Board approves 2025 Fort Tuthill County Park Master Plan

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors on a unanimous voice vote approved the 2025 Fort Tuthill County Park Master Plan, a 10-year roadmap that prioritizes preserving natural areas while adding event, recreation and service facilities.

The plan, drafted after nearly a year of public outreach, was presented to the board by Parks and Recreation Director Cynthia Nemeth and consultants Dr. Fred Sallop and Dr. Nancy Wanders. It recommends a phased approach that begins with lower-cost, high-demand items such as additional ramadas, restrooms and a remote-controlled vehicle area, then moves toward a “heart of the park” event plaza, a larger multipurpose building and parking upgrades.

Supporters said the park is a regional asset and urged keeping its natural character. “Fort Tuthill is a beloved park,” consultant Nancy Wanders told supervisors, noting the outreach produced more than 570 survey responses and meetings with local stakeholders. The plan’s concept illustrations include a pedestrian promenade and flexible event space near the historic grounds, nature-focused playground elements, and consolidation and modest reconfiguration of equestrian and racetrack areas to free space for parking and safe public access.

Director Nemeth and the consultant team emphasized the plan is aspirational and phased; the full buildout is estimated in the plan at roughly $45 million and will depend on funding opportunities and partnerships. The board heard that the master plan was written to encourage public–private and nonprofit partnerships to help finance and maintain new amenities, such as expanded campground or amphitheater facilities.

Supervisor Tammy Ontiveros moved adoption of the plan; Supervisor Patrice Horstman seconded. The motion passed on the board’s voice vote with no opposition.

The county will use the plan as a decision-making guide and to prioritize capital investments and partnership negotiations; staff said smaller steps can proceed as grant and donor prospects materialize. The approved master plan also includes an implementation appendix that ranks action items and links them to likely funding and partnering approaches.

The board and staff said they expect implementation to be incremental and tied to future budget cycles and grant opportunities. Parks staff and consultants also committed to continuing community outreach and to reporting back as specific capital or partnership opportunities emerge.