VanTrust industrial annexation and requested flex-space code change continued to June 16 after long debate on traffic and UDC timing

Staff recommended denial of both VanTrust’s annexation and the narrow UDC text amendment, citing inconsistency with the 10-Mile specific-area plan’s design and concerns about freight and truck traffic on Franklin/Black Cat/10-Mile corridors. Staff noted ACHD input limiting driveway access and raised concern that the requested UDC change is a citywide code change that should be considered through the staff-led code-update process rather than a single-project amendment.

VanTrust representatives (Chris McCluskey and Deborah Nelson) argued the site fits the Low Density Employment designation and that IL zoning and a 10% office allowance are consistent with market demand for small- and mid-bay flex product. Market analyst Tyler Martin presented leasing data showing strong local demand for small-to-mid-size industrial/flex spaces and evidence that those uses support local jobs. Several nearby parcel owners and tenants (including Gina Thruston and Trina Neto) voiced support for the project, while multiple councilmembers and staff emphasized the unresolved traffic and school-capacity questions for the wider area.

After extended deliberation, Council voted unanimously to continue both the annexation (H2025-0052) and the UDC amendment to the June 16, 2026 agenda and directed staff to consult with ACHD and adjacent property owners, to prepare findings and suggested conditions, and to return recommendations before that date. The record reflects strong interest in pursuing industrial/employment uses in the corridor but also concern that the highway/intersection capacity (Black Cat and Franklin in particular) and consistency with prior DA thresholds require further analysis before adoption of a project-specific code change.