The Tusayan Town Council voted unanimously for a revised permit application that could pave the way for large-scale residential and resort development south of Grand Canyon National Park.
The 5-0 vote marks the third attempt in six years by Stilo, an Italian developer, to build on 300 acres of U.S. Forest Service land next door to the town, which serves as the gateway to the Grand Canyon.
The latest permit application, which still needs the approval of the U.S. Forest Service, was amended to include a promise for Stilo to not pump groundwater for their commercial development. Water would instead be trucked in.
Environmentalists warn that the development could still damage the forest.
Alicyn Gitlin of the Sierra Club said there’s still no plan for trash or traffic in the proposed development.
