By Richard Smith
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X: @rsmithYWV

Other potential annexations by the city of Glendale have not been top of mind in recent months, and with good reason.

Much of the public discourse of the past three months focused on the annexation process for Project Eagle and Project Baccara, two projects on the same parcel with three data centers and 18 turbines near Luke Air Force Base.

With that annexation complete, the Glendale City Council will hear about and discuss the annexation request for AMP 303 Logistics, a 147-acre proposed industrial development project on the northeast corner of 159th Avenue and Camelback Road. 

The narrative project overview states that Pennsylvania-based EQT Real Estate, the proposed developer of the parcel, seeks to annex and rezone the property for the development of large scale industrial and logistics park with a total of 2.12 to 2.13 million square feet of gross floor area. 

This land is adjacent to the southeast fenceline of the base and a bit east of Loop 303.

The discussion will follow talks at the previous Oct. 27 workshop about the possible annexation of 72 acres at the northeast corner of Bethany Home Road and Sarival Avenue for the Formation 303 development.

"As of Saturday afternoon (Oct. 24) we were advised that the applicant wants to include an adjacent parcel as part of the annexation proposal," Glendale planner Joseline Castaneda said during the Oct. 27 workshop.

That small property would complete the block that this project is on and that developer is hoping Glendale annexes. There is a retention pond nearby.

"It appears that there is a retention pond just south of that little white square. I don't personally need to know what it is but I'm hopeful we'll be checking it out to make sure there's not a hazardous waste condition we would need to have them mitigate," Councilmember Bart Turner said Oct. 27.

Castaneda said all relevant city departments will review the contents of that pons.

If annexation and rezoning for Glendale's Planned Area Development designation is approved, the developer, Phoenix-based Formation Interests, wants to construct an industrial building of more than 1 million square feet. The parcel has remained undeveloped.

One-time fees paid to the city for annexation of Formation 303 would be $5.7 million. Castaneda said the projected yearly net impact of this project is $190,000.

She said as of now, no tenant company is linked to Formation 303.

The council gave its consensus to move ahead with the annexation process. At a future council meeting, a blank petition on this parcel will be read.

A public hearing, council discussion and vote on the annexation and rezoning will follow at least 30 days after the blank petition is read.

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.