Local News

Will Tusayan Try To Build Affordable Housing Without Stilo?

May 15, 2016

 Is Tusayan able to move ahead on affordable housing on 40 acres of land at Kotzin, without Stilo’s controversial development plans? The Forest Service returned an application to expand long Jim Loop Road in order to accommodate Stilo’s massive project and the Town’s 40 acres of affordable housing.Mayor Craig Sanderson said affordable housing will take precedence over retail or market housing. We asked the Mayor how that impacts the Forest Service road issue and its return. 

Sanderson said, “We want to work with the Forest Service to make sure it can happen but the easement that’s required for the development we submitted has problems, it was returned to us. You know as well as I do when that’s gonna happen again, we don’t.”

We then asked the mayor would the town then consider submitting a scaled down request for a road that would only serve the affordable housing portion of Kotzin. Sanderson replied, “We are considering all options to do what we can.  The development is important but every bit as important is the community and that’s what we’re here for is housing. So, we’re going to do our best not to be stymied in our efforts to make this a better place to live.”