By Ron Eland | Sedona Red Rock News
What a difference a few minutes makes. As the Sedona City Council was finishing up three hours of discussion on the proposed Marriott Residence Inn, it was anyone’s guess as to how the vote was going to go. But in the end, the developer sweetened the pot in terms of the amount he is willing to give to help with the local housing crisis. A zone change request for the project passed unanimously on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
In the end, developer Paul Welker agreed to give $625,000 to the city’s affordable housing fund at the time the building permit is issued and an additional $199,000 — $824,000 total — to the same fund upon receiving its certificate of occupancy. Additional community benefits are listed later in this story. The 90-room hotel will be adjacent to the existing Courtyard by Marriott, which sits at the intersection of State Route 89A and Upper Red Rock Loop Road. It will sit on just over 3 acres with an additional three-quarter acres of open space, which will be used for drainage.
