The landscaping and look of a 36-acre industrial development were discussed at the March 14 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board. The Sonoran Gateway Exchange is to be north of Germann Road on the east side of Sossaman Road.
The vacant parcel is zoned light industrial, Staff Planner Cassidy Welch said at the meeting.
“The site plan is for two industrial buildings at approximately 50,000 square feet. Access will be exclusively from Sossaman Road. This is a kind of cross-dock truck facility so there are truck docks on both the north and south sides of both buildings with outdoor storage and truck parking around the perimeter of the buildings,” she said.
The landscaping plan includes palo verde, chitalpa, mesquite, oak and elm, Welch said.
Jill Inouye of Ware Malcomb is the applicant. RLIF Mesa Development SPE LLC is the owner.
Two light-industrial warehouse buildings — each with an 8,000-square-foot office block and cross-dock components — are planned. One building is to be 49,510 square feet and the other is to be 57,210 square feet, Inouye said in a written project narrative.
“Both buildings have the same material concept; the office block is conventionally framed and the cross-dock utilizes a pre-engineered metal building system. The office block has (concrete masonry unit) with Hardie board and metal panel, incorporating a metal canopy element. The cross-dock component has an undulating standing seam metal roof, with a metal panel profile mix, and color articulation using a standard rhythmic pattern,” it states.
There is space for a future potential fuel station island and weigh scale that will be on the southeastern edge of the site, according to the narrative.
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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