Community Development
Please note that our phone and fax numbers have changed recently
DIRECTOR: William L. Towler, FAICP
ADDRESS: 2500 N Fort Valley Road, Building 1 Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: Leaving downtown Flagstaff, follow Highway 180 North (Fort Valley Road) until just past Sechrist school and the Coconino County Center for the Arts
TELEPHONE: (928) 679-8850 or 1-800-559-9289 ext. 8850; Fax (928) 679-8851
HOURS OF OPERATION: 8am-5pm
The Department of Community Development has 19 employees, including planners, building plans reviewers, building inspectors, zoning enforcement officers, addressing specialist, and administrative staff. The department carries out four separate functions: planning and zoning; building; floodplain management; and special districts planning.
In the area of Planning and Zoning, the Community Development Department prepares comprehensive and special area plans, processes zoning cases, and provides information to the public. Serving as one of the primary decision-making documents, the conservation-based Coconino County Comprehensive Plan addresses land use and development issues in the county’s rural, unincorporated, non-tribal areas. The Plan integrates the mandates of the Arizona State "Growing Smarter" legislation and serves as a model for communities interested in conservation of natural resources, landscapes, and integrated conservation design. The Community Development Department also works with county residents in developing local area plans which provide community-specific detail to the general Comprehensive Plan.
In the Department’s other functions, the Building Division reviews plans, conducts inspections and answers code questions. The Flood Control District interprets flood ordinances, responds to inquiries about flood status, and ensures that the County retains its flood insurance rating. Special Districts assists citizens in forming County Improvement Districts.
The Department processes about 125 zone change, subdivision, conditional use permit, and variance cases per year, presenting these cases to monthly Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment meetings, and to the Board of Supervisors. The department also reviews all building plans, issues approximately 2,200 permits annually, visits about 8,000 construction sites, and performs about 20,000 building inspections each year. The annual budget is approximately $2.9 million.
Community Development interacts regularly with the Health Department in the issuance of permits, the Recorder's and Assessor's Offices in the creation of new parcels, and the Public Works Department concerning road issues, transportation planning, and new development.
Questions or comments? To contact Community Development, click here.
Please note that Coconino County’s email system has a SPAM and junk mail filter that sometimes prevents legitimate emails from reaching county staff. If you send an email to our department and you do not receive a reply within a few days, please call us.