Mint Dispensary expanding in Mesa on Southern Avenue

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A permit to allow deviations from certain development standards for the expansion of a marijuana dispensary was approved recently by the Mesa Board of Adjustment.

The board voted 5-0 Nov. 5 on a consent agenda with other items to approve the substantial conformance improvement permit for Mint Dispensary, 330 E. Southern Ave. Board members Gerson Barrera and Troy Glover were absent.

Two access drives from Southern Avenue will be consolidated into one as part of the project. Existing access off Wilbur will remain, Planner Charlotte Bridges said during a study session prior to the meeting.

Sixteen parking spaces are required and 50 will be available because it is a shared parking lot with industrial users to the north, she said.

“That existing building on the east side of the lot will be razed,” Bridges said. “The existing 2,500-square-foot building... on the west corner of the lot, they are adding a 2,588-square-foot addition to that building.”

The permit allows for deviations from the required minimum setbacks along property lines for building and parking area, minimum landscape yard widths along property lines, minimum distance to parking spaces or cross drive aisles along a drive aisle connecting directly to public right-of-way, required numbers of trees and shrubs within perimeter landscape yards and the minimum lot area in the light industrial district, it states in a city of Mesa staff report.

Kevin Kerpan of Kerpan Architects is the applicant. RMEG Investments LLC is the owner.

The existing 2,500-square-foot building will be remodeled and expanded, Kerpan said in a written project narrative.

The new 5,088-square-foot building will have two suites — the 4,319-square-foot Mint Dispensary and 769-square-foot future medical office, it states.

“Exterior building walls are subdivided and proportioned to human scale, using projections, overhangs and recesses in order to add architectural interest and variety and to avoid the effect of a single, massive wall with no relation to human size,” it states. “No interior improvements are provided for Suite 2 as there is currently no tenant. Suite 2 is future development.”

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.