Tusayan incorporated and Stilo got its land use plan approved based on promises of affordable permanent housing.  Despite all of those promises, there is no affordable permanent housing on the horizon as Stilo honcho Tom DePaolo confessed to the Town Council at its July 3^rd meeting.

DePaolo attended the meeting to update the council on Stilo’s progress. The company is working on setting aside a handful of double wide trailers at Camper Village. He admitted that permanent housing is three to four years away. As far as how that housing would evolve if it gets here,  DePaolo has no game plan.  He says that’s for the Town to decide because Stilo doesn’t live in Tusayan nor does it have any employees in Tusayan. He must have forgotten about Sandra Agnat the Planning Commissioner who is also a Stilo representative, that’s convenient.

As for Camper Village, DePaolo is still waiting for commercial development there. Once that happens, the people who live there will be moved aside.  For average working stiffs, there are no guarantees.  However those who towed the Stilo line may get special treatment. DePaolo stated, “What we don’t want to do is displace someone who is already here who brought us where we are quite frankly.”

And while some “temporary” housing may go up in the short term, DePaolo says Stilo is not obligated to improve the roads during the interim period. And DePaolo claims access road obligations don’t apply during this interim period at Camper Village.  This bold representation was made in spite of the fact that the Council required certain access changes by stipulation, and their own attorney promised it in a letter to the Council back in October before the Camper Village case went to a final vote.

DePaolo also told the Town Council there is no plan in place yet to bring water to supply the land use plan, which includes three million square feet of commercial space.  Stilo business partner Elling Halvorson has previously noted a federal law he backed that would allow developers to get water from the Parks Service.

What DePaolo is offering up is yet another survey on housing and development that is being distributed to Tusayan residents. That seems unneeded because Tusayan Town hall is doing the same thing. It’s a safe bet that the Stilo survey will read more like a sales pitch extolling the virtues of Tusayan’s corporate master and will likely serve as an excuse for delay.

It’s also worth noting that instead of brining a team of engineers and experts to the July 3^rd meeting, DePaolo brought his PR sidekick, Andy Jacobs, to give details about the survey.