The developers of a proposed hotel in Sedona want people to know that after a few bumps, things are back on track.
The project, located at the intersection of State Route 89A and Soldier Pass Road on property formerly owned by the Biddles family, appeared to be full steam ahead in the fall of 2017. Then things cooled off, but recently the developers provided the city with an updated packet for review.
Steven Thompson, the architect on the project, said they hope to hear back from the city soon in order to see what modification to the plans need to be made.
“They’re the experts on the new Land Development Code, even though I read it cover to cover, all 400 pages,” he said. “By the way, hat’s off to the city because it’s a real dynamic document. In my opinion, it encourages good development and good architecture as opposed to the constraints the former code tended to have. It wasn’t quite as encouraging as this.”
Under the new LDC, Thompson said their project falls under an M-2 zoning, which is designed for mixed use. In fact, he said it fits their project “like a glove.”
While the Biddles had the largest piece of the pie, in all, eight parcels were purchased for this development, which is being called Village at Saddlerock. The owners are Curt and Robin Baney, who have 20 other properties in their Oregon-based Oxford Suites hotel chain.
Thompson said the delay in moving forward with the hotel had nothing to do with economics. Instead, part of the plan was to wait until the new LDC was completed. He said he was a bit worried the new plan would discourage this type of multi-use project but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be the opposite.
“I advised by clients to hold off until the code was ratified, which I believe was last November,” he said. “We continued to modify our plans to conform with the new code. So between that and everyone’s schedule, we decided now was a good time to move forward with things. Everyone’s very excited.”
The plan would be to build a 100-room hotel, 8,000-square-feet of retail space, a restaurant and bar, and 16 multi-family housing units that may be sold or rented at market price, yet to be determined.
The property is currently zoned both commercial and residential. With any zone change request, the city of Sedona requires community benefits. With past projects, a community benefit could have meant anything from a trailhead to a bus turnout. But as the lack of affordable/workforce house continues to increase, the city council has put that as its top requirement when it comes to a community benefit. The most recent project to receive a zone change and approval was the Marriott Residence Inn. Its owner agreed to give $825,000 toward the city’s affordable housing fund in lieu of having employee housing or building an off-site complex.
Thompson said the Baneys are prepared to offer several community benefits with the emphasis on housing. They will have eight on-site workforce housing units and will pay into the housing fund the equivalency of four more units. Other community benefits include:
- A connector road from Saddlerock Circle to Soldier Pass.
- Trail link helping to connect parts of West Sedona.
- Public gathering space using the 18 large trees that will remain on the property. It will also have public restrooms and a coffee/beverage kiosk.
- The 16 multi-family condos for rent or sale.
- Access to, and maintenance of, the Cook Cemetery.
- A historic venue on site showcasing Sedona’s history.
The developers plan to host a neighborhood meeting to discuss the project at a future date. If all goes as planned, Thompson said they hope see the first shovel in the ground around the first of the year.
