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Planning and Zoning Report Date October 28, 2026 Case No. ZON26-00129 Project Name Ellsworth I Energy Center Rezone from LI-PAD to LI Request Site Plan Review to allow for a Battery Energy Storage System Facility Approximately 2,450 feet west from the southwest corner of South Project Location Ellsworth Road and East Starfire Avenue Parcel No(s) 304-31-044E Project Area 21.8± acres Council District District 6 Light Industrial with a Existing Zoning Planned Area Development Overlay (LI-PAD) General Plan Regional Employment Center Designation Applicant Sean Lake, Pew & Lake, PLC Owner Brooks Griffith, Sunbelt Investment Holdings, Inc. Staff Planner Chloe Durfee Daniel, Planner II Recommendation Staff finds that the Proposed Project is consistent with the Mesa 2050 General Plan, Section 11- 31-37 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems and Facilities, and the review criteria for Site Plan Review outlined in MZO Section 11-69-5. Staff recommends approval with conditions. Project Overview Request: The applicant is requesting approval of a rezoning from Light Industrial with a Planned Area Development Overlay (LI-PAD) to Light Industrial (LI) with no additional PAD overlay and a Site Plan Review to allow for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Facility (Proposed Project). Site Context General Plan: The Placetype for the project site is Regional Employment Center and the Growth Strategy is Evolve. The proposed BESS Facility is classified as a Warehousing and Storage land use in the Mesa 2050 General Plan, which is identified as a supporting land use in the Regional Employment Center Placetype. Additionally, the LI zoning district is a listed zoning district for the Regional Center Placetype. The Proposed Project is consistent with the Regional Employment Center Placetype and furthers the implementation of, and is not contrary to, the Vision, Guiding Principles, Strategies, and applicable elements of the Mesa 2050 General Plan. Supporting General Plan Strategies: o ECEW2. Promote energy conservation and renewable energy generation. o ECEW4. Promote sustainable practices that foster resilient systems and reduce hazard risks. o PF3. Provide sustainable energy, water, sewer, solid waste, and storm sewer services to residents. Sub-Area Plan: The project site is located within the Mesa Gateway Strategic Development Plan and is within the Mixed-Use Community Area the plan. As the proposed BESS Facility will support other uses in the surrounding area by maintaining stable power supply during high demand periods as well as temporarily storing excess power during low demand periods to be released later when needed while having minimal impact on the surrounding area as a low intensity industrial use. The proposed use supports industrial uses, commercial uses, and residential uses. The Proposed Project is consistent with the Mesa Gateway Strategic Development Plan and the Inner Loop and Mixed-Use Community Areas within the Plan. Zoning: [2] The project site is zoned Light Industrial with a Planned Area Development Overlay (LI- PAD). The applicant is requesting to rezone the property to Light Industrial (LI). A BESS Facility is not listed in the use table as a permitted use within the LI District under MZO Section 11-7-2. However, Section 15 of Ordinance No. 5976 permits a BESS Facility in the LI District if it qualifies as a Legal Procedurally Conforming Use. Because a complete site plan application was submitted on February 9, 2026, prior to the February 12, 2026, effective date of Ordinance No. 5976 and the Proposed Project meets all requirements outlined in Sections 15 and 16 of Ordinance No. 5976, the City has determined the Proposed Project is a Legal Procedurally Conforming Use and Structures. Surrounding Zoning & Use Activity: The proposed BESS Facility is compatible with surrounding land uses, which include Industrial buildings, an SRP Substation, and vacant land. Northwest North Northeast LI-PAD LI-PAD LI-PAD SR-24/SRP Substation SRP Substation Vacant West Project Site East (Across SR-24) LI-PAD LI-PAD PEP-BIZ Vacant Industrial Vacant Southwest South Southeast (Across SR-24) LI LI PEP-BIZ Industrial Industrial Vacant Site History: November 16, 2000: City Council annexed 1,171± acres, including the project site, into the City of Mesa (Case No. A99-004; Ordinance No. 3815). May 7, 2001: City Council established City zoning on recently annexed property from Maricopa County ADII, ADIII, and Rural 43 to City of Mesa M-1 (equivalent to current Light Industrial [LI]) and Agriculture (AG) (Case No. Z00-087; Ordinance No. 3885). October 20, 2008: City Council approved a rezoning for 9± acres of the project site from AG to LI and a Site Plan Review (Case No. Z08-061; Ordinance No. 4888). December 7, 2009: City Council approved a rezoning for 229± acres, including a portion of the project site, from AG to LC and PEP-BIZ and a Council Use Permit to allow for a Master Planned Mixed Use Employment area (Case No. Z09-017; Ordinance No. 4958). June 1, 2020: City Council approved a rezoning for 74± acres, including the project site, from AG, LI, and PEP-PAD to LI-PAD, LC-PAD, and RM-4-PAD to allow for a mixed-use development (Case No. ZON18-00483; Ordinance No. 5575). [3] January 13, 2021: The Planning and Zoning Board approved a Site Plan to allow for an industrial development that includes the project site (Case No. ZON20-00705). April 26, 2023: The Planning and Zoning Board approved a Site Plan to allow for phase two of an industrial development that includes the project site (Case No. ZON23-00049). Project/Request Details Site Plan: Site Design: The proposed 21.8± acre BESS Facility will include numerous batteries, control centers and a 1.93 acre substation that will be fully screened. Access: The site is accessed from Starfire Avenue with a secondary exit on Point Twenty- Two Boulevard through the neighboring property to the east. Parking: Per Section 11-32-3(E) of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance (MZO), all uses shall provide at least four on-site parking spaces which are shown in the northeast corner of the proposed site plan. Landscaping: The project includes a landscape buffer around the exterior of the entire development. The landscape buffer includes low water use trees and shrubs. BESS Facility Requirements: Per Section 11-31-37 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance (MZO), BESS Facilities have to meet several additional requirements for the use including providing an Operational Plan, Good Neighbor Policy, an Initial Sound Study, additional Citizen Participation requirements, as well as complying with their own development standards including separation requirements, as described below, and screening requirements. The proposed project meets all BESS Facility Requirements. o A minimum separation of 1,000 feet shall be provided from the nearest point of the BESS Facility site screening wall to the nearest point of the property line of the nearest residential zoning district or residential use. Currently, the proposed BESS Facility is approximately 450± feet from an area zoned RM-4-PAD. However, that property is proposed to be rezoned to LI-PAD and LC-PAD with Case No. ZON26-00126, which will be heard on the same agenda as the subject request. If the rezoning is approved, the BESS Facility will be over 1,000 feet from the nearest residential zoning district or residential use. o A minimum separation of 150 feet shall be provided from the nearest point of the BESS Facility site screening wall to the nearest support wall, post, or column of the nearest commercial or industrial building. The BESS Facility is over 150 feet from the nearest commercial or industrial building. o A minimum separation of 400 feet shall be provided from the nearest point of the BESS Facility site screening wall to the nearest point of the property line of the nearest church, park, school, or other sensitive uses as reasonably determined by the Planning Director. The BESS Facility is over 400 feet from the nearest sensitive uses including churches, parks, and schools. [4] Citizen Participation The applicant conducted a Citizen Participation process, notifying surrounding property owners, HOAs, and registered neighbors. Neighborhood Meeting: Per Section 11-31-37 of the MZO, two neighborhood meetings are required for BESS Facilities, with notifications required to be sent to all property owners within a half-mile radius of the exterior boundary of the property. Additionally, the sites were required to post a sign on the property 15 days prior to the meeting informing residents in the area of the neighborhood meetings. The applicant complied with all neighborhood meeting requirements. The first neighborhood meeting was held on April 21, 2026, at Eastmark High School and was attended by two residents. Attendees raised the following questions: Why are the facilities needed. What methods are taken to prevent fires. Do these facilities benefit data centers. What is the difference between these facilities and those that have caught fire in the past. The second neighborhood meeting was held on May 4, 2026, via Chorus Call and was attended by two residents. Those in attendance raised the following questions: What happens at the end of the useful life of the facility. What type of noise is expected. Will this facility increase energy costs. Required Notification: Property owners within 1,000 feet, HOAs within ½ mile, and registered neighborhoods within one mile of the subject site were notified of the public hearing. Staff received one phone call with questions on the Proposed Project. No opposition was expressed. Conditions of Approval Staff recommends approval of the Rezoning and Site Plan Review, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the final site plan submitted. 2. Compliance with the elevations and landscape plan as submitted. [5] 3. Compliance with the development agreement recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office as document number 2020-0500353, Development Agreement No. DA26-00005, and any future amendments. 4. Compliance with Section 11-31-37(G) of the MZO regarding ongoing Operation Requirements for BESS Facilities. 5. The Proposed Substation shall be screened to the tallest ground mounted equipment height. 6. Compliance with the Good Neighbor Policy submitted. 7. Compliance with the Operational Plan submitted. 8. Prior to the issuance of any building permit, record a cross-access easement with the adjacent property to the east APN 304-31-044D. 9. Prior to the issuance of any building permit, submit plans that comply with the 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Fire Code as required by Ordinance No. 5976. 10. Compliance with all applicable City development codes and regulations. 11. Installation of all off-site improvements and street frontage landscaping during the first phase of construction. 12. Compliance with all requirements of Chapter 19 of the Zoning Ordinance including: a. Owner must execute the City’s standard Avigation Easement and Release for Mesa Gateway Airport prior to or concurrently with the recordation of the Final Plat or the issuance of a building permit, whichever occurs first. b. Due to the proximity to Mesa Gateway Airport, any proposed permanent or temporary structure, as required by the FAA, is subject to an FAA filing for review in conformance with CFR Title 14 Part 77 (Form 7460) to determine any effect to navigable airspace and air navigation facilities. A completed form with a response by the FAA must accompany any building permit application for structure(s) on the property. c. Prior to the issuance of any building permit, provide documentation by a registered professional engineer or registered professional architect demonstrating compliance with the noise level reductions required in Section 11- 19-5 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance. d. Provide written notice to future property owners that the project is within 1 mile of Mesa Gateway Airport. e. All Final Plats must include a disclosure notice in accordance with Section 11-19- 5(C) of the Zoning Ordinance which must state in part: “This property, due to its proximity to Mesa Gateway Airport, will experience aircraft overflights, which are expected to generate noise levels that may be of concern to some individuals.” Exhibits Exhibit 1 – Vicinity Map Exhibit 2 – Project Narrative [6] Exhibit 3 – Site Plan Exhibit 4 – Landscape Plan Exhibit 5 – Grading and Drainage Report Exhibit 6 – Elevations Exhibit 7 – Operations Plan Exhibit 8 – Good Neighbor Policy Exhibit 9 – Initial Sound Study Exhibit 10 – Separation Exhibit Exhibit 11 – Citizen Participation Plan Exhibit 12 – Citizen Participation Report Exhibit 13 – Citizen Comment Exhibit 14 – Power Point Presentation [7]