Mesa Planning and Zoning Board approves site plan for data center after heated debate

The Mesa Planning and Zoning board voted 4-3 to approve site plan for a CyrusOne data center at its July 24 meeting amid concerns from residents regarding the project coming into the city.

The 1.45-million-square-foot data center will be within the 3200 to 3400 blocks of South Crimson Road and within the 3200 and 34000 blocks of 96th street, according to a staff report.

The site will be made up of five 290,023-square-foot buildings and 281 parking spaces, according to the staff report. The space will provide a range of employment opportunities such as manufacturing and warehousing.

The decision came after heated debate and public comment that took up over an hour of the July 24 meeting. Jeff Pitcher, Troy Peterson, Jayson Carpenter, Jamie Blakeman voted yes. Genessee Montes, Benjamin Ayers, and Chase Farnsworth voted no.

Mesa resident James Taylor spoke against the project during the public comment portion of the meeting, saying he believes the project was leading to the industrialization of Mesa.

“I chose to live in Mesa because I want to raise my kids in that neighborhood with that quality of life,” Taylor said. “I did not choose that property that I purchased at a good price, which is now worth more, to live in an industrial area. I was against the rezoning of the area and now we are getting one change after another. I have a nice backyard. My wife and I used to drink wine at night outside and could see the horizon and the stars from underneath our patio. Now I look out and see the top of buildings.”

Mesa resident Frank Brontsema also said during the meeting that the board and city staff did not do an adequate job informing the public about the proposed site plan. Brontsema alleged if more people knew about, there would be stronger opposition.

“They were handing out these meeting notices to some people but not everybody. They talked about a 2-story building and an illegible blueprint. And not only that, but the meeting is during working hours, most of the people in my neighborhood are not going to take time off from work to go look at a silly map,” Brontsema said.

Brontsema said that he was able to attend the July 9 design review meeting because he was retired. He said that he was horrified with what he found out and told numerous neighbors.

He went on to list a multitude of problems, including the height of the structures being over 63 feet, lack of coordination with the neighborhood, noise issues, and the reduction of property values nearby.

The seven-member Planning and Zoning Board conducts hearings and make recommendations to the City Council on requests for changes in zoning and on required site plans. It also considers and recommends changes in the city’s long-range plans and in the municipal code concerning planning and zoning matters. Members are appointed for staggered terms of three years.