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Eddie Maddock: A Miracle in Motion?

SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie Maddock discusses the Sedona in Motion issue as a city plan comes with yet another expensive traffic standstill in Uptown for a year.

Sedona AZAt long last initial steps have been taken to launch the Sedona in Motion plan. Tackling this monumental task aimed as the first step in addressing Sedona’s transportation issues has commenced at Sedona’s city center, commonly known as “Uptown,” and the disruption is predicted to be ongoing from now until mid-summer of 2020. The project will include two roundabouts and a median with landscaping.

City Council has approved the project budget in the amount of $4,401,990. It’s reported the source of $200,000 of that amount is from the parking meter fund made possible by the merchant advisory group.

Of course uptown businesses have concerns relating to how this disruption will affect their sales. And their concerns are justifiable. Let’s face it. For the past several years Sedona has literally spent millions of dollars on campaigns to promote Sedona as an attraction for destination tourism.

Long before that specific target marketing was put into place Sedona was already extensively well known which was true even prior to Sedona becoming an incorporated city. Therefore it made good sense to reason that any type of marketing whether targeted at a specific purpose or not, even more day-trippers would jaunt up from Phoenix just for the day. This might directly or indirectly serve as an example of the law of unintended consequences.

With the reputation of being a don’t-miss-location on the agendas of so many travelers, the pending disruption of uptown Sedona could act as a catalyst for bad publicity when visitor’s pop into this magical place for a day. The common wait in traffic lines has already served to usurp the costly portrayal of Sedona that over the years has eroded to the status in many instances as becoming “just another tourist trap.”

The Importance of Word Of Mouth Marketing – Statistics and Trends
https://www.invespcro.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing/

1. 28% of consumers say word of mouth is the most important factor in strengthening or eroding brand affinity. 64% of marketing executives indicated that they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing.

A recent ADOT traffic study found the majority of Sedona traffic backs up miles to drive through the Sedona city limits, and then continues without stopping to reach Flagstaff and Grand Canyon.

Remaining developable land in Sedona is limited, as are options for accommodating increased traffic. If plans move forward to amend building codes to allow higher density development, that doesn’t automatically increase access to additional routes to accommodate even more traffic within Sedona City Limits.

Proposed transit methods as a solution, unless the trend has substantially changed, is a waste of time. People in general will not give up their cars. Would you?

Since the drought during 2018, Sedona has been blessed with abundant rain to assist Mother Earth’s ability to stave off pending disaster. “Seriously?” you might ask. Yes, indeed, because no matter how much power mere humans sometimes think they have, when it comes to Mother Nature, there’s no competition.

The lush vegetation we are enjoying from the Pennies from Heaven via snow and rainfall will soon dry out under unrelenting summer sun.

We will still have lines of cars backed up within our three entries of limited space. Uptown will become almost inaccessible. People will be angry. And considering the proven fact that word-of-mouth advertising is the best, how favorably will they relate their “Experience Sedona” to their friends back in “wherever?”

Sedona wild fires have been reminders of Mother Nature’s dominance over city politics and best laid plans.

Regardless of how much money the “City” subsequently throws at the local Chamber of Commerce or if by a miracle they ventured outside city limits and contracted with a professional advertising agency, would results even come close to word-of-mouth feedback which will be forthcoming during and even after this project is finally completed? It may not be wise to disrespect the influence of “Karma.”

And, of course, let’s not forget the worst case scenario: WILD FIRE.

Don’t ever ever say it won’t happen to you!

Point of message: Please, please consider reassessing your own priorities as more and more increased density projects are placed on City Council agendas.

Does being consumed by one’s own perceived power to control represent a positive attribute? Isn’t Sedona already on overload?

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170 Comments

  1. WhooWho & Zippety DooDah says:

    @Steamed in Sedona, hope to H-E- double hockey sticks at the unofficially published meeting tomorrow (Wednesday July 23) Rep. Thorpe doesn’t take the Lodging Council whiners seriously. They cry the blues about short-term rentals while at the same time rake in millions of $$$$ being unnecessarily wasted on the idiotic Chamber of Commerce!! Really?

    If EVER the STATE OF ARIZONA should investigate something it should be this ludicrous BS situation with incorporated Sedona and a “regional” chamber of commerce. An insignificant body of control freaks who have managed to finagle their way into the inner sanctum at Sedona City.

    Reps. Thorpe, Blackman, & Sen. Allen – kindly stop wasting time to benefit the control mongers of Sedona: Chamber of Commerce who represent members outside Sedona city limits who do not contribute to the city tax base.

    At least the vacation rentals, now legitimate, are registered (if not neighbors will report them) and they collect appropriate taxes for city, county AND state.

    Redirect your target, please, Reps. Thorpe, Blackman, & Sen. Allen. The problem in Sedona is within the greedy control being allowed by lack of Arizona State oversight relating to misappropriation of public revenue: TAX REVENUE ALLOCATED TO A ROGUE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!

    Above input = my opinion.

    Thank Sedona Eye for this opportunity.

  2. Also @ Candy Girl says:

    I must agree with @Candy Girl you must be delusional but what you don’t get is that most don’t have a problem with AirBnB’s when it run by the owner who is on-site.

    The issue is corporate greed!!! Take off your blinders there are so many corporations that are coming in and buying up every house. They don’t live in Sedona! They aren’t using the trades from the Verdy Valley. Most times they don’t even have licenses or permits for the work that they are doing. I KNOW BECAUSE I LIVE ACROSS FROM 2 OF THEM.

    Since you mentioned Rep Thorpe, HE SUPPORTED THIS DENIGRATION OF SEDONA ALONG WITH HIS TEA PARTY FRIENDS BARTON AND ALLEN.

  3. Gene says:

    @big mouth & no facts

    Was giving your comments consideration until the “capital sentence rant”. Delusional? News for you screamer man/woman, keep reading.

    No there aren’t that many corporations coming in to buy up housing. Verde brokers I called (2) said unequivocally Real Estate numbers don’t support your statement. Check it out. Secondly, corporations don’t like single family home purchases because its not cost effective and requires individual teams of property managers without enough ROI. I know. I do the taxes for two REIs.

    Small REIs don’t even like buying single family homes due to high investment costs and stationary flatline returns. One bad tenancy and your numbers get screwed or in nice talk eschewed.

    Individuals buying typically live within a geographical area and have oversight by a property manager, or a small group may buy up a few properties that are distressed, upside down, prime location & good value, etc. Sometimes a small local group will form to advantage themselves of their neighbors disadvantages or inside knowledge of P&Z decisions or influence over the rezoning processes. No foul, no crime, good for neighborhoods rather than have foreclosures or short sales or vacant properties. Good for city on taxes. Like the one comment seems to be trying to say that it creates stability. Stable neighborhoods are beacons to homeowners who dislike volatility either in quality of life and in integrity of purchase promise.

    Tea Party? That’s decades old terminology and it’s not derogatory. It referred to people that are the Democrats AOCs to Nancy now. No harm, no foul, minimal government vs total government, one hands on and one hands off. That’s called Democracy. Don’t denigrate it.

  4. Donna says:

    I don’t hate. I will speak up when I see discriminatory, unfair behavior or abusive actions. I was a chamber member for close to 20 years.

    The City of Sedona is incorporated city limits. WE HAVE NO Transient Bed District. It is immoral and disrespectful for the city to give any money to a regional chamber. This is why it is illegal in most states.

    Flagstaff is a great city to benchmark. NO funding to Chamber and Flagstaff gets MORE tourists than Sedona. The City of Flagstaff BUILDS in-city NOT chamber members.

    The Chamber is a regional business association and they ARE NOT entitled to ANY taxpayer’s money collected by the in-city business. The City of Sedona has circumvented laws to gift a private membership group taxpayers money discriminating against in-city-business owners. Less than 3% of chamber’s members contribute to Sedona-city-bed-tax.

    Keep the facts straight.
    Sedona has NO Transient-BED-District TAX (only in-city pay)
    Chambers composition shows 2.91% FT collect in-city-bed-tax

    The City doesn’t own 86336 and there are many hotels inside 86336 that are NOT in-city.

    I do strongly dislike corruption, bullying, false information, kickbacks and payoffs.

    Stand up write the state. Arizona Lawmakers,
    WBlackman@azleg.gov,
    bthorpe@azleg.gov,
    sallen@azleg.gov,

  5. @Steve segnersteve@elportalsedona.com says:

    Steve segnersteve@elportalsedona.com says: “The hotels are happy….we Do not mind sharing …”

    Who’s “we”? It is NOT YOURS to share!

    “we” didn’t vote nor did “we” give up our rights to “we”=you!!!!!!!

  6. @Gene says:

    Hey Gene..
    Pull you head out of your you know what. Air b n b are ruining neighborhoods!!!!
    You must have a few to not see that

  7. Ursalana Holsten, Burbank says:

    You’re wrong.It might be a certain homeowner rented to poor decisions, but you’ve got the city and the state and the HOA’s and the neighbors as checks and balances to it. You have the police. The city has ordinances that they can use. Private residences are exclusive to places in Europe and UK and Mediterranean countries, many others like Canada and SA do the same as formula for tourists.

    Hotels or motels are always having issues, welcoming pedophiles, alcoholics, young groups of thugs & sports teams out of control destroying rooms, out of control unsupervised teens, and others. Think it through again. Try and be objective. A single residence is not the monster in the neighborhoods in Sedona. It’s lack of enforcement.

  8. @Ursalana says:

    Yup keep you head in the sand. Air B n b destroys neighborhoods. So much fun having a new crop come next to me day after day after day. Increase in traffic on the streets. Noise etc. half the block are B n Bs. Yup keep your head in the sand and blame everything else that’ you perceive wrong in Sedona on the city.
    I call BS

  9. @segner says:

    You don’tmind sharing with yourself. You own a vacation rental on hart road. Call it by another name, it’s still a vacation rental. Hypocrite.

  10. Kim says:

    I live full time in my house.

    We have several homes in our neighborhoods that are short term rentals. They are better maintained then those that have long term renters in them. There is LESS noise, less parties. Those that rented long term had parties and cars going all night long.

    What the F? Segner took the house on Hart and changed a LONG term rental into SHORT term. Why does he practice what he b’s about?

  11. steve Segner says:

    @segner says: What the F? Segner took the house on Hart and changed a LONG term rental into SHORT term. Why does he practice what he b’s about?

    I took three motel units and turned them into two units and I am going to build a employee housing unit on the back lot …. Hope that helps.

    Meeting on short term housing at city hall last night, shocking map the city showed over 1000 units now in village and Sedona. Rep Thorpe introduced SB1350 but when asked he forgot. What it came down to is nothing can be done
    Prop 207 will stop any new laws from changing SB 1350 you now have 1000 new hotel units that are outside the control of the city or state …and more to come Enjoy the traffic.

  12. Mike H says:

    Air B&B hurt neighborhoods, strangers walking their dogs at midnight, trash, noise. No one wants to live next to a transient hotel. It will destroy Sedona property values for residential use. It will eventually destroy Sedona as anything other than a tourist trap.

  13. @steve Segner says:

    Why can’t you be honest?

    There is nothing in your statement that is truthful.

  14. steve segner says:

    Please show us how I am wrong, you are not using a name and you point at me? Is it what I said about the my 2 units? then go ask Sedona motel the people I bought them from.
    or is it about the meeting ? it was posted on face book last night or was it that 1000 b&b are now open in the area…… city number or is it you live in a world of only what you want to be true is true…. sad. Air b@b’s are hear to stay sad… Rep Thorpe introduced SB1350 no the city or the chamber.

  15. @Kim says:

    Less noise less garbage then long term renters!?
    Your full of it and in full flight delusion

  16. Nathan, Sedona says:

    @steve Segner “Meeting on short term housing at city hall last night, shocking map the city showed over 1000 units now in village and Sedona.”

    So 1000 units NOW in village and Sedona. So what? How many in Sedona? VOC is OUTSIDE Sedona City Limits – not within incorporated jurisdiction. HA! Sound familiar? Same as how many chamber of commerce members are OUTSIDE Sedona City Limits?

    Get a grip, Segner! Tend to your own affairs and butt out of our neighborhoods. Maybe now you are getting a taste of your own nasty medicine – finally a situation you and your C of C cronies CANNOT control.

    How sweet it is – Life is GOOD!!

  17. Norm, Sedona says:

    “Prop 207 will stop any new laws from changing SB 1350 you now have 1000 new hotel units that are outside the control of the city or state …and more to come Enjoy the traffic.” @steve Segner July 25, 2019 at 7:03 am

    Very interesting. And for how long now were we to believe it was the fabulous advertising by a second-rate Chamber of Commerce which attracted the vast number of tourists resulting in the endless back-up of traffic.

    So which is it, Steve? You can’t have it both ways. A house here and there is hardly the same as endless massive resort hotels.

    Give us a break! Karma doesn’t ignore boobs. Would rather have every other house a vacation rental if it meant cutting the city/chamber umbilical cord. Hope that helps.

  18. Steve segner says:

    Only 185 new units have been added to Sedona in the last seven years that’s because the cities has been careful about adding units , the marketing has always been for people who spend $300 a day for rooms and up but now you’ve got two+ thousand living in the backyard tents and homes that sleeps 12 or more, enjoy your new neighbors . And yes the hotels are doing fine because of the cities marketing plan and the merchants will do OK because I’ll have 5,000 more people a day that they can sell things to you so I guess all is good

  19. Fran Basisi says:

    Just one reason?

  20. We Agree says:

    @Steve segner makes good points. The only one missing is clearly funding the chamber of commerce – for any reason – is no longer needed. The money would have been better spent on infrastructure but now, especially, with the increased overload it’s imperative for City Council to make traffic high priority and mean it.
    Get over your obsession with the C of C. It’s an embarrassment!

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