ARCHAEOLOGY BUFFS MAY DIG A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN UTA

[Okwes]

ARCHAEOLOGY BUFFS MAY DIG A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN UTAH

Golf developments are nothing new. Neither are slope-side condos or homes
with private fishing access. But homes with their own archaeological site? That´
s a new one.
" Utah developer Milo McCowan thinks it´s going to work, though, and he´s
already in the throes of building a housing development with between 700 and
800 units on 270 acres west of Kanab Creek, and with a 20-acre dig site. The
site includes 14 Anasazi ruins that span the culture´s residence over almost
1,200 years, ending about 800 years ago. His plan, according to the Salt Lake
Tribune, is to connect the archaeological sites with amateur diggers and
university researchers, and to keep the 20 acres as a long-term study site in a
park-like setting for residents. McCowan is under no obligation to preserve
the ruins, which include ancient dwellings that extend down 15 feet, and he has
received praise and even offers to help from the Division of State History. "

Article retireved from _www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5313118_
(http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5313118)



Anasazi site
Developer seeks to preserve ancient ruins
Artifacts will be integrated with planned housing, recreational development

by Mark Havnes
([e-mail]_ (mailto:[e-mail]) )

02/27/2007

KANAB - The ancient Anasazi carved out an existence in the hills outside
Kanab. They dug pits, hunted elk and grew maize.
Now, St. George developer Milo McCowan wants to carve out a subdivision on
those same slopes. He wants to build homes, sculpt trails and erect an
amphitheater.
Oh, and he wants to save - and even capitalize on - many of those American
Indian ruins.
"We are dedicating 20 acres in the project for long-term archaeological
excavation and study, hopefully in partnership with a university," McCowan said.
"Amateur archaeologists could move here and live and assist with a
significant dig in their own neighborhood."
At his subdivision - named Chaco Canyon after the famous Anasazi ruins in
New Mexico - McCowan plans to build 700 to 800 houses and town homes on 270
acres west of Kanab Creek, which are in the process of being annexed into Kanab.
The homes will be clustered to make way for open spaces and trails.
McCowan also hopes to add an amphitheater for the performing arts and a
museum for showcasing the area's artifacts. The entrance road will wind between
two ruin sites.
Doug McFadden, former head archaeologist with the Bureau of Land
Management's nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, said the ruins - at 14
sites - offer excellent examples of how the Virgin Anasazi lived from the
year 1 to the 1200s, when they abruptly vanished.
McFadden, whose private consulting firm conducted an archaeological survey
of the area for McCowan last spring, said the ancient dwellings - layered and
built in blocks of rooms - were used for residential and storage space. They
extend down about 15 feet.
"They show us the different periods of occupation from the early [Anasazi]
to the late period," McFadden said.
"It's a neat situation to have that continuity of occupation. It allows us
to study how things changed for them over time."
McFadden saluted McGowan for stepping up to preserve the sites.
"It's an extremely rare situation for a [private] developer to go out of his
way to protect a site," McFadden said. "He is not required by state or
federal law to do an [archaeological] inventory."
The Division of State History also is pleased with McCowan's efforts.
A letter from state historic preservation officer Wilson Martin praises
McCowan for integrating the archaeological heritage of the property into his
development.
"We enthusiastically commend you for considering the rich cultural heritage,
and in particular the valuable prehistoric resources of the Kanab region
during the development of your project," Martin wrote.
The letter offers McCowan assistance in obtaining grants and tax incentives
for the development.
Chaco Canyon isn't the only southern Utah project where McCowan has tied
into existing resources.
Earlier this month he opened a private dog park in another of his Kanab
developments in cooperation with Best Friends Animal Society.
The society, headquartered in nearby Angel Canyon, is the world's largest
no-kill animal sanctuary, and many volunteers and workers live in McGowan's La
Estancia development, where the one-acre park is located.
That fenced park offers all pooches great and small a tunnel, rocky hills
and paths - which surround a grass island and a water feature. It even boasts a
fire hydrant.
"Dog parks are not common, especially private ones, in small towns," McCowan
said.
Best Friends worker Faith Mahoney, who dedicated the park, called it a great
addition.
"It's a pleasant, safe environment for people and their dogs," Mahoney said.
"The emphasis is not a park that allows dogs, but a park primarily for
dogs."
Peter King, who is moving to La Estancia from San Diego, pointed to the park
as a reason for his decision
"It was an added plus," he said. "It's just great."
Ed Meyer, a Kanab resident and former director of the Utah Office of Rural
Development, lauded McCowan for using Best Friends and the Anasazi ruins to
enhance his developments.
"They certainly make his projects marketable," Meyer said. "If you want to
sell [houses] to pet lovers, having an animal park makes it more attractive."
Still, he has two warnings for the developer: Make sure the themed
developments jibe with master plans and that the museum and amphitheater are well
managed.
"They can really be a pain," Meyer said.
McCowan noted the La Estancia Homeowners Association will run the dog park
and vowed to support and maintain the museum and amphitheater.
"Hopefully we will have partnerships to help take care of them, time will
tell," he said. " In the meantime, we're not waiting for partners. If we don't
get assistance, we'll do it ourselves."
And pieces of the past will live on at Chaco Canyon - neighbors to the
present and the future.
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