Red Mountain Storage expansion planned in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A four-building mini-storage business is at capacity and is expanding on the north side of McDowell Road west of Recker Road in Mesa.

The landscaping and design for the Red Mountain Storage expansion on 4 acres were discussed during the April 8 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board.

The design review board previously studied a planned expansion at the business, Staff Planner Chloe Durfee Daniel said during the meeting.

“This will probably look familiar. You guys did see this at the end of last year. However, it was at the time a two-story structure... It is now being reduced to one floor,” she said. “It’s removing an existing RV storage structure ... and reducing the two-story building to a one-story building for a gross square footage of 42,787 square feet.”

Philip A. Gollon of ARC Services Inc. is the applicant. Casa de Amigos Mobile Home Estates LP is the owner.

“Like Chloe said, it went from a two-story to a single-story and we pretty much tried to keep some of the same design elements and the same color ... palette. It matches the existing facility that’s there — all the materials and colors,” Gollon said during the meeting.

The expansion request is a result of the four-building facility, which opened in October 2019, being at capacity, according to a written narrative from ARC Services Inc.

“The building design shall match the existing internal yard building designs for continuity. Materials shall include matching corrugated metal siding with Mega-Rib metal siding accents, painted (concrete masonry unit) and exposed existing building screened gutters and downspouts. All colors of new materials shall match existing,” it states.

The all-volunteer Mesa Design Review Board is unique in that its composition is set by the zoning ordinance to include two architects; two from other design professions such as landscape architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or other design-related background; one contractor or developer; and two residents, 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.

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.