Rob Adams
ROB ADAMS’ VISIONS FOR SEDONA…………KEEP SEDONA FIRST
“My vision as the Mayor of Sedona is to lead a collaborative effort to become a model city of sustainability, both economically and environmentally.”
Whether it has been attendance at art events, parades, film festivals, ribbon cuttings or a host of other public appearances, I have listened to the voices of our citizens and has heard a common vision; the city of Sedona should be in harmony with the world-class environment that surrounds us.
I was born and raised in the Southwest and have witnessed the rampant growth that has occurred with disregard for the sustainability of our resources. The result of the unplanned growth has been sprawling cities, lack of public transit, air and light pollution, depleting water supplies and numerous other environmental impacts. We are losing what has attracted people to the West.
Sedona has a unique opportunity to set a standard of living, which would be a model for other cities to follow. We are surrounded by national forest, so we know the boundaries of our growth area. This gives us the ability to plan what we want to “look and feel like” as a community. Our community plan, which was a collaborative visioning effort by our citizens, has given us a “road map” to guide our growth and development. The challenge before us is how do we balance sensitivity for our environmental resources and still generate the revenues necessary to provide the services that we need as a city?
We need to look at some of the cities that have had success in creating revenue sources and have maintained their desirability as a place to live. One example is Boulder Colorado. Many years ago, Boulder established a policy that it would not expand the boundaries of its city limits. The city made a commitment to make quality of life for its citizens a top priority. Boulder has established an extensive system of walking and biking trails, parks, recreational and cultural opportunities and a vibrant business community that has made that city one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. They had a plan and the stuck to it. Another example is Paradise Valley, Arizona. Like Boulder, Paradise Valley had a plan. They imposed strict building codes and development regulations, which prohibited “big box” stores and mass merchandising franchises from doing business in the city. The city encouraged the development of world-class resorts as a revenue generator. These resorts provide a wide range of recreational and cultural opportunities, fine dining and shopping for the citizens of Paradise Valley. Both Boulder and Paradise Valley have an abundance of open space, progressive “green building” and energy conservation codes, public transit and a quality of life that reflects their respective environments.
The City of Sedona is surrounded by one of the most spectacular natural environments in the world. We have an obligation to take the next step in stewardship. We need to envision a city that is in harmony with its environment and every decision that we make in our future development should reflect this goal. We need to become sustainably oriented by thinking green, preserving and enhancing our resources, and developing the city to reflect the way that we want to live. The architecture must fit the environment. Open space, recreational and cultural opportunities, and a city “heart” should become top priorities in our plan. We should support a business and art community that caters to the needs of our citizens as well as our visitors and reflects the unique character of our city.
It is time for the citizens of Sedona to work together toward a common goal; to create a city that reflects the world-class natural environment in which we live. Sedona First!
