Sedona, AZ Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Section 5.7.D(3), Sensitive Area Protection in the OC Zoning District, implements the Schnebly Character Focus Area plan and applies specifically to properties in Sedona's OC (Oak Creek) zoning district, not citywide. Its core rule protects Oak Creek itself: the floodway and its riparian habitat must be permanently protected in its natural state to preserve habitat, maintain stormwater functions, minimize flood damage, and preserve the creek as a historical and character-defining feature of Sedona. Permanent structures are barred from the floodway outright; the only improvements the Code allows within the mapped floodway are minor ones such as trails, recreation amenities, or temporary structures other than tents or tent-like structures.

Beyond the floodway itself, the OC district carries a broader open-space mandate. Development has to be clustered so that at least 25 percent of the site, which can include hillsides and floodplains, remains open space; paved areas cannot count toward that 25 percent. That open space also has to connect: it must be uninterrupted and contiguous with open space and natural areas on neighboring properties, and drainages that flow into Oak Creek must be retained unaltered as linear natural corridors rather than channelized or built over. Hillsides identified in the Schnebly Plan as visible from Uptown and Highway 89 are separately protected to preserve scenic views and control erosion.

The set-aside isn't meant to sit idle. Section 5.7.D(3)b lists parks, greenways, trails, and other recreation amenities, along with orchards, gardens, and other agricultural uses, as permitted activities within the required open space.