By Peter Cutler
Sedona News (July 17, 2021) I was talking with a guy working on a house at the top of Birch Blvd, my street, in West Sedona. He said it was for the new owners. I asked if they were going to live there or if it was another Air B&B? He was disturbed.
“I don’t ask questions,” he said. “Don’t get me started on Air B&Bs. They’ve destroyed this town. I grew up here and I had to move away. They and greed have killed this town.”
Most of us who have lived here before the Air B&B boom know this all too well. Close to half the houses on Birch are now Air B&Bs. The same can be said of neighborhoods throughout Sedona.
The worse it gets in Sedona, the more people move away. And their houses are bought by investors for more Air B&Bs. Every week another realtor tries to convince me to sell my place. I’m not going to.
The people in charge of the town don’t care. They’re only interested in the Benjamins (money). They clearly don’t care about the residents (what’s left of us) unless we are among the wealthiest. For them it’s not about life, it’s about dollars and they don’t seem able to tell the difference.
Traffic is both an issue and a distraction. It’s a good distraction because we see it every day. Those running the town only care about traffic because it affects tourism and the wealthiest residents equally to the rest of us. Their solution is to create traffic bypasses through our neighborhoods further damaging them more than the Air B&Bs already have.
None of this is new to any of us who have lived here for a while or grew up here. Those defending it call it progress. Starbucks has replaced the local coffee houses where we used to gather. Whole Food has replaced New Frontiers. And Air B&Bs seem to be replacing our neighborhoods, while tourists replace our residents, community, and town as we know and love it.
There are still vestiges of Sedona left, for a while, before those running the town sell that off too
We could blame the town officials we voted into office. But I blame myself. I stood by and let this happen. I listened to the promises and excuses that never expressed what you and I now realize was really going on. I didn’t follow local politics. I’m a spiritual person. It’s not for me.
We could blame the town managers, but I blame me. We let this happen. We’re still letting it happen. Knowing the damage that Air B&Bs are doing to the town where those working here can no longer live here, some even living in their cars, the town did not sue the State over the absurd Air B&B law that gives all power to Air B&B owners and none to the town. And they are still allowing it to continue.
Those elected to represent the residents and voters of Sedona only represent a very small portion. Seeing the damage that has been done so far, they should be recalled. That recall is up to us. We sat by while this has been happening. If the people elected to represent the citizens of Sedona don’t represent us, this is our fault. If they convinced us to vote for them and we believed them, this is our fault.
Sedona is not going in a good or healthy direction. Soon only the wealthiest and tourists will live here. Many have given up and simply decided to leave. When it becomes impossible for businesses to find any employees and Sedona has successfully transformed into Disneyland with red rock views, the transformation will be complete. This is what the town management and real estate developers see as progress. As for us long-term residents, we’re just collateral damage.
It’s long past time for some major changes in our elected officials. They not only allowed but encouraged this to happen.
I really hope some younger folks will run for office. Experience as a business owner or real estate developer is no longer necessary. In fact, it seems to be a detriment. We need some people who care about the life of this town, its communities, neighborhoods, people, its life, and the land more than they do about money. The priorities in this town have gotten way out of balance.
We could bring back free live outdoor music like we used to have outside the old Martini Bar and free outdoor festivals. They were a regular occurrence here and a joy for the whole Sedona community ten years ago. Now a lot of very talented musicians no longer have a place to play. How can this be a good thing or a benefit to the community of Sedona? It’s not.
We all complain about these things and many more that the town management has either initiated, supported, or allowed to continue and get worse. It’s long past time for a change.
I would think that if someone is connected to the hotels, real estate, or tourism industry they would be a very poor choice to represent Sedona. Their vested interests are far too clear. If it continues to be about money over life, Sedona is not going to fare well and will only continue to get worse.
My ex-wife was the Town Planner for the town of Concord, Massachusetts. She was very good and devoted to her job. The townspeople loved her. The real estate developers hated her. She stood up to them when nobody in political office would. Finally, they managed to get enough people voted in who were financially connected to them to have her fired. It was very messy and very dirty. She became a hero and a martyr to the town. The town soon became a place for only the wealthy and all the local businesses were gone within a year. A community of neighborhoods and an economically diverse population was over. The home of Henry David Thoreau could no longer be recognized.
So I have witnessed first-hand what is going on in Sedona right now. It is hard to stand up to greed. But if it is not stood up to, then it wins. And somehow that standing up is up to us. Who else is going to do it?
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6 Comments
The artificial intelligence won’t let me post — likely because I told the truth as i see it. I have tried to post multiple times and get a “Timeout Request” from the server. I am not ALLOWED to speak my mind and neither are you. The internet is now compromised — no one is allowed to go against the narrative.
By the end of the month the push back will be HUGE. Be sure to stock up. Remember, Airbnb is only one symptom of a MUCH larger problem. The SToRM approaches.
JB I think I just did speak my mind. And so did you.
nope.
I did speak with Scott Jablow the Vice-Mayor after he responded to what I wrote. He is on the same page and agrees. It’s also more complicated and worse than I had thought. The Goldwater Institute wrote the Arizona Air B&B Law and will sue the State if they change it to protect the town and its residents. Scott says they are hiring a lobbyist now to try to undo the Law. The town is not yet ready to sue the State over the Law and the Governor now refuses to even discuss it. Although he has admitted it turned out to be a mistake.
If an attorney agrees to bring a class-action suit against the State and probably the Goldwater Institute, then I believe Sedona citizens can bring the suit without the town. The town can join the suit later. I believe that the publicity around the suit may slow down the investment in the spread of Air B&Bs in Sedona as it may no longer seem like a sure thing.
Peter is right, the AZ state legislature about 7 years ago passed a law mandating every town & county must allow Airb&bs. Before that the city had in place an ordinance against rentals for less than 30 days.
I agree, Sedona is not what it was when I moved there in 1991, but then again either am I. However, the real estate market which is the core of the community has been over taken by b&bs at the same time destroying the small town community atmosphere. How can your neighbor become your best friend when it’s a different neighbor every weekend.
If the real estate market were to drop as a result of the mega drought or the economy as it did in 2009-10, a large majority of homes will sit empty and later fall into foreclosure. Not a pretty picture for a beautiful town.
Ron Sievert
previous owner of
Flags, Kites & Fun at the Y
Have you all been attending the city council meetings or the school board meets? How about getting involved in your local Republican-Conservative’s people.? THEY are the people that will help you fight, organize your neighbors etc., and go for it. “They” want us to think that we are wrong and they are right and I am here to tell you, they are sadly mistaken and we must STOP letting them run over us. You have some really good groups that hold regular monthly meetings. GET INVOLVED! Because it’s like you said – you trusted them and that is what they counted on and look where are! NO MORE AT LEAST WITHOUT A FIGHT. When we speak – things change.
Praise the Lord that Camp Verde is still pretty calm but according to Dan Engler the former editor of the Verde Independent and the Bugle – the county and Camp Verde are the only places left to have room for affordable housing – he wondered how the locals could be coerced into selling their land for these purposes, can you imagine? I’m frankly surprised that he can still walk caring a set of —– that big!
ALSO PRAY FOR THE LORD TO REVEAL THE EVIL FOR WHAT IT IS – GREED IS EVIL NO MATTER HOW THEY “BILL”IT.