Members of Tusayan's newly appointed Planning and Zoning Commission at the swearing-in ceremony

The Tusayan Town Council appointed its first Planning and Zoning Commission. Members will include ClayAnn Cook, Sandi Angat, Charles Townsend, Rob Gossard and Beth Hearne.

The P&Z Commission will update and revise the Tusayan Area Plan and Design Review Overlay, which set the tone for building, housing and development standards for the town.

Tusayan adopted the Coconino County zoning ordinance following incorporation and many of the provisions of that document do not meet Tusayan’s unique geography. The county ordinance is more of a “one size fits all” that treats communities such as Ash Fork, Holbrook, Tuba City and Page similarly.  Tusayan has a unique set of challenges as well as opportunities and the P&Z commission will hold public workshops to develop a zoning ordinance that addresses matters appropriate for Tusayan.

The group will be reviewing the necessary documents and holding workshops to begin the process of understanding the planning process and charting a path forward.

P&Z member Sandi Angat said she was looking forward to the challenge.

“I believe there’s a lot of exciting things that are happening here,” she said. “I hope we can play a small role in making this town a better place for everyone.”