PHOENIX — BNSF Railway has again asked the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to delay consideration of its planned logistics development in Wittmann, Ariz., this time until Feb. 26, 2026.
The board had been scheduled to consider the matter — which faces significant opposition from nearby communities — at a meeting today (Nov. 5, 2025). The latest request would be the fourth since the project was announced.
In a statement reported by KNXV-TV, the railroad said the continuance so “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, 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.” The railroad says it believes the parties are close to arriving at a solution, with a meeting to discuss the plan scheduled for Nov. 13.
BNSF announced plans for the logistics facility about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix — a project of more than 4,300 acres including an intermodal terminal, a rail-served logistics center, and a logistics park with sites for warehouse and distribution facilities — in June 2024 [see “BNSF officially announces …,” Trains.com, June 19, 2024]. Residents of the unincorporated communities of Wittmann (population 684 as of 2020) and Circle City (population 522) quickly organized in opposition to the project, including an effort to pursue cityhood, citing traffic, noise, and pollution concerns [see “Arizona community opposed …,” Trains.com, May 21, 2025].
The city council in Surprise, about 15 miles away, has also gone on record in opposition, approving a resolution in October saying it is against the plan “due to the substantial unmitigated risks and the undue burden” it would place on the city and its infrastructure and emergency services [see “Arizona city votes to oppose …,” Trains.com, Oct. 8, 2025]
