In its heyday, the Sedona Racquet Club & Spa was a popular locale thanks to its numerous tennis courts, gym and swimming pool. Today, it sits abandoned and in disrepair.

While the facility — located at 100 Racquet Road — will never be used the way it once was, the land it sits on may become home to several families if the owner’s proposal comes to fruition.

According to a letter to the city from Neil Johnson, the agent for Elevations at Foothills South, the plan is to turn the existing abandoned tennis courts and adjoining property into nine residential lots on 4.43 acres. The zoning would then become the same as the existing Foothills South subdivision. Converting the parcel’s zoning will require a major amendment to the Sedona Community Plan since it would be going from office professional to residential.

A city document states that the application was submitted to address a concern for a more compatible land use adjacent to the existing single-family residential properties. In the applicant’s letter of intent for the current application it states:

• The Racquet Club went through bankruptcy during the Great Recession.
• A number of Foothills South residents became concerned that the property could be purchased and developed [under the current office professional zone] for a purpose that was incompatible with the perception of a quiet, gated community.
• Several of these residents and members of the homeowners association board then formed a limited liability company and purchased the property out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

By state law, major Community Plan amendments are considered once a year. The Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission will consider this request in a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20, while the Sedona City Council is scheduled to consider it in a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

According to Sedona Senior Planner Mike Raber, a major amendment is required when there is a proposed change in the Future Land Use Map from public/semi-public to any residential designation. He said the most recent example was in 2012 when Sky Ranch Lodge expanded by 40 units and its zoning was changed from public/semi-public to lodging. These changes require a two-thirds majority vote by City Council.

In the letter from Johnson, who could not be reached for comment, he wrote, “The Sedona Racquet Club was created concurrently with recordation of the Foothills South Subdivision during a period when playing tennis was significantly more popular that it is today. The racquet club enjoyed a period of relatively consistent use and even hosted some minor league [Women’s Tennis Association] professional tennis events.

“However, the racquet club never proved to be financially sustainable and it went through several bankruptcies including a fatal one that occurred during the recent financial crisis.”

Johnson concluded his letter by saying, “The intangible benefits associated with allowing the most affected residents a controlling voice in their own neighborhood are real. We believe this proposal is compatible with both the intent and the spirit of the Sedona Community Plan and we request your concurrence in allowing its implementation.”