Peoria officials consider annexing 1,600 acres of land

Efforts to add nearly 1,600 acres into Peoria are moving along by way of a pre-annexation agreement being worked out between the city and Arizona State Land Department, which controls the land. Council is expected to vote on the pre-annexation agreement May 18. If the deal moves forward, city officials said annexation of the land in northern Peoria could happen by the end of the year. Background Peoria filed a request with the State Land Department to annex a large chunk of the land, which is along the Loop 303 corridor, in 2007. City leaders have high hopes the area will become an employment corridor. Ongoing talks for more than three years have led to the proposed pre-annexation agreement between the city and State Land Department. The agreement would be a contract to address land uses and other development issues, City Attorney Steve Kemp said. Cleary defined land uses would benefit the city when the state goes to auction the land to developers, who would have to follow those guidelines. Kemp said Peoria lost an opportunity along Loop 101, which was largely unincorporated Maricopa County land when development sprouted.

Click here to view this article from its source.