Sedona council hears sharply divided views on Western Gateway master plan as housing, amphitheater and parks loom

Sedona city planners and outside consultants gave the City Council a detailed briefing on the draft Western Gateway Master Plan on Oct. 25, while residents and council members traded sharply different views over whether the 41-acre site should prioritize housing, cultural uses or open space.

The council meeting drew several hours of staff and consultant presentations, public comment and detailed questions from council members about how many housing units the site should hold, what type of housing would best serve the city’s workforce and families, and whether the Sedona Cultural Park amphitheater should be restored rather than redeveloped.

City planning staff said the draft plan currently reserves about 11.5 acres for housing with a maximum scenario of about 430 units, 4 acres for mixed-use commercial, about 9.5 acres for community benefits (parks, festival and recreation space) and roughly 10.5 acres of natural open space. Carrie, a city planning staff member who led the presentation, said the allocation is a starting point, not a final commitment, and that the council could give direction to change the mix.

Why this matters: Sedona faces a long-running local housing shortfall, pressure on schools and workforce recruitment, and competing desires to protect scenic and cultural character while expanding housing availability. The council’s choices for the Western Gateway site could shape where employees and families live and how the city balances visitor infrastructure with year-round resident needs.

What consultants told the council

Elliot Pollock, the housing consultant, summarized updated market work showing a substantial local affordability gap. He reported a 2020 Elliott Pollock assessment that estimated a 1,250-unit shortfall for Sedona (and larger regional shortfalls), and told the council a 2023 market update showed roughly 1,871 Sedona households are “cost-burdened” (paying 30% or more of income for housing). He said recent apartment projects absorbed quickly and that rental products (studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments) are the most feasible way to supply workforce housing.

Pollock’s presentation included current market statistics the council requested: median single-family sale prices around $1.1 million,…