Archives > Coolidge Examiner > Top Stories
Preservation expansion receives councils' support
By Sean Higgins
Staff Writer
Published:
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Graphic provided by the city of Coolidge, Four of the 12 proposed boundary expansions at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge are shown in the above graphic.
The Ruins staff and other archaeological site preservationists have been involved in discussions for several years, but have just acquired one imperative step in the right direction — the support of both local councils.
The Coolidge City Council voted unanimously Oct. 26 to support the expansion on the city’s behalf and on Aug. 3, the Florence Town Council voted unanimously to do the same.
Project officials have been working to acquire the land necessary to move forward with the expansion. But the official support from both the city of Coolidge and the town of Florence is an imperative and valuable step, said Doug Craig of Northland Research and director of the Friends of the Ruins.
The proposal includes several archeological sites that are associated with the north side of the ancient canal.
The areas under discussion include two major parcels of land.
One of the sites is the Poston Butte Ruins located near Arizona 287 and Clemens Road between Coolidge and Florence.
The second site is the Escalante Platform Mound complex near Hunt Highway and Valley Farms Road northwest of Florence.
The Poston Butte site will include around 30 acres, which are located north and south of Arizona 287 and near the San Carlos Irrigation Project canal.
Project officials have sought out the owner, who has expressed an interest in trading the privately owned land for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that connects with the private land east of the site.
The Escalante complex consists of 160 acres of Arizona State Trust Land, which includes the Escalante Platform and the compound wall and residential area. Another 320 acres will complete the Escalante site, but part of the land is currently bank-owned.
The six sites under discussion are sprinkled along Hunt Highway, spreading from Attaway Road to where the Union Pacific Railroad crosses the San Carlos Irrigation Project canal.
The State Trust has long recognized the importance of the property and has expressed its support of the area’s preservation.
Currently, the property is leased for mineral use but is not in operation.
The other portion of the land formerly was known as Merrill Ranch, which went into foreclosure and was repossessed by People’s Bank of Georgia. The property currently is listed for sale, and the bank has indicated its cooperation in selling a portion of the property for preservation.
Also included are three bank-owned locations within the property formerly known as Merrill Ranch.
The other parcels include a 12-acre site adjacent to the Poston Butte Ruins, a 35-acre “Last Water Ruin” and a large village site located at the end of the prehistoric canal and a residential village located immediately west of the Escalante Platform.
The additional portions of land are largely underground and include very little surface features, but will be invaluable for future research when or if they are acquired.
Further research, which has been conducted largely by archeological supporters from the Center of Desert Archeology, located in Tucson, will continue as further planning and land acquisition is sought.
In other news, the city council approved the following items:
• A resolution that proposed an extension of the Alternative Expenditure Limitation was passed unanimously, 6-0, with Vice Mayor Jon Thompson absent.
• A minor general plan amendment on approximately 654 acres, more or less, from mixed use and regional commercial to master planned community, located north east of the intersection of Valley Farms Road and Coolidge Avenue, was tabled unanimously, 6-0.
• A resolution to adopt the Historic District Guidelines relating to the establishment for development within the historic district of the city of Coolidge was approved unanimously, 6-0.
Article Rating (4 * = highest)
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of TriValley Central or any of its publications.