Vice Mayor Craig Sanderson is a pilot and employee of Stilo business partner Elling Halvorson.

He is also opposed to the vastly unpopular southern access route along Long Jim Loop Road that would link Highway 64 to the Kotzin Ranch portion of Stilo’s environmentally damaging development in Tusayan.

This is not to say that Sanderson is opposed to the Stilo project. And he still favors access. He just thinks the southern access is a bad idea. Here is a portion of his letter to the Forest Service.

“I share concerns with many in the community and am not in favor of the southern access to Kotzin (KS1) as proposed. I would prefer the southern access to Kotzin Ranch start at the southeast part of Kotzin then travel north along the power line to join the northern road. Another option to provide access to the southern portion of Kotzin would be from the northern roundabout.”

We asked the Vice Mayor to comment further. He said, “Just hearing from others in the community, I think from the location of the school, the potential loss of revenue by the businesses that are currently along the strip. In other words having a bypass route. Those are the primary issues.”

The southern access route would put thousands of cars next to a school site and current town park. The access route would also bypass the local businesses and business owners that have helped build Tusayan.

Sanderson is aware of these issues and responded as such. So far most of the people who support the southern access are those who stand to make a profit from it.

Councilman Bill Fitzgerald opposes the Stilo project and notes the proposed southern access is a safety hazard. His letter to the Forest Service states in part:

While still opposing the project, Fitzgerald has proposed an alternate norther access route. Here is a link to his letter.

By some estimates opposition to the entire access proposal has topped 200,000 people.