June and July Action Topics

We are currently pushing for:

The Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) proposal lacks sustainability and carbon footprint aspects. We must urge Mayor and Council members to add three key elements to the NAH Development Agreement (DA). Council needs to add the following to the DA:

LEED Carbon Zero Certification is not in the plan, and NAH saying they “may” seek certification in five years is impossible. LEED certification has many prerequisites, even in the planning stages (see attached spreadsheet). So NAH claiming they will seek this in five years is completely disingenuous. In the DA, NAH must say in definite terms that they will seek LEED Platinum level from the start of the project.

Public Transportation – NAH has shown no concern about the carbon footprint of all the new transportation that will result from moving to the edge of town. They propose a shuttle to run to the Walmart parking lot. This is not good enough. How will Mountain Line pay for the additional bus routes required? If NAH had any concerns about its carbon footprint, they would include the purchase of two new electric buses for Mountain Line to cover these new routes. In the DA, NAH must say they will purchase these buses for Mountain Line before the hospital opens for business.

Public Housing – the high cost of housing in Flagstaff is largely caused by home purchases and weekend rental pressures from Central Arizona.

This will only worsen as climate change drives temperatures ever higher in Central Arizona. Hotels at the new location will not solve this crisis. Adding a few ‘affordable housing units at the new location will also not solve our housing crisis. Suppose NAH wants to have a significant effect on our housing crisis. In that case, NAH must commit to forty or more percent affordable housing at the new location and the redevelopment of the old location. In the DA, NAH must say in definite terms that they will commit to more affordable housing in both locations.