The city of Sedona is in the early stages of updating its Land Development Code — the local regulations governing how land may be used, subdivided and developed — with public outreach expected to begin in late May.

Community Development Director Tony Allender outlined the process during a budget work session on April 22. The city will first conduct a two-month “code critique,” gathering community feedback before hiring a consultant to do the rewrite.

“We’re going to host an open forum hosted by the Planning and Zoning Commission and then we’re going to have a specific website, or a page on our site dedicated to input,” Allender said.

The goal is to hand consultants a community-built compendium of ideas. A request for proposals is expected in late June, with the consultant’s work taking roughly a year — including public hearings, P&Z Commission review and Sedona City Council approval. For that process, the city plans a committee of developers, builders, architects and residents.

“It’s best to have an advisory committee that is outside of your planning and zoning committee and certainly outside of staff,” Allender said. “Some of the best ideas don’t come from the guy behind the podium.”

The $300,000 budgeted for the project carries over from the current fiscal year.

“But at the same time, we will also be concurrently amending the DIGAH,” Allender said, referring to the Development Incentives & Guidelines for Affordable Housing, a city policy created in 2007 to use regulatory tools and financial benefits to encourage the construction of affordable housing units. “So since the two go hand in hand … we’ll ask the consultants to help us on that, but primarily we’ll be taking care of the DIGA in house, with their expertise added on to it.”

“There’s a number of people that have raised issues with the sign code, both in terms of its restrictiveness, but also the role the signs can play in the character of a community,” Allender said. “The one that I’ve heard on a couple of regular occasions here recently is temporary permits for the purposes of entertainment. And what could we do if we had fewer restrictions on just casual entertainment and the ability to bring some arts and artistry back into the community.”

Updates and a launch date will be posted to the city’s Community Development page on sedonaaz.gov.