Maricopa County rejects BNSF's land use change request connected to Wittmann logistics hub proposal
Maricopa Co. board weighs in on BNSF hub plan
A multi-billion dollar railroad hub planned for the far West Valley is now slightly off-track, after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to deny an amendment proposed by the railroad firm that is hoping to build in Wittmann. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
WITTMANN, Ariz. - Maricopa County officials say that the county Board of Supervisors has rejected a request from rail operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) that is connected to a development project in the northwestern part of the county.
The backstory:
Back in August, we reported that BNSF is planning to build a new, $3.2 billion logistics hub in Wittmann. BNSF bought the state trust land in 2022, near property the company purchased in 2004.
The hub, as proposed, was located less than a mile from some homes in the area, which prompted opposition.
"This is not a fly-by-night thing," said one person who joined a grassroots movement to stop the project. "If that thing goes in, it's there forever."
While BNSF representatives at the time said the company is committed to working with residents to be the best neighbors possible, some Wittmann residents, like Kirby Anderson, weren't buying it.
"It's corporate profits before people and that's unfortunate. It's sad that that's the way our society is going, that some members believe that's the way," Anderson said back in August. "I ask them if they truly believe that, come out and take a tour with me and see if I can change your mind."
In October, the Surprise City Council voted unanimously to formally oppose the logistics hub project. Mayor Kevin Sartor said the decision is based partly on a lack of communication from the railway company.
"We're pro-growth, we're pro-business, but we need to have good partners," Sartor said.
The Latest:
Per a statement released by Maricopa County officials on Nov. 5, the county supervisors voted unanimously to deny a land use designation change request that would have changed the designation of land north of US 60, between 211th and 235th avenues, from Single Family Rural to Mixed Use Employment.
"Today’s vote does not spell the end of Burlington-Northern Santa Fe’s plans to build a state-of-the-art freight rail facility on about 4,000 acres in northwest Maricopa County. However, it will require BNSF to do more work to align with the policies set forth in the County’s Comprehensive Plan for the area," read a portion of the statement.
Dig deeper:
County Supervisor Debbie Lesko represents the area, according to the statement, and she stated that "the fundamental reality is that the infrastructure and service framework necessary to support this level of development is not in place."
"Our County’s planning framework places a high priority on regional consistency and collaboration," Lesko wrote in the statement. "Advancing a large-scale employment land use designation in unincorporated Maricopa County without City coordination or service agreements in place risks fragmented growth and duplicative service efforts."
Local perspective:
Some of the Wittmann residents we spoke with say they consider the latest developments a huge victory.
"I promised my daughter that I would save our home, and that's exactly what we're doing," said Laura Deaver.
More than 30 people spoke during the public comments portion of the hearing, and a large majority of them opposed the project.
"It's encouraging that today in society, the voice of the residents can be heard, and the Board of Supervisors listens to the residents, listens to the masses and they do what they were elected to do. That is outstanding," said Kirby Anderson.
"I'm sure that this engagement is not over, just this particular part of it, but there are other ways that this issue can be settled," said Bud Meador, who lives in Sun City West. "We're not against growth. We're not against BNSF. We're just against the location."
The other side:
BNSF previously touted the economic benefits the hub will bring, including the creation of approximately 77,000 new jobs.
A spokesperson with the company, Lena Kent, said the amendment was a correction to a mapping error by the county.
"The decision today was really about a [Comprehensive Plan] amendment that should've been a minor amendment based on a mistake made by county staff," Kent said. "They voted not to change a mapping error that they made. They voted not to change that. That, by no means, means that the project is dead and is not moving forward."
Meanwhile, Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden has released the following statement on the vote:
"If the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors can’t be counted on to fix a simple clerical error of its own making, that’s a serious concern for the entire business community.
Let’s be clear: today’s vote was not about approving or denying the BNSF Logistics Park Phoenix project. It was about correcting a mapping mistake the County made in 2023 that mistakenly removed the property’s long-standing industrial land-use designation. The Board’s failure to fix that error sends the wrong message to employers and investors who depend on predictability and professionalism from local government.
The project itself remains very much alive and will move forward through the standard rezoning process. But today’s outcome underscores why Arizona’s job creators are watching local decision-making more closely than ever."
What's next:
During the meeting, Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin voiced that BNSF will likely have other options moving forward, including a renegotiation with the City of Surprise.