Highways Define Communities

It’s De Déjà Vu All Over Again

Sedona, AZ (May 16, 2011) – In a startling revelation by one Sedona City Councilor, a slip of the tongue has ignited what the community thought was a democratic solution to the SR (State Route) 89a continuous roadway lighting issue.

In early March, 2011, a number of signature gatherers for Let The People Vote on 89a, canvassed the town pitching voters on the value of the democratic process of Referendum for voting up or down on an issue. Now, in a bombshell revelation at a public meeting, the truth be told: nope, the underlying motivation was not to get the issue of highway ownership and continuous roadway lighting in front of the populace for the final determination but rather to blow up the agreement the City entered into with ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) to turn back ownership of SR 89a in West Sedona. ADOT, most likely unwittingly, provided the firing pin to the bomb. As they stated publicly ), they’ve had enough of Sedona shenanigans regarding the continuous roadway lighting on SR 89a. ADOT most likely is saying: Swing in the wind, Sedona, we’ll keep our money and you’re getting lights, and when we’ve had our way, you’re going to own the highway anyway. And, they have every right to feel as they do.

Flash back 10 years to SR 179: same scenario, different road. This time it will be different. For those new to Sedona, SR 179 didn’t just happen. For the 10 years prior to rebuilding SR 179, the community and ADOT were embroiled in a tug of war about what kind of highway would be built. ADOT wanted to build a 4 lane expressway from the Forest Service Visitor Center to the Y in Sedona. Many Sedonans wanted a more leisurely 2 lane highway winding sinuously through the red rocks. The 2 Laners versus the 4 laners. And it got ugly. The solution? A series of community meetings (google Charrettes) where the entire community was invited to come together and design the highway. Cookies and milk were served. The result? An award winning highway. Some liked the roundabouts, some didn’t. ADOT said you’re getting traffic control, which do you want? We were given a choice: stoplights or roundabouts. Sedona made the decision. When the highway was finished we asked those displeased people: did you attend any charrettes ? If you didn’t participate, your vote didn’t get counted. But Sedona had a choice and she voted. Fast forward to today…

A group calling itself “Let the People Vote on 89a”, many of whom are former four laners, filed a Referendum calling for the question: who wants Sedona to own SR 89a, accept the $15 million from ADOT and design her own highway or who wants ADOT to keep the highway and its $15 million, and install the continuous roadway lighting? Once again we have the community- gets-to-decide a la SR 179. Only one giant wrinkle in the democratic process this time: ADOT has withdrawn its proposal so, in effect, the decision has been made for Sedona. The four laners win, this time without a vote.

We have an unprecedented case facing the voters : they have expressed their constitutional Will and Right to Vote, and ADOT, by their decision to not allow time enough for the vote before the agreement dies, have denied the citizens their right to have their votes mean anything. An election on a referendum that has no meaning or effect is a waste of time and a waste of money. What makes most sense is to allow time for the citizens of Sedona to vote.

At the May 10 meeting the Sedona City Council voted to publicly ask ADOT to postpone its decision to let the agreement expire. Allowing the agreement to expire would effectively disenfranchise the Sedona citizens of their right to vote on this monumental issue. The firing pin for the next bomb could be removed by waiting. “Highways define communities” said eminent highway engineer Walter Kulash during the SR 179 debate. Asking ADOT to wait a short 6 months is not an unreasonable request to allow Sedona to vote, once and for all, how the highway will define the future of Sedona.