A public hearing will be held Tuesday, Jan. 11, to revert the zoning that would have allowed construction of the Falls at Oak Creek, a proposed 47-unit condominium development.

Sedona City Council members will hold the public hearing as they consider reverting zoning at the current Oak Creek Mobile Lodge from a conditional zoning permit back to single-family residential. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., will be held at Sedona City Hall.

The proposed condominium project was granted zoning on the condition construction would begin by August.

Council members denied a time extension request at their meeting Sept. 28. They directed staff members to begin the reversion process on the zoning following the meeting.

The property is located along State Route 179 south of Sombart Lane and north of Bowstring Drive.
Don Campbell, co-owner and operator of the property, said he remained optimistic the proposed development would be built sometime in the future, but he has considered other options as well. The Campbell family has owned the property for over 30 years.

“Under the present economic conditions I don’t think the condo project is viable,” Campbell said. “The best thing I could say is that it should probably wait for a later time when the economy is not as volatile. I don’t think anyone is going to speculate on a development project under these circumstances.

I would say it’s simply a matter of timing and the general economic conditions of the country today.”

Campbell said his family will consider a number of options when it comes to the Oak Creek Mobile Lodge property, including upgrades or continuing to pursue development of the Falls at Oak Creek.

“This has been a legal, nonconforming trailer court, old language for a mobile home park [and] old language for manufactured homes, since 1954. The destiny here, for all I know, is that may be its best destiny,” Campbell said.

The proposed $40 million condo development, Campbell said, would make a great addition to the area.
“There are hardly any condos on Oak Creek,” Campbell said. “That’s what we had entitled, and we met all the conditions. In fact, the city was quite happy with it.”

Beth Escobar, associate planner with the city of Sedona, said the hearing is expected to go quickly.
“When council, back in September, denied the time extension request, they directed staff to begin the reversion. That had to first go to [planning and zoning], and P&Z recommended the reversion, and now council will take action on that,” Escobar said.

Reverting zoning for properties, Escobar added, is not something that is initiated at a staff level.

“This one was directly requested by council as a result of the time extension hearing,” Escobar said. “We do have others that have passed their required time limits, but we don’t really revert those until something happens on them, like someone purchases a property and wants to start something new. They kind of just remain in limbo.”