Mayor Goode praised Baynes, the Storm Family and all others involved in making the purchase possible.
City officials praised the purchase of the additional land. In an exclusive statement to the Quad Cities Business News, Prescott Mayor Phil Goode said, “The city’s purchase of the 300-plus acres was an important step in the city’s ongoing effort to acquire scenically significant open space. The views from the property are fantastic. They will now be enjoyed by generations to come.”
City Recreation Services Director Joe Baynes said the acquisition will provide a key link to other open space known as the Granite Dells. In an exclusive statement, Baynes said, “The acquisition was important not only for the stunning beauty and opportunity for human planned recreation but also because it is contiguous to 474 acres of the Dells acquired through annexation of the Arizona Eco Development property and 160-acre purchase from the Storm Ranch in 2018. The Peavine and the Iron King trails will provide access to the properties with a wide variety of trails – some fairly easy to some highly technical.”
Work on new trails is to begin this month. Six miles of new trails are expected to be open to the public by late March or early April 2023. Among the first to be constructed is approximately a one-mile stretch that will connect the Iron King Trail to the gap area in the Dells, with an elevation climb of about 200 to 300 feet.
Included in the agreement is a provision for the city to work with the sellers to memorialize the Storm family and its ranching history of almost 100 years. Appropriate signage will be placed on the newly acquired property.
Mayor Goode praised Baynes, the Storm Family and all others involved in making the purchase possible. He said that acquiring the last piece of Storm Ranch is a monumental accomplishment that demonstrates the city’s continuing commitment to open space preservation, a true legacy that endures over time. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
Leave a Reply