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Peoria council approves $468,590 to design Westward Skies Drive to serve 5 North development
Summary
The council approved a $468,590 budget amendment to begin design of Westward Skies Drive, a roughly 1,650‑foot connector intended to improve traffic circulation for planned development including an Amcor Technologies facility; the city expects up to $3 million in reimbursements from the Arizona State Land Department when parcels are sold.
Peoria City Council on Jan. 28, 2025, approved a $468,590 budget amendment to begin design of Westward Skies Drive, a roughly 1,650‑foot roadway extension from 5 North to Vistancia Boulevard intended to improve circulation for planned development in the 5 North area, including the proposed Amcor Technologies facility.
City staff and the deputy city manager said the alignment was chosen after evaluating engineering constraints, state spacing requirements and existing utility corridors. "We think it's wise to start planning now because roadways take time to plan," Deputy City Manager Mike Faust said during the meeting.
The design funds will cover engineering for roadway alignment, water and drainage work and related features. Staff told council the full project is included in the FY2026–FY2035 capital improvement program and that the city has a pre‑annexation and development agreement with the Arizona State Land Department providing reimbursement of up to $3,000,000 for construction costs, including design, when parcels south of 5 North are sold.
Faust explained three constraints that drove the chosen alignment: a major sewer main that follows the proposed corridor, a 660‑foot‑wide power‑line easement that limits options, and state rules on intersection spacing that make a direct connection to Jomax Road impractical. He also presented traffic counts showing roughly 5,900 vehicle trips per day on Jomax Road and about 16,000 on Vistancia; he contrasted those with roughly 33,000 trips on nearby Happy Valley Road to illustrate signal spacing concerns.
Councilor Bullock said the project makes sense for her district regardless of whether Amcor proceeds because the 472‑acre 5 North area needs more ingress and egress. "Regardless, even if Amcor didn't even exist ... we need more ingress and egress roads for 5 North," Bullock said.
During the public‑comment period, Sean Hutchinson, a longtime Peoria resident and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, urged the council to support the project, saying it would create construction jobs and pay living wages. "This project is important for this community. It's important for our jobs and important for our future," Hutchinson told the council.
The motion to approve the budget amendment passed by a 7–0 vote. Council and staff said accelerating the design work now is intended to allow the road to be in place before construction of planned development begins.
The council did not adopt construction funding at the meeting; funding for the remaining design and construction phases will be addressed in future CIP budgets and reimbursements under the State Land Department agreement.
Votes at a glance: Budget amendment for Westward Skies Drive design — approved 7–0.
