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PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD STUDY SESSION MINUTES May 13, 2026 The Planning and Zoning Board of the City of Mesa met in the Study Session room at City Hall, 20 East Main Street, on May 13, 2026, at 3:31 p.m. BOARD PRESENT BOARD ABSENT STAFF PRESENT Benjamin Ayers, Chairperson Troy Peterson, Vice Chairperson* Jayson Carpenter, Boardmember Jeff Pitcher, Boardmember* Jamie Blakeman, Boardmember Chase Farnsworth, Boardmember Genessee Montes, Boardmember Evan Balmer Kirstin Dvorchak Cassidy Welch Danika Heying (*Participated in the meeting through the use of video conference equipment) Chairperson Ayers conducted a roll call. Chairperson Ayers excused Boardmember Farnsworth and Boardmember Montes from the entire meeting. 1. Staff update. There were no staff updates. 2. Review and discuss items listed on the Public Hearing agenda for May 13, 2026. Assistant Planning Director, Evan Balmer, reviewed agenda Item 3-a, ZON25-00626. "NTT Mesa PH10" 170± acres located at the northeast corner of East Pecos Road and the South Crismon Road alignment. Rezone from Light Industrial with a Planned Area Development Overlay (LI-PAD) to Light Industrial with a new Planned Area Development Overlay (LI-PAD), Council Use Permit and Major Site Plan Modification. This request will allow for an approximately 2,257,581± square foot Data Center development. (District 6) on the Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing agenda and displayed a PowerPoint presentation. (See Attachment 1) Mr. Balmer presented the case on behalf of Senior Planner, Joshua Grandlienard, providing an overview of the three requests for the NTT Mesa PH 10 project. He provided historical context, noting that a data center was previously approved on the site in 2024 with a CUP for a separate substation (major utility), which has since expired. He explained that because the end user has changed, modifications are being requested to tailor the site plan to the new use. (See Attachment 1) Planning and Zoning Board Study Session May 13, 2026 Page 2 Mr. Balmer pointed out that the General Plan designation for the 170-acre site is Industrial, the place type is Industrial, and the growth strategy is Evolve. He clarified that the project is phrased as "warehousing and storage" because the application was submitted just prior to the effective date of the city's data center specific ordinance, meaning it is being reviewed under the previous ordinance. (See Page 4 of Attachment 1) Mr. Balmer displayed the proposed site plan, highlighting seven data center buildings on the west side of the site, a Salt River Project (SRP) substation, and an NTT-specific substation. He noted that generators are located internally behind the buildings, and access includes two points on Pecos Road and four points on Crismon Road. He stated that the applicant is proposing to maintain the previously approved PAD deviations regarding height, setbacks, and solid waste requirements, with an update to the parking ratio (one space per 7,270 square feet) to reflect the lower parking demands of the new end user compared to the previously approved office building. (See Page 6 of Attachment 1) Mr. Balmer presented the landscape plan, identifying tree species such as Blue Cypress, Palo Blanco, and Texas Red Bud, alongside a variety of shrubs. He also displayed building elevations and color renderings, noting that Building 1 faces State Route 24, while Buildings 2 through 7 are the same building replicated throughout the site. He confirmed the plans were reviewed by the Design Review Board in December and minor comments on the elevations have been addressed. Staff recommended approval with conditions. (See Pages 8 through 15 of Attachment 1) In response to questions from Vice Chair Peterson regarding significant changes from the previous plan, Mr. Balmer reiterated that the northernmost building was changed from a large office building to a data hall, resulting in less required parking and a reduction in the open space and employee amenities that the previous user had emphasized. In response to questions from Boardmember Pitcher regarding a "future water well" shown on the site plan and whether the data center would use a high volume of water, Mr. Balmer clarified that the well is a City of Mesa facility dedicated through an agreement with the property owner to serve the general area, not the data center specifically. Asif Kazimi, representing the applicant and design team, addressed the Board to clarify that the facility will utilize an internal, closed-loop chiller system on the roof of each building rather than a campus-wide resource system, thereby minimizing water consumption. In response to questions from Boardmember Carpenter regarding the right-of-way for Crimson Road and Pecos Road, Mr. Balmer and staff explained that the city is working with adjacent property owners via development agreements to build Crismon Road to its full right-of-way to align with the construction timing of State Route 24. Staff confirmed that the City of Mesa is requesting a 75-foot right-of-way along Pecos Road, which will encompass the existing 33-foot and 22-foot highway easements. Chairperson Ayers raised concerns regarding the landscape plan, stating that the planting density along Pecos Road appeared too thin and that the selected species (such as the Blue Cypress and the small-scale Palo Blanco) were inappropriate or lacked the scale necessary for a project of this magnitude in Arizona. Mr. Balmer noted that while the applicant met the required plant count, staff would support adding a condition to adjust the species to more drought-tolerant, desert-adapted varieties and Planning and Zoning Board Study Session May 13, 2026 Page 3 to redistribute them to create a fuller appearance. He noted that the city’s transportation department maintains a preferred plant list for the right-of-way that prioritizes low-water use. Following a brief discussion, the Board expressed consensus and support for modifying the landscape conditions to address species appropriateness and density. 3. Adjourn. Without objection, the Planning and Zoning Board Study Session adjourned at 3:50 p.m. I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Board Study Session meeting of the City of Mesa, Arizona, held on the 13th day of May 2026. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. _________________________________________ BENJAMIN AYERS, CHAIRPERSON DH (Attachments - 1) Planning and Zoning Board City of Mesa ZON25-00626 NTT PH10 Josh Grandlienard, AICP Location DEVELOPMENT SERVICES 3 • 10126 E. Pecos • 170± parcel • North side of Pecos Road • East side of Crismon Road Alignment General Plan • Industrial Placetype • Evolve Strategy • Warehousing and Storage is a Principal Use 4 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES 5 Site Photos Looking northwest towards the site Looking northeast towards the site DEVELOPMENT SERVICES • 7 Data Center buildings • 2,257,581 total sq. ft. • Generators located internally • 2 access points onto Pecos Road Rd. and 4 from future Crismon Road Alignment 6 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Site Plan • Trees: Blue Cypresses, Palo Blanco, Texas Redbud, Mulga, Willow Acacia, Etc. • Shrubs: Brittlebush, Creosote Buse, Green Cloud Texas Sage, Jojoba, Tuscan Blue Rosemary, Etc. 7 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Landscape Plan 8 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Elevations – Building 1 9 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Elevations – Building 1 10 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Elevations – Buildings 2-7 11 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Elevations – Buildings 2-7 12 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES • Color Integrated Tilt-up Panels with formliners • Metal Composite • Formed Metal Panels Materials & Colors 13 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Renderings Looking southeast from SR 24 14 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Renderings Looking southwest from SR 24 15 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Recommendation Approval with conditions Planning and Zoning Board City of Mesa