A variance was recently approved so a Mesa homeowner can have fewer than the required minimum covered parking spaces at a site near West Broadway Road and west of South Alma School Road.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment on March 1 voted unanimously in a consent agenda with other items to approve the variance for property in the single-residence 6 zoning district. Board members Adam Gunderson and Heath Reed were absent.
The home was constructed in 1970 with one covered and one uncovered parking space. After the current property owner requested a document retrieval for any existing permits on the premises it was discovered that the covered parking was enclosed for livable space without a permit, according to a written staff report.
“Staff reviewed historic street view imagery and the conversion of the carport to livable space occurred sometime prior to 2007, which predates the purchase by applicant,” it states.
David Pope is the applicant. Michael Evans is the owner.
The owner would like to turn an existing patio cover into a sunroom, which will require permits for the construction. The city’s building department said the covered parking requirement would require a variance if the owner would like to do further permitted construction on the house, Pope, a contractor with PopeSCE Construction, said in a written project narrative.
“The owner recently purchased the property this year and was not aware of the requirements for one covered space for his area. He also did not know that the filled-in carport was done without a permit,” he said. “The filled in carport looks to be at least 20-30 years — or more — old. The neighborhood — at least just the two streets I drove down looking for similar construction — seems to have about one in eight to 10 of the houses with filled-in carports/garages for living or storage space.”
The seven-member Mesa Board of Adjustment 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 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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