Permit approved for transitional community residence in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A permit was approved Wednesday to allow a Skybridge Harmony Homes transitional community residence north of the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Williams Field roads in Mesa.

The Mesa Board of Adjustment voted 4-2 on April 1 to approve the request for a special-use permit. Dissenting were Vice Chair Shelly Allen and Board member Todd Trendler.

The transitional community residence is to be licensed to operate as a behavioral health residential facility by the Arizona Department of Health Services for individuals 18 or older. The facility will serve a maximum of 10 individuals, it states in a written staff report.

The property is zoned single residence 6 with a planned-area development overlay. Transitional community residences require approval of a special-use permit, Staff Planner Kellie Rorex said during a study session prior to the meeting.

“The applicant has submitted a ‘good neighbor’ policy, which includes a description of acceptable measures to ensure ongoing compatibility with adjacent uses. It has the name and telephone number of the manager or the person responsible for the operation of the facility, and there (are) complaint-response procedures including investigation, remedial action and follow-up procedures,” she said.

Tumacha Agheneza is the applicant. Agheneza and Yvette Chah are the owners.

Insurance companies pay $6,000 a month per individual to stay at the facility, said Agheneza, who is Skybridge Harmony Homes LLC administrator, during the meeting.

“I have a contract with insurance,” he said. “I use that money to pay my staff, the housing, the food, transportation — all those things.”

The residence is to provide a structured, supportive and supervised home-like environment for individuals transitioning from higher levels of care or institutional settings into independent community living, Agheneza wrote in a project narrative.

“Residents served at the home include adults ages between 18 to 65 who may have behavioral health conditions and require a supportive residential setting as part of their transition toward independent living,” it states. “Residents are monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week with no skilled nursing service. The ratio of staff to resident is 1:5 meaning from one to five residents at the facility, we have one staff on duty and from six to 10 residents, we have two staff at all times 24/7.”

The 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.