Project Narrative
City of Mesa — Board of Adjustment Public Hearing (2026-04-01)
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DESTINATION AT GATEWAY COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE PROJECT NARRATIVE Submitted to: City of Mesa Planning Division 55 North Center Street Mesa, AZ 85201 Submitted by: Sean Lake Vanessa MacDonald Pew & Lake, PLC 1744 South Val Vista Drive, Suite 217 Mesa, AZ 85204 480-461-4670 March 5, 2026 Introduction Pew & Lake, on behalf of BCB Group Investments, Deborah I Berge and Diversified Partners, LLC, hereby submits this project narrative and related documents in support of a Freeway Landmark Monument application for Destination at Gateway, a commercial development south of Williams Field Road and north of State Route 24, and east of Mountain Boulevard. The approximate boundaries of the property are shown below Existing General Plan and Zoning Classification As shown on the next page, the Property is zoned for General Commercial (GC) and Light Industrial (LI) uses and has a General Plan 2050 Placetype of Regional Center. It is important to note that in 2024, a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay and a Conditional Use Permit (Case ZON22-0026) were approved to allow large-format commercial and retail uses in the LI zoning district. City of Mesa 2050 General Plan Map Mesa Zoning Map Relationship to Surrounding Properties General Plan 2050 Placetype Zoning Classification Existing Use North Mixed Residential RSL-4.5 Tapestry at Destination Residential, Vacant Property South Regional Center/Industrial Heavy Industrial SR24, FujiFilm and ADOT East Mixed Residential RS-6 Mountain Road, Destination at Gateway Residential Subdivision West Regional Center General Commercial Vacant Property, Signal Butte Road and County Property Project Site Regional Center General Commercial (GC) and Light Industrial (LI) PAD, with a CUP to allow Large format Commercial Uses Vacant, under development Request This request is for a Comprehensive Sign Package that will be applicable to the property, as shown in the attached sign package. When approved, this request will allow for the development of eye-catching signage for the exciting Destination at Gateway commercial development consistent with the approved zoning. Zoning History • From 1990 to 2018, various portions of the property were annexed into the City of Mesa, purchased and assembled by the property owner, and had various zoning designations placed on the property. • In 2018, the City Council approved a Master Planned Development called Destination at Gateway. The plans included residential development of various densities, and retail opportunities on the arterial and collector corners. • In 2020, the City Council approved a Minor General Plan amendment to change the land use designation on the property from Neighborhood, to Mixed Use Activity. This new designation was placed on the property in anticipation of the expansion of the State Route 24 Freeway, and the expected influx of residents into this part of the City. • In June of 2024, the City Council approved a Planned Area Development (PAD) on the 125-acre property to allow for the development of General Commercial and Light Industrial Uses, in addition to a Council Use Permit to allow large-format retail in the Light Industrial Zoning District. The Conceptual Site Plan provided in the PAD zoning case is shown below and provided a basic outline of the ultimate development of the Property. A Development Agreement was also approved by the Council that limited many of the more intense uses that are typically allowed in the Light Industrial zoning district. Approved Conceptual Site Plan • In May of 2025 the City administratively approved the Design Guidelines for the Destination at Gateway development, which established the overall vision and design aesthetic for the entire development. • In June of 2025, the City administratively approved the Site Plan for the 167,000 square foot Walmart at this location. Separate application • In August of 2025, the Mesa Planning & Zoning Board approved the Site Plan and a Special Use Permit for the Walmart-related Fuel Center. • In February of 2026, the City of Mesa approved the Site Plan for Phase I of the Destination at Gateway Commercial development. With the approval of the preceding applications by Planning staff, Planning & Zoning Board and City Council, the vision for this Property as a hub of retail and commercial activity has been established by the City. The Proposed Development As shown on the proposed Site Plan, the property will be a destination shopping center, anchored by a large-format commercial user. There will be inline retail shops on the Mountain Road and Gateway Auto Drive frontages, which will be punctuated by drive-thru uses. Signal Butte Road will have car dealerships on both sides of the street. All of the street frontages will be thematically landscaped, and there will be an abundance of parking. A set of Design Guidelines has been approved by the City and governs the entire project so that as individual users develop on the retail parcels, a cohesive theme will be established. As previously noted, the Walmart building and its related fuel center have been approved on the areas designated in the graphic below as “By separate application.” This application for a Comprehensive Sign Plan is for the approval of the detached site signage on the entire Destination at Gateway property. Building-mounted signage for Walmart and other users will be applied for separately. This comprehensive sign package has been designed for maximum visibility and wayfinding within the development, and is consistent with the adopted Design Guidelines for the Destination at Gateway project. Compliance with MZO Chapter 43- Permanent Signs As shown in the attached Exhibit A: Comprehensive Sign Plan Calculations chart attached to this narrative, we are requesting the following modifications from the Mesa Zoning Ordinance: Destination at Gateway Development Standard Proposed Maximum Sign Height (11-43-4(D)(3) 12-feet 5 @ 14-feet 4 @20-feet Horizontal-to-vertical ratio of sign copy (11-43-2(C)(2)(a) Less than 2:1 Greater than 2:1 (For main entry monument sign only) As shown above, we are requesting that several of the signs be taller than the maximum sign height of 12-feet. Four of the signs are requested to be 20-feet tall. These are the project identifier obelisk signs that are located on both sides of Signal Butte Road, at the 202 and Williams Field Road intersections. As shown on the next page, the obelisks, represented by yellow dots on the Site Plan, will provide a sense of arrival to the Destination at Gateway development. The obelisks will emphasize the quality of development and have been designed to advance the aesthetic described in the approved Destination at Gateway Design Guidelines. The obelisks represent a special design featuring lighting, materials and craftsmanship, that echo the building architecture that will be developed in the Destination at Gateway Additionally, five (5) of the signs are proposed to be 14-feet tall. These are for the multi- tenant signs that will be dispersed throughout the development. The signs are shown below, and the reason for the requested height is to allow for the substantial stone base, and the prominent “Destination at Gateway” lettering along the side of the signs. These multi-tenant signs incorporate special design features including lighting, materials and craftsmanship that also advance the design aesthetic at Destination at Gateway. Finally, we are requesting a deviation from the zoning ordinance requirement that the copy of a sign must not exceed a 2:1 horizontal-to-vertical ratio. The main entry monument sign, shown below, at the intersection of Signal Butte and Auto Row Drive exceeds this ratio. Justification for Modification Requests These modifications are requested to ensure that the signs are in proportion to the size and scale of the overall development. As shown on the sign calculations, neither the number of signs, nor the total area of the signs exceeds what is allowed by the zoning ordinance. The increased sign height is justified given the overall size of the property, and the anticipated sizes of the users within the commercial center. Additionally, the superb design and materials of the entry monument set the tone for all of the other detached signage found within the development. As established in Section 11-46-3 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance, the Board of adjustment may approve a comprehensive sign plan with deviations from the strict applicability of the Sign Ordinance if: 1) The development site contains unique or unusual physical conditions, such as topography, proportion, size, or relation to a public street that would limit or restrict normal sign visibility; or 2) The proposed or existing development exhibits unique characteristics of land use, architectural style, site location, physical scale, historical interest, or other distinguishing features that represent a clear variation from conventional development; or 3) The proposed signage incorporates special design features such as lighting, materials and craftsmanship, murals, or statuaries that reinforce or are integrated with the building architecture. The elements in bold text above are those that are applicable to this request. The sheer size and scale of the development warrant modifications from the Sign Ordinance, and the high quality of the lighting, design and materials proposed with this request will combine to create a quality sense of arrival and be consistent with the colors and materials approved in the Destination at Gateway Design Guidelines. Compliance with Special Use Permit Approval Criteria As outlined in Section 11-70-5-E of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance, an SUP shall only be granted if the Board of Adjustment determines that the project as submitted or modified conforms to all of the following criteria. Shown below, in italics, is each of the criteria, and the manner in which this project complies is shown in bold text. 1. Approval of the proposed project will advance the goals and objectives of and is consistent with the policies of the General Plan and any other applicable City plan and/or policies: RESPONSE: The typical land uses envisioned in the Regional Center placetype include retail, personal services, eating and drinking establishments, and convenience services. Regional Centers are intended to include major retail, national chains, specialty shops and a range of services that will draw consumers from the greater metro area. Regional Centers are also developed with a common design theme and feature a large scale of development. Destination at Gateway implements each of these ideas, with its planned variety of automotive and retail users. At buildout, the development will contain a large format commercial user, auto dealerships, small inline retailers and convenience and sit-down restaurants. The approved Destination at Gateway Design Guidelines ensure a common design theme, and the proposed Comprehensive Sign Plan will contribute to a sense of arrival to the development, while ensuring wayfinding to and throughout the property. The prominence, location, size and scale of the signs combine to create a highly visible gateway into the development that lies near the boundary between the City of Mesa, Queen Creek and Pinal County. 2. The location, size, design, and operating characteristics of the proposed signs are consistent with the purposes of the district where it is located and conform with the General Plan and with any other applicable City plan or policies; RESPONSE: Destination at Gateway has 2,400 linear feet of frontage on State Route 24, and an additional 9,910 linear feet along Signal Butte and Mountain Roads, and the future Gateway Auto Drive. Additionally, at nearly 125-acres, this site is large enough to support the location, size, design, and operation of the detached and attached signage proposed in this application. The signs are appropriate in scale and size to the large commercial uses and advance the unique design themes of the project. The proposed signs have been designed to be consistent with the approved Destination at Gateway Design Guidelines. 3. The proposed project will not be injurious or detrimental to the adjacent or surrounding properties in the area, nor will the proposed project or improvements be injurious or detrimental to the neighborhood or to the general welfare of the City; and RESPONSE: The size of the development and related signage are appropriate and reasonable for a property that is at a prominent intersection of a freeway, major arterial and future collector roadway. All signs will be located on the property to allow clear vision through site visibility triangles and will not pose any unreasonable impacts on traffic patterns on the adjacent roadways. 4. Adequate public services, public facilities and public infrastructure are available to serve the proposed project. RESPONSE: All proposed signs will be located within the Destination at Gateway development that is currently under construction. At the time the signage will be installed, all public services and infrastructure will be in place. The signs will be located outside the public right-of-way and will not conflict with utility or right-of-way improvements. Conclusion The proposed Comprehensive Sign Plan proposed at this location is consistent with the vision that has been established for this property in the recently approved entitlement applications. The Developer is eager to execute the vision for this destination retail center, and looks forward to working with the City of Mesa to do so.