Hotel planned at Cannon Beach in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A five-story, approximately 110,000-square-foot hotel is planned at the Cannon Beach mixed-use development at the southeast corner of South Power Road and East Warner Road in Mesa.

The Mesa Design Review Board is to discuss the 1.3-acre project’s design and landscaping during the board’s May 12 meeting that begins at 4:30 p.m. in the lower council chambers, 57 E. First St.

Design materials include board form concrete, smooth concrete, exterior insulation and finish systems, wood finish, aluminum, and a glass railing, according to a city of Mesa document.

The landscape plan includes trees such as desert museum, date palm and compact carolina cherry. A star jasmine trellis is planned on the north elevation.

A special-use permit is being sought for building height to allow rooftop mechanical penthouse elements to exceed the maximum permitted height of 65 feet and requesting approval up to 75 feet as necessary, according to a written project narrative from Mendil + Meyer Design Studio.

“The Cannon Beach Hotel is designed as a five-story hotel with 148 guest rooms arranged within two primary wings. The main level will include a signature restaurant, meeting and event spaces, guest arrival and lobby experience, support spaces required for hotel operations. In addition, the project proposes a partially covered rooftop bar/event deck oriented to take advantage of views toward the surf lagoon and enhance the destination quality of the hotel,” 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.