Around Sedona
Joel Gilgoff, associate broker, president
RE/MAX Sedona
Sedona Fires: In June, the Sedona area had two large brushfires. Both fires have long been completely out. Fortunately there was very little structure damage caused by the fires and Sedona remains as beautiful as ever. The larger of the two fires, the Brins fire, consumed 4300 acres of wilderness north of the City of Sedona and caused no structural damage. The 836 acre La Barranca fire began in a residential area of the Village of Oak Creek. That fire did cause damage to several structures. The forest service already has teams known as BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) stabilizing soils and replanting in the affected areas. Come see how beautiful and green Sedona is – now that we have had a fairly wet summer.
What’s Happening: Click on the links below to get a current list of events in and around the Sedona area.
http://www.sedonaaz.gov/tourism/acEvents2.aspx
http://www.sedona.net/index.cfm?Render=EventCalendar_ViewEvents
A new exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona and will run until September 10th. The exhibit entitled “Fragile Antiquities” commemorates the work of two photographers with over 70 photographs and ancient items from the museum’s collection.
Jazz on the Rocks (Sedona’s largest annual event) is scheduled to begin on September 21st and continue through September 24th at various locations in Sedona. Make sure to buy your tickets early. For information see www.sedonajazz.com or call 282-1985. Sedona Jazz is also hosting a series of musical events throughout 2006.
The first Friday of each month is a special event at 15 Sedona art galleries. Stop at any gallery and hop on the free trolley to see all the rest. For information call 282-3809.
The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra will present seven concerts at Northern Arizona University’s Ardrey Auditorium beginning September 15th and running through April, 2007. In addition, the orchestra will offer two free summer concerts at Coconino County’s new Pine Mountain Amphitheatre at Fort Tuthill.
Sedona’s Indian gaming casino, Cliff Castle Casino, has lots of stars performing during the month of September. John Kay and Steppenwolf, Grand Funk Railroad and Blood, Sweat and Tears all perform on September 23rd. For information: www.cliffcastle.com.
New Developments: The City’s RoadRunner Transit System will begin operation September 9th. Phase 1 includes a free trolley connecting uptown, Tlaquepaque and Hillside and will provide tourists continuous service every 10 minutes.
Possible new developments in the city:
ILX, owners of Los Abrigados Resort, have filed a major plan amendment request with the city. Their plan includes a Heritage Park which would be gifted to the city and a Heritage Village consisting of 49 timeshare units in 5 two story buildings including retail space for a small market and café. The proposed Heritage Village includes a paved plaza commemorating Arizonans who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Also included is Knoll Village and Hillside Village containing timeshare units. Finally Green Roof Village will include a small boutique hotel, 9 residences called The Grotto and a science institute called The Sedona Project. The Sedona Project will be a collaboration of universities and the Sedona Oak Creek School District. Total project size is estimate to be 23 acres.
Owners of the Sedona Cultural Park have requested a community plan change for the 44 acre park from “public/semi-public” to very low density single family residential. If the plan is approved the site will be developed with one home per two acres. The request for community plan change will come before the City on September 19th.
Plans have been completed for the construction of a new Lowe’s Home Improvement Center directly across from the Walmart Superstore on Highway 260.
The Verde Valley will get another winery this year. The county has given final approval to Alcantara Vineyard. This small winery will include a tasting room and a café bistro. It will be located on 87 acres near the Out of Africa theme park.
Potential new developments coming before the City Staff:
Potential 10 residential condominiums at the end of Jordan Road.
New commercial building next to Desert Hills Bank.
Proposed affordable single family residential subdivision in the Brewer Road area.
Possible redevelopment of the Oak Creek Mobile Lodge into residential condominiums with some affordable housing units.
A new project next to Walgreen’s which would include retail space and residential condominiums.
A possible 9 lot residential subdivision off Schnebly Hill Road.
City Business: The Uptown Enhancement Project is well underway with the first section now complete. When completed, the uptown area will be ADA accessible and have wider sidewalks and improved lighting. Construction will be phased throughout the year with completion now scheduled by the end of 2006.
City sales tax revenues are up dramatically this year mainly due to increased lodging tax receipts.
The City Council has approved a measure to provide incentives to commercial developers that include an affordable housing element. The incentives include increasing the allowable construction footprint and density.
At the City Council’s recent retreat, the following list of priority projects was created: improved public parking, install street lighting along 89A in West Sedona, exploring an alternate route (VOC to West Sedona), increasing support of the arts and support of work force housing.
The City Council has approved funding to underground the overhead power lines from the “Y” to Schnebly Hill Road as part of the Highway 179 improvement project.
The City Council has authorized the position of Assistant City Manager.
The City has contracted with Parking Research and Solutions to investigate a parking management plan for the City. The plan includes locating a site for a future parking facility, directional signage and land acquisition.
Chamber of Commerce: The chamber is sponsoring a business expo to be held in conjunction with the Cottonwood and Camp Verde chambers at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds. This year’s event will take place on Saturday September 9th from 9AM to 4PM. For information or to reserve a booth, call the chamber at 204-1123.
Roads: The first phase of reconstruction of Highway 179 will begin in October and should be completed in 18 months by contractor, Southwest Asphalt Paving. The existing roadway will be widened to 40 feet across between the Village of Oak Creek and Back O’Beyond Road in Sedona. The corridor passing through Coconino National Forest just north of the Village of Oak Creek will be bifurcated into a single lane highway with passing lanes. The current highway will be the southbound lane.
ADOT has announced that construction of a 4 lane divided Highway 260 between Western Drive (the end of the current four lane road to Cottonwood) and Thousand Trails would begin sometime next Spring. ADOT will also make limited safety improvements on the section of road from I-17 to Cherry Road. These improvements could begin in 2007 or 2008.
Miscellaneous Around Sedona:
West Sedona has a new restaurant, Walt’s Southwestern Cuisine (formerly the location of Pietro’s Italian restaurant). Be sure to try the spinach salad and corn chowder. For information call 282-2525.
The Cottonwood Farmer’s Market will again take place on Thursdays through October 12th from 5pm until dark at the Old Town Activity Park behind Cottonwood City Hall. The former Friday night concerts have been moved to Thursdays to make one weekly grand event. For more information visit www.ci.cottonwood.az.us
The Canyon Moon Theater Company (Sedona’s legitimate theater) has found a new home in the factory outlet mall in the Village of Oak Creek. The new theater is under construction and performances should start soon.
Verde River Day will take place this year on September 30th at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. The event brings together over 40 nature based exhibits, a menagerie of live animals and local food vendors. For more information call 634-5283.
The US Postal Service has approved a special cancellation mark to be hand stamped on envelopes commemorating the Historic Mail Trail. The stamp bears a silhouette of a galloping horse and rider with the words “Mail Trail Dedication Station September 9, 2006 Camp Verde, AZ 86322”.
The galleries of Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village are sponsoring an event known as “State of the Art”. It will take place on the evening of September 12th and give collectors the opportunity to experience both art and artists in an elegant setting. Chefs from three Sedona resorts will present a 3 course dining experience with wine pairing. For information visit www.tlaq.com.
The Arizona Office of Tourism has launched its newly remodeled website. The site includes a comprehensive list of accommodations, restaurants and activities. See www.azot.gov.
The art galleries of Jerome will host monthly art walks on the first Saturday of each month. Jerome’s 20+ galleries and studios will be open these evenings. Info: www.jeromeartwalk.com.
“The Collared Peccary”, a collection of poetry of Northern Arizona, includes works from 39 great Northern Arizona poets. The book is available at The Well Red Coyote next to the Southwest Inn in West Sedona.
Did you know that Flagstaff has a lush 200 acre arboretum? The arboretum is located at 4001 South Woody Mountain Road, 3.8 miles south of Route 66 in Flagstaff. The facility includes over 2500 species of drought tolerant native plants. Events are scheduled throughout the year. For information visit: www.thearb.org.
Events continue weekly at Red Rock State Park. For information call 282-6907.
This year’s Sedona Classic Car Show and Airport Day will take place on September 23rd from 9AM – 2PM. This annual event is sponsored by the Sedona Car Club and the Sedona Airport. For information: www.sedonacarclub.com.
Sedona’s only riding stable, Trail Horse Adventures, has closed its doors forever. The property has been sold to a developer. Visitors to Sedona can still enjoy a horseback experience courtesy of the M Diamond Ranch in Camp Verde. For information: www.mdiamondranch.com. Southwest Inn guests can book their horseback riding adventure through our concierge.
American Style magazine has ranked Sedona 5th out of 25 top arts destinations for small cities in the USA. Sedona climbed 19 places from last years’ rankings. A sampling of cities ranked lower than Sedona include Key West, FL; Carmel, CA; Aspen, CO; Laguna Beach, CA and Chapel Hill, NC.
Pink Taco Restaurant based in Scottsdale has announced a joint promotion with Pink Jeep Tours to encourage Scottsdale visitors to spend some time in the Sedona area.
“Light as Art” Gallery has opened at 395 Jordan Road. The gallery targets interior designers, architects and decorators involved in lighting, residential and commercial projects.