A seven-home subdivision called Lemon Lane is to be constructed at the site of a 100-year-old citrus grove south of McLellan Road and east of Val Vista Drive in Mesa.
The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board on Jan. 25 voted unanimously in a consent agenda with other items to recommend that the City Council approve a preliminary plat for the 10-acre development and rezoning the property to single residence-35 with a planned area development overlay. Board Chair Jeffrey Crockett and Vice Chair Benjamin Ayers were absent.
An existing residence on the lot will be removed, city Planner Samantha Brannagan said at a study session prior to the meeting.
“This rezone and preliminary plat will allow for seven new lots. They range from about 40,000 to about 46,000 square feet in size, which exceeds the minimum of 35,000. It will be a gated community; there will be a gate for vehicular access and a separate pedestrian gate,” she said. “The new planned area development overlay will allow for a fence ... that surrounds the entire subdivision to exceed the maximum, which is 6 feet (tall); they are requesting 8 feet. And then with that (planned area development), this will also allow for a private road of 32 feet in width.”
Because it is in the city’s citrus sub-area, each lot will have citrus trees, Brannagan said.
“They are either maintaining or replacing the citrus trees and then they’re also putting in quite a few evergreen elm and so it will exceed their requirements in that citrus sub-area,” she said.
Jared Cox is the applicant. Forever 7 LLC is the owner.
The citrus grove where it is to be constructed is nearly 100 years old. The property owner plans to subdivide the property in the city’s citrus sub-area into new lots similar to surrounding subdivisions, according to a written project narrative.
“Although the orchard has been professionally maintained, many of the trees are in poor condition as the trees have outlived the average span of the citrus trees. The citrus along McLellan Road will be removed because they are within the existing 8-foot public utility and facility easement. To replace the citrus along McLellan, citrus trees will be planted along the proposed monument wall with two citrus trees planted between each new evergreen elm tree,” it states. “The internal trees on the seven proposed lots will remain. Each lot owner will have the choice of either maintaining a row of existing trees or plant new citrus trees around the perimeter. This will maintain citrus within the development and meet the intent of the guideline.”
The seven-member Mesa Planning and Zoning Board conducts hearings and makes recommendations to council on requests for changes in zoning and on required site plans. It also considers and recommends changes in the city’s long-range plans and in the municipal code concerning planning and zoning matters. Members are appointed for staggered terms of three years, 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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