UPDATE: The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors did not approve the Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
Read the full statement from BNSF Railway below:
Unfortunately, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted today not to approve the Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment to correct the County’s own mapping error. This vote should have been straightforward and administrative in nature; however, the Board of Supervisors ignored the simplicity of our request and chose politics over smart growth.
Our $3.2 billion investment in Logistics Park Phoenix will bring 76,000+ jobs, almost $4 billion in labor income to the economy, and generate $258 million annually in state and local taxes for local infrastructure, including Maricopa County schools, community colleges, flood control, and more.
We remain undeterred and committed to continued dialogue with stakeholders as we move forward. We are confident that LPP is the best way to serve our customers, as well as the Arizona residents and businesses that depend on the goods we transport, while maximizing the benefits of rail.
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While community members continue to voice concerns, Maricopa County leaders will discuss the next steps for a $3.2 billion BNSF railway hub northwest of the Valley.
The county board of supervisors could look at potentially changing the zoning and comprehensive plan designation of BNSF land off US 60 near Wittmann, a move that is highly criticized by people who would be surrounded by the project on three sides, like Laura Deaver.
“My daughter and I talked the other day, and we won't stop fighting,” Deaver said. “We have horses everywhere. We have just a quiet life, and it would be so different if this project came in.”
The rail company said its project could support up to 50,000 direct or indirect jobs statewide, as well as generate more than $250 million in state and local tax dollars.
Raoul Sada, the president of the Northwest Valley Chamber, called the project “transformative.”
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“This rail project is the equivalent of seven Super Bowls every year,” Sada said. “This is a major economic development activity for the Northwest Valley, and I would argue for Arizona in general."
Last month, 18 chambers of commerce penned a letter of support for the logistics hub.
Meanwhile, nearby municipalities like Surprise have pushed back, citing similar community concerns over traffic impacts.
Wickenburg town leaders discussed the railway hub on Monday but did not take an official stance.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors was set to meet on Wednesday morning to discuss the comprehensive plan amendment, but BNSF has requested that the date be pushed back to February 25, 2026.
BNSF shared the following statement with ABC15:
"Last night, BNSF sent a letter to formally request that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors grant a continuance of Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPA 2024006 to the February 25, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting. Consistent with prior requests, BNSF is requesting this continuance such that the hearing schedule for the Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment is allowed to align with the companion rezoning request for the Logistics Park Phoenix project.
BNSF believes it is in the best interest of the County, community stakeholders and the project as a whole to be presented as a single comprehensive package once the rezoning case is ready to move forward. One of the most significant considerations related to the Logistics Park Phoenix project is regional transportation. BNSF, for nearly a year and a half, has been working through a deliberate and thoughtful process with Maricopa County, the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Surprise to evaluate regional transportation solutions. BNSF remains committed to this process and believes BNSF and the transportation agencies are very close to arriving at a regional transportation solution. A meeting with the transportation agencies to discuss what we believe is close to the final transportation proposal is being scheduled for November 13, 2025.
This continuance will allow the complete Logistics Park Phoenix project to be brought forward to the Board, including the Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the rezoning application and a development agreement that memorializes a robust regional transportation package.
BNSF is committed to working with Maricopa County as well as our community partners and stakeholders as the process moves forward."
