A temporary-housing development for families and patients of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center is to be constructed east of Greenfield Road and south of the U.S. Highway 60 Superstition Freeway in Mesa.
The Home Away From Home program provides housing to patients — and their families — who travel for care at the center at Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, Alex Stedman of RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture said.
“What they have realized over the years is that as they provide medical — like cancer treatments and other types of treatments — they find that some of their patients have to travel long distances in order to visit their facilities and they don’t necessarily have the financial means or the ability to find lodging, especially long-term or even short-term lodging, in conjunction with that recovery process. So these units look very much like residential units; they’re being built as a treatment and recovery facility that will allow not only the patients but their families as well to really recover in a very comfortable location. Feels like home; hence the name Home Away From Home,” he said at the Feb. 22 study session of the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board.
“The intention of constructing these units comes out of a partnership between Taylor Morrison and Banner Gateway,” Stedman said. “The idea is that these recovery facilities would be provided free of charge. Taylor Morrison’s involvement — they’re building these units free of charge and so this is a great philanthropic endeavor.”
The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 22 voted unanimously in a consent agenda with other items to recommend that the City Council approve a site plan review and rezoning of 13 acres to light industrial with a planned area development overlay for the temporary-housing development.
The detached homes will be constructed in two eight-home phases. A total of 34 parking spaces will be provided, Planner Sean Pesek said at the study session prior to the meeting.
“There are 15-foot-wide perimeter yards on all sides. There’s two access points — one from a proposed driveway along Banner Gateway and then a shared driveway along the northern portion that also leads to the detached units,” he said. “(A)mple landscaping along the perimeter and then around the units themselves and the foundation base areas.”
The landscaping and look of the homes are to be discussed at the March 14 work session of the Mesa Design Review Board. The work session begins at 4:30 p.m. in the lower Council Chambers, 57 E. First St.
Stedman is the applicant for the site plan and rezoning requests. Banner Health is the owner.
The one-story units will face a shared pedestrian accessway that leads directly to a parking area along the west edge of the units, according to a written project narrative.
The development will also include a common amenity area with turf, shaded seating with ramada structure and landscape, it states.
“The Home Away From Home product is intended to in many ways emulate the experience of being in a home versus a traditional recovery facility. This residential character is intentionally designed to provide patients and their families with a sense of privacy and emotional wellbeing — aspects that promote the healing and recovery process,” the narrative states.
“The proposed Home Away From Home development will be developed, owned and operated by Banner Health and is designed to provide outpatient lodging adjacent to the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center for those patients whose cancer treatment(s) could require extended facility visits and significant travel distance and patient housing costs. The Banner Health Home Away From Home development will provide cost-free housing for patients with financial needs that potentially would limit or prevent required cancer treatments due to travel distance and lodging costs.”
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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