Board approves military‑compatibility permit for 160‑acre Bacara site over residents’ objections

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a military compatibility permit on May 6 for MCP250007, known in county materials as Project Bacara, a proposed industrial development on about 160 acres north of Olive Avenue intended to include data center buildings, a substation and a natural‑gas power generation facility.

The permit — required because the site sits inside the Luke Air Force Base high‑noise contour — passed on a 4–1 roll call after hours of testimony and technical presentations. Vice Chair Jacky Lesko moved approval subject to conditions negotiated with Luke Air Force Base and incorporated into staff’s recommended findings; Supervisor Gary Gallardo cast the lone dissent.

Why this matters: the project touches multiple local priorities at once — national‑defense compatibility, regional air‑quality limits, and water use in a drought‑stressed region — and pits supporters who cite jobs and economic investment against hundreds of residents who urged denial or continuance.

What the board heard: county planning staff and the applicant said the permit authorizes only land uses and development standards, not final site plans or construction. Planning Director Tom Ellsworth told the board that Luke Air Force Base provided a March 13 compatibility letter listing conditions to avoid operational conflicts and that staff folded those conditions into the recommended approval. Ellsworth said the permit requires a military compatibility compliance report and subsequent plan‑of‑development reviews that will be coordinated with the Air Force before any building permits are issued.

Maricopa County Air Quality director Philip McNealy explained the air‑permitting path the project has followed: a draft air permit was issued, the county received public comment, and the county expects to submit a responsive summary to EPA for a 45‑day federal review. McNealy said the county enforces emission limits through the permit and that the applicant has modeled worst‑case emissions to show compliance with ambient standards.

Opposition and concerns: dozens of residents pointed to public‑safety, health and environmental risks. Todd Tandy, a former Surprise councilmember, told the board the Air Force’s letter shows compatibility is conditional and urged denial or at least a continuance. Multiple nearby residents raised the scale of planned propane backup storage (citations in public comment cited as many as eight 45,000‑gallon tanks) and questioned whether blast and plume risks had been fully evaluated. Speakers frequently cited statutory references to ARS 28‑84‑81 and the section’s compatibility table and argued that utilities in high‑noise or accident‑potential zones face significant restrictions.

Applicant response and mitigation: Ed Bold, representing Bacara Eagle Land, told the board the applicant accepts stipulations a through p from the Air Force and staff and emphasized technical studies, a blast analysis for propane storage and a closed‑loop cooling design. Bold cited projected fiscal impacts and local hiring estimates and said the project would be staged and reviewed further at plan‑of‑development.

Board decision: supervisors debated statutory interpretation, air quality, water consumption and compatibility before voting. Vice Chair Lesko, who represents the district, said she reviewed the conditions and believed the Air Force’s listed mitigations could be satisfied. Supervisor Gallardo said he was not convinced the statutory and operational questions were fully resolved and voted no. Supervisor Stewart and Chair Brophy McGee spoke in favor, citing both the Air Force conditions and air‑quality oversight in Maricopa County.

Next steps: the approval authorizes the compatible land uses and the development standards in the MCP. The permit includes conditions that require a military compatibility compliance report, technical analyses (electromagnetic/spectrum analysis, air‑quality and plume modeling, lighting/visibility plans, fuel‑system design, sound attenuation) and further plan‑level reviews before the county or a municipal jurisdiction (Glendale has a concurrent pre‑annexation discussion with the applicant) can issue building permits. If future plan or permit reviews show noncompliance with the MCP conditions, building permits would be withheld and enforcement actions could follow.

Quotes that capture the divide: “We accept every one of them and request that your board approve subject to conditions a through p,” said Ed Bold, the applicant’s representative. Todd Tandy, speaking for opponents, said the Air Force’s letter makes clear “key safety and operational issues are not fully resolved today.”

The board’s action does not approve a final site plan or construction. Any subsequent plan‑of‑development, permits or operational changes will return to staff review and remain subject to coordination with Luke Air Force Base and the county’s air‑quality permitting process. The board’s vote was recorded on May 6; planning staff said additional technical submissions will be required before construction can proceed.