The Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission at its Dec. 23 meeting is expected to finalize its recommendation to rezone residential land for the city’s Industrial Triangle project, a departure from the quotidian public complaints that Maricopa is too housing-heavy.

The Major General Plan Amendment, which would rezone 716½ acres inside the Industrial Triangle from medium-density housing to employment, on Monday is expected to be sent to the Maricopa City Council for final approval at its Jan. 21 meeting.

Such a rezoning would allow for office, industrial and commercial development, according to Rick Williams, the planning and zoning manager.

“This request improves the balance between housing and employment within the city limits by providing the opportunity for new industrial park developments, promoting multiple types of diverse employment opportunities for those looking to live, work and play in the city of Maricopa,” Williams said in a staff report attached to the Dec. 23 agenda.  

According to the report, 84% of working Maricopans commute out of the city. The proposed amendment could offer some levity on the ever-congested routes out of town.

The rezoning is also meant to attract regional and national companies, the report stated.

The zoning commission on Monday will hold its second and final public hearing on the amendment; the first was Dec. 9. 

Earlier this month the city council gave City Manager Ben Bitter executive authority to “execute documents, agreement and applications” in pursuit of grant money for Amsterdam, Netherlands-based developer Redevco Solutions to build a $1.4 billion “SMARTRail” park as part of the Industrial Triangle along Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.

The city awarded that 680-acre bid to Redevco and Rail Industries Partners for more than $66.6 million after voters in July approved Proposition 482 — a primary ballot measure that allowed the city to sell 728 acres of its property.

Much of that land is in the rezoning request. In the vanishingly unlikely event it should be voted down by either the commission on Monday or the city council next month, the Industrial Triangle would at least be stymied indefinitely if not nixed altogether.

However, no commissioner or councilman has voiced friction against the project, which was first announced in July.

The business park as proposed would constitute 6 million square feet and be rail-served. The park would bring as many as 36,000 jobs over time and contribute to the city possibly reaching 1 million in population at full buildout. 

The city council had held a special meeting last month where it sold some 116 acres of Industrial Triangle land to Redevco Solutions for about $12 million.  

The council during the special meeting also approved the $17 million purchase of 194 acres of land from the Smith estate that was going into escrow at the northwest corner of Steen and White and Parker Roads. After approving the purchase, the council passed a resolution to integrate the newly purchased land into the Industrial Triangle’s master plan area.  

Rick Horst, the chief strategy officer, and Christian Price, the chief economic development officer, in July announced two large firms interested in developing the Industrial Triangle.  

Cleveland, Ohio-based Envision Water Services wanted to invest $64 million for a mixed-waste processing facility where material would be recovered for new product manufacturing.

San Diego-based Prescott Composites proposed investing $1.8 million to produce waste-to-energy, plus graphite and graphene materials used in battery components.  

The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will start at 6 p.m. on Monday in the council chambers, 39700 W. Civic Center Plaza in the City Center.