Parking lot reduction OK’d for Virgin Galactic’s Mesa hangars
The Virgin Galactic operations office, aeronautical hangar and manufacturing/assembly will occupy two existing hangars at 5559 S. Sossaman Road known as Gateway Executive Airpark.
Virgin Galactic
Posted
The Virgin Galactic facility is at Gateway Executive Airpark at 5559 S. Sossaman Road Hangar No. 107 in Mesa.
A Virgin Galactic facility for assembling next-generation Delta class spaceships at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport can have fewer parking spaces than required, a city board decided recently.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 on May 1 as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve the parking reduction for the property in a light industrial district with a planned area development overlay. Absent were Vice Chair Shelly Allen and board member Nicole Lynam.
“This is for a specific special-use permit to allow for a parking reduction for the manufacturing of spacecraft, specifically Virgin Galactic,” Staff Planner Joshua Grandlienard said during a study session prior to the meeting. “The general plan sub-plan on this site is ‘specialty: airport.’ As you can tell, their core manufacturing — or specifically in this case, spacecraft — is consistent with the overall intended purpose of this area, which is to provide for flight capabilities as well as for uses to that.”
A total of 261 parking spaces would be required for the proposed manufacturing use. The applicant requested a permit to reduce the number of required parking spaces to 169 and submitted a parking demand study to justify the requested reduction, according to a written staff report.
Matthew Hodeaux is the applicant. Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport Authority is the owner. The airport is operated by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. PMGAA consists of representation from Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Gila River Indian Community and Phoenix.
The Virgin Galactic operations office, aeronautical hangar and manufacturing/assembly will occupy two existing hangars at 5559 S. Sossaman Road known as Gateway Executive Airpark. The reduction from 261 to 169 parking spaces is needed because Hangar No. 107 will be used for reassembly of aircraft components and will not need that many spaces, Hodeaux, senior architect for Parkway Construction & Architecture, said in a written project narrative.
“The change of occupancy use of Hangar C from S-1 aircraft hangar to F-1 aircraft manufacturing increases the occupant load and thereby affects the parking requirements, requiring 261 parking spaces. However, due to the nature of the reassembly of large aircraft components, the actual employee count will be substantially lower than the code calculations,” it states.
A total of 158 employees will work in the first shift. The 60 in the second shift will be on a staggered schedule to offset peak traffic flow in and out of the parking area, Hodeaux 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 H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
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.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here