Home » City Government, Community, General » Eddie Maddock: Cultural Park Sacred Land, the Unsettled Controversy

Eddie Maddock: Cultural Park Sacred Land, the Unsettled Controversy

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SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie S. Maddock reminds Sedona AZ politicians and voters that the USFS continues to protect sacred lands surrounding its city limits. The renamed “Cultural Park” was once part of reservation land, traded and then redesignated by Sedona politicians for “public use.” Developers and city politicians now want to bulldoze and build government subsidized housing on this sacred land citing a “perceived” need for it, just as the Cultural Park was once itself a failed “perceived” city use plan.

Sedona AZIs it possible this small and beautiful dot on the universal map – Sedona, Arizona – has had any issues which have not been disputed at least to some extent?

The story of the Cultural Park has been adequately documented for years now, and yet the scenic land upon which the failed venue thrived – for a short period of time – continues to be the source for an ongoing tug of war.

The birth of the Cultural Park was largely generated by a “perceived” need to hold outdoor annual functions such as “Jazz on the Rocks,” a jazz series whose performances were successfully received and well-attended at the Sedona Posse Grounds Park: Today, Posse Grounds Park remains as the scenic area designated for most Sedona small town events such as July Fourth, however, and in time, the Cultural Park became less attractive for larger and more significant venues with its stiff competition by high-profile performances offered at the popular Cliff Castle Casino.

At one time the Cultural Park was part of the Hopi Footprints Migration Area and considered “sacred land” to the Apache, being part of an Indian reservation. The USFS continues to protect the area from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)) requests, and doesn’t divulge where specific sites are, what was on the property and or what has been removed. Originally designated as “Open Space Preservation/Conservation” on the Sedona Community Plan Use Map, it was soon amended to “Public/Semi-public” allegedly “in order to accommodate the community cultural facilities and amenities.”

Lack of affordable housing has become increasingly a national problem. It has become a high-profile subject not only in Sedona, but the entire Verde Valley as well. Sedona united with Cottonwood apparently, jointly agreeing to hire a “housing manager” to represent both communities towards a successful approach to what was acknowledged as a “regional problem.” On November 26, 2021, Sedona hired a “housing manager.” Does Cottonwood stand “united” with Sedona and share the cost of the service performance of that employee?

Reflecting on decisions of the past, the Nepenthe housing project in the Sedona city limits was approved as “workforce/affordable” and, yet, for some reason that specific purpose must have been left out of the development agreement. Wonder why?

Hmmm . . . that’s just one example of questionable decisions contributing to the present housing “shortage.”  

In addition, over the years relinquishing proposed requirements for Sedona resorts to include a certain number of on-site living areas for employees was jerked around and “alternative” promises allowed for providing off-site affordable accommodations were all too often approved – and then never enforced.

How many of “those” promised alternative affordable facilities actually exist to this day, if any? And now, fast forward to the Cultural Park presently being considered as an “investment” by the city of Sedona for – guess what – to be “rezoned to accommodate affordable housing.”

Since the issue has definitely been deemed as a “Regional” problem, will that same “Region” be required to help foot the bill for the alleged purchase of the Cultural Park by the city of Sedona?

Will the entire “Region” have the opportunity to benefit from more affordable housing considering that people do have jobs in Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome, Camp Verde, and elsewhere in the “regional” Verde Valley?

Will Sedona continue to be the “cash cow” to provide affordable housing for the entire “region” because now it has a “Housing Manager” at City Hall?

Prior to 1993, the Sedona Community Plan only supported USFS land trades for public/semi-public uses, open spaces or parks; Amendments to the Community Plan have served to enable land trades to be facilitated and completed.

It’s been reported that the city-owned land across from the Sedona Wastewater Treatment Plant off West State Route 89A, locally referred to as “The Dells,” will soon be the subject of a study for potential housing on nearly 200 acres. The city of Sedona has budgeted $75,000 for the study – some of which may be done in-house. If that is in fact the case, will the cost of this endeavor be shared with “The Region?”

Because the wastewater treatment location is obviously a more centrally located area has serious consideration been given to working with the “Region” towards seeking a valid direction for solutions, including funding, for solving the “perceived” housing issue? Instead of proposing the purchase of the Sedona Cultural Park?

Why shouldn’t Sedona benefit from contributing necessary acreage as consideration for its participation in a joint venture and encourage other jurisdictions to foot the bill for development of more affordable housing on existing available land? So – it would require approval from Yavapai County. Why should that be an issue when this is also a “county” problem and doesn’t just exist within Sedona City Limits?

 If Sedona can afford to purchase the Cultural Park property, why wouldn’t they consider returning it to the United States Forest Service to be maintained as “Open Space?”  

Or better yet wouldn’t a National Scenic Area designation be more appropriate and also even more in compliance with the Community Plan to preserve open space?

Or maybe the situation might best be summed up with the following words as written by Toby McLeod, April 4, 2020:

“Hopi Prophecy – A Timeless Warning”

“. . . . . .having worried about an impending apocalypse, one seems to be upon us now, as a wounded Mother Earth humbles her human children. Thomas Banyacya usually warned of natural disasters like storm and earthquakes, fires and floods, lightening and hurricanes – clear signs that nature was responding to abusive, careless humans. As I reviewed the two Las Vegas talks I found that, sure enough, he warned of ‘more sickness that can’t be cured for a long time’ during an era when ‘the seasons are going to change.’ “

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – does that ring a bell?

369 Comments

  1. old man standing? says:

    pathetic

  2. Marty W. says:

    The most sensible suggestion came up at yesterday’s council meeting. Make this CP zoning a ballot issue as a Referendum. Let legitimate Sedona registered voters decide – camper’s paradise or what???

    The idea of a temporary two-year limitation on the proposed parking lot is, IMO, utter nonsense. Allow the change and it will probably be forever. It most likely will outlive any of the council members who vote to make it happen.

  3. Pat says:

    Asking peons to relinquish power over God’s Sedona rocks!!!!! Won’t happen!!!!!!

  4. Scott says:

    City of Sedona traffic jams aka bridge between desert nowheres

  5. MariaSantini says:

    How do we get to vote in city elections? Do we have to be residents or can we be short term renters?

  6. Randy says:

    Get a ballot from city hall, just give a city address?

  7. City Council Needs to Remember says:

    The reality is Sedona is starting to look a lot like 1970s America. You remember what it was like: Not only were gas prices sky high, Carter administration rationing meant we could only buy gas on even or odd days depending on our license plate numbers. Remember? Eleven Israeli athletes were slaughtered at the Olympic Village in Munich by terrorists. Remember? Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days by terrorists in Iran. Remember? Democrat policies had brought America to its knees once again and that impacts Sedona tourism now and in the future. Remember it.

  8. I agree says:

    Wasnt that awesome that before Reagan was president he dealt with the Contra Rebels, and exchanged arms, and the deal was to let those hostages go after he was sworn in?…Just like a Hollywood movie? But we dont deal with hostages unless your a republican, and the rest is ugly history!

    God I love the uneducated!

  9. Nelson says:

    Read Carter’s memoirs then come back when you’re better educated. Stop reading newspapers and magazines or watching Hollywood documentaries and series, social media’s a tool and in uneducated hands a tool remains a tool to keep your kind digging ditches. Chamber is a tool that lost its usefulness couple years ago when we knew it wasn’t doing a good job. Sometimes we don’t need a tool, we need common sense.

  10. @i agree says:

    You’re rambling makes no sense and history doesn’t bear you out, but on this day and in this time Biden has cursed the Jews to be exterminated by Muslims that he and Obama funded with billions in taxpayer dollars while Biden allowed the FBI to enter his own Catholic parishes and have his own people and churches voicing issues with abortion harassed and arrested and branded as traitors and terrorists for believing human babies are endowed with Rights, and abortion is morally and ethically wrong, while PETA gets government money to prevent animal abortions, BLM gets government money to hate white humans, illegal aliens swarming across the border get government money for breaking the laws of those gifting their money, while believers in democracy and lawfulness are met with Fascism. Biden is a President with no shame or morality while using the weak for his ambitions. Only fools believe the rich don’t pay more than their fair share to keep America humming along and only fools believe socialism is better for the poor and downtrodden. American unions are a joke, for they’re tools that have kept you voting against your own interests while teaching you to believe wrong was right. Keep voting your way, and you’ll end up with nothing.

  11. PH says:

    keen observation

  12. @Nelson says:

    We have known for 20 years what Reagan did. Stop idolizing the guy that taxed Social Security, out sourced good American jobs, and busted unions!

    Thanks in advance.

  13. Kevin says:

    Clinton was the King of Outsourcing! NAFTA was Clintonian undoing of American and Clinton gave Mexico and China all our jobs. Sedona’s downfall began eith Chamber contracts.

  14. Olive says:

    Seems you’re the one with Reagan issues bc nobody else mentioned him?

  15. Love this guy says:

    We are as serious about our freedoms as the business end of a .45. – Sen. Kennedy

  16. @Olive says:

    Now you sure are in left field. It was the Reagan administration who created NAFTA. So when you want to complain about “liberals” you can count Clinton out as he was right of center. While the GOQP keeps moving right, taking away freedoms, but dont worry I will stick it in your uneducated eye every single time you make excuses for a pathetic party of the rich!

    Everything started to crumble because of Reagan, and every other republican doubled down. Now look up what a large donor the US Chamber of Commerce is for the GOQP, then get back to me.

  17. Sedona Keith says:

    … NAFTA made it almost impossible for illegal drug shipments to be found. How did NAFTA affect the war on drugs? NAFTA is passed and signed into law. President Clinton signs the North American Free Trade Agreement, which results in an enormous increase in legitimate trade across the U.S.-Mexican border. The volume of trade makes it more difficult for U.S. Customs officials to find narcotics hidden within legitimate goods.
    https://www.pbs.org › drugs › cron
    Thirty Years Of America’s Drug War | Drug Wars | FRONTLINE – PBS

  18. Olive says:

    My point.

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