3-story hotel planned west of Recker, Longbow in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A three-story, 124-room hotel and commercial development are planned about 1,700 feet west of the southwest corner of North Recker Road and East Longbow Parkway in Mesa.

The Mesa Design Review Board voted 5-0 June 9 to approve the design review and alternative compliance for the 3.3-acre development. Absent were Chairman Dane Astle and board member Shelly Udall.

The hotel in a four-story configuration with a future commercial pad was reviewed previously by the design review board, Staff Planner Cassidy Welch said during the meeting.

“The applicant has made some changes to the layout and configuration of the hotel ... and drops the number of stories from four stories to three stories,” she said.

The alternative-compliance request concerns parking. A maximum of two rows of required off-street parking may be located between a building and adjacent street, according to the Mesa zoning code.

“Clearly from the site plan, the proposed parking has more than two rows in front of it. Staff feels comfortable with the proposed alternative-compliance request because it allows the hotel to engage with that exiting golf-course development to the south and have those amenities kind of face out and share with each other,” Welch said.

The landscape plan includes mulga, palo brea, desert willow and ironwood trees and Mexican honeysuckle, Texas sage and creosote bush shrubs.

Chris Webb of Rose Law Group is the applicant. Dover Associates LLC is the owner.

The hotel and retail/restaurant concept — which includes a drive-thru — is to have path connections from the street, through the site and out to a trail along the Longbow Golf Club, according to a written project narrative.

“The site is currently undeveloped land within the Longbow Business Park and Golf Club Development Master Plan that has sat vacant for many years. The site is bordered on the south by the Longbow Golf Club, on the west by an existing Hilton Home2 Suites hotel, on the north by Longbow Parkway and vacant land that is targeted for future retail development (Sam’s Club) and on the east by additional vacant land that is targeted for future office uses,” 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. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

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.