Residents of Lake Montezuma still haven’t had their Christmas wishes come true. That means the lake that gives the community its name will be reclaimed, but it has been dry since the spring of 2023.
Douglas Edgelow, owner of Sedona Vineyards LLC, purchased the former Beaver Creek Golf Course, which includes a body of water known as Lake Montezuma, for $2.5 million in August 2022 and later turned the property into a 50-room boutique They announced plans to turn it into a hotel. It features 57 wine villas and a 7,000 square foot restaurant.
Sedona Vineyards’ website states, “Our walking and biking trails are located throughout our 108 acres.” “They run alongside a stream and lake on the property, which will also have a fishing pier. Our lake is on the migration route, so it serves as a temporary home for many interesting birds and geese. The property is located at an elevation of 3,500 feet and wildlife such as deer and javelina are regularly seen.
The lake, which is “on the way to migration,” has been dry since Edgelow vacated it in spring 2023.
“[Residents] “I’m very upset that the lake will not be filled,” said Yavapai County District 2 Supervisor James Gregory. “I don’t blame them, it’s a great community, and [that’s the] The highlight. ”
“The pond was drained to repair overgrown weeds that were eroding the banks, and to carry out other repair and maintenance work to the pump house and the entrance to the pump house, which was clearly filled with mud,” Edgelow said. ” said Yavapai County Development Services Director Jeremy Dye.
Lake maintenance is a condition of the property’s planned area development zoning, established in October 2004. Under state law, any violation of the zoning ordinance is a Class 2 misdemeanor and is Edgelow’s responsibility.
Dye said Edgerow was granted an extension to bring the facility into compliance because of the complexity of the situation.
“Enforcement started with our Code Compliance Department,” Dye said. “They sent a letter to [Edgelow] … states that violations were observed. He then went to an administrative hearing officer. Administrative hearing officers are like administrative courts that handle zoning violation cases. His case went before an administrative hearing officer on Nov. 12, when he went before an administrative hearing officer on charges of zoning violations for failing to maintain water in the lake. ”
Mr. Edgelow did not appear at the hearing. As a result, the hearing officer entered a default judgment in Yavapai County’s favor and set the pond’s reclamation date for Monday, January 20th. If the lake is not filled by that date, Mr. Edgelow will pay a $10,000 civil penalty.
“He can sue, but that lake needs to be reclaimed,” Gregory said.
Gregory said Edgelow has appealed the decision to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, but a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.
“Since he did not appear at the hearing, he cannot present any new evidence,” Gregory said. “So it should be interesting to see how that goes.”
Resident Alexi Arens staged a “peaceful protest on the island in the lake asking for a Christmas miracle to get our water back.” The display features holiday ornaments, a small Christmas tree, poinsettias, and a banner that says “Merry Christmas.” where is my lake? ”
“The foundation of my house is cracking due to soil shrinkage,” said Rimrock resident Julie Uratowski. “We’ve already spent over $12,000 on things that can be repaired, but there’s no guarantee it won’t crack again. We couldn’t even sell the house at this point.”
Dye said he could not confirm any reports of damage to neighboring residents’ properties because the lake was empty.
“[There] “It was a peaceful atmosphere, but the community is really devastated to see the damage,” Allens said.
“We take this issue very seriously and, like our residents, would love to see the lake filled in,” Dye said. “It is the responsibility of the landowner to keep the lake filled.”
