City of Sedona Mayor Rob Adams (center) smiles during June 10 City Council meeting deliberations as Councilman Marc Sterling (left) and Councilman Ramon Gomez look on.

Council approves 89A Safety Committee recommendations

76 street lights off the table

By Tommy Acosta | Sedona-Verde Valley Times

Sedona, AZ - June 11, 2008 - Proponents for the installation of 76 high-intensity light poles along 89A from Airport Road to Dry Creek Road suffered a crushing defeat last night at the Sedona City Council June 10 meeting, where the council adopted a list of 89A Pedestrian Safety Committee recommendations to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety along the 89A corridor.

The installation of 76 lights and poles originally proposed by ADOT and championed by former-mayor Pud Colquitt, was not recommended or approved.

By a margin of 5-2, the new council, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Rob Adams, voted to adopt the advisory panel’s short-term safety recommendations to reduce speed limits on 89A; enforce all road-user laws; enforce dark-sky ordinances; educate residents and tourists; erect pedestrian barriers at strategic locations; and conduct a pedestrian crosswalk-warrant analysis to determine where best to place them.

In addition, an advisory-panel recommendation to place a traffic signal at the 89A/Andante intersection was moved from a long-term option to a short-term solution with the goal of having the signal installed within 18-months to provide added safety where most of the previous pedestrian fatalities occurred.

The council also voted to merge the committee’s remaining long term recommendations – adding medians, re-striping the roadway, installing at least one pedestrian-activated crosswalk and installing street lighting (10 lights) from Harmony Drive to Modole Road – with the Community’s Redevelopment Plan.

Community members present at the meeting applauded the actions of the council and congratulated the new members on the way they handled a potentially-explosive issue that had earlier alarmed and galvanized the community when the plan to install the 76 lights was originally presented at an August 2007 council meeting in response to a number of pedestrian deaths that occurred when pedestrians attempted to cross 89A in the evening.

The issue at hand was the impact the 76 lights would have on Sedona’s dark skies. Even though the council voted unanimously to adopt ADOT’s plan to install the lights, Mayor Adams, a councilmember at that time, recanted and asked that an advisory committee be formed to develop options to the lights.

Keep Sedona Beautiful, community activist/Sedona-Verde Valley Times correspondent Doug Blackwell, and Evening Sky Tours President Cliff Ochser vigorously opposed the ADOT plan. Mr. Ochser and Mr. Blackwell were appointed to the advisory committee as community representatives. The committee was composed of representatives from ADOT and the city as well.

At the June 10 council meeting, newly-elected council members Cliff Hamilton, Dan Surber, and Marc Sterling joined newly-appointed Vice Mayor John Bradshaw and Mayor Rob Adams in supporting the advisory panel’s recommendation, with veteran council members Nancy Scagnelli and Ramon Gomez opposing.

Prior to the vote, Mr. Blackwell presented facts and figures supporting the recommendations of the advisory committee, which were also backed by City Manager Eric Levitt.

Mr. Blackwell said, according to studies, street lights have a minimal impact on safety, while traffic enforcement, medians, reducing speed limits and crosswalks can increase safety by 40 to 50 percent.

He also noted a 40 percent increase in safety solely due to increased traffic enforcement on the part of the Sedona Police Department.

Council members grilled Mr. Blackwell, Mr. Levitt and ADOT District Engineer John Harper on the recommendations; the reasoning behind them; and the feasibility of their implementation.

Councilwoman Scagnelli raised questions on how the installation of barriers would affect bike lanes and businesses. She also raised the question on what will happen to approximately $1.8 million in federal funds allocated towards contracting the installation of the 76 lights and poles.

“The money goes away,” Mr. Harper said. “We would have to go back and ask the federal government for more money.”

He estimated the cost of installing medians and pedestrian barriers would hover near the $4 million mark.

Mr. Harper did admit a portion the money could probably be used to install a traffic light at Andante intersection and for the installation of 10 lights recommended for a quarter-mile strip of 89A.

Council members Sterling, Surber and Hamilton insisted that in order to support the recommendations, they would want to see the advisory committee’s long term recommendations become a part of the city’s long-range redevelopment plan.

Council members Sterling and Hamilton wanted to be assured the community would have input in decisions concerning pedestrian barriers and medians.

Mr. Levitt assured the council the community would be included in the process.

Councilman Surber asked if there was a vehicle to bring businesses with lights that distract motorists or create glare in the evening for motorists, into compliance with the city’s code.

Staff explained there is a city ordinance that can be enforced but some businesses that were not in compliance before the ordinance came into effect would be exempt.

Bob Carabell, vice president of KSB, said they have a team of volunteers ready to approach the businesses along the 89A corridor that are not in compliance and ask them to voluntarily improve safety.

Mr. Blackwell said he believed once a business is shown figures on how lighting affects safety, they would voluntarily comply.

Vice Mayor Bradshaw made the final motion to adopt the short-term recommendations and to include the long-term recommendations as part of the redevelopment plan.

No members of the community spoke in support of the original ADOT proposal for the 76 lights.

Those who did speak during the community input part of the deliberations where in complete support of most of the advisory panel recommendations.

Mrs. Litrell was not in support of the 10 lights proposed as a long-term option.

“We don’t support the 10 lights,” she said. “It was a compromise. One year ago we only had one option. All we had was the 76 lights. Now we have an opportunity to see real improvement.”

KSB Vice President Bob Carabell agreed.

“These recommendations are a compromise,” he said. “Compromises can have unseen consequences.”

Sedona resident Ted Jones said he was diagnosed with an eye problem and told his eye doctor about the high-intensity sodium lights planned by ADOT.

“My doctor said he was going to have so many senior citizens coming into his office needing cataract operations he would not be able to handle them all,” Mr. Jones said.

Council members, before and after the vote, congratulated the 89A Pedestrian Safety Committee for their hard work, especially Mr. Blackwell.

“I was totally impressed with the volume of research,” Councilman Hamilton said. “I have faith in that process.”

The council adjourned after the vote to approve the advisory committee’s recommendations. Council members were congratulated by community members present for their actions.

“I’m so pleased the council saw the value of the short-term recommendations and realized the importance of getting a traffic signal at Andante,” Mrs. Litrell said. “The council truly expressed the intent of the Sedona Community Plan and vision statement. They seemed to listen to common sense. It gives me great hope that the council will continue to make decisions that are right for Sedona.”

Councilman Hamilton complemented the new mayor on the way he handled the divisive issue; the new council’s first meeting; and the way the mayor kept the members together.

“I’m happy the way Mayor Adams pulled it together,” Councilman Hamilton said. “He got everyone to the table and made sure everyone was good with it.”

Mayor Adams was impressed by the way his council handled its first test.

“I thought the council did an excellent job,” Mayor Adams said. “Questions were succinct and to the point. There was good energy. I’m very encouraged. I feel energized. I feel hopeful for unity in Sedona.”

Mr. Blackwell summed up his own feelings.

“I applaud the council’s 5-2 vote for safety on 89A which will result in a 40 to 90 percent improvement in lessening pedestrian/vehicle accidents,” Mr. Blackwell said. “The former council’s vote for the 76 street lights would only have resulted in a 2.7 percent improvement. Sedona, your new mayor and council did an excellent job. My only regret is two of the council’s seven members voted against this fabulous set of safety improvements for Sedona.”

Related articles:

Sedona City Council to consider 89A safety recommendations

89A street light proposal for Sedona condensed but not curbed

89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel makes draft recommendations for highway safety in Sedona

Lights out in Sedona

Community rejects ADOT 89A pedestrian lighting plan

source: City of Sedona

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