A proposal by the Arizona Department of Transportation to sell two parcels of land near State Route 179 and Sombart Lane to the City of Sedona could pave the way for a long-envisioned creekwalk as part of the local parks and trails system.
Deputy City Manager Andy Dickey informed the City Council about the proposal at a retreat last month and added the land could be used for trails and/or a creek park. The site is located south of a recently completed pedestrian underpass. A future creekwalk could connect between the parcel and the underpass at SR 179.
The other end of the creekwalk could connect to the Ambiente: Creekside hotel in the Uptown area.
Staff is considering advancing the plan in the upcoming fiscal year. The draft plan shows the route running south along Oak Creek’s west bank from Ambiente, crossing the creek with a footbridge to the Oak Creek Heritage Lodge and then recrossing past Tlaquepaque down to the ADOT property.
Discussions of Oak Creek-area walking paths and footbridges date back to 1993. In 2014, the creekwalk cost was estimated at $1.6M and has risen to $5.5M as of last month. (Source)
