A private Sedona school will have to wait to find out whether or not it will have a new temporary home.
By a 6-1 vote on Sept. 21, the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission granted a conditional use permit to allow Running River School to use a portion of Christ Center Wesleyan Church, at 580 Brewer Road, for its classrooms, with a permit expiration date of July 31, 2025.
With the awarding of any CUP, the public has 15 days to appeal the decision.
Adjacent residents to Christ Center Wesleyan Church, Eileen E. Grant and her daughter Eileen Grant Jr., did just that on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
In their appeal, the Grants wrote in part, “The contention of this appeal letter is that the proposed development shall cause significant adverse impacts on surrounding properties and specifically on the properties of those immediately requesting this appeal. These significant adverse impacts include, but are not limited to, increased noise, increased traffic and difficulties with respect to Brewer Road and its intersections, negatively-impacted property value of the appellants, potential loss of a tenant who also helps elderly appellant Eileen A. Grant with personal needs.”
They went on to write, “Since the Christ Center Wesleyan Church will be collecting rent from the private — not public — school, this is allowing for the creation of a major business usage in an old residential neighborhood. And, everyone knows that by granting a nearly four-year conditional use permit in this case is not a temporary usage but is tantamount to the establishment of a permanent school zone in the Brewer Road residential neighborhood. And such, the appellants strongly object to this.”
When an appeal is received, the matter then goes before the Sedona City Council. In this case, council announced it may not be able to hear the matter until some time in November. If council votes in favor of the CUP, a special action complaint could then be filed with the Coconino County Superior Court.
The Waldorf-inspired private school, which was founded in 2013, had been leasing space for the past six years at its previous location — the Sedona-Oak Creek School District’s Dr. Nancy Alexander Administration Building at the former Brewer Road School. That school, 1,600 feet north of the church, was built on Brewer Road in 1930 and used until West Sedona School was built.
So far this school year Running River has been located at the city-owned Sedona Posse Grounds Hub and recreational room at Posse Grounds Park.
Running River’s co-administrator Lupita Pollock spoke before the commission last month about the need for a long-term temporary facility for the school as it continues its plan to buy land for a permanent location in Sedona.
Pollock said in general the children will be using the indoor spaces on the church property. The regularly-scheduled outdoor time in designated areas will be from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. and from 12:45 to 1:10 p.m.
A normal school day is from 8:15 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., Monday through Friday, with minimal after-school activity on the grounds. The school currently has 56 students in first to eighth grade.
“Running River School is disappointed that the process has been prolonged by an appeal f rom a res ident , ” Pollock commented in an email following the announcement that the CUP had been appealed. “We believe in the importance of supporting Sedona’s family and child residents, as equally as all other types of residents, through supporting schools. We hope that the CUP will be approved a second time, as it is the only temporary option available. We are committed to seeing the process through and continue to envision a positive outcome for our school community.”
