No benefits to enclosing center area

Sedona residents told the Governing Board November 1 that they oppose spending $1.7 million to enclose the outside center area of the Sedona Center.  The dispute over wasting this money is between the College staff who want the space enclosed and the citizens who do not.

Citizens argued to the Governing Board at the November 1 meeting that the enclosure will “irrevocably destroy the architecture of the building.” 

They also argued that for taxpayers of the County that the college is making an extremely poor financial decision. According to the Sedona folks, enclosing the Center area increases by at least 40% the total cost of the culinary program. It does this without adding any programming or educational benefits to the students—young or old.  

The presentation made to the Governing Board on this issue by Mr. Joel Staadecker of Sedona can be viewed by clicking here.

Reduction of Kitchens at Sedona Center new Culinary School Challenged before Sedona City Council

Yavapai Community College has been telling Sedona residents that it is going to invest around $5.8 million in renovating the Sedona Center.  As a part of that renovation, it will install a Culinary school. However, as it begins to develop its plan, the first step was to reduce the number of kitchens needed from four to two.  According to the College, two will do the work of four.

Mr. Paul Chevalier, the co-chair of the now dissolved Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, alerted the Sedona Mayor and Council to the decision by the College to reduce the teaching kitchens from four to two at the Sedona City Council meeting September 27, 2016. He said that he was a party to the various early meetings with the College and local culinary experts about the culinary school.  He said that at the time everyone talked about having “four separate kitchens; one each for commercial, teaching, pastry, and chocolate.”  In early September he was notified via email of the newest configuration.   To his surprise, the diagram sent to him “had only two kitchens.”

According to Mr. Chevalier, there is not sufficient room in the existing renovated Center for culinary, the Osher Life Long Institute, and general education classes.  “Everything got promised,” he told the Mayor and Council. Chevalier argued that with the money now allotted to renovate the Center, it would be better spent on constructing a separate 10,000 square foot building to house the culinary program.

He said that the final decision on the Culinary school has been delegated to the College President, Penelope Wills.  “She is the person [the Mayor and Council] must talk to,” said Mr. Chevalier.  His short speech to the Mayor and Council can be viewed by clicking here.

Citizens Charge Yavapai College Plan will Destroy the Center’s Esthetics

A Yavapai Community College plan to enclose the circular part of the College’s Sedona Center has drawn fire from Sedona residents.  As one resident put it:

The College intends to “desecrate the architectural integrity of the Sedona building by destroying the “Kiva” — a take-off on one of the world’s great ancient architectural wonders, the “Alhambra”, in Granada Spain . . .. They intend to destroy this area by closing it in — a true tragedy for the Sedona community.”

Sedona resident Carol Landower (phonetic spelling) argued at the Sedona City Council meeting September 27, 2016  that the Cerntgertis integrated into and specific to the Sedona landscape. She charged that the College was “destroying art.  You are destroying the beauty and serenity of that building.”

 You may view the argument for preventing the College from proceeding with its plan by clicking here.