In late 2004 a proposal was presented by the "Friends of the Posse Ground Park, Inc.", which preserved the environment of the Park. In Spring, 2005, neighbors surrounding the Park agreed to a small outdoor stage proposal whereby the wooden stage would be rebuilt and a small number of people could be accomodated on adjoining property to attend day-time performances, as presented by the the former Director of Community Services. Suddenly, in 2007 the bandstand plan has evolved to a geodesic dome where capacity has more than tripled in size and impact from the original proposal. No findings were ever made on the impact of the increased traffic volume, noise and parking issues that the "new" plan creates before approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission on December 4, 2007.

Sierra and representatives of the HOAs in the area requested and received public record documents which trace the history of how Posse Grounds Park transformed into the recent target of the second hastily produced Sedona Cultural Center proposal:

1: The City (meaning all of the people managing the initial Project and those who followed) failed to honor the 1996 agreements, which gave $586,600 of Arizona State Parks Heritage Funds for the ORIGINAL 3000-5000 capacity Cultural Park near Yavapai College. The City gave $586,600 to the non-profit organization (Sedona Cultural Park, Inc.) to operate and maintain the Cultural Park without securing the grant. This first Cultural park project existed for only three years before declaring bankruptcy in 2003 and with it went the money because the grant was not secured. Negotiations with the present developers, Fitch Industries, are still on-going.

2: Only during a March 2007 State Parks Foundation visit did State Parks discover that the Cultural Park was no longer in operation and the outdoor recreation park was fenced off even though the rest of the grant money ($44,000) had been spent to complete hiking trails. The Grant Agreement stipulated that the outdoor park was to remain open to the public for 25 years, and if the venue closed the City had to return the money, or transfer it to another project of equal or greater value.

3: The State Parks Foundation graciously agreed to allow the City of Sedona to transfer the already expended funds to another project, the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park and Pavilion as long as the project would be underway by September, 2008. The City failed to inform residents of this agreement. Hence all the recent rush since June 2007 to push the Cultural Center to Posse Grounds Park.

4: The City has made many “mistakes” and lost our trust. From the very beginning the City failed Sedona residents by not protecting our interests in securing the grants. The City has had a history of paying lip service to its residents regarding problems with traffic and noise that these residents have regularly reported. Because we no longer have trust in our elected officials or their staff, no discussions with “interested parties” will remedy the facts here. Any attempts at mediation must include all 15 Appellants in the case against the City and others in Sedona impacted by the project.

We advise City Council to remember that the 2005 ‘small bandstand plan’ is the only Plan the homeowners agreed to. Pushing such a large project in an inappropriate location to save repaying the already spent $630,000 is reprehensible of the City and is forcing residents to pay this money twice in loss of property values, increase in insurance rates and city tax dollars.

Sierra Club Sedona-Verde Valley Group
 

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