Permit denied for 20-foot-tall garage at Mesa home

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The Mesa Board of Adjustment recently voted to deny a request for a permit to build a 20-foot-tall garage that would have been taller than the adjacent home.

The board voted 5-0 Sept. 3 to deny a special use permit to allow a detached structure on 0.5 acres at 2328 N. 64th St. to exceed the height of the primary building and a variance to allow a detached structure to encroach into the required side and rear yard setbacks. Board members Heath Reed and Troy Glover were absent.

The site plan shows an existing 1,836-square-foot home that is 16 feet, 2 inches tall. The proposed 1,800-square-foot detached garage that is 20 feet tall, Staff Planner Emily Johnson said during a study session prior to the meeting.

“Per the zoning code, a detached structure shall not exceed the height of the primary structure unless approved by a special-use permit,” she said. “(A) detached structure over 15 feet high, the code states it shall not be located within any of the rear, side or street side yards setbacks as required by the zoning district.”

The structure is proposed to be 5 feet at the side setback when 7 feet is required, and 14 feet from the rear property line when a 25-foot setback is required, Johnson said.

Ray Ramirez is the applicant and owner.

The garage is needed to provide secure and weather-protected storage for a fifth-wheel trailer, trucks and recreational vehicles. Ramirez wrote in a project narrative.

“Due to the vertical clearance requirements of the 42-foot fifth-wheel trailer, specifically necessitating 14-foot overhead doors, a garage height exceeding the existing residence is required. The proposed design incorporates an overall garage height of 20 feet to accommodate these doors, while the existing residence is approximately 16 feet in height,” Ramirez said.

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.