Following more than three-and-a-half hours of discussion, debate, pleas and accusations, the first hurdle for a proposed multi-family housing development in Uptown was cleared — with several others still ahead.
By a 5-2 vote on Tuesday, July 6, the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval to the Sedona City Council of a Major Community Plan Amendment for a proposed housing development off Jordan Road.
If approved by council, this amendment would change the Future Land Use Map from Single-family Low Density to Multi-family Medium-high Density and conceptual zone change from Single-family Residential to Multi-family Residential High Density.
The property consists of two parcels totaling 6.5 acres along the east side of Jordan Road north of Wilson Canyon Road and bisected by Quail Tail Trail. If approved, this would allow for 84 townhome-style loft apartments developed by Miramonte Homes, of Flagstaff.
Commissioners George Braam and Lynn Zonakis voted against the measure, stating that they wanted to see additional information before proceeding.
Major Plan Amendments are considered just once a year by law and this is the first time in four years that one has come before the commission.
The item is slated to go before council during a work session on Aug. 11 and then a public hearing on Sept. 15. At that time, council is scheduled to take action but unlike most votes in which a majority vote is all that’s needed, with a Major Community Plan amendment, a two-thirds vote by council is needed for approval.
In terms of why this was a conceptual zone change request and not a traditional one, the day after the meeting Senior Planner Mike Raber said the conceptual rezoning and site plan provide some information about the site including the proposed zoning district, number of parking spaces, general number of units and a general layout of buildings, but the project details aren’t required.
“Since the development is contingent on the approval of the Major Community Plan amendment, the applicant only requested the conceptual review and will come back with a full comprehensive rezoning and development review application if the Plan amendment is approved,” Raber said. “During the comprehensive review, the applicant, for example, will need to provide more details regarding how the housing units would be more restricted for affordability and from becoming short-term rentals.”
The conceptual plans show a mix of units, with 12 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. Ten of these units will be set aside as affordable housing.
The land, which is currently vacant, is broken into two parcels, with just over 2 acres facing Jordan Road currently zoned multi-family. The remaining 4.4 acres are zoned single-family and in order for the project to proceed, it must be rezoned to multi-family.
The conceptual site plan for the entire property, which is vacant, shows six apartment buildings totalling 36 units on the 2.1-acre western parcel and eight buildings totalling 48 units on the 4.4-acre eastern parcel. Parking is provided throughout the site and includes 148 spaces.
This multi-family proposal is not the first for that property. The city’s report states in 2008 there was a proposal for Jordan Condominiums, on the western parcel, with 16 townhouse-style condominiums. It also included Jordan Estates with eight, single-family homes on the eastern portion. Though final approval was granted for the plats, they were never recorded, and the project was never developed.
Some of the concerns expressed by Uptown residents to city staff and the commission included;
■ Concern about the impact of the apartment project on the neighborhood with the 4.4 acres going from a maximum of two units per acre to 12 units per acre.
■ Traffic impact on Jordan Road and onto Wilson Canyon Road/Access to Quail Tail Trail.
■ Visual impact of the apartment buildings and parking areas.
■ Impact on wildlife.
■ Does not significantly contribute toward workforce housing, and market rate units won’t be affordable to $15/hour employees.
■ Project is out of character for the surrounding neighborhood.
■ Environmental impacts.
■ Noise and light pollution.
■ Impact on water and sewer.
■ Ability for the surrounding areas to evacuate in case of fire.
■ Support for projects that increase housing options for workforce housing within the city.
“The proponents of Jordan Lofts are mostly business owners living outside of Uptown,” said Mark TenBroek, who was given extended time during public comments as he said he was speaking on behalf of more than a half-dozen residents. “The Uptown residents that live in the area are soundly opposed to this rezoning effort. The residents are citing degradation of their way of life and safety. Uptown already has a significant supply of apartments. We don’t believe Jordan Lofts is well-suited to this use and there are locations better situated for workforce housing besides this property.”
Attorney Whitney Cunningham, who is representing the developer, said his clients plan to purchase the land regardless of the outcome of the zone change request.
Some of those opposed said that the developer is using scare tactics by allegedly stating that 10-bedroom “mini hotels” could be built on the 4.4 acres and automatically turned into short-term vacation rentals, using a lesser-of-two evils argument.
However, it was not stated by Cunningham as to what size homes would be built. Zoning on that portion of property allows for up to nine homes.
“Miramonte has one proposal, which is the proposal before the commission to build 84 apartments,” he said. “Having said that, I can tell you that Miramonte is committed to the property and intends to close escrow and acquire the property. If this current application is denied, at any stage, then Miramonte is prepared to build according to the rules currently in place. That plan has not been formulated or submitted. Miramonte plans to pursue the current application.”
Cunningham said in terms of the number of units, they may be able to reduce that to 80 and when asked, said the developer would be open to increasing the number of affordable units if the cost were to be subsidized through the city’s affordable housing fund.
Chairwoman Kathy Levin said the decision before them was not an easy one and that she appreciated the amount of public participation during this process.
“Jordan Lofts is not a black or white issue for me,” she said, listing many of the concerns from the residents opposed to the project. “These are all valid issues. On the other hand, proponents of the project, city staff and the developer see an opportunity to address Sedona’s need for market-rate and affordable apartments.
Levin said the facts speak for themselves. The median house price in Sedona is now $800,000 and there’s no inventory. There are 770 short-term rentals citywide — 150 of those in Uptown — that have displaced renters.
There are 280 apartments citywide, which represents just 4% of the entire housing stock. She said Piñon Lofts in West Sedona has 45 units, all of which are filled and of those nearly 60% of its occupants work within the city limits with rent as high as $1,800 a month.
“The commission’s decision revolves around what will serve the public good and what we must see as respect for the neighborhood and neighborhood character,” Levin said. “I don’t believe it has to be one or the other. And I hope this evening we can find a way to work together, with the developer, to uphold your values in the neighborhood and to enable us to address — little by little — the concern we all share about the housing crisis.”
