It’s not quite back to the drawing board for a proposed hotel in Sedona but it’s close.
The project, located at the intersection of State Route 89A and Soldier Pass Road on property formerly owned by the Biddle family, appeared to be full steam ahead in the fall of 2017. Then things cooled off, heated up and then cooled off again. But Stephen Thompson, the architect on the project, said it’s still moving forward.
“Unlike what I’ve heard from some, the project has not been cancelled or put on hold,” he said. “We’ve been in the trenches going over the project to make sure it meets the Sedona Community Plan and what’s outlined in the [Soldier Pass] Community Focus Area.”
While the Biddles had the largest piece of the pie, in all, eight parcels were purchased for this development, which is being called Village at Saddlerock. The owners are Curt and Robin Baney, who have 22 other properties in their Oregon-based Oxford Suites hotel chain.
Under the city’s recently updated Land Development Code, Thompson said their project falls under an M-2 zoning, which is designed for mixed use. In fact, he said it fits their project “like a glove.”
Right now, he and the rest of the team on this project are finishing up on the developmental review and he hopes they will appear before the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission in the near future.
The original plan called for building a 100-room hotel along with 8,000- square-feet of retail space, a restaurant and bar, and 16 multi-family housing units that may be sold or rented. The new plan adds 30% more retail space.
Thompson said the Baneys are prepared to offer several community benefits with the emphasis on housing. They will have eight on-site workforce housing units and will pay into the housing fund the equivalency of four more units. Other benefits include:
-A connector road from Saddlerock Circle to Soldier Pass.
-Trail link helping to connect parts of West Sedona.
-Public gathering space using the 18 large trees that will remain on the property. It will also have public restrooms and a coffee/beverage kiosk.
-16 multi-family condos for rent or sale.
-Access to, and maintenance of, the historic Cook Cemetery and a venue on site showcasing Sedona’s history.
Thompson said some of these community benefits have been improved in the project’s new version waiting to be given to the city including an increase in gathering area.
The property is currently zoned both commercial and residential. With any zone change request, the city of Sedona requires community benefits. With past projects, a community benefit could have meant anything from a trailhead to a bus turnout. But as the lack of affordable/workforce housing continues to increase, the city council has put that as its top requirement when it comes to a community benefit.
The most recent project to receive a zone change and approval was the Marriott Residence Inn. Its owner agreed to give $824,000 toward the city’s affordable housing fund in lieu of having employee housing or building an off-site complex.
“It’s paramount for all of us involved that this be a quality project,” he said. “We feel all the changes have been for the positive.”
