BNSF Railway Co., headquartered in Texas, is seeking to defer a key vote initially set for Wednesday on the development of a substantial rail complex valued at $3.2 billion, proposing a new date of March 26, 2025, as reported by ABC15. The complex, intended to sprawl over 4,300 acres in metro Phoenix, is envisioned as a transportation hub where freight would be transferred between trains and trucks, accompanied by a logistics center designed for warehousing and manufacturing.
In a letter submitted to Maricopa County, BNSF cited the necessity of delaying the vote, enabling a concurrent decision for the comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning case, Susan Demmitt, a zoning attorney with Gammage & Burnham representing the company, indicated per Phoenix Business Journal. This extra time is also expected to foster continued collaboration with the community and other stakeholders, ahead of hosting a second community meeting planned for early 2025 before the application's consideration.
The ambitious project, with a projected operational date of 2028, could usher in approximately 18 million square feet of new industrial development in the largely rural areas concerned. However, BNSF's progression has been resisted by residents anxious about the implications this might have on local infrastructure, environment, traffic, and particularly the water sources, bringing into question the project's compatibility with the rural character and resource sustainability of the region.
BNSF embarked on the rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment process with Maricopa County after shifting its strategy from an initial plan that involved annexing and rezoning its land in the city of Surprise, this pivot comes as Maricopa County officials have indicated they would prefer BNSF to annex its property in Surprise, primarily for access to municipal services, "It’s important to note BNSF requested a CPA (Comprehensive Plan Amendment) for a portion of the project to correct a mapping error that occurred during the 2023 update to the County’s Comprehensive Plan," a BNSF representative clarified in a statement obtained by ABC15.
In anticipation of the vote, Surprise city officials had previously articulated their concerns regarding traffic congestion, exceeding the designed capacity of local transportation networks, and had also urged an assessment of the impact the development might have on local wells and the aquifer, crucial considerations as the vote on BNSF's proposal looms.
