A permit was recently approved to reduce the number of parking spaces required at a vehicle sales facility on the southeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Main Street in Mesa.
The Mesa Board of Adjustment voted unanimously April 1 to approve a consent agenda with other items including the special-use permit for 2 acres at 25 S. Val Vista Drive.
The property is zoned general commercial where vehicle sales and leasing are a permitted use, Staff Planner Kellie Rorex said during a study session prior to the meeting.
“The site plan shows a 14,823-square-foot building, which includes 11,045 square feet of interior automobile display area and then 3,778 square feet of office, support and storage area,” she said. “Per the use, they are required to provide 40 parking spaces on site and they provide 52 parking spaces but they are requesting that 39 ... be display spaces and 13 customer parking spaces.”
John C. Manross of Design Professionals LLC is the applicant. Wayne Wierzgacz is the owner.
The parking reduction is necessary because it is not a typical automobile sales facility where all customers visit the facility, Manross, an architect, wrote in a project narrative.
“A substantial amount of the sales are done online. In 2025, there were an average of 76 car deals a month for 912 total sales for the year. Out of the 76 deals a month, 36 deals — 47% — were out of state/online/in state delivery,” he said. “A parking study was done by the owner from (July 10, 2025) to (Aug. 10, 2025). There were an average of 2.7 customers per day during this time period. The facility has never had three customers at the same time.”
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/.
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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