A 40-acre industrial development is planned north of Pecos Road on the east side of Sossaman Road in Mesa.
The look and landscaping of Stonelake Industrial were discussed at the April 11 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board.
The property owner has opted-in to the city’s Pecos Road opportunity zone so it has an economic-opportunity zoning designation, Staff Planner Sean Pesek said at the board meeting.
“The applicant is proposing four buildings ranging in size from 81,000 square feet up to just over 240,000 square feet. There’s over 22,000 square feet of amenity space scattered throughout the development, primarily at the pedestrian entrances at the corners. There’s also large retention areas along the Sossaman frontage to kind of create a transition from the street to the large buildings,” he said.
Landscaping includes acacia, Texas ebony, ghost gum and red push pistache, Pesek said.
“(Y)ou can see some vertical and horizontal wall reveals. The rear elevations, it doesn’t have roof articulation every 100 feet — that’s part of the alternative compliance request,” he said of the designs. “But the fronts and the corners do have a variety of articulation with the form liner.”
Benjamin Graff of Quarles & Brady LLP is the applicant. Travis Eickenhorst is the owner.
The four buildings are to be 246,495 square feet, 107,500 square feet, 81,600 square feet and 81,600 square feet in size. The development converts the historically agricultural property to warehouse and distribution activities that will support Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, according to a written project narrative.
“In order to reduce the apparent massing and scale of the building, there are four different materials used on every facade. Concrete tilt-wall with textured paint, textured painted form liner, glazing and prefinished aluminum,” it states. “Priority is given to avoid a constant wall of buildings with similar height, massing and setbacks from the street line by placing the largest building in the rear of the property, adjacent to another industrial development.”
The all-volunteer Mesa Design Review Board is unique in that its composition is set by the zoning ordinance to include two architects; two from other design professions such as landscape architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or other design-related background; one contractor or developer; and two residents, according to the city’s website.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
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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