A Maricopa County island in Gila Bend could become a major new industrial growth area if the Board of Supervisors approves a requested rezoning and Comprehensive Plan amendment.
A coalition of owners led by Banning Holdings, LLLP and Paloma Ranch 320, LLC is requesting a major Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning of nearly 2,835 acres approximately 1.25 miles northwest of Paloma Road and Interstate 8.
The Powerline Industrial requests would change the land use designation from Rural Development Area to Heavy Industrial and the zoning from Rural Zoning District to Heavy Industrial District with an Industrial Unit Plan of Development Overlay.
The accompanying narrative from project representative law firm Tiffany and Bosco says, “The proposed amendment and subsequent rezoning will further the County‘s economic development objectives by attracting capital investment, generating employment opportunities, while the industrial designation aligns with the region’s emerging energy and utility corridors and ensures that growth occurs in a location where it will not displace existing residential communities.”
Several existing and planned solar power projects are located in the immediately surrounding area, and the narrative says there are no existing rural residential properties nearby.
“The Property is located over 10 miles west from the town center of Gila Bend in a rural, undeveloped setting characterized by expansive open land suitable for large-scale utility infrastructure with minimal land-use conflicts,” it says. “The Property is easily accessible and located along a paved portion of Painted Rock Dam Road approximately three miles north of the I-8 interchange. Any currently unpaved segments of Powerline Road and potentially Paloma Road will be evaluated and may be improved as part of a Plan of Development process. The I-8 provides access across the entire Southwestern United States.”
A specific plan of development will be established during the rezoning process. Since the site falls within the Town of Gila Bend’s future planning area, the owners will coordinate with Town officials as plans progress. Final service requirements will be refined as part of the plan of development phase, including water and sewer, flood control management, road capacity and transportation, and various urban services like police and fire protection.
The property is not currently annexable by the Town of Gila Bend because of its width and orientation compared to Town boundaries. Annexation may, however, be possible in the future.
The owners do not expect to require any public expenditure for the development area. The narrative says, “Flexibility on the exact proposed use(s) is necessary given the fast moving and everchanging environment with large-scale energy, utility and storage uses seeking to meet today’s increasing demands.
“Such uses will be those that can be adequately served by a private onsite well and septic system, as approved by the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department, until such time as public water and sewer infrastructure becomes available to serve the Property. Regarding roads, the existing surrounding roadway network should likely be capable of accommodating the anticipated traffic volumes, and any required roadway improvements will be evaluated during the POD phase.”
The requests are intended to increase economic growth and employment opportunities in the western Maricopa County. “The project’s building materials manufacturing use will generate both temporary construction and permanent operational employment, expanding pathways for workforce participation in an underserved area,” the owners said.
In its review of the requested Comprehensive Plan amendment, the Town concluded, “The amendment is generally consistent with Comprehensive Plan goals related to economic development, infrastructure coordination, and energy system integration, although it represents a shift from rural land use policies toward industrialization. This transition reflects broader regional development patterns but raises considerations regarding cumulative impacts, infrastructure provision, and long-term planning coordination within the Town of Gila Bend’s municipal planning area.”
County staff has recommended approval of the Comprehensive Plan amendment and approval with conditions for the rezoning. The Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to consider the requests in its Nov. 5 meeting.
The ownership coalition is comprised of:
- Banning Holdings, LLLP,
- Paloma Ranch 320, LLC,
- Marie Thomas Landco, LP and
- Janice R. McConkey.
The property consultant is Southwest Land Associates, L.L.C., and the applicant and project representative is Tiffany & Bosco, P.A.
