New Flagstaff planning director: From small town to Mountain Town
By Suzanne Adams-Ockrassa, The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Folke was hired by the city in December after the previous director
He also helped Folke get up to speed on the numerous projects waiting for him, including the revision of the city's regional plan that will go before voters
But the work wasn't anything Folke wasn't prepared to take on. As the planning director for the little town of
"We had a staff of about three. So I was working on parking issues along with planning issues," he said.
In
The fire consumed more than 29 square miles, destroyed nearly 350 homes, killed two people and caused more than
After the fire came the floods, Folke said.
"I think we sounded the flash flood warning system at least three times that summer," he said.
The floods caused additional damage with mud, debris and boulders.
"It was a really long summer," Folke said.
RECHARGE THE BATTERIES
After seven years of working for
"I really loved the job, but I also wanted to pursue some personal goals of mine," he said.
Folke said he was attending around three to four evening meetings every week in
"I needed to recharge the batteries," he said. "I wanted to refocus on planning and land use."
One of those goals was to get back to his roots as a city planner. Folke said he took his time looking for a new position before settling on
"My wife and I really enjoyed living in a mountain community and wanted to find something similar," he said.
Folke was one of 50 applicants for the position and one of four finalists.
He said he was really impressed with some of the city's programs, including its zoning code, its drive for compact development and its attempts to balance growth with the environment.
While the two cities differ in size --
Both communities have residents who are passionate about the future of their city. Both cities have a high quality of life and a high community engagement. And both have a large population of highly educated residents.
MORE TIME TO PLAN
One difference between
One example of long-range planning in
Folke said he is confident the new regional plan will pass in May.
"It's a really robust plan," he said.
It also included a lot of community involvement, which is important in long-range planning, he said. That indicates a community that is interested in what its city will look like in the future.
Folke also worked as a planner in the private sector in
"I think it's good for a planner to work in the private sector as well as the public," he said. "It gives you a better idea of where the other side is coming from."
GROWTH AND CHANGE
Growth is accelerating in
"Things are really starting to pick up," he said. "It just shows what a great community we have."
Housing developments geared toward university students are starting to pop up again, Folke said. More single-family developments are starting to come in to the department.
Growth is an inevitable part of the life of a city, he said. Without growth, cities can't bring in the revenue needed to supply residents with the city services they expect.
However, that demand for new development is also affecting some of the city's oldest neighborhoods, Folke said.
"Redevelopment projects, in-fill projects, are hard," he said. "They can really change the character of a neighborhood."
The city has a very limited supply of housing for wage-earners, he said. It's the working families who make the city tick. But like a lot of other things, the salaries of wage-earners haven't kept pace with the cost of living, and it's starting to push some people out.
AFFORDABILITY A CHALLENGE
The department is working on a relocation plan for residents who are displaced by new growth, such as the
It's also why the city has an affordable housing program that works with local organizations, such as
The city also offers incentives to developers who set aside a certain number of apartment units at affordable rents, Folke said. Other incentives can include allowing a higher density of units or certain building requirements, such as setting aside land for open space.
"That's pretty progressive for a community this size," he said. "It shows that the city recognizes there's an issue."
NOT AS PAINFUL
The city also recognizes there is a problem with some property owners not keeping up their properties, Folke said.
"It can really affect the value of a neighbor's property," he said.
The city's attempt at a property maintenance code failed, but staff still have the option of enforcing building, safety and health codes on a hazardous building, Folke said.
The whole purpose of the department is to help people with their projects, he said.
"We're a resource for information for the public," Folke said. "We help with the orderly growth of
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