Wow that sucks... That airport is on my list one day to visit when I get my PPL. I hate it when this happens. I use to live in a place where Diesel trckes would have to come down a long grade and would rely on their Jakes brakes fore safety and as the town grew closer to the freeway a big petition went around town to ban Jakes Brakes country wide... All because these people chose to live there and did not like the sound that had beeen there for years before. House prices were cheap for a reason...I am glad they did not win..
Now I will say this in regards to Sedona... I was there over the 2012 new years holiday and all day long while hiking all we heard were helicopters on sight seeing tours and the Stearman Biplane giving tours... What was crazy is my girlfriends only complaint was the aircraft noise. That and the damn Timeshere people acosting you while in town.. Anyhow, while hiking we discussed the implications of closing an airport and how once closed it never reopens and also we want to fly into Sedona together one day as well. However even being a pilot it was noticable...
I absolutely dont think it should be closed, but maybe less tours should happen. I kept an eye on what was coming and going throught the day and the ones that seemed most offensive sound wise were the tours and not so much the planes arriving and departing.
Sedona is an odd town. It is nearly impossible to walk through town without people acosting you to join their timeshares. As soon as you say no to one, another trys to grab you. The entire town is all about fleecing tourists in one way or another. Jeep tours, ATV tours, Vortex tours, mounting biking tours and obviously aireal tours... Its hard to drive through town without seeing a line of Pink Jeeps on tour, yet people dont complain. This town attracts people for tuorism and survives because of it and maybe the town should look into itself a bit before going after the airport. They have created their own disneyland and the beauty of Sedona seems spoiled its so comercial now...
However with that said, cutting back on the Helicopter tours and perhaps the biplane a bit would probably help and preserve the airport a bit longer. Or maybe at least raise the altitude at which the tours can happen. I voted not a problem....