The Tonto National Forest has agreed to provide a Special Access Permit to the approximately 250 acre property south of Highway 260 that the Rim Country Educational Alliance has identified as the most desirable site to purchase for the purpose of building the university campus in Payson.
The Special Access Permit allows campus developers to enter the site to begin the initial land planning process. The access permit is excellent news, as all previous prep work has been completed based on aerial surveys, rather than from walking the site.
The next step in the land acquisition process is an in-depth archaeological survey of several significant Native American sites found on the property.
What does this mean for timing of the construction? We we see equipment moving dirt as the developers review the site or maybe boundary markers for building sites?
The granting of the Special Access permit was another step towards performing the required tasks simultaneously. It is allowing the developer to gather better information about the site because they can actually physically inspect the property. It is impossible to say whether this will speed up the construction process, but that would be the expectation.