Fighting between Fitch Industries and Yavapai College has ended with a land swap agreement both parties are happy with.

Fighting between Fitch Industries and Yavapai College has ended with a land swap agreement both parties are happy with.

“We are really happy that we moved to this point at this time,” Fitch Industries Executive Administrator Monty Fitch said.

Fitch Industries offered to exchange 5.4 acres of its property to the northeast of Cultural Park Place road for 5 acres owned by Yavapai College on the site of the former Sedona Cultural Park.

The contract also resolves all past agreements between the college and the cultural park.

Yavapai College rejected past proposals from Fitch.

Yavapai College Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Utpal K. Goswami said past offers included Fitch Industries charging the college money and putting restrictions on property exchanged. This contract is different.

“This one is a very clean document,” Goswami said. “It basically meets all our interests and all our conditions.”

Fitch said this agreement also gives the college more land than previous offers.

“We looked at the overall map,” Fitch said, “and that [Cultural Park Place] might be a good dividing line.”

U.S. Forest Service trailheads on the swapped property will be taken over by the college as well. Fitch said this makes more sense because of the public nature of the college.

Goswami said Yavapai College plans to develop the property.

“We are planning to hold some planning sessions to lay out a few options,” Goswami said.

Yavapai College is interested in pursuing future partnerships with Fitch Industries if its project offers opportunities that enhance the college’s education mission, Goswami said.

The Yavapai College District Governing Board meets in September to sign the contract, according to Goswami.

Fitch said while the agreement has been reached, Fitch Industries is still negotiating the details of the actual trade.

Fitch Industries still has not closed escrow, which puts a hold on the land transfer.

“We will be closed by the end of September,” Fitch said. “That is our deadline.”

Trista Steers can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 129, or e-mail to tsteers@larsonnewspapers.com