Sedona, Arizona

Clarion Associates worked with the City of Sedona to update their 20-year-old land development code (LDC). The project began in late 2016 with an analysis of the current LDC as well as an annotated outline that describes how the new regulations could be restructured. The code is was rewritten in a series of three parts, with a strong emphasis on implementing the Sedona Community Plan. First, the districts and uses were redesigned to be more user-friendly and to create opportunities for mixed-use.

Next, the development standards were overhauled to raise the bar for quality development and to clarify the current complex design standards, including integration of the city’s design review manual, which in many cases involves turning guidelines into regulations and simplifying complex provisions relating to issues such as building design and building color. The final part addresses administration and procedures and introduces a more streamlined approach to development review of site plans and conditional uses. Following all three parts, Clarion prepared a consolidated draft which was unanimously  adopted in winter of 2018.  The LDC received the APA Arizona Chapter award for “Best Ordinance” in 2019.