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Vistancia and Trilogy residents voice water, safety and traffic concerns over large Amcor facility planned near neighborhoods and school
Summary
Multiple residents used the Peoria City Council’s public-comment period to object to a proposed Amcor packaging and testing facility near Vistancia and Trilogy, saying the project has grown since initial disclosures, raising questions about chemical use, water demand, traffic impacts and transparency from city and developer communications.
At the Jan. 14 Peoria City Council meeting, residents from Vistancia and Trilogy raised repeated concerns about a planned Amcor packaging and testing facility in the 5 North area, saying the proposed building has grown substantially from earlier descriptions and that the city and developer have not provided adequate transparency.
Several speakers — including Megan Stop, Shannon Simo, Dawn McCartney, Lorraine Bodoff and Norman Reed — said they were told earlier that the site would be suited for offices, healthcare or education uses and that a packaging/manufacturing facility was not expected. Speakers said the project’s footprint and height appear to have increased since initial disclosures: commenters said the building was originally said to be about 500,000 square feet and 54 feet tall, and later reported to be more than 2,000,000 square feet and about 118 feet tall.
Residents asked whether Amcor has disclosed the chemicals and gases that will be used in testing and packaging, and whether the company and city have done sufficient planning for water supply and stormwater given Arizona’s long-term aridity. “As a community, we have a right to know what may be in our water supply,” one resident said. Commenters also raised school-safety concerns because a new charter school is planned nearby; speakers asked how hours, truck traffic and shift schedules will interact with school drop-off and neighborhood streets.
Not all public commenters opposed the project. Lorraine Bodoff, who identified herself as a resident of Mesquite District, thanked Deputy City Manager Mike Faust and Amcor’s David McCann for holding a community update and said she supports the employment opportunities the facility would provide. Staff acknowledged public outreach and said city and Amcor representatives had held community update meetings; residents said information shared at those meetings did not match later project changes or did not answer technical questions to their satisfaction.
No council vote or new permitting action was taken during the Jan. 14 meeting; the testimonies were part of the public-comment period. Residents repeatedly asked for clearer disclosure of chemicals, water usage estimates, truck-route and traffic modeling, and for a more thorough public-engagement timeline. Several speakers urged the council to revisit land-use decisions and to ensure that neighborhood character and school safety are considered in any approvals.
Sources: multiple public comments during the Jan. 14 council meeting; residents referenced presentations and outreach by Amcor and Deputy City Manager Mike Faust.
