Alternate Compliance Requests Terribles Gas Station

ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUESTS TO THE MESA 
ZONING ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS  
Terrible’s Service Station (Gas Station) Canopy Building 
(1432 South Crismon Road) 
 
The proposed service station canopy building provides two (2) different materials: stone and EIFS. 
These materials are in relation/consistent with the proposed convenience store building for 
Terrible’s. The architect’s intent is to follow the design language by emulating the design patterns as 
well as color variations to provide some interest, variation, and grounding to the canopy building 
(i.e., a utilitarian structure) for customers’ comfort/protection while fueling their cars. The canopy 
building appearance is “clean” and blends well with, but does not overpower, the proposed 
convenience store building’ design. 
Adding an additional material, the design would not be cohesive, too complicated (visually), and/or 
out of character with the proposed convenience store. There is also limited amount of surface area 
to provide for another material (i.e., narrow columns/canopy roof).  
We will need to also request more than fifty percent (50%) of the total façade (i.e., columns and 
canopy roof/parapet) with one (1) single material (i.e., EIFS). The use of EIFS over fifty percent 
(50%) is not “overly excessive” in its appearance or reasonable due to the limited building surface 
area The cornice detailing along with a different paint color helps to add visual interest.  
In addition, varying the canopy/building height by providing at least two (2) changes in height or 
roof forms that are varied over different portions of the building through changes in pitch, plane, and 
orientation is a challenge for most service station canopies. The length of the roof/parapet (i.e., 88’-
5”) is not long enough to accommodate two (2) changes and the canopy roof design is consistent 
with typical service stations and functions well to provide comfort/protection from the weather as 
well as not appearing “top heavy” or odd/tacked on design element.  
Finally, street-facing and publicly visible façades shall have horizontal projections or recesses, which 
should not be applicable to the service station canopy building since there is limited building surface 
area. However, one could argue that we technically meet this with a service station canopy building. 
For example, the columns are inset twelve (12) feet from the roof canopy on each side creating a 
large overhang for shade as well as creating shadow lines (i.e., visual interest/”relief”).