The Town of Camp Verde is looking at a plan that would eventually allow the Verde Valley Archaeology Center to purchase land to build a new, more permanent home.
The property is off of Home-stead Parkway, not far from where State Route 260 meets I-17.
The land is also known to contain at least eight ancient pit houses built by the Sinagua people, inhabitants of the area who disappeared from the Verde Valley in the 15th century.
The land will be made available by developer Scott Simonton, who had originally looked at the area for possible construction projects.
The proposed plan would transfer some land to the archaeology center while providing an option to purchase other adjacent plots of land.
The Town of Camp Verde would construct a curb and gutter as well as paving an access road.
The center would provide for the construction of a water line to the site.
“We’ve been working on this for literally eight months,” said Steve Ayers, Camp Verde Economic Development director.
Ayers said that if the deal goes through, the archaeology center would agree to remain in Camp Verde for at least the next 50 years.
The estimated cost of paving the road is $350,000, he said.
The water line would cost the archaeology center about $75,000.
Ayers also said that the land around the area is being offered cheaper per acre than other park land the Town of Camp Verde has purchased, including 118 acres bought for $2.4 million from the U.S. Forest Service in 2008 near State Route 260 and McCracken Lane.
Todd Willard, a district ranger with the Prescott National Forest, said that use of the land around the archaeology center would likely help curb “illicit activities” that are occasionally observed in the area.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, June 17, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.
