A 50-foot-tall and 200-foot-long net fence is to be installed north of East Guadalupe Road and east of South Sossaman Road in Mesa to stop softballs from being hit into the street from a field at Sunland Village East.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment on Jan. 4 voted unanimously in a consent agenda with other items to approve a minor modification of the approved Sunland Village East planned area development to increase the maximum allowed fence height.
The applicant seeks to install a safety net fence along Guadalupe Road, Staff Planner Evan Balmer said at a study session prior to the meeting.
“The Sunland Village East community has had a softball net here in the past. This was constructed in 2018, was damaged by wind, so they had to pull it down. This was a 50-foot net as well. When they went back to get a permit, we looked into it a little bit more and realized that they’re exceeding the maximum fence height of 6 feet,” he said.
Katie Ross, Sunland Village East homeowners association manager, is the applicant. The owner is Sunland Village East Association.
A shorter net that had been previously placed at the site was not tall enough, Ross said in a written project narrative.
“A 25-foot barrier netting was put into place. This netting did not suffice and there were many instances of softballs landing outside of the community boundaries. Softball club members can recall instances of it hitting windshields, and angry pedestrians. Due to poor documentation, there are not specific times of this occurring that can be provided. The softball club estimated multiple times in a year when asked,” it states.
“In 2018 prior Sunland Village East management — in attempt to maintain the safety of the surrounding property — erected 50-foot poles and a safety netting. After these poles sustained wind damage and were removed the new management discovered that these poles had not been approved by the city of Mesa and proper permits had not been pulled,” Ross said.
“The city informed Sunland Village East HOA management that given the current zoning district the community is in that the 50-foot poles would not be allowed but 30-foot poles would be. As we previously had 25-foot poles and did not find these effective in maintaining a safe environment for the softball players and pedestrians, 30-foot poles would not be sufficient,” she said.
The seven-member board conducts public meetings to hear and decide requests for variances, special-use permits and interpretations of the city of Mesa zoning ordinance and sign code. Members are appointed for staggered terms of three years, according to the city’s website.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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