TAAA is about to witness the birth of a long-awaited resource ––
our very own permanent dark observing facility. Many of our members
know the story. After a lot of searching and gathering of financial
resources over the last two or three decades, we are on the way.
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Related News Releases:
April
29, 2009
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association advances progress on
Astronomy Complex: Members engaged to direct strategic plans for
Phase 2 developments.
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 A bit of recent history is in order.
At the June, 2007 meeting of the TAAA Board of Directors, we set
two goals. The first was that by May 2008 we will have secured
the land for an Astronomy Complex. The second was that by that
date we will have a strategic plan in place for how we will
develop the Complex. With the setting of those goals, things
began to happen very quickly. Also, at that same Board meeting,
a proposal was made for a specific piece of property in
the Turkey Creek section of the Sulphur Springs Valley in Cochise
County. Within the month a group of TAAA members went over to
check it out. Several of us stayed all night. And, we found it
to be very dark and inviting for our purposes. Five months later
four members of TAAA organized themselves to purchase 60 acres
of that land with the idea of donating 16 acres to the club to
build its Astronomy Complex. This group of generous members is
called The Perseus Group. Things have continued to unfold. After
the goals were set a number of members gathered to begin to
shape a vision of what we want the Complex to be like.
In February, 2008 we were granted a
Special Use Permit by the Cochise County Planning and Zoning
Commission to develop the Complex. A number of people from the
area spoke in our behalf at the hearing. In the meantime we
visited with several of the school districts in the area and
with Cochise College. All of them showed strong enthusiasm for
our becoming their neighbor. In October, 2007 we provided a
program and a number of telescopes for an event in Sunsites to
benefit the Sunsites Community Library, and in January, 2008 we
held a star party at Ash Creek School. |
We are now hard at work shaping the specific plans for the first phase
of building the Complex. This phase will include the infrastructure
consisting of roads to and within the facility, the water and septic
systems, the electric service, restrooms and some observing pads. This
will get us started and open the area for our use. We anticipate that
this phase will be completed sometime in the fall of 2008, hopefully
by November 1.
To lead the way in the development of the Complex we have created a
structure within TAAA. A Strategic Planning Group of four members
(three of whom are on the Board) is made up of Teresa and Claude
Plymate, Keith Schlottman and Bill Lofquist. We have also created some
Ad Hoc Working Groups to focus on specific matters. Robert Crawford,
who represents the Perseus Group, has provided leadership for planning
the building of the infrastructure. We will be having more special
meetings to keep members informed and get more of them involved in
making it happen. So stay tuned!
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