Getty Images

Flagstaff voters rejected a proposal to rezone nearly 100 acres of land south of the city in order to build a new hospital and ambulatory care facility.

The Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance was one of several organizations that opposed Proposition 480.

Stefan Sommer with the Alliance said the ballot measure didn’t align with Flagstaff’s goal to be net-zero emissions by 2030.

“Flagstaff was setting the precedent for how to deal with climate change. We were the most advanced city in the state of Arizona and in many ways, nationwide so we’re really glad that this got reversed,” he said.

Besides carbon footprint concerns, Sommer says an increased wildfire risk would occur due to the clearing of land for construction.