By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

A special use permit for a comprehensive sign plan for a Cobblestone Auto Spa at 7215 S. Ellsworth Road was recently approved by the Mesa Board of Adjustment.

The board voted unanimously in a consent agenda with other items April 6 to approve the permit for the 2-acre property with a convenience store with associated fuel station and car wash in the light industrial district.

The special use permit is for an increase to the number and of the aggregate sign area, Staff Planner Jennifer Merrill said at a study session prior to the meeting.

“The proposed comprehensive sign plan would allow additional attached signage for the building. The detached signs would meet the requirements of the Mesa zoning ordinance,” she said. “Per the standard sign code, the maximum number of attached signs is three and they’re requesting six; the maximum aggregate sign area is 160 square feet total for all three of those signs and they’re requesting a total of 388.18 square feet.”

The applicant is Michael Donada of Signs Plus. The owner is Cobblestone 17 Propco LLC.

The Cobblestone development under construction at the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Pecos roads includes a convenience store and car wash in a 9,552-square-foot building with a 3,447-square-foot canopy south of the building over the fuel pumps, according to a written Mesa staff report.

“Additional signage is requested to adequately identify all the services that Cobblestone development provides. The primary building that includes the car wash and convenience store is also set back 70 feet east from the South Ellsworth Road right-of-way line and because of this setback larger signage is needed on the north and south elevations of the building to provide effective visibility for traffic traveling along South Ellsworth Road,” it states.

Mesa Board of Adjustment meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at the City Council Chambers, 57 E. First St. The seven-member board 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 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.