Public Hearing Minutes

City of Mesa — City Council Study Session (2026-06-08)

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PLANINNG AND ZONING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING 
MEETING MINUTES 
 
 
April 22, 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 April 22, 2026, at 4:08 p.m. 
 
BOARD PRESENT 
BOARD ABSENT 
STAFF PRESENT 
 
 
 
Benjamin Ayers, Chairperson 
Troy Peterson, Vice Chairperson 
Jamie Blakeman, Boardmember* 
Jayson Carpenter, Boardmember 
Genessee Montes, Boardmember* 
Jeff Pitcher, Boardmember 
 
 
Chase Farnsworth, Boardmember 
 
 
 
 
 
Mary Kopaskie-Brown 
Evan Balmer 
Kirstin Dvorchak 
Emily Johnson 
Chloe Durfee Daniel 
Danika Heying 
(*Participated in the meeting through the use of video conference equipment.) 
 
 
Meeting called to order and roll call.  
 
 
Chairperson Ayers conducted a roll call.  
 
Chairperson Ayers excused Boardmember Farnsworth from the entire meeting.  
 
1. 
Take action on all Consent Agenda items. 
All items listed with an asterisk (*) are on the consent agenda which means they will be 
considered as a group by the Board and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no 
separate discussion of these items unless a Boardmember or a citizen so requests, in which 
event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered as a separate item. If 
a citizen wants an item removed from the consent agenda, a request must be made prior to the 
Board’s vote on the consent agenda. 
 
It was moved by Boardmember Pitcher, seconded by Boardmember Carpenter, that the 
consent agenda items be approved.  
 
Upon tabulation of votes, it showed:  
 
 
AYES – Ayers, Peterson, Pitcher, Carpenter, Montes, Blakeman 
NAYS – None 
ABSENT– Farnsworth 
 
Chairperson Ayers declared the motion carried unanimously by those present.

Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing 
April 22, 2026 
Page 2 
 
 
*2. 
Approval of minutes of previous meetings as written. 
 
Minutes from the Study Session and Public Hearing meetings held on April 8, 2026. 
 
3. 
Make a recommendation to the City Council on the following zoning cases: 
 
 
*3-a. 
See: Items not on the Consent Agenda  
 
*3-b. 
ZON25-00578. "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. (District 3). 
 
Planner: Chloe Durfee Daniel 
Staff Recommendation: Approval with Conditions 
 
*3-c. 
ZON25-00626. "NTT Mesa PH10" 173± acres located at the northeast corner of 
East Pecos Road and the future South Crismon Road alignment. Council Use 
Permit, Major Site Plan Modification and amending Conditions of Approval Nos. 1 
and 2 of Ordinance 5869. This request will allow for an approximately 2,257,581± 
square foot Data Center development. (District 6) 
 
Planner: Joshua Grandlienard 
Staff Recommendation: Continued to the May 13, 2026, Planning and 
Zoning Board meeting. 
 
 
 
 
Items not on the Consent Agenda 
 
3-a. 
ZON25-00635. "Ascension," 40± acres located at the northeast corner of East 
Brown Road and North 32nd Street. Rezone from Agricultural (AG) to Single 
Residence-15 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RS-15-PAD). This 
request will allow for a 47-lot single residence development. (District 1). 
 
Planner: Emily Johnson 
Staff Recommendation: Approval with Conditions 
 
Planner Emily Johnson presented the proposed case number ZON25-00635 and displayed a 
PowerPoint presentation. (See Attachment 1) 
 
Ms. Johnson explained that the proposal is to rezone the site from AG to RS-15-PAD for a 47-
lot single-family residential subdivision. She noted the General Plan designation of Rural 
Residential with a Sustained Growth Strategy, which supports large-lot residential development, 
and stated the site is also within the Citrus Sub-Area Plan, which envisions low-density 
development consistent with RS-35 zoning. While generally consistent with the General Plan, 
the proposed density of 1.27 dwelling units per acre slightly exceeds the Sub-Area Plan target 
of 1.24 dwelling units per acre; staff has included a condition requiring the reduction of one lot to 
meet this standard.

Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing 
April 22, 2026 
Page 3 
Ms. Johnson described the project layout, access from Brown Road with an exit-only connection 
to 32nd Street, and compliance with landscaping and open space requirements. She noted the 
inclusion of a pocket park, perimeter open space, enhanced entry features, and that the PAD 
standards allow flexibility while exceeding several base zoning requirements. Public outreach 
was completed, including a neighborhood meeting in October 2025 with six attendees and no 
additional correspondence received. 
 
Ms. Johnson concluded that the request is consistent with the Mesa 2050 General Plan and 
meets the criteria for a Planned Area Development. Staff recommends approval with conditions. 
 
Brennan Ray, the applicant, displayed a PowerPoint presentation. (See Attachment 2) 
 
Mr. Ray reiterated the applicant’s request to remove Condition No. 1, which would limit the 
project’s density to 1.24 dwelling units per acre and require the elimination of one lot. He 
expressed appreciation for staff’s support on the remainder of the request and indicated he was 
available to answer any questions. 
 
The following citizens addressed the Board in opposition to case number ZON25-00635: 
 
 
Michael Stokes, a Mesa resident 
 
Joyce Stokes, a Mesa resident 
 
Ryan Smith, a Mesa resident 
 
Lita Smith, a Mesa resident 
 
The above speakers offered a series of comments in opposition to the case number ZON25-
00635 including, but not limited to the following: 
 
 
Concern about locating the development exit on 32nd Street instead of Miramar due to 
potential traffic, safety, and neighborhood impacts, including its limited capacity as a 
non-through street, potential cut-through traffic into residential neighborhoods, and 
overall roadway functionality. Request for a traffic study to evaluate these impacts. 
 
Concern about preserving roadway safety and operations on Brown Road, including 
maintaining existing right-hand deceleration and turn lanes for nearby entrances. 
 
Request to designate 32nd Street as a no-parking zone to ensure safe traffic flow and 
adequate roadway width. 
 
General support for the development, particularly the single-story design, with emphasis 
on minimizing impacts to existing residents. 
 
Mr. Ray explained that City traffic and engineering staff did not require a right-turn lane on 
Brown Road, explained maintaining the exit-only access on 32nd Street (rather than Miramar) 
based on the local street network and required half-street improvements, and noted that any on-
street parking controls on 32nd Street would be determined by the City, not the applicant. 
 
Assistant Planning Director, Evan Balmer, clarified that the 47-lot project does not meet traffic 
thresholds for a right-turn lane on Brown Road, indicated that 32nd Street is the preferred 
secondary egress due to its continuity in the street network (though staff will re-discuss this and 
related parking concerns with Transportation before Council). 
 
Boardmember Peterson confirmed with staff that the 47-lot project does not warrant right-turn 
lanes, questioned the rationale for locating the exit-only access on 32nd Street, and requested a 
condition be added to limit the height for the primary attached structures. Boardmember 
Peterson requested an opinion from Boardmember Blakeman regarding traffic concerns.

Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing 
April 22, 2026 
Page 4 
 
Boardmember Blakeman stated that a 47-lot subdivision is well below typical traffic thresholds 
(noting Mesa generally looks for around 300 peak-hour trips before major mitigation is 
considered), concluded the project’s traffic impact is minimal and does not warrant additional 
improvements such as turn lanes, and indicated she would trust the City’s review process and is 
comfortable with the exit-only access remaining on 32nd Street. 
 
 
Mr. Balmer clarified that the Board may modify the conditions of approval before taking action to 
approve the PAD. 
 
It was moved by Vice Chairperson Peterson, seconded by Boardmember Pitcher, that case 
number ZON25-00635, “Ascension” be approved with modifications to condition one being 
deleted and modify the PAD to restrict lots 40-47 to be single story for the primary unit. 
 
Upon tabulation of votes, it showed:  
 
 
AYES – Ayers, Peterson, Pitcher, Carpenter, Montes, Blakeman 
NAYS – None 
ABSENT– Farnsworth 
 
4. 
Adjourn. 
 
Without objection, the Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing adjourned at 4:55 p.m. 
 
 
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Planning 
and Zoning Board meeting of the City of Mesa, Arizona, held on 22nd day of April 2026. I further certify 
that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. 
 
 
 
__________________________________________ 
BENJAMIN AYERS, CHAIRPERSON 
 
DH 
(Attachments – 2)