Sedona pilots reflective pavement in Uptown and launches heat‑safety messaging as part of heat‑island work

Sedona sustainability staff described multiple efforts to address urban heat, including a reflective ("cool") pavement pilot in an Uptown public parking lot, a heat‑safety messaging campaign for visitors and residents, and planning for urban tree planting and other mitigation measures.

Staff said the city’s urban heat‑island mapping, produced with NOAA, Arizona State University and volunteer citizen scientists, identified sections of town that can reach about 9 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than nearby areas. To test mitigation options the city installed a reflective pavement material in Uptown Parking Lot 5 in three colors — gray, tan and terracotta — with solar reflectivity values the presentation described as greater than 30%. Staff said the pilot is intended to measure surface and near‑surface temperature changes and to test durability. The sustainability presentation noted other cities (including Phoenix and Los Angeles) have used similar materials at scale and that some trials have produced durability concerns; staff said Sedona’s pilot will collect data this summer to evaluate performance.

Council members raised community outreach questions after staff said direct outreach to Uptown residents about the pilot had been limited. Staff said they had engaged the volunteer citizen scientists who helped create the heat map and that they would follow up to answer concerns and explain expected benefits and maintenance expectations. The sustainability presentation also noted a potential secondary benefit: when applied on new or near‑end‑of‑life asphalt the coating can act as pavement preservation and could extend asphalt service life by a projected eight to ten years, according to staff and the product manufacturer.

Staff described a parallel heat‑messaging campaign coordinated with Visit Sedona, the U.S. Forest Service and state parks. The tourism office posted heat tips on the Visit Sedona webpage; Forest Service partners agreed to deploy A‑frame messages a short distance past trailheads to intercept hikers; and local businesses agreed to post in‑town messaging so visitors learn heat precautions before starting hikes. Staff also mentioned planned tree‑planting and shade‑structure efforts and said they have compiled a locally reviewed list of drought‑tolerant native shade trees for future plantings.

Councilors and staff discussed tradeoffs between new hardscape (shared‑use paths, a parking garage) and heat mitigation, noting infrastructure for walking and biking also supports reduced vehicle miles. Staff said the heat‑map approach allows targeted interventions on the hottest blocks rather than uniform treatments across the city.

Staff will collect temperature and durability data from the Parking Lot 5 pilot this summer, report back to council and continue outreach to Uptown stakeholders about next steps.