The Mesa Board of Adjustment recently approved two special-use permits for a 10-adult transitional community residence on McLellan Road west of Country Club Drive.
The board voted 5-0 Sept. 3 as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve the permits, including that the business at 833 W. McLellan Road could be within 1,200 feet of another community residence and an assisted living facility. Board members Heath Reed and Troy Glover were absent.
The zoning on the property is single-family-residence-9, where a transitional community residence requires the approval of a special-use permit, Staff Planner Charlotte Bridges said during a study session prior to the meeting.
One permit is for reasonable accommodation to the spacing requirements for community residences to allow it within 1,200 feet of the two other businesses.
“So, based on this map, as the crow flies, the assisted living home is (846) feet from the proposed transitional community residence and the walking distance between the two properties is 1,048 feet — that’s crossing McLellan Road at an unmarked crosswalk,” Bridges said. “For the (transitional community residence) it is 985 feet as the crow flies from the subject property and the walking distance to it would be 1,697 feet, once again crossing McLellan Road.”
Charity Karia is the applicant and owner.
Janisa Manor LLC would operate a transitional community residence — a secured behavioral health residential facility — for up to 10 adult residents under court-ordered behavioral health treatment. It is to only house adults with qualifying disabilities — mental illness, according to a written project narrative.
Residents at Janisa Manor are placed under court order and cannot leave the premises unsupervised, it states.
“This is not a shelter, boarding house, rooming house or transient use: Tenancy is long-term — weeks to months, up to a year; no rotating overnight guests; residents are placed under structured care plans, not simply housed; and the home will be licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services and meets all regulations governing behavioral health residential facilities,” it states.
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/.
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.
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