WITTMANN, Ariz. — BNSF Railway has asked Maricopa County officials to delay a vote until November a vote on its proposed $3.2 million logistics and intermodal hub near Phoenix.
The Arizona Republic reports a letter requesting the delay from a planned zoning vote scheduled for Aug. 20 did not offer a specific reason, but says the railroad will be submitting an updated rezoning application including measures to address traffic concerns and other measures to reduce the impact on adjacent properties.
The delay likely means construction of Logistics Park Phoenix will not start this year, as had been previously projected. The project requires the rezoning of some land from residential to commercial use.
BNSF announced plans for the facility last year, after several years of planning [see “BNSF officially announces …,” Trains News Wire, June 19, 2025]. The 4,321-acre facility would be the first for BNSF to include an intermodal terminal (1,770 acres), logistics park (1,420 acres) with sites for warehouses and distribution centers, and a logistics center with direct rail-served sites (1,131 acres).
The project is being opposed by residents of Wittmann — 36 rail miles northwest downtown Phoenix — and neighboring Citcle City over concerns about noise, traffic, and pollution. Wittmann, population 684 as of the 2020 census, has launched a cityhood drive as a measure to block the project [see “Arizona community opposed …,” News Wire, May 21, 2025].
More on the project is available at this BNSF website.
BNSF does not have the environmental impact study for this area because of that they are going to need about four more months to get it together. So the vote is delayed until November planning and zoning rules state that if you do not have that environmental impact statement you cannot build a rail yard or any structure that is the reason why the vote is delayed. Also they need to hear what the nimbys have to say because they opposed the project and BNSF did not file the right paperwork so that’s going to delay them also. Hope to get this together so this project can go forward.