Design reviewed for Arizona Department of Child Safety office in Mesa
City of Mesa
The Arizona Department of Child Safety office is to operate 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday with the office serving as the workspace for social workers who support families, children and foster families.
City of Mesa
The Mesa Design Review Board recently discussed the development planned on 3 vacant acres surrounded by residential zoning to the north, west and south, and commercial to the east.
A 24,000-square-foot Arizona Department of Child Safety office building is to be constructed at the northeast corner of North 80th Street and University Drive in Mesa to help with an increase in reported child abuse cases.
The development’s look and landscaping were discussed at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board. Boardmembers Paul Johnson and Denise Dunlop were absent.
Access is from North 80th Street at the northwest corner of the site, Staff Planner Kwasi Abebrese said.
“Overall a total number of 64 parking spaces are required, and a total of 130 spaces are proposed on the west, north and east sides of the building,” he said. “The landscape plan shows a variety of trees and shrubs proposed for the site and this includes perimeter landscaping, interior parking lots and foundation base landscaping.”
Kyle Vilaubi of Bramic Design Group Inc. is the applicant. Innovative Technology Development Group LLC is the owner.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety provides services to vulnerable, abused and neglected children, according to a written project narrative from Gene Goldstein of Bramic Design Group.
“Given the demands placed on the agency in the city of Mesa and the surrounding areas with increases in the reporting of child abuse cases, DCS is seeking to expand their capabilities in the East Valley. This office building is specifically intended to provide the capability for their agency to meet the critical needs of the citizens, families and children of Mesa and surrounding communities,” it states.
DCS operates 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday with the office serving as the workspace for social workers who support families, children and foster families, it states.
“DCS by statute must be close enough to respond within two hours to any call from the state child abuse 24-hour hotline. This office will help cover those calls from the Maricopa County eastern ZIP codes. Primary function is workspace for the social workers as the(y) process the paperwork for individual case files of families within the DCS system,” it states.
A smaller front office area will be used to conduct court-ordered visitations and meetings between families and their legal representatives and the team with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, 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. 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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