April 6, 2008 - On April 8th at 9am, the
members of the Sedona City Council will slip on their walking shoes
and take a tour of the 2-acre plot for the proposed Barbara Antonsen
Memorial Park Pavilion at 525 Posse Ground Road, to be managed by
the city.
The tour is in preparation for an April 9th public
work session to by held at City Hall from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM in the
City Council Chambers. At the work session, the city council members
will consider an appeal of the Planning & Zoning Commission's
previous approval of a conditional use permit to begin construction
on the park.
Homeowners from the area surrounding the proposed park
pavilion, supported by the Sierra Club Sedona-Verde Valley Group,
have voiced their concern about the level of noise, vibration and
traffic it would create, and whether the city will be able to
properly manage the venue.
Other, equally passionate Sedona residents,
supported by the Friends of the Posse Grounds, say that the park
will be designed to minimize noise and any environmental impact, and
will finally create a
place for neighborhood and community events in an outdoor setting.
The proposed park pavilion will be built on city
land as a performing arts venue with a dome shell covered stage with
seating for 300 people, additional outdoor seating on a sloped
uncovered grass lawn, graveled pathways, and a ten space parking
area. The pavilion will replace an existing stage area named
in honor of Sedona resident and active community volunteer, Barbara
Antonsen.
The city will continue to own the property and have responsibility for
the facility’s administration, maintenance and operation.
A buried 10,000-gallon cistern is proposed
underneath the low point of the seating area in front of the stage,
with the intent to capture rainwater. This captured rainwater would
then be pumped out of the cistern and provide irrigation for the
grass area and other trees and shrubs adjacent to the facility.
Since the appeal, city staff has developed
a management plan that will be presented discussed at the work
session.