A reduction in the number of parking spots has been approved for an 80-acre data center planned north of Elliot Road on the east side of Hawes Road in Mesa.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment on Jan. 3 voted 6-0 to approve a special use permit for the EdgeConneX development in a light industrial area with a planned-area development overlay district. Chair Alexis Wagner was absent.
The applicant requested a permit to reduce the number of required parking spaces from 1,230 to 287 for the proposed data center and has submitted a parking demand study to justify the requested reduction, Planner Cassidy Welch wrote staff report to the board.
“(D)ata centers require a parking ratio of one space per 900 square feet for a total of 1,230 required spaces. According to the applicant, the required parking ratio is not consistent with the standard business operations of the development and a parking reduction is necessary,” she stated.
A data hall — the housing of computer servers with accessory business use spaces — and administrative areas are planned for each of three buildings, according to a written project narrative.
“On a daily basis, the buildings are anticipated to have 16-20 day shift employees at each building, 10-12 night shift employees at each building and varying levels of visiting customers, operations and sales staff. Building 1 has designated a total of 124 parking spaces. Building 2 has a total of 75 spaces. Building 3 has a total of 88 spaces,” it states. “(T)he anticipated staffing rate is substantially below the parking provided at the site, thus the parking demand of the site is more than adequately met.”
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.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@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.
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