Community

Tommy Acosta, Editor of the Sedona Verde Valley Times

A Vision for Sedona:  The Cultural Park demands it

By Tommy Acosta | Sedona Verde Valley Times

Sedona, AZ -- As a hardened-news reporter with more than 30-years experience in the trenches, it is not often I’m shaken from an objective perspective while covering a news story.

Perhaps living in Sedona, having fallen in love with the red rocks, blue sky and mountains and becoming acutely aware of the encroaching economic disaster facing our local businesses as tourism continues to dry up, caused me to let my guard down at last week’s planning and Zoning Commission meeting where Fitch Industries pitched their latest proposal for the Sedona Cultural Park.

Photo by tommy acosta

Kent Fitch presents at last week's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.  Fitch Industries was seeking approval to build a hotel and a restaurant at the Sedona Cultural Park.  His proposal was narrowly approved 4-3.

Watching the proceedings, observing the commissioners doggedly following the same line of questioning; developers Kent and Monte Fitch patiently explaining details of their vision for the crumbling amphitheatre site, I suddenly realized if the political leadership in this city does not wake up to the fact we are in danger of completely losing our stature as a global destination point, Sedona is doomed.

Just like that, the entire picture came to me. There, facing the P&Z commissioners were two men with a dream, a vision and a plan, not a perfect plan perhaps, but a plan nonetheless for a piece of property in Sedona now crumbling away due to shortsightedness and lack of will by anyone to do anything about it.

I saw a glimmer of hope -- hope that the site of the now defunct Cultural Park could become a Mecca for performing artists; a place to put on diverse arts, cultural, educational, musical and spiritual events.

Photo by tommy acosta

Mary Guraldi of Canyon Moon Theatre encourages the P&Z commissioners to move the plan for the cultural park forward.

Tie that in with a museum, a convention center, an arts village, lodging to accomodate visitors, art galleries, a film studio, a senior-citizen community and of course, a concert venue not only for top acts from outside Sedona but for our musicians as well, and we finally have a plan for the property that can provide a bit of hope, perhaps, for Sedona’s resurrection.

Not only will the plan serve us culturally, but draw many more visitors to Sedona who will shop and dine in our city and bring much needed business to our merchants; and tax revenue to our cash-strapped community coffers.

I was amazed by the patience of the Fitch brothers facing an incessant barrage of repetitious questions from commissioners demanding ever-increasing amounts of details and proof of profitability from the developers, who obviously are putting quite a bit of bucks into something they believe in, with no real guarantee it will pay off financially.

I watched representatives of the arts and senior-citizen community in Sedona plead with the commission to move the plan forward, every one of them complimenting the Fitch brothers for their cooperation.

“We have a responsibility to the community,” said Mary Guraldi of the Canyon Moon Theatre. “If we can’t find a permanent home, we can’t exist.”

“A 21st century senior center such as the one offered by Fitch industries redefines seniors as active and engaged,” said Al Comello, president of the Sedona Adult Community Center. “Offering seniors access and participation in the arts is a critical part of the paradigm of what aging should be.”

Photo by tommy acosta

Al Comello makes a pitch for Sedona's senior citizens.

But even as the last hurdle between Fitch Industries and Yavapai College appeared to have been cleared through a resolution over the parking issue, doubts lingered and at one point it appeared the proposal would be sent back to the drawing board by skeptical commission members.

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Allan Berquist demanded specifics on the proposal.

“I’m a data-driven guy,” Commissioner Berquist said. “The details never seem to come out. Where is the data? I’m troubled by so many assertions and so little information.”

Questions were raised as to the viability of the project and whether there were any guarantees the project would work. Doubts were cast the project could be completed in two years.

Sedona property owner Robert O’Donnell, who hopes to retire in Sedona, said Sedona is already saturated and pleaded with the commission not to move the proposal forward.

“I like to sit home after the streets roll up and relax,” he said.

Community resident Brent Britz wanted to put more restrictions on the project.

Photo by tommy acosta

Jo Berger of Yavapai College thanked the Fitch brothers for their cooperation in resolving the parking issue.

“If you are going to approve, make sure you have restrictions with significant teeth,” he said. “We need to be careful so we are not taken to the cleaners.”

A professional Sedona musician said plans for concerts were out of tune with reality, doubting their profitability in Sedona.

Indeed, quite a few good points were brought up for stalling the proposal and dredging up more details, but not enough to deter visionaries in the audience.

Scott Gisborne admonished commissioners for their reticence.

“Why is the Culture Park closed,” Mr. Gisborne asked. “Because of what we are doing now! Ten years from now it will still be closed if it is not approved. It is too easy to put on too many stipulations. If you say no, when you go home tonight take a look in the mirror and think about what you did.”

Former Sedona City Councilman Ernie Strauche, originally skeptical of previous Fitch plans for the site, changed his mind.

Photo by tommy acosta

Artist rendering of the new Cultural Village component of the Sedona Cultural Park being proposed by Fitch Industries.

“Even though all the details are not done, I am encouraged,” he said. “I take him [Kent Fitch] at his word. I like the three elements. It fits in with the overall mission of the community plan.”

Another Sedona resident made a simple point.

“If you build it they will come,” said Robin Cunningham.

Visions Fine Art Gallery owner Klim Altman also testified in favor of the proposal.

“Fitch Industries is looking to create a world-class cultural park,” he said. “We want to give our visitors something to do at night besides sit and watch TV. This community needs to do it right.”

Commissioner Berquist would not budge in his demand for more data.

“Lots more analysis is needed,” he said.

Photo by tommy acosta

Klim Altman of Visions Fine Art Gallery supports the Fitch plan for the Cultural Park.

Granted, as they say, the devil is in the details, but observing the process and the magnitude of the challenge at hand to bring the Cultural park to life and make it work, one can also understand details for such a project are going to shift as the plan morphs through the creative process.

But what finally convinced me of the viability of this project was not the amount or lack of available data, but the people behind the project themselves.

After all was said and done, Kent Fitch made the most poignant point of the evening. There was truth and emotion to what he said and how he said it.

“It all depends on the guy sitting in this chair and the guts he has to do it,” he said.

Bravo! That is what it all boils down to – the guts, character and will of those with a dream and courage to make it real.

Is there any one else out there with a plan for the neglected Cultural Park who has the money and guts to bring it back to life? I don’t think so.

We are in the land-of-few-choices on this one.

All the un-challenged bad press we have been having over the years – the fires, the traffic, UFO invasions, etc., have cut a serious hole in our tourism business.

Photo by tommy acosta

A capacity crowd was in attendance at last week's P&Z meeting concerning the Sedona Cultural Park.

Lack of vision and courage to move forward could eventually lead to boarded-up store fronts along 89A and a bull market for “Out of Business” signs in our city.

Our elected body should be out there actively recruiting visionaries in the business world like the Fitch brothers and rolling out the red carpet for those with plans to enhance our community, its businesses and its culture.

Luckily, fortunately, for all of us, the P&Z Commission narrowly, by a 4-3 vote, moved the Fitch plan forward. The next step for the Cultural Park is in the hands of our city council. Let’s pray we have enough visionaries representing us to make the dream of a real cultural park, come true.

I believe Sedona’s survival, depends on it.