Preserving Fantasy Island became much closer to reality Tuesday, as the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to work with the state to preserve the mountain-biking mecca that includes more than a dozen miles of trails.
Now all that's left is actually to do it, a process that could take several years.
The issue first arose when the state considered selling the land last spring, and the mountain bikers who created the trails were concerned that if the land weren't protected as a city or county park it would be sold to developers.
The council charged a task force in April 2005 to make recommendations on how to permanently preserve Fantasy Island, located on the Southeast Side at East Irvington and South Houghton roads.
The city's commitment to preserve the zoning once the state decides to sell the property is a linchpin to preserving Fantasy Island, said Linda Anderson-McKee, task force co-chair woman. The 341 acres that would be preserved include 207 acres of state land and 134 acres owned by the city.
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Task force recommendations adopted unanimously by the council included: preserving all trails except for the bunny trail, which would be rebuilt; keeping public access to the park; developing new pedestrian trails; and integrating the trails with nearby regional trails, open space, river parks and walking trails.
The city and the state now have to negotiate and put together a formal proposal for private development of Fantasy Island as part of a larger area plan — the 10,000-acre Houghton Road Master Plan area. The process could take as long as two years.
The director of the Southern Arizona Real Estate Division of the Arizona State Land Department, Ronald Ruziska, recently sent a letter to Tucson City Manager Mike Hein that said he thinks the city's proposal has merit and that the "final product will be a tremendous asset for the city of Tucson." Both houses of the Legislature also approved nonbinding resolutions this year in support of preserving Fantasy Island.
With bike enthusiasts, the city, Legislature and Land Department in agreement, Councilwoman Shirley Scott, whose Ward 4 office put in many hours working on preserving Fantasy Island, said, "Perhaps we're on the right trail."
