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| What
is Sedona Like? |
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The city of Sedona is situated at the mouth of spectacular Oak Creek Canyon and is characterized by massive red rock formations and incredible views. It is entirely surrounded by pristine National Forest wilderness.
Located at an elevation of 4500 feet in Arizona’s high desert country, Sedona is blessed with four mild seasons, abundant sunshine and clean air. The annual average high and low temperatures are 74.7 and
45.6 degrees.
Of the city’s approximately 19-square mile area, only 51% is privately owned. The remaining 49% is part of the Coconino National Forest. Along with the nearby enclave of Oak Creek Village, some 18,000 people reside in the area.
It is predicted that at the current rate of development, Sedona will be 93% built out by
2015.
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Taxes:
Although
the Village of Oak Creek is located solely in Yavapai
county, the city of Sedona is divided between Yavapai
and Coconino counties. Residential property taxes are
similar in both counties, and are less than 1% of a property’s
selling price.
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Medical
Facilities:
Although unusual for a community the size of Sedona, the city
has its own medical facility, a branch of the Verde Valley Medical
Center (VVMC), located in Cottonwood. In addition, VVMC also
operates a small clinic in nearby Oak Creek Village. The Sedona
Campus boasts a complete Cancer treatment center and a newly
installed Siemens 16-slice CT Scanner. It also has a 24/7 Emergi-Center
with Board-Certified physicians trained in the latest Cardiac,
Pediatric and Trauma Life Support procedures. Although it only
offers outpatient services, visitors requiring inpatient care
can be quickly transported by ground or air to the main hospital,
a 110-bed facility, in Cottonwood. A staff of 800 professionals,
including 80 physicians provide care in 21 different medical
specialties.
Residents
of Sedona also have access to numerous skilled practitioners
who operate in private offices throughout the area, as well
as to the Sedona Urgent Care Clinic.
Educational
Facilities:
The Sedona-Oak Creek Joint Unified School District includes
Sedona Red Rock High School, a modern campus consisting of four
buildings, the West Sedona Elementary School and the Big Park
Elementary School in the Village of Oak Creek. A Montessori
and a Waldorf school and numerous private elementary and college
prep schools also serve the area’s educational needs.
Yavapai
Community College, headquartered in Prescott, has a local Sedona
campus offering a varied curriculum of adult courses. Sedona
is also home to the Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Film
Making. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff,
approximately 35 miles north of Sedona.
| Community
Facilities:
A full complement of public services are offered by institutions
such as the Sedona Public Library, the Sedona Center for
Arts and Technology, the Sedona Creative Life Center (to
the right), the Sedona Historical Society and the Sedona
Humane Society, plus a long list of charitable organizations.
In fact, volunteerism is essentially a profession in Sedona
because so many corporate executives, educators, and private
entrepreneurs have retired here.
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Places
of Worship:
There
are more than 30 religious sanctuaries in the Sedona-VOC
area, many of them in beautiful edifices specifically
designed to take advantage of the inspirational views
that surround them.
The
Chapel of the Holy Cross (to the left), sitting high up
in the red rocks east of Highway 179, has been a compelling
landmark since its completion in 1956. The towering cross
and awesome panorama of buttes, valley and sky are a source
of spiritual reflection and prayer.
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Special
Needs:
For people with disabilities, Sedona is a visitor-friendly
place where one can find enhancing quality-of-life experiences.
Most of the community’s newer facilities, including City
Hall and various visitor centers, comply with requirements imposed
by the Americans With Disabilities Act. In addition, parks,
picnic and camping grounds, restaurants and lodges, tour companies
and theatres have made sincere efforts to meet the special needs
of the physically disabled. All visitor centers operated by
the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Chamber of Commerce have an extensive
list of facilities with accessibility information.
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