Design reviewed for planned Culver’s restaurant in Mesa

The Culver’s limited-service frozen custard restaurant is to be developed on a vacant lot between a Dutch Bros. drive-thru and an Outback Steakhouse.

City of Mesa

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By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A Culver’s limited-service frozen custard restaurant with a two-lane drive-thru is planned west of the northwest corner of McKellips Road and Gilbert Road in Mesa.

The Mesa Design Review Board on June 10 discussed the look and landscaping for the 4,100-square-foot development with a 360-square-foot outdoor patio and 49 parking spaces on 1.5 acres.

It is on a vacant lot between a Dutch Bros. drive-thru and an Outback Steakhouse, Planner Tulili Tuiteleleapaga-Howard told the board.

The developer is seeking alternative compliance for the city’s requirements for materials and colors, where accent colors shall cover no more than 5% of the street-facing facades, she said.

“So in this case we are talking about the south-facing facade facing McKellips Road. Proposed as part of this request is the blue Culver’s accent color, and they are proposing a 38% accent color along that south-facing facade,” Tuiteleleapaga-Howard said.

Catherine Atchley of Atwell LLC is the applicant. Boardwalk Equities LLC is the owner.

The property is zoned limited commercial and an eating establishment with a drive-thru facility is a permitted use, according to a written project narrative from Atwell.

Proposed improvements include the Culver’s frozen custard restaurant with dual-lane drive-thru, associated parking, landscape and abutting parking and access drives, it states.

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 X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@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.