By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

A two-story 12 West Brewery Co. taproom, full-service restaurant and outdoor patio space is planned north of McDowell Road and west of Recker Road in Mesa.

Preliminary design and landscaping for the 3.3-acre development recently was discussed by the Mesa Design Review Board.

The property is zoned light industrial and within the Longbow Business Park, which has its own approved design guidelines, Mesa Staff Planner Sean Pesek told the design review board Sept. 14.

“The building is pushed up along the south property line facing the (Longbow) Golf Course. We’re looking at 22,000 square feet of ground floor area; there’s a pedestrian connection to Longbow Parkway; there’s a fitness trail also adjacent to the golf course, which is a requirement for the approved design guidelines; and then 2,800 square feet of dog park and 5,200 square feet of outdoor patio space along the north and east facades,” he said.

Staff findings on the project, he said, include:

• The design incorporates multiple materials;
• Exterior walls are subdivided through changes in building material, awnings and glazing;
• Vertical modulation is provided every 100 linear feet for each facade;
• No more than 50% of each facade is covered with a single material;
• The architecture complies with the adopted design guidelines for the Longbow Business Park.

Mike Hills of PHNX-DESIGN LLC is the applicant, and Bryan McCormik is the owner. The brewing company has a location in downtown Mesa and another in Gilbert.

In addition to the Longbow Business Park guidelines, the design takes cues from an adjacent shopping area, Hills said at the design review board meeting.

“I played close attention to the adjacent shopping center where we tried to play off — as best we could — the material and color palettes of the Fat Cats building there,” he said.

The proposed use is a craft beer production facility along with a taproom and restaurant, he said in a written project narrative.

“The silos on the north side are functional and serve as aesthetical monuments, which is typical for brewery production facilities,” he wrote.

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 citizens, according to the city’s website.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

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.