends or issues for Flagstaff?

1. Corporate architecture- Harkens theater, Target site relation to open space, Hampden Inn (too big for the site)

2. Connectivity-side walks inconsistent in neighborhoods

What trends should be addressed by design review?

1. Circulation-bike and pedestrian conflicts, connections to trail system

2. Pedestrian Safety-consistency of pedestrian-ways, people friendly/pedestrian friendly sidewalks and trail systems, utility locations, access to transit

3. Optimizing Site Planning- open space as quantified in the Land Development Code, trees

Other Issues:

· Impact (of Guidelines) on cost and affordability

· Design License

· Board-City-wide (community-based design review)

· Sensitive areas

· Airport

· CC+R's for residential

· Civic/public works

Business and Real Estate Community Representatives Focus Group

June 29, 1998

What makes Flagstaff a competitive business address?

1. Hub of Northern Arizona (Regional Center)

2. Quality of Life

3. Environment/Natural Setting

· Tourist Vitality

· Central Location

· University Town

· People make a choice to live here/Desirable place to live

· Steady Market

· Season Homes

· Main Street-Core Downtown

· Somewhat Isolated

· Economically Diverse

· Civic/Governmental/ Institutional Resources

· Low Crime

· Outdoor Activities

· Low Wages

What will make Flagstaff more competitive?

1. Streamline Development Standards (Reducing discretionary standards)

2. Improve Infrastructure (Transportation and Utilities)

3. Climate for Industry (Incentives)

· Affordable housing for workers

· City staff needed for research and guidance

· Reduce Discretionary Review

· Full Range of Housing

· More diversity in economic development

· Promote and foster better paying jobs

· One-stop shopping for developers

· Small business incubators

· "Trailing Spouse"

· Make a Destination

· Unity of Vision

· Airport Development

· More Focus on Tourism

· Less is More (government)

Neighborhood and Resident Community Representatives Focus Group

July 22, 1998

What are your three favorite neighborhoods?

1. Downtown commercial district (walkable pedestrian scale, brick detail)

2. North of Downtown (Humphryes to San Francisco to Columbus) it is a mix of neighborhoods and business, feels like a neighborhood with a variety and mixture of new and old

3. West of Downtown: variety of buildings with good infill/renovation, it's walkable, has gardens, and no national chains

4. Coconino Estates

5. Switzer and Messa

6. Country Club-views and open spaces, native landscape, no traffic

7. Southside

8. Old University Heights area

9. Cherry Hill

10. NAU

What features contribute to their livability?

1.Mature City with History and Variety

2. Not homogeneous (including different people-ages, economic, ethnicity)

3. People on the street

4. Areas that are bicycle friendly-without pedestrian/bike conflicts

5. Architectural detail-mountain town feeling where landscape and buildings are designed together

6. Mix of uses-urban pioneers (don't chase out people who live in areas that are redeveloped, traffic management)

7. Planning and design that works with the natural environment (topography, views, drainage, outcroppings, etc.)

8. Regionally indigenous design (similar architectural style reflective of local influences)

9. Buildings close together, not separated by parking lots

10. Distances that are walkable

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