Planning & Zoning approves five-year conditional use permit for Base Camp / Sedona Beer Company

The Sedona Planning & Zoning Commission on April 7 approved a conditional use permit for Base Camp / Sedona Beer Company to allow outdoor music, community events and outdoor movie nights at 70 Dry Creek Road (Case PZ26-00001CUP), adopting staff findings and conditions with the commission-amended permit term of five years.

Staff described the site as approximately 0.86 acres currently used as a microbrewery and noted three past temporary use permits for events. The staff report said event applications indicate attendance ranging from about 100 to 400 people and that past events typically concluded between 7 and 9 p.m.; staff recommended a three-year CUP with conditions addressing parking, noise and frequency of events and noted the site falls under the city’s noise regulations.

The applicant, speaking as the business owner/operator, described partnerships with local nonprofits and the Sedona International Film Festival, and said event infrastructure (projection angles and audio) has been designed to minimize sound beyond the property. “So far, our events have been really popular,” the applicant said, adding that movie nights and community fundraisers drew families and raised donations for local groups.

Several public speakers supported the permit. Tim Perry, a Sedona resident, urged the commission to approve the request and argued the city needs more outdoor spaces: “We need more music, more dancing, more parties, and yes, we need more beer too,” he said. Patrick Schweiss of the Sedona International Film Festival said prior movie nights at Base Camp had been “phenomenal,” reported no complaints and said the site’s operators installed electrical infrastructure at their own expense.

Commission discussion focused on the appropriate CUP term length and enforcement. Staff and commissioners noted typical first-round CUPs run three to five years and that the city’s sound ordinance and established code-enforcement procedures would address any complaints. Multiple commissioners commended the applicant’s community outreach and responsibility and said past behavior supported a longer initial term.

Commissioner (speaker 1) moved to approve the case adopting the staff report and conditions with the amendment that the CUP be approved for five years; the motion was seconded by Chair Wheel and the measure passed, recorded as passing unanimously. The commission had earlier noted one commissioner’s recusal from the matter.

The CUP approval includes the set of conditions listed in the staff packet (the staff report was adopted as findings of the commission). The commission and staff indicated that any code-enforcement complaints would be addressed promptly under the city’s sound ordinance rather than waiting for the CUP review period to expire.

The planning commission closed the item and moved to the next agenda item.