More than 50 people turned out at the Sedona Public Library to hear a proposal regarding an apartment complex off Andante Drive. Most of those who came on Tuesday, April 16, were opposed to a two-story, 52-unit complex being developed by Zach Richardson and Marc Sterling, citing additional traffic, noise and density as some of the concerns.

Those few who spoke in favor said workforce or affordable housing is needed in order to allow people to live in the city in which they work.

“We’re trying to develop a project that is community-minded,” Richardson said.

The property sits on 2.6 acres and is zoned for manufactured homes. Richardson said the original plan was to place 11 manufactured homes on the lot but, as time has gone on, they were encouraged to build workforce housing instead. This was due to the lack of available housing in the area, primarily due to cost and the ever-increasing number of long-term rentals that have become short-term vacation rentals.

In order to build a development of this size and density, they first had to apply with the city for an amendment to the Sedona Community Plan to change the property designation from medium-density single-family to high-density single-family.

In a letter to nearby neighbors regarding the change, Richardson wrote of the apartments, “They are designed to compliment our community more than the original manufactured homes we initially anticipated building and these apartments will be deed restricted to not allow short-term rentals.”

He went on to write, “Not only is the housing for our city’s professional workforce in a critical shortage situation, our city’s Community Plan did not anticipate this shortage and consequently has a shortage of areas designated as multi-family high density on which to build such housing to alleviate the crisis.”

Richardson did not have a presentation but rather the meeting was set up in a question-and-answer format. Some of those included:

• Why did they choose that location to build 52 apartments?

Richardson said they have owned the land for around a decade and, based upon the need in Sedona, they felt this would benefit more people than would 10-12 manufactured homes.

The current owner is listed as the Stovall Living Trust, and was purchased in 2009.

• How much would the apartments cost?

For a one bedroom $1,000 and for a two-bedroom unit $1,400.

• What type of buffering will there be around the complex?

Richardson said there will be heavy landscaping and that the setbacks from the units to the property line will be greater than required. In addition, they would have 79 parking stalls, all of which would be inside the project to help reduce noise and vehicle lighting from disrupting the neighbors.

• Why is the minimum lease for each unit two months, as shown in their proposal, as opposed to the traditional six months or a year?

Richardson said that’s the minimum amount required by the city but that they would have longer lease agreements with tenants.

• Would the development add to the potential flooding issues in that area?

He said that issue will be addressed and remedied before construction would begin and would have to be approved by the city.

• Will there be any amenities?

To keep costs down, Richardson said there will be no pool or barbecues but possibly a laundry room.

• How many units are needed to make the project feasible and when did the property go off the market?

Richardson said it would need to have at least 50 units and that the property was taken off the market on April 1.

• Andante Drive is already narrow and dangerous and often has people speeding. Wouldn’t this project add to that problem?

Richardson said that Andante was designed, long before the city incorporated, as a collector road. This type of road serves as a way to move traffic from residential streets to a main arterial, in this case State Route 89A. Because of that, Richardson said Andante will always have a higher traffic flow than many neighboring roads.

This project has not come before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and no date has been set to do so.

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com