As it stands now, a proposed hotel development in West Sedona will have a whole new look compared to what the original plans asked for.
A revised conceptual review of a zone change and development review application will be discussed during the Tuesday, Oct. 6, Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission meeting for a development that’s being called Village at Saddlerock.
A city report states the applicant, Curt and Robin Baney — who have more than 20 other properties in their Oregon-based Oxford Suites hotel chain — are seeking review of a Conceptual Zone Change and Conceptual Development Review with the expressed intent of developing a mixed-use project. The proposed property would have 128 hotel lodging units, 44 multifamily housing units, and a new connection from Saddlerock Circle to the traffic signal at State Route 89A and Soldier Pass Road.
In all, 11 parcels totaling 6.36 acres were purchased for this development, the largest being owned by the Biddles family.
The project appeared to be full steam ahead in the fall of 2017. Then things cooled off, heated up and then cooled off again. In an interview with the Sedona Red Rock News in November, project architect Stephen Thompson said at the time that the project was still in the works.
“Unlike what I’ve heard from some, the project has not been canceled or put on hold,” he said. “We’ve been in the trenches going over the project to make sure it meets the Sedona Community Plan and what’s outlined in the [Soldier Pass] Community Focus Area.”
The original plan called for building a 100-room hotel along with 8,000-square-feet of retail space, a restaurant and bar, and 16 multi-family housing units that may be sold or rented.
That was then — this is now.
“Apart from this project, the city is experiencing significant housing challenges and is continuously exploring opportunities to increase the amount of housing available within the city, the report states. “While brainstorming ideas for housing, staff saw an opportunity with this project site. Therefore, staff contacted the applicant and requested that they consider abandoning the retail component and instead focus on maximizing the residential component. Staff believed that, based on current conditions, increasing the amount of housing by eliminating the retail component could have significant long-term benefits.”
As a result, the applicant went back to the drawing board and is now proposing a lodging and residential project, eliminating the retail component. As this represents a significant change in direction from the original proposal, staff and the applicant felt it would be appropriate to bring this to the commission as a conceptual review for feedback prior to the applicant compiling a comprehensive submittal packet.
As the proposal currently stands, of the 44 units, 32 would be studio apartments with the remaining 12 being one and two-bedroom apartments. Sixteen of those studio units would be dedicated to workforce housing.
“We met with them a number of months back and explained the housing challenges the city was facing and asked them to consider making this change,” said Cari Meyer, one of the city’s senior planners. “They seemed to be very receptive to our suggestions and to my recollection, this was one meeting and maybe a phone call or two before they committed to making the change.”
Since this is just conceptual, it’s yet to be determined whether what the city and developers are proposing will meet the Community Plan/ Community Focus Area Plan goals and whether the proposed community benefits will be sufficient, Meyer said.
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 or workforce housing continues to increase, Sedona 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 $824,000 toward the city’s affordable housing fund in lieu of having employee housing or building an off-site complex.
“While the elimination of commercial and increase in housing is the biggest change that will be discussed next week, the connection from Saddlerock Circle to the light at Solider Pass would also be considered a community benefit,” Meyer said.
