For 20 years now, living and operating a business here in Sedona, I have envisioned a beautiful West Sedona. If ADOT goes ahead with their Phoenix-look lighting plan, we will endure disruptive, messy construction before we have a plan for pedestrian safety or the needed redesign.
I want to see contemporary Southwest beauty elements such as those seen at Sedona Rouge, Barking Frog extended into a distinctive unifying look for West Sedona. Safety islands, lighted crosswalks, appropriate scale and location lighting, can invite people to shop on both sides of the road. Benches, attractive stucco very-selectively-placed medians with tile and/or art glass, along with sculptures and landscaping can create a walkable, inviting, uniquely Sedona look. The beauty of Sedona does not have to end at the double-0. This is where most of us live!
Further, as “Sedona Avenue”, instead of Highway 89A, we can allow event signage such for the Farmer’s Market and other community events held on top of Airport Mesa. We can have a sign directing people to the Humane Society. We can install a safety crossing for the kids at Posse Grounds Road.
I commend the work that has been done by city staff, mayor and council on this and feel they have a solid plan for financing once the 15-year period that ADOT will cover ends. Well researched data was presented at the Feb. 9 City Council work session that supports this. Further, locals will have strong input in the community plan for West Sedona. The City will not dictate to us as ADOT does–in a redesign that benefits and enhances the businesses so many locals and visitors use. We can create our own future.
ADOT is likely to give it back to us anyway. Their 2003 Route Transfer Level Study said the pace of turning back state highway segments that are really city streets is going too slow. They might make an example of Sedona if we do not accept their financing package now: turn around and give it back to us anyway in 4 years after they do the lights and Andante stoplight.
If the City Council votes YES to taking back Highway 89A as we did with Uptown, Sedona residents will have a chance to work with city planners and engineers to extend the beauty of the gallery and uptown districts into West Sedona ending at our distinctive high school and what I still hope will be a community cultural park–Forest Service vista and access point.
This is a turning point: it is vital for us to take control of our own future.
I am in big agreement that the City Plan would be superior and DESIRABLE. My lack of confidence is in the integrity and capability of the funding source. If, in fact, the moneys are truly forthcoming and not subject to budget cuts, I’d say “go ahead with REAL community progress.”
Beverly:
I do appreciate your concern about the budgetary side of things – the cuts and the threats of more cuts. Yes, it is in everyone’s minds and you have a right to worry. However, I feel that, given the threat of these cuts, NOW is the time to act! It seems that ADOT has guarenteed over eight million dollars UPFRONT, and has just added two million dollars more to this sum, which will be given to the City UPFRONT, and will be in the City coffers by June. If the City does not get it, then, it is obvious, the deal is off – and we should take ADOT to court!
In the meantime, I truly believe that we have a unique chance to shape the future of West Sedona and do it with the help of federal monies. The meeting last Wednesday at the City Council demonstrated to me a number of things:
1) The input from the public was impressive. The majority of those who stayed on and testified were for the route transfer. Eac person had deliberated (obviously) long and hard and had some extremely strong arguments to make.
2) It worried me that the polls the City did through their professional pollster (and how much did they pay for this?) were biased. They may be statistically OK, as per the guidelines of the company which carried them out, but the questions were definitely biased. Just go to the City website and read the questions. I am amazed that the City and Council let this happen. Why wasn’t someone able to take a look at the questions first? It does seem that the DORR poll and the Sedona.biz poll, both of which were set up after the main educational thrust of the city, might reflect a more accurate percentage.
3) This may be the only chance we get to do what WE want to do as residents of West Sedona, and put together some safety measures which make sense and which work, and can help to beautify the area. Benches/hedges/plants and trees…ADOT will be taking down the few trees we have as they take up the sidewalks to put in the 35ft. lights.
4) One of the councilors seemed to know the folks from the “scientific” poll. That worries me.
5) We elected this Council to review the safety of 89A and reject putting lights up. They did and have come up with two studies, both of which say lights will not work as a comprehensive safety response to the problems on 89A – which are DAY as well as nighttime ones. Lit crosswalks, with pedestrian lighting are SO much more effective.
6)I believe that we can do this. If ADOT runs out of money, we will get minimum support of 89A, and maybe even the light at Andante will be in question. And there is always the chance that ADOT will decide, in two or three years time, to give the road back to the City with zero dollars. They can do this. If we get most of the money upfront, then we can do this. This city is extremely resourceful and has been shown to be fiscally responsible. It can do a better job that ADOT, and we should be supporting effort for local control.
Thanks for addressing these questions. Now that the vote has been cast we will await THE MONEY. Great job in organizing and getting this vote. In fact, a fabulous job. If we apply the same amount of energy, time and strategy to getting our people elected… there will be no stopping progressive politics up here.