Litchfield Park residents hear presentation on Camelback truck traffic

By Frank Espinoza
Mail

Litchfield Park residents got a chance last week to voice their concerns with trucks on Camelback Road.

The city of Litchfield Park held a public meeting Dec. 14 to update the community about Camelback Road trucking complaints.

City Manager Matthew Williams and City Engineer Keith Drunasky held a public presentation at the Wigwam Resort for nearby residents to hear from the Maricopa Association of Governments investigation of the noise level on Camelback Road stretching from 127th Avenue to North Village Parkway.

MAG, which is the metropolitan planning organization for Maricopa County, is conducting a survey for Litchfield Park regarding trucks passing along Camelback and potentially creating high noise levels for residents that live near the road. MAG along with adjacent cities, MCDOT and the trucking industry, conducted a study by recording audio from residents’ homes to document levels of noise coming from construction and freight trucks when traveling on the road.

According to MAG Project Manager Bradlee Williams, the study’s objective is to investigate the nature of truck trips on Camelback and identify all reasonable means of alleviating impacts and assess and present the findings to the city.

Litchfield Greens resident and HOA President John Connolly said he was concerned the study was not extensive enough.

“Fifteen-minute period of studying noise from yards and houses isn’t enough data collecting to create a proper report when using little data collection time” he said.

Williams responded by saying the model to which the study was conducted has been used for the past 25 years and that they need to collect empirical data for this issue rather than complaints.

Williams continued with his presentation by stating the MAG-funded study will take no more than a year for completion and will not make any recommendations.

Richard Bren, board member for the Arizona Trucking Association, defended the industry and trucks on local roads.

“I think everyone sitting on a chair that got here somehow, if you’ve been to the grocery store you probably bought gasoline this week, you got clothes. How’d those things get here? Trucking provides employment,” Bren said.

Litchfield Park Resident Tom Atkins said Goodyear also creates the tires that the trucking industry uses and they too should be grateful of what the area does for truckers.

Williams continued on sharing the future steps for resolving noise complaints. In 2023, the city will analyze the existing and future demand, operations and impacts on Camelback. This includes looking at truck bans on the road and looking at the future with or without bans.

Identification and assessment of potential remedies include developing ideas to reduce the effects of the current issue when weighing solutions. The study will not recommend solutions but will provide a comparative summary in which discussions will be made on.

Lastly, the draft and final survey report will be reviewed and seek approval, as well as holding one or more presentations of the overall study through another public meeting.

This issue comes after the annexation of Camelback Road in May 2022 and after the city compromised truck restrictions, which are pending until study completion.

After the presentation, residents shared similar stories and complaints. Many said they have lived in the Litchfield Greens area for decades and shared concerns of the city’s expansion and economic development. The road is used to frequently by big trucks, which residents say make too much noise and the exhaust is getting into their homes.

“I want the ban so although they are talking about mitigation for x, y and z. Most companies that have grown over the last 20-30 years, they had to deal with something called the public. Their was outreach to the public if a company grew two- or threefold. ‘What could we do different, how are we impacting our community....they have not reached out to us” Connolly said

Connolly said he and other residents are frustrated at the Arizona Trucking Association as they have not understood residents’ complaints. Most residents, he said, are supportive of a full ban on trucks passing through the area which would reroute travel through Northern Parkway, Dysart Road and Interstate 10.

Frank Espinoza
Reporter | Daily Independent

fespinoza@iniusa.org

Frank Espinoza is a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University from the beginning of 2022. He prides himself on covering topics that give a spotlight to individuals or groups who give back to the community. He has covered local sports, community events, and important issues that impact the state. In his spare time, he loves to watch Street League Skateboarding and hang out at Cowtown Skateboards in Goodyear.