WITTMANN, Ariz. — Residents of the unincorporated communities of Wittman and Circle City say they oppose BNSF Railway’s efforts to build a new intermodal and carload logistics hub northwest of Phoenix.
BNSF said earlier this year it would build the project on more than 4,300 acres in northwest Maricopa County, 36 rail miles from downtown Phoenix. It will include a 1,770-acre intermodal terminal, a 1,420-acre logistics park with sites for warehouse and distribution facilities, and a 1,131-acre logistics center with rail-served sites for local industry [see “BNSF officially announces plans …,” Trains News Wire, June 19, 2024.
But TV stations KTVK and KPHO report that residents oppose the railroads request to rezone the land from single-family rural to one allowing businesses. “They’re not gonna be a good neighbor,” Circle City resident Elizabeth Oldham told the stations. “This is our home. We don’t want that ruined.”
Residents say they’re concerned the development will bring traffic, noise, and pollution, with Wittmann resident Patricia Van Eck telling the stations, “It’s going to completely disrupt the way we live.”
BNSF, in a statement to KTVK and KPHO, said the proper had been zoned “employment” when the the railroad purchased it in the early 2000s and had stayed that way for about 15 years. “Last year, it was changed to residential without our knowledge,” the railroad’s statement says. “We are working to correct and reverse it back to employment, as it was originally zoned. We are also analyzing all of those concerns and will work to try and mitigate any potential issues.”
BNSF, which has a website about the project here, is planning an open house to discuss its plans Sept. 4 at Nadaburg Elementary School in Wittmann, according to a letter posted on a Circle City Facebook page. Maricopa County’s zoning commission and board of supervisors will address the project at a later date.
Wittman had a population of 684 as of the 2020 census, while Circle City had a population of 522.
How long before those on the zoning board are driving fancy new vehicles?