A variance has been approved by the Mesa Board of Adjustment for a carport beam to continue to encroach into a setback but not for an existing shop at a home near West Rio Salado Parkway and North Country Club Drive.
The seven-member board 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.
The variance to allow an existing carport support beam to encroach into the rear and side setbacks within the single-residence-9 zoning district was approved in a unanimous vote Aug. 3 of a consent agenda with other items.
City staff recommended denial of the variance for the shop and approval of the variance for the carport, Staff Planner Kwasi Abebrese said at a study session prior to the meeting.
“The request is a variance for an encroachment of 18 feet into the required rear yard and a variance for an encroachment into the required side yard,” he said. “The applicant was seeking to do a renovation on this property and it specifically had to do with allowing the patio encroaching into their rear setback. This is allowed by code, but ... we realized there’s an existing nonconforming structure on the site and this has to do with an existing shop as well as a carport.”
Per Maricopa County historical aerial photography, the shop was constructed between 2012 and 2013 while the carport was constructed in 1993. There is no evidence of a building permit issued for the construction of these structures, according to a written staff report.
As the shop was constructed after the Mesa zoning ordinance was approved, it needs to meet development standards for the single-residence-9 district, it states.
The applicant is Arthereal Design. The owners are Scott and Kellie Willis.
The property owners and occupants of 740 N. Orange Circle in Mesa were not aware of the code violations when they purchased the property in 2013, according to a written project narrative and justification statement.
“Both issues which the city of Mesa have noted as ‘variances’ existed at the time the current property owners took title to the property and they are unaware of when or how the variances were constructed nor do they possess plans, drawings, receipts, contracts or any other documents that pertain to the construction of such variances,” it states.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
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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