Friends and foes of the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park mobbed the Sedona City Council meeting, filling every seat, standing along the walls and spilling into the reception area on Wednesday, April 9.

Friends and foes of the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park mobbed the Sedona City Council meeting, filling every seat, standing along the walls and spilling into the reception area on Wednesday, April 9.

Council met to consider whether to accept or deny an appeal by nearby homeowners who objected to a conditional use permit granted by the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission in a 5-2 vote on Dec. 18.

With so many in attendance, Mayor Pud Colquitt set rules at the outset, limiting times that the representatives of each faction could present opening positions, rebuttals, re-rebuttals and proclamations for and against the park.

Still, the meeting, which conveyed both the passion of the park’s proponents and the serious concern regarding property valuations and quality of life of the homeowners, lasted five hours.

The history of “Barbara’s park” goes back to 2001 when the first discussions took place.

In 2002, council unanimously approved creation of the park and meetings with neighbors began.

Fundraising efforts began in earnest in 2005 after the Friends of the Posse Grounds signed a public/private partnership with the city and attained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

A series of concerts in 2006 brought up noise issues along with illustrating the need for restrooms, dressing rooms and other amenities for artists and audiences.

This led to a radical redesign of the stage, resulting in a monolithic concrete structure that would contain sound, be environmentally sensitive, preserve the view corridor and be cost-effective.

The neighbors’ appeal of planning and zoning’s approval of the revised design was filed on Dec. 18.

Subsequent to the appeal, city staff determined that a management plan for the entire Posse Grounds Park could address the initial issues of traffic, noise and parking and the appeal hearing was postponed to provide a three- to six-month window to develop the plan.

The first meeting of the 20-member management plan committee, comprised of residents and city staff, took place on Tuesday, April 8.

However, the Friends asked that the hearing for the appeal be held now rather than waiting for whatever length of time it will take to sort out the plan so that they’d know whether or not to go forward with fundraising.

The Friends are raising money for construction and landscaping through donations and grants and will give Barbara’s park to the city when it’s complete.

For the most part, the two divergent camps occupied their separate sections of the room, but one speaker captured the quandary of his own feelings and those of the council.

“We have friends on both sides of the issue,” Dale Casey said. “Our neighborhoods already have to plead with the city over events and the question is whether the city is able to budget money and personnel, because without proper maintenance the park will fall prey to vandals.”

Casey is one of the residents who live in several subdivisions nearest Posse Grounds Park, within which Barbara’s park would be located, and who asked council to defer the vote on the appeal or to accept the appeal.

Most residents live on one of only two roads that lead to and from the park.

Already beaten up by the traffic, noise, parking problems, vandalism and litter generated by users of the Jack Malmgren Memorial Skate Park, the Sedona Teen Center, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, Sedona Dog Park and scores of parents who drive their children to and from the West Sedona School every morning and afternoon, the residents are leery of anything that would further stress their neighborhoods.

Therein, lies the rub.

The 2-acre area under discussion is part of a 90-acre parcel owned by the city, 84 acres of which was purchased from the state and formerly used as rodeo and fairgrounds that traditionally included musical and theatrical performances.

Recently, the area and its rustic stage have been used for scheduled and impromptu open air concerts and performances.

Only 18 acres is currently developed with the rest remaining open space.

Other than the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park, no further development is planned by the city.

The largest point of contention is the size of potential audiences.

A mistake in calculations led opponents to believe that up to 1,000 people could fit into the concrete monolithic dome and the grassy seating area directly outside.

They also expressed worry about amplified noise and the future potential for outside lighting.

Perhaps the worst fear for some was that an acceptable and financially viable management plan would fall by the wayside.

To assuage these fears, City Council ruled that a certificate of occupancy not be issued until a mutually agreeable management plan was put in place.

Council also placed strict limits on the use of the operation, limiting it to audiences of 300, daytime use only accompanied by enforcement of the sound ordinance.

With those controls in place, council voted 7-0 to deny the homeowners’ appeal.

James Bishop Jr., a member of the Friends, summed up the meeting succinctly.

“The city finally took responsibility for their role in this,” Bishop said.

Susan Johnson can be reached at

282-7795, Ext. 129 or e-mail

sjohnson@larsonnewspapers.com