A parking reduction from 100 spaces to 35 has been approved for a Driven Strength & Performance business planned north of Southern Avenue and west of Alma School Road in Mesa.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment on Feb. 7 voted unanimously as part of a consent agenda to approve a special-use permit for the parking reduction in the limited commercial district.
The original site plan was approved in 1981, Staff Planner Sergio Solis said during a study session prior to the meeting.
Driven Strength & Performance is to be in a building that used to be separated into individual suites, he said.
“(T)his proposed gym — proposed health club — is taking the entirety of this Building H. Through and through this is going to be just under 9,500 square feet and there’s a shared parking agreement with most of the group commercial center,” Solis said. “And according to the parking information provided, there is quite a big amount of vacant parking spaces.”
Health space and clubs, gyms — and tennis, handball and racquetball courts — must provide one parking space per 100 square feet of building square footage, according to the Mesa zoning ordinance.
The proposed health club is 9,474 square feet and therefore requires 95 parking spaces. The applicant is requesting a reduction of 60 parking spaces, Solis said in a written staff report.
Craig Recore is the applicant. BTT Fiesta Plaza LLC is the owner.
The business will be at 1350 W. Southern Ave. in the Continental Fiesta Plaza, according to a written project narrative.
“Driven Strength & Performance is a private gym with 24/7 access for its members. As a private facility, our membership base will be much less per square footage than large-scale commercial gyms,” it states. “Our facility will have a cap of 1,200 members and will never see more than 30-40 cars at one time during the day.”
Daily check-ins are expected to never exceed 250 members, which means a total maximum of fewer than 200 cars within a 24-hour period, it states.
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.
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