Live/work units planned at Greenfield, McDowell in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The development of three Stonebridge live/work units near the Board & Batten restaurant on 2.3 acres west of Greenfield Road and north of McDowell Road would be allowed under a plan to be decided by the Mesa City Council.

The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board on Aug. 28 voted 5-0 as part of a consent agenda with other items to recommend the council approve rezoning the land from light industrial with a planned-area development overlay to light industrial with a planned-area development overlay and a bonus intensity zone overlay. The board also recommended approval of a site plan review, special-use permit and a companion case for a preliminary plat.

Vice Chair Jeff Pitcher and Boardmember Chase Farnsworth were not at the meeting.

The property is in a subdivision in a light industrial district in the city’s Falcon Field sub area plan. Live/work units are allowed in the light industrial district with the approval of a special use permit, Planner Charlotte Bridges said at a study session prior to the meeting.

“So the site plan shows the restaurant over here on the northwest corner of the overall site and then the three live/work units over here on the east side. The existing accesses to the site are from Palm Street here on the south and then over on the east from Norfolk and then there will be a turn into the parking and accessory storage area for the live/work units,” she said.

A total of 91 parking spaces will be provided.

Two board members commented on the proposed development.

“It’s good to see creative mixed-use applications,” Boardmember Troy Peterson said during the study session.

“Kind of to echo Troy there, when I first looked at this I said ‘Wow, it’s in the middle of an industrial area.’ But who am I to say anything, you know, about that. It could be a great little pocket there. I would be interested to see if this spreads through some of the empty land out in that Stonebridge Manor area,” Boardmember Jayson Carpenter said during the study session.

Sarah Prince of Pew & Lake PLC is the applicant. ORC LLC and 4024 Palm Street LLC are the owners.

The property has an existing American-style bistro restaurant and wine bar with outdoor dining patios, according to a written project narrative from Sean B. Lake and Sarah Prince of Pew & Lake PLC.

The site will offer three two-story buildings, each on its own parcel.

“The first floor of the buildings will be used as office space and the second floor will be the livable area. Each unit will have private two-car garage space for vehicle parking and guest parking spaces,” it states.

A total of 29 parking spaces are provided for the office area and four spaces for a storage area. In total 40 parking spaces are provided for the live/work units, 51 parking spaces for the restaurant/outdoor dining areas and four accessible parking spaces, it states.

“The property owners wish to create ownership in such a way that will allow for multiple users to take separate ownership of their own lot and set up an ownership association to allow for the maintenance of the common areas. These common areas will include parking and drive aisles, service areas and storm water retention area. The landscape character will include buffers that meet or exceed standards,” the narrative states.

The seven-member Planning and Zoning Board conducts hearings and make recommendations to the city 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.

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.