Mesa Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing - April 27, 2026
Mesa Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing - April 27, 2026
(Note: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on April 22, 2026; the date below follows the instruction to use the provided timestamp.)
The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board held a public hearing on April 27, 2026, chaired by Chair Ayers. The board unanimously approved a consent agenda and deliberated on a single discussion item: a rezone request for a 47-lot single-family residential subdivision. Public testimony focused on traffic access and safety concerns.
Consent Calendar
- Item 2A: Planning and Zoning Board minutes from April 8, 2026 – approved unanimously.
- Item 3B (ZON 25-00578): New Life Fellowship Hall Building – site plan review for a 6,421-square-foot place of worship on 0.6 acres at West Broadway Road and South Dobson Road – approved on consent.
- Item 3C (ZON 25-00626): NTT Mesa Phase 10 – data center development on 173 acres at East Pecos Road and South Crisman Road – continued to the May 13, 2026 meeting as recommended by staff.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mike Stokes (1301 N. Loma Vista): Requested the development's exit-only be moved from 32nd Street to Miramar (east side) to reduce traffic impact on existing homes.
- Joyce Stokes: Opposed the 32nd Street exit because it would be directly behind her home; supported relocation to Miramar, noting a church parking lot buffers homes there.
- Ryan Smith (3105 E. Huber): Asked for a designated right-turn deceleration lane on westbound Brown Road (from Val Vista to the canal) for safety at 45 mph; supported the Miramar exit; requested no-parking restrictions on 32nd Street.
- Anita Smith (3105 E. Huber): Echoed concerns about the 32nd Street exit and requested a traffic study for 32nd Street; emphasized the need for a right-turn lane on Brown Road and no-parking designation on 32nd Street due to narrowness.
Discussion Items
- Item 3A – ZON 25-00635 (Ascension): A request to rezone 40 acres at the northeast corner of East Brown Road and North 32nd Street from AG (Agricultural) to RS-15 PAD (Planned Area Development) to allow a 47-lot single-family subdivision with a density of 1.27 dwelling units per acre.
- Staff Position: Recommended approval with conditions, including Condition #1 requiring density of 1.24 du/ac (RS-35 equivalent per Citrus Sub-Area Plan), which would necessitate one fewer lot.
- Applicant (unidentified representative): Requested removal of Condition #1, arguing the density difference (0.03 du/ac) is minimal and the Citrus Sub-Area Plan has effectively sunset. Applicant noted the site's location at the tail end of the sub-area. He defended the 32nd Street exit-only as recommended by transportation and engineering after studying site slopes and road network connectivity; stated a right-turn lane on Brown Road is not warranted per traffic generation analysis.
- Board Discussion: Board members expressed support for deleting Condition #1, citing the negligible density increase and the uniqueness of this parcel. Vice Chair Peterson noted traffic impacts are minimal (under 100 peak-hour trips). Board members agreed to add a condition limiting lots 40–47 to single-story primary and secondary structures. Regarding the exit location, the board deferred to the applicant's and city traffic staff's analysis that 32nd Street serves as a better egress point due to its connection to the larger local road network versus Miramar's dead-end cul-de-sac. No-parking signage on 32nd Street was noted as a separate city process.
Key Outcomes
- Motion: Approve Item 3A with modifications: (1) delete Condition #1 (density requirement), and (2) modify the PAD chart to restrict lots 40 through 47 to single-story only for both primary and secondary structures.
- Vote: Unanimous (6–0) – Chair Ayers, Vice Chair Peterson, Board Members Pitcher, Montes, Blakeman, and Carpenter all voted yes.
- Next Steps: The item will move to the Mesa City Council for final consideration. The board also noted that the city's Transportation Department can be consulted regarding no-parking signs on 32nd Street as a separate process.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, well, we'll go ahead and get started. We're gonna be down a few things, but most of you probably don't really worry about that too much. So we'll begin with our uh welcome to uh the April 22nd, 2026 City Mesa Planning and Zoning Board public hearing. So we will also begin with our roll call here. So Chair Ayers is present, Vice Chair Peterson. Here. Board Member Pitcher here. Board Member Montes. Here online. Board Member Blankman. Here. And board member Carpenter. Here. All right. Thank you. We do have quorum. We'll call the meeting to order. So as part of the agenda today, we do have a consent agenda for uh this meeting. As these items will not be discussed individually. So all the items on consent will be considered routine to be acted on in one single motion. Um I don't believe we have anything else other than what I have cards for, correct? Chair Ayers Board members, we do not. All right, so we'll have Cassidy Welsh principal planner read the consent agenda today. Good afternoon, Chair members of the board. Items on the consent agenda. Item two A, the planning and zoning minutes from the April 8th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Board Meeting. Item 3A has been pulled off the consent agenda. Item 3B, ZON 25 00578. New Life Fellowship Hall Building, 0.6 acres located approximately 1,770 feet east of the northeast corner of West Broadway Road and South Dobson Road. Site plan review. This request will allow for an approximately 6,421 square foot place of worship. Item 3Z or 3C, ZON 25 00626, NTT Mesa Phase 10. 173 acres located at the northeast corner of East Pecos Road and the future South Crisman Road Alignment. Council use permit major site plan modification and amending conditions of approvals number one and two of ordinance 5869. This request will allow for an approximately 2,257,581 square foot data center development. Staff recommendation is continuance to the May 13th, May 13th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Board Meeting. Those are the items on the consent agenda. All right. Thank you, Cassie. So with that, I will look for a motion to approve the consent agenda as read. So moved. Is there a second? Second. All right. And with that, we'll be doing a roll call vote. So uh Chair Ayers votes yes. Vice Chair Peterson. Yes. Okay, never mind. Board Member Pitcher.
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