Commercial, recreation center planned in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A permit has been approved to allow for modifications to an existing group commercial center at the northwest corner of East Broadway and South Power roads in Mesa.

The Mesa Board of Adjustment voted 4-0 June 3 on a consent agenda including the approval of a substantial conformance improvement permit for the 9.8-acre Power Village development. Vice Chair Shelly Allen and board member Gerson Barrera were absent.

The permit was sought primarily for landscape-setback deviations, Staff Planner Chloe Durfee Daniel said during a study session prior to the meeting.

“This is a currently vacant and abandoned site,” she said. “Overall what is being proposed is keeping most of the buildings as is while providing additional landscaping throughout the site. There’s going to be 59,531 square feet of retail and commercial space and then 47,243 square feet of small-scale commercial recreation.”

There are five access points onto Broadway Road, Power Road and Baywood Avenue, she said.

The landscape plan includes trees such as fruitless olive, smoothie cascalote and red push; and shrubs such as green cloud, bird of paradise, valentine emu bush, orange jubilee and red yucca.

Steven Brune of RKAA Architects Inc. is the applicant. Chris Hinkson, of HH-Power Village LLC is the owner.

An existing neighborhood shopping center that has been vacant and underutilized is to be renovated, Brune wrote in a project narrative.

“Proposed improvements include updated building elevations, including redesign of the three existing tower elements; a new, cohesive color palette applied to all elevations; preservation and repainting of existing architectural roof elements; (and the) addition of new parking lot landscape islands and upgraded landscaping throughout the site,” he said.

The seven-member 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 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.