UPDATE  Number 2:  If you already signed this petition in solidarity with us,  WE ALSO NEED YOUR PHYSICAL SIGNATURE on the Ballot Referendum to let Sedona Residents Decide at the November General Election.  

We will  have a table set up for signing the Ballot Referendum at Empire Nails Salon in the Basha's Shopping Center in West Sedona this Friday March 22 from 9AM - 6PM. Please stop by to sign the Referendum if you are a Registered Sedona Voter. 

We have volunteers all over Sedona who will bring one to you to sign, or you can come to any of our volunteers who will be happy to provide you with the petition.  Email ckretz@mindspring.com and someone will get back to you. 

Thank you and spread the word! We need your signature by March 31, 2024.

Background: On March 12, Sedona City Council voted 6-1 to pass the zoning change allowing a homeless car camp to be built at iconic Cultural Park.  The Mayor and City followed up their zoning change by proudly doing interviews to promote the Sedona homeless car camp to local and national TV/media. Now the adage "If you Build It, They will Come" will become a reality for this beautiful town. 

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I am a resident of West Sedona, AZ, representing many others who live within walking distance of Cultural Park, and we are asking the City of Sedona to reject the rezoning request and not open and operate a Homeless Parking Lot at the Cultural Park in Sedona. We believe this is a misguided idea and have little confidence in the plan’s success. 

The issue at hand is not about denying help to those in need; it’s about finding appropriate solutions that respect all members of our community. A temporary homeless car park for 2-years or longer does not address the root causes of homelessness nor provide long-term housing solutions for those affected by it. 

We urge local authorities to reconsider this decision and continue to explore alternative measures such as improving access to affordable indoor housing. This would be a better use of over $800,000 in grant funds from the Housing Authority, better for the environment (avoid dumping graywater, using Liquid Propane  for the hot water heater for showers and Diesel Fuel for the generator. ), and better for Sedona workers and residents. Let's work together towards sustainable solutions that respect both human dignity and our shared natural spaces.

The City is presenting this as “local workforce” housing. The homeless parking lot is unlikely to significantly help the local workforce because admission is not limited to those workers. The car park will admit unemployed parents with children and those too disabled to work. Sedona's actual workers will be crowded out by the unemployed and disabled who will be attracted to live here by the car park. When that happens the city plans to enlarge the car park (as stated by the City Housing Manager on a Zoom call Jan 30), which will be a catalyst to homelessness and not a solution.

This project was presented to the City Council on Jan 9 2024 as having broad community support and little resistance. That is not true. The City allowed minimal opportunity to learn about it or voice dissent. The City cannot provide credible numbers or data on how many homeless we have in Sedona vs how many homeless workers live in their car.  As people from all over Sedona learn more about the details, they are strongly against it. 

The City purchased Cultural Park for $23M in 2022 as a proposed site of affordable housing and an arts village. Now it wants to change the zoning to use it as a Homeless Car Park for the next two years or longer. It is planned to have 40 car spaces but the Housing Manager has said it can be expanded if the need grows.  Residents reasonably fear “If you build it, they will come!”

The Application Packet Maps submitted by the Housing Department on Jan 8, do not designate the large dirt lot adjacent to the road towards the rock quarry as part of the rezoning request.  A site visit reveals city signage outside the marked area that states a rezoning request with a hearing Feb 6th.   The city needs to clarify if they are also asking to rezone the adjacent lot too, or are they moving the marked lots elsewhere. This should be clear before new zoning is approved. 

Their plan stated that anyone within 300 feet of the homeless parking lot was contacted for comment. That minimal distance designation meant that the City did not contact the residents, subdivisions HOAs, hotels, or new developments planned within walking distance of the homeless camp.

Sedona's Cultural Park has been an integral part of our community for years, hosting numerous cultural events and serving as a green oasis in our city. It contributes to the unique character that makes Sedona special and attracts tourists from around the world. The proposed homeless car park threatens that natural oasis and jeopardizes Sedona's tourism economy. It also imperils the quality of life of the citizens in nearby neighborhoods.

Another Change.org petition acquired over 7000 signatures  trying to “Save the Sedona Arizona Cultural Park”  starting as early as 2017.  The city ignored that community outcry. On Feb 2, 2024 the updated petition states; “The City Council is pushing through their agenda to put  "Safe Parking for people who live in their cars" at the Cultural Park without input from the community as previously promised.”  

Economic research has shown that public funds spent on homelessness either have no effect or actually worsen homelessness.  Western cities from Phoenix to Portland have realized the dangers of encouraging homeless sites in their cities, and are now closing those sites.  Sedona should learn from mistakes made elsewhere instead of repeating those mistakes here. 

Please sign this petition if you want to stop the feckless plan for opening a homeless parking lot in Sedona’s Cultural Park.