Planning commission recommends denial of Canyon Vista preliminary plat over utility, access and code issues

The Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission on May 20 recommended denial of the Canyon Vista preliminary plat (case PZ2300005), an 11‑lot cluster subdivision proposed for approximately 5.72 acres at 463 Brewer Road. Commissioners voted unanimously to forward a recommendation of denial to the City Council, citing failure to meet multiple Land Development Code (LDC) standards and outstanding agency comments.

Assistant planner Megan Gates presented the staff report. The application would convert a vacant 5.72‑acre parcel zoned RS‑10 into an 11‑lot single‑family cluster subdivision. Staff noted the project differs from an earlier abandoned application (an 8‑lot traditional subdivision) and that the current submittal lacks required information in several areas. Key staff findings included non‑compliance with Article 7 subdivision requirements, concerns about lot orientation and irregular lot shapes, insufficient access easement widths for Lot 5 (track C did not meet the 30‑foot width requirement), potential silhouetting of houses on the crest of the hill (no compliant line‑of‑sight provided), lack of demonstrated utility approvals (Arizona Water Company and Sedona utilities comments outstanding), and Sedona Fire District concerns about singular access and dead‑end turnarounds in a Wildland‑Urban Interface area.

Multiple commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on utilities and access. Commissioner Collie (name given in discussion) said she could not entertain the project without a minimum showing of utility serviceability from Arizona Water Company; Commissioner Rob Smith and others noted updated plans and cross sections were provided but questioned whether the packet in commissioners’ hands contained the latest materials.

Owner/applicant William Hyer (CV Development Sedona, Inc.) explained the project history, the rationale for using building envelopes and common‑area tracts to protect steep hillsides and limit visible disturbance, and his intention to use a homeowners association and a recorded declaration to manage common area access, maintenance, and potential rental restrictions. He and civil engineer Luke Sefton described the proposed 24‑foot paved road section, hammerhead turnarounds and fire‑department vehicle turning templates submitted in recent submittals. Hyer said he and his team had met with utility companies but that some formal approvals and final engineering would come at the final plat/permitting stage.

Commissioners repeatedly raised LDC approval criteria (LDC §8.3(e)(5) and §8.5) requiring that a preliminary plat provide adequate public services and facilities, safe access, and compliance with subdivision standards prior to approval. Several commissioners stated the submittal was incomplete and that critical information – especially formal utility commitment letters and Sedona Fire District concurrence on access and turnarounds – was missing or insufficiently documented. Concerns included whether lots 7–11 have space for individual driveways, a proposed 4‑foot trail substitution for sidewalks that could reduce pedestrian connectivity, and grading proposed within no‑development tracts.

After public comment (no public cards submitted for this item) and further discussion, a motion to recommend denial to the City Council was moved and seconded. The motion adopted staff’s findings: denial based on lack of compliance with LDC Article 7 and the findings in LDC §8.3(e)(5), and on outstanding agency comments and code non‑conformities. The commission voted unanimously to recommend denial; the staff report and exhibits were adopted as the commission’s findings.

The recommendation to deny is advisory to the City Council; the final decision rests with council when the item is scheduled for its consideration. The applicant can revise the preliminary plat and resubmit addressing the outstanding utility, fire, access and lot design issues staff identified.