Resort Company Plans Condos, Timeshares, Hotel In Sedona

It's a rare find by any measure: 21 acres of buildable land in the heart of a renowned tourist destination.

ILX Resorts bought the scenic land in Sedona last fall for $8.4 million from the federal government. Now, the timeshare resort company, which owns the abutting Los Abrigados Resort & Spa, wants to cash in on the valuable site of scenic red-rock vistas.

It announced plans to build 90 timeshare units, a 12-unit hotel and nine luxury condominiums as well as a public park.

Company executives expect the proposed development, called the Villages at Heritage Park, will be the resort company's largest project.

On Friday, ILX Resorts filed with the city of Sedona an application to change the community's master plan, needed to accommodate the development. That triggers a months-long public vetting process that could stretch to mid-2007 or longer before a shovel of dirt is turned, said John O'Brien, Sedona's community development director.

Executives of the Phoenix company say they are familiar with the Sedona community's concerns about the impact such a development could have on the exclusive area.

Chief Executive Officer Joseph P. Martori said the timeshare project would include an "inviting design" that touches on the area's history. And in a nod to the community's concerns about growth, Martori said about 60 percent of the development will be left as open space. The company did not reveal an estimated project cost.

"We know there is a no-growth element in the community," Martori said. "I think it will defy logic if they turn this down."

The jewel of the public space will be Heritage Park, a public park that will include a former U.S. Forest Service ranger station. Also, several acres of open space will be kept as natural preserves.

ILX Resorts also bought an additional acre of land where it plans to build a small facility for Sedona Project, a consortium of Colorado State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona and other universities seeking to research agricultural and environmental sustainability.

The new timeshare resort will share common-area amenities such as a lobby and restaurants with the company's abutting resort, Los Abrigados Resort & Spa, according to Chief Financial Officer Margaret Eardley.

"That area in particular is considered the heart of Sedona," said Barbara Litrell, president of Keep Sedona Beautiful, a community organization. "We want to make sure it is consistent with the environment and the surroundings. ... We would hope they do the right thing."

O'Brien said the public will have ample time to weigh in on the development, which he described as the city's largest commercial project in about three years.

ILX Resorts' filing triggers a 60-day review period to allow all interested parties to comment on the proposed plan change. The city's staff will later review the plan and comments.

A City Council vote is scheduled for September.

If the company wins a master plan change, it then must seek zoning allowances for timeshare units, a hotel and luxury condominiums. The city may not vote on any zoning changes before summer 2007, O'Brien said.

ILX Resorts, along with partner James Bruno Enterprises of Chandler, emerged as the winning bidder for the prized site after last year's federal auction held by the U.S. General Services Administration.

The site includes a former U.S. Forest Service ranger station southeast of the city's intersection of Arizona 179 and Arizona 89A.

The federal government auctioned the land to raise money for other administrative facilities at another site. Looks like Yogi might be buying a timeshare after all.