Theme Park coming to Williams (Ash Fork: sale, how much, home)

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

One has to admit with 5+ million people visiting the Grand Canyon and passing by Williams both ways that if you gave them a reason to stop,it would add up to a lot of money being pumped in to the local Williams economy. That is something to laugh about all the way to the bank.

I completely agree! It can only benefit the economy ... not only of Williams & Grand Canyon, but of all of northern Arizona. The main tourist attraction in northern AZ is the Grand Canyon, and a theme park combined with one of world's most awesome natural wonders is a way to attract even more tourists. That can only be good news to Arizona's current sagging economy.

What do the naysayers have against a theme park anyway??? Most likely, the ones against it are eco freaks who fear that it might endanger some owl's nest or snake's pit. I say we bury all the enviro nuts and NIMBYs with the dignity they deserve ... which doesn't say much, considering low LITTLE dignity many of them have!

[Lovehound]

What I wonder is why you have the world's greatest natural wonder mere miles away, and you want all the artificiality of a theme park?

Wait!?! What?!?

Grand Canyon isn't good enough for you, not awesome enough, so you want Disneyland?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

What I wonder is why you have the world's greatest natural wonder mere miles away, and you want all the artificiality of a theme park?

Wait!?! What?!?

Grand Canyon isn't good enough for you, not awesome enough, so you want Disneyland?

It's about bringing in the tourism and revenue for the area. Yes, the Grand Canyon is a spectacular natural wonder ... but Arizona (now being one of the larger populated states with tourism as a big part of the economy) needs something more than just natural beauty.

As it stands, the ones who seek out theme parks for vacations have to bypass Arizona for California ... or they go to places like Texas & Florida. All of those states have huge tourism revenue thanks largely to theme parks. So if you want Arizona to keep sinking into the hole & have the reputation of a backwoods state, keep on with your negative attitude. If all the naysayers had their way, nothing would ever be built, EVER!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

It's about bringing in the tourism and revenue for the area. Yes, the Grand Canyon is a spectacular natural wonder ... but Arizona (now being one of the larger populated states with tourism as a big part of the economy) needs something more than just natural beauty.

As it stands, the ones who seek out theme parks for vacations have to bypass Arizona for California ... or they go to places like Texas & Florida. All of those states have huge tourism revenue thanks largely to theme parks. So if you want Arizona to keep sinking into the hole & have the reputation of a backwoods state, keep on with your negative attitude. If all the naysayers had their way, nothing would ever be built, EVER!

Suit yourself. You'll eventually end up as "Los Angeles by the Grand Canyon" instead of Williams. Don't mind me. You'll find me on the north rim, away from the artificial city stuff.

[bluepacific]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Suit yourself. You'll eventually end up as "Los Angeles by the Grand Canyon" instead of Williams. Don't mind me. You'll find me on the north rim, away from the artificial city stuff.

No kidding. This is the last thing Arizona needs. The whole point of Arizona tourism is it's unique and wild beauty which is quickly becoming a rarity in the United States. Leave the theme make-believe parks in California which has long since ruined and over comercialized it's natural beauty.

Also , how in the world at this point is such a Themed Park going to help the economy ? Has anyone over there taken notice that that your economy over there is really starting to backfire. Gas prices of $4 - $5 will be a huge issue in it's failure for sure. The thing that has always kept much of Northern Arizona so beautiful is the time and gas getting there in the first place and that was when it was between $1 - $1.75. Another issue is water. Despite what many see as far as beautiful forest and such like, the geology of Sand & Limestone isn't exactly ideal for water storage capacity. Why do you think many properties and land prices are so cheap around there ? Water is hard to come by. Much of it is delivered to folks storage tanks on their own property sites.

I'll never vist it.

[exlexisnexis]

Suit yourself. You'll eventually end up as "Los Angeles by the Grand Canyon" instead of Williams. Don't mind me. You'll find me on the north rim, away from the artificial city stuff.

I think you can have a happy balance.I do not agree that it needs to be like Los Angeles.
The Theme Park has been reduced several times and had several environmental changes made to accommodate the environmentalists but it is never enough for them.
I think it is unfair to want all development to stop once you show up which is what the treehugging environmentalists want.They refuse to compromise the majority of the time.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

I think you can have a happy balance.I do not agree that it needs to be like Los Angeles.

Right! I highly doubt that any place in northern Arizona will become remotely close to the congestion of Los Angeles ... or Phoenix for that matter! It won't happen in my lifetime. The population of northern Arizona is sparse & slow in growth compared to the southern half of the state ... and I don't think it will ever grow to the magnitude of L.A., Phoenix, or Las Vegas.

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

The Theme Park has been reduced several times and had several environmental changes made to accommodate the environmentalists but it is never enough for them.
I think it is unfair to want all development to stop once you show up which is what the treehugging environmentalists want.They refuse to compromise the majority of the time.

You're absolutely right about the eco freaks. They're always trying to stop any kind of development from happening ... be it theme parks, shopping areas, roads, refineries, electric plants, you name it! If they love the earth so much, I wish they'd bury themselves deep inside the earth & shut the hell up! Unfortunately, they have more influence now with the "green movement" under way.

The sad thing is that Arizona seems to attract a good share of these NIMBY activists who strongly oppose amenities such as theme parks. They're against a rock & roll theme park south of Phoenix because "it's too hot in the summer". They're against a theme park near Williams because it's too artificial & would destroy the natural beauty. It makes no sense for Arizona to keep growing like it is & have all these proposals shot down by small minded pessimists with tunnel vision!

[DolphoLeon]

exlexisnexis,I'm just curious where you get your info from and what is your stake in this ,if any!You seem to be fairly knowledgeable on whats going on.

[DolphoLeon]

exlexisnexis,
Just curious where you get your info from,you seem to be fairly knowledgeable on whats happening with this project.Just curious.

[Zonie5]

the theme park might come to be. the big concernis water availability . a few years ago city of Williams drilled for another well . as far as i know they had no luck.
a bit of my observation as to what i have seen going on . i hae lived here since "93" , and have heard of several proposed projects . one was by a foreign investors to make a land swap with Forest Service around GC for a development . that ws voted down by local residents worried about "water availability". one proposal was t build a pipeline from Colorado River at taxpayers expense. i think some local Pols were close to getting lynched for that idea . for the past few trips on my wy to Prescott i have noticed a new pipeline beind laid out on East side of highwy 89 South from Ash Fork. asking around , i have got the an answer that it will e a gas paipeline coming from Tuscon . seems a bit of a mystery for the reason that there is a big gas pipeline in place just outside of Ash Fork .
whatever the case may be , i plan to be out of here by end of summer . so if anybody wants to get in a reasonably priced house, let me know. i am not a realotor , so this is not a plug for any realotor . my house is in KEW , North of town overlooking I-40. most housing here is manufactured. mine is stick built, haul my own water. have a 5000 gallon holding tank at home. 6.7 acres of rock filled land .