[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6138576,"mediaKeyId","5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e","parentId",5582663,"title","Heritage office seeks Indigenous Commission input on mitigation for planned demolition of 19 West Birch building","audioSeconds",2803,"startMs",2496000,"endMs",5299000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e&start=2496&end=5299","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e/thumbnail_2496000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6138576/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Heritage-office-seeks-Indigenous-Commission-input-on-mitigation-for-planned-demolition-of-19-West-Birch-building","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138576-908c9b05b938978e9322e500600a6d82/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819741&Signature=A7xug76DNIA9Kn-JQuNLxZiJUilUb~GiFSdJKPuvAgAzzUjyc4-vmGzIPmuZz2Nb~VtQU6Y844MZhEC-xQ6IckuOpkwhREXxWkL0Elvcyh8EsAc3aJMf~2JMcgUcA2gE1p~bzHns07NJx00pJ3CIj6UIuWIQ-b~C8U4zcDLKWu-rocaiWeHyuzvxC4TpaM8~7U8g5LZRuenJgJCIkOGreNC5B57Pp7uQ1ydAknTGHN5tn4G7hS2ibX6v2BmvGHsPvS9TtTei-MDGUzijm5gZq4kbKi7mNHPPJQ4PikFQmo6nRpi0i0e4wdbFTaTQw0fqHy03TZNm4badcFva9lMMNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Flagstaff, AZ","date","2025-08-08T00:07:04Z","article","Lauren Clementino, heritage preservation officer for the City of Flagstaff, asked the Indigenous Commission on Aug. 7 to advise on interpretive mitigation for the proposed demolition of the building at 19 West Birch Avenue, a malapai‑stone structure that formerly housed city departments including city court, police and fire. The Heritage Preservation Commission approved a Phase 1 cultural resource study and tasked the Indigenous Commission to help identify mitigation that would preserve and interpret the site’s association with Native American civil-rights-era events.
The Phase 1 study, prepared by Cornerstone Environmental for the property owner, found the building significant in part because of its connection to an arrest of seven members of the American Indian Movement at a 1972 powwow and to later investigations and court actions that exposed shortcomings in local policing and court practice. Clementino summarized the kinds of mitigation the Heritage Preservation Commission has considered: a Phase 2 record (measured drawings and archival photography), public access to the report through libraries and the city website, interpretive signage or a plaque (potentially with a QR code linking to expanded materials), an interpretive booklet, or on-site or off-site displays. She said the building is not yet approved for demolition; developer plans include a proposed Graduate Hotel (a Hilton-affiliated brand) and the project will require additional design and heritage-review approvals.
Why this matters: the study ties the downtown building to a local civil‑rights history that commissioners and community members described as important to preserve in some form if the structure cannot be saved.
Commissioners asked for further detail and voted to invite Cornerstone Environmental to present its full report and research to the Indigenous Commission at a future meeting. Clementino said Cornerstone is preparing a Phase 2 report with measured drawings and archival photography and that staff will seek to coordinate with Parks if the commission prefers interpretive materials at Thorpe Park, the powwow site referenced in the report. Clementino also outlined review steps: the Heritage Preservation Commission will later review a certificate of appropriateness for demolition and the new design; if demolition is denied the developer could then apply for a certificate of economic hardship, which could trigger a one‑year stay during which the owner would attempt to sell the property.
Clementino cautioned commissioners that listing on the National Register does not itself prevent demolition and suggested that public repositories (the Flagstaff Public Library and NAU’s Cline Library were mentioned) could hold the report and any interpretive materials. Commissioners suggested interpretive murals and collages, QR-linked oral histories, and a short documentary as possibilities for mitigation. The commission agreed to schedule a presentation by Cornerstone and to consider additional mitigation recommendations at a subsequent meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Flagstaff Indigenous Commission Meeting - August 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Heritage Preservation Commission has accepted a Phase 1 cultural resource study that found the former municipal building at 19 West Birch significant for its association with Native American civil‑rights-era events; staff asked the Indigenous Commission for help shaping interpretive mitigation.","taxTitle","Flagstaff City, Coconino County, Arizona","taxId",4650,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6138581,"Open Spaces seeks Indigenous input on renaming, signage for Observatory Mesa",1507,2177000,3684000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e&start=2177&end=3684","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e/thumbnail_2177000.jpg","/articles/6138581/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Open-Spaces-seeks-Indigenous-input-on-renaming-signage-for-Observatory-Mesa","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138581-9a6946a53e3bc5d9e149fec60316e51f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819741&Signature=f3OLMzuOFsrZMktnOsyZc4RLxnZaSHyoiMeXAJq3J4ulx0eqWgLWhgd01vunbTKPWIfsL-I6b-4lK6kx4wiwN0NgYYcj9ix4YWU50CahKXzwvuYlvQVg360UT9l2fxMsovn7wRwfwgJBNL1YgT3kJofG3w-eJVj2TFtOrYcTWZv3HrNfaLSwgBo7HROetShWIzCnardXF-JfwIdX~nZ1DgFR6TwjlRu5w-0lCVDBn9ys7kOCOQ5PArWXWjL7ilxJVn98AxEGLdU5qA5gubjArvJ3GNDo7toXdHA1LFk10TAPH3wPonkyHc7tzOymdKHggafeQXknrSbhF8EDmtlrAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Wallace, open space supervisor and liaison to the Open Spaces Commission, asked the Indigenous Commission on Aug. 7 for input on a proposed renaming and on culturally informed signage and trail names for Observatory Mesa. The Open Spaces Commission is considering changing the designation from \"Observatory Mesa Natural Area\" to \"Observatory Mesa Natural And Cultural Preserve\" to better reflect the area's conservation status and indigenous connections.
Wallace described the area as roughly 2,200 acres with 5.8 miles of formal trail and said the Open Spaces Commission wants to emphasize preservation rather than solely recreation. He said the commission is inclined to keep the familiar \"Observatory Mesa\" root name — which appears on USGS maps and is associated locally with Lowell Observatory — while adding wording to highlight cultural resources and stewardship.
Why this matters: the renaming and signage decisions will guide interpretive material, trail naming and future management priorities for a large open-space parcel that neighbors developed areas and hosts sensitive natural and cultural resources.
Commissioners discussed options for how the Indigenous Commission might participate. Commissioner Marks asked whether the Indigenous Commission could poll or survey tribal communities and neighbors for alternative names or Indigenous identifiers; Wallace said feedback on changing the root name would be taken to the Open Spaces Commission and that adding \"cultural preserve\" to the current name was the commission’s working preference. Commissioner Lamont Olvaya said he would prefer a name that incorporates a culturally significant term and suggested reconsidering the word \"preserve,\" which he felt carries a strictly natural-conservation connotation rather than broader cultural meaning.
Wallace described the trail plan as three phases that would add trails, restore unsustainable unauthorized routes, add directional and interpretive signage, and create parking and an educational zone near the boundary for field trips by Flagstaff Unified School District. He supported using QR codes and story-mapping to expand interpretive content beyond what fits on a sign.
The Indigenous Commission discussed a motion to keep the \"Observatory Mesa\" root in the name while pursuing Indigenous Commission recommendations about the suffix and signage; the motion was seconded and the commissioners present indicated approval by voice vote. Wallace said he would relay the commission's input to the Open Spaces Commission and return for more input when trail-design and signage details are developed.","Open Spaces staff asked the Indigenous Commission for feedback on a proposed name change to Observatory Mesa and for culturally informed signage and trail names as part of a multi-phase trail plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6138585,"City staff summarizes COTA projects: rainbow crosswalk, camping enforcement, oral-history archive",1509,205000,1714000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e&start=205&end=1714","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582663-4a373097f3dccc170cec4e423e1ac00e/thumbnail_205000.jpg","/articles/6138585/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/City-staff-summarizes-COTA-projects-rainbow-crosswalk-camping-enforcement-oral-history-archive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138585-62c5b78ca6a17b34dd77cd39430248d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819741&Signature=Pp2DTYvfC6d2NcV2Goo6EJQKGhgwZUI~YL0JLTsCkzFPMVsmwyzAJltZK6IGdh3YNUR4lY55RWitRHR4fkes0In4kn2QQ7K0R7SJwiK8wFmPCllwWqTOHsYlhat~ZfyiAo~55ImfvChIEclHhtaKp6Qps4SrZQxVJhUgM9jBf48m-eWEdoGdCO576AYIh7KFJFZQF0G7f3qGdJu9XmCk51zt2HXC1XvrPLxyidH~iLBZYmtk3OAx4UUgY1Od82BWx4why39v~FWOC0X~s19EWcvfDzPhcLPcyxMj7ZR7hDpPrrnPdFvV3Y7qgJc0Y58~kzGoSKOBPhCaqqfk7-sQmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chris Rohde, special programs manager with the City of Flagstaff’s communications and public engagement division and staff liaison to the Commission on Diversity Awareness (COTA), briefed the Indigenous Commission on Aug. 7 on several ongoing and planned COTA initiatives. He told commissioners the city has been working with community partners on a rainbow crosswalk, updating approaches to enforcement of the city’s anti-camping ordinance following recent court developments, continuing an oral-history project now housed by the Arizona Memory Project, and supporting inclusive wayfinding and cultural exhibitions.
The rainbow crosswalk effort, Rohde said, began under a previous administration and returned to active work about a year ago with local groups including Flag Pride and the Northern Arizona Queer Coalition participating in a working group. \"We do not currently have one anywhere,\" Rohde said, describing the team’s search for a suitable non-vehicular site such as a plaza or park because, he said, city engineering and legal staff have concerns about installing the crosswalk in vehicle lanes under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Rohde said other cities have proceeded despite the MUTCD issue, and that City Council has the authority to approve an exception.
Why this matters: the crosswalk project is framed as both an arts/public-engagement project and a public-safety/legal question because of federal traffic-control standards; any decision will require balancing community requests, legal risk, and maintenance funding.
Rohde also summarized COTA’s recent work on the city’s anti-camping ordinance. He reviewed the legal backdrop raised to commissioners: the 2018 Martin v. Boise line of cases that limited criminalization of sleeping in public when no shelter beds are available, and a June 2024 decision in Johnson v. Grants Pass that revamped that approach and affirmed that cities may prohibit camping in public spaces. Rohde said the Flagstaff Police Department has responded by emphasizing services and education rather than arrests. \"They do not want to start incarcerating people for this,\" Rohde said, describing the department’s current emphasis on connecting people to services. He noted the shift in case law arrived as the department took on a new police chief, who has expressed interest in creating a citizen review board to advise the department.
Rohde urged commissioners to consider the public-safety implications of camping in and near forested areas given extended stage-2 fire restrictions and the community’s vulnerability to fire incidents. He said COTA has continued meetings with Flagstaff Police Department staff to monitor enforcement approach and community impacts.
On cultural work, Rohde described an oral-history project that he said now includes \"over 600 recordings\" and is being housed in the Arizona Memory Project at the Arizona State Library after earlier coordination with the Flagstaff Public Library. He credited Commissioner Angelica Sanchez as a project lead and encouraged Indigenous Commission participation. \"They are looking for ways to get this information into exhibits and events where it can be shown off more,\" Rohde said.
Other items Rohde covered included an inclusive wayfinding pilot presented by the Downtown Business Alliance that favors indigenous languages and symbols as primary elements for downtown signs; COTA’s participation in a multicultural county parks cultural exhibition; and a push to improve collaboration with community groups when drafting proclamations so that local organizations can present to City Council when proclamations are read.
Commissioners asked questions about the oral-history project’s tribal representation and access; Rohde said the collection is \"pretty comprehensive\" but that he did not have a tribe-by-tribe breakdown and recommended contacting library project staff or COTA commissioner leads for detail. Commissioners also suggested using QR codes and digital story maps to expand space available for interpretation on signs.
The presentation concluded with Rohde noting he is preparing to transition out of his current role in a few months and encouraging commissioners to build institutional relationships to sustain projects.","At the Indigenous Commission meeting Aug. 7, 2025, Chris Rohde gave an update on Commission on Diversity Awareness (COTA) projects including a proposed rainbow crosswalk, enforcement changes tied to recent court rulings on public camping, an oral-history archive now hosted by the Arizona Memory Project, and inclusive wayfinding efforts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Heritage office seeks Indigenous Commission input on mitigation for planned demolition of 19 West Birch building

Open Spaces seeks Indigenous input on renaming, signage for Observatory Mesa

City staff summarizes COTA projects: rainbow crosswalk, camping enforcement, oral-history archive