6-3 Vote to APPROVE Commercial Rezone |
| You can only imagine the chilling silence when the BPRCC P&Z committee voted yesterday 6-3 to recommend APPROVAL of the commercial rezoning application to the Big Park Council. Three courageous committee members stood up for our community, while the other six believe that a handshake deal with the applicant to restrain the height of a proposed hotel to 43.5′ and restrict the setback easements from the streets was GOOD ENOUGH. The Hilton Garden Inn proposal that was defeated unanimously back in February was actually only 41.5′ high (2′ lower than what is being discussed now) … and more restrictive on every other front! Four months of tedious deliberations and stalling, and we got much worse deal! One committee member is a hotel owner and founding member of a tiny organization called the Sedona Village Lodging Association, which has no website and reportedly has only three members. This same individual refused to abstain from voting on the committee decision in spite of obvious conflict of interest. He declared that because he was voting in FAVOR of a new hotel project, no conflict existed. (He abstained from the Feb vote because that time he voted AGAINST the hotel). The Patel’s will no doubt be members in good standing of the Lodging Association. (And yes, this Lodging Association is a member of the BP Council and qualified to vote on this measure) This same member explained that the purpose of the American Scenic Byway program was to BOOST COMMERCE – thus a view-block, traffic-congesting, public safety menace project is consistent with the objectives. In his vernacular, it will ENHANCE the visitor experience. Really? STAND UP and BE HEARD!
|
http://sedonaeye.com/another-three-story-sedona-hotel-for-voc/comment-page-3/#comment-254771