The former Sedona Racquet Club has sat abandoned and in disrepair while being an eyesore to those who live near it for years. But that will soon change.

The Sedona City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 26, in favor of a Major Community Plan Amendment as well as a zone change for the property from office professional to single-family residential. Vice Mayor Jon Martinez recused himself from the discussion since he has a financial interest in the project.

The 4.43 acres in question sits southeast of the intersection of Racquet Road and Foothills South Drive. The plan is to turn the existing abandoned tennis courts and adjoining property into nine residential lots. The zoning now becomes the same as the existing Foothills South subdivision.

A city report states the applicant, Elevations at Foothills South, LLC, said that the requested changes are meant to address a concern for a more compatible land use adjacent to the existing single-family residential properties. The applicant’s letter of intent for the current application states the following:

• The Racquet Club went through bankruptcy during the recession.
• A number of Foothills South residents became concer ned 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 HOA board then formed an LLC and purchased the property out of Chapter 11.

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 a letter to the city from letter from Neil Johnson, the agent for Elevations at Foothills South, 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 WTA 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.”

A few of the nearly 200 residents of Foothills South spoke in favor of the zone change including Savas Sosangelis, who is also a member of their HOA board. He said everyone he’s talked to in that housing development is in favor of moving forward with the project.

“This has been a nightmare for the residents for years,” he said. “It’s actually sapped some of the life force of some of the residents in Foothills South. They have been consumed with the racquet club forever. It’s been one disaster after another and most of us have had it. It’s been an albatross and basically we’re putting our faith in you to get the albatross away from us.”