PUBLISHED MINUTES: Planning & Zoning Meetings Wed 07.15.2020



It's TIME to get more familiar and informed about the City of Mesa's Planning & Zoning Board.
Go here > https://www.mesaaz.gov/government/advisory-boards-committees/planning-zoning-board
"The seven members conduct hearings and make recommendations to the City Council on requests for changes in zoning and on required site plans. They also consider and recommend changes in the City's long-range plans and in the Municipal Code concerning planning and zoning matters. Members are appointed for staggered terms of three years.
Meetings are broadcast live on Mesa Channel 11.
For a full explanation of the duties and responsibilities of the Planning and Zoning Board, please see: Title 2- Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 1 of the Mesa Code of Ordinances.

Board Member	Date appointed	Term Expires
Dane Astle, Vice Chair	7/01/15	6/30/2021
Jessica Sarkissian	7/01/20	6/30/2023
Tim Boyle	7/05/16	6/30/2022
Shelly Allen	7/01/20	6/30/2023
Deanna Villaneuva-Saucedo	7/02/18	6/30/2022
Jeffrey Crockett	7/02/18	6/30/2021
Benjamin Ayers	7/01/20	6/30/2023

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http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Meeting Minutes
Planning and Zoning Board - Study Session
3:00 PM Virtual Platform Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Vice Chair Dane Astle
Boardmember Jessica Sarkissian
Boardmember Tim Boyle
Boardmember Shelly Allen
Boardmember Jeffrey Crockett
Boardmember Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo
Boardmember Benjamin Ayers

1 Call meeting to order.
   Vice Chair Astle called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm.
2 Introduction of new Planning and Zoning Board member Ben Ayers.
3 Election of Planning and Zoning Board Officers:
                 a. Chair
Continue to the July 29, 2020 Meeting.
                 b. Vice-Chair
Continue to the July 29, 2020 Meeting.

4 Review items on the agenda for the July 15, 2020 regular Planning and Zoning Board Hearing
INSERT MEETING DETAILS:

Meeting Name:

Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing

Agenda status:

Final

Meeting date/time:

7/15/2020 4:00 PM

Minutes status:

Draft

Meeting location:

Virtual Platform

Published agenda:	Agenda	Published minutes:	Minutes

Meeting video:

Not available

Attachments:

• Meeting Items (5)

5 records Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by Type Group by Result Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word Show: Legislation only Legislation only All agenda items

File # Agenda # Type Title Action Result Action Details PZ 20093 2-a PZ Minutes Minutes from the June 24, 2020 study session and regular hearing.     Not available PZ 20094 3-a PZ Zoning - Action ZON20-00051 District 2. 3547 East Southern Avenue. Located at the southwest corner of Southern Avenue and Val Vista Drive. (1.75± acres). Site Plan Review; and Special Use Permit. This request will allow for the development of a convenience market and associated service station. Jon Naut, Quik Trip Corporation, applicant; Val Vista Furniture, LLC, owner. Planner: Wahid Alam Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions     Not available PZ 20095 3-b PZ Zoning - Action ZON20-00246 District 2. Within the 5500 block of East Baseline Road (north side). Located east of Higley Road on the north side of Baseline Road. (2± acres). Site plan Review. This request will allow for the development of medical offices. Vince Di Bella, Adaptive Architects, Inc., applicant; Kelly, Kevin, Kemp, and Judith Morris, owners. Planner: Kellie Rorex Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions     Not available PZ 20096 3-c PZ Zoning - Action ZON20-00250 District 6. Within the 4900 to 5200 blocks of South Ellsworth Road (east side) and within the 9300 to 9500 blocks of East Ray Road (north side). Located east of Ellsworth Road and north of Ray Road. (14± acres). Site Plan Review. This request will allow for a multi-residential development within the Eastmark Community. Drew Olson, PCS Development, applicant; DMB Mesa Proving Grounds, LLC, owner. Planner: Ryan McCann Staff Recommendation: Continuance to the July 29, 2020 meeting     Not available PZ 20097 4-a PZ Zoning - Discuss and Recommend ZON20-00207 District 6. Within the 11200 block of East Ray Road (south side) and within the 5200 block of South Mountain Road (east side). Located west of Meridian Road on the south side of Ray Road. (3.9± acres). Rezone from RS-43 to NC. This request will establish commercial zoning for future development. Rod Jarbo, applicant; SRF Holding, LLC, owner. Continued from the June 24, 2020 meeting. Planner: Evan Balmer Staff Recommendation: Continuance to the July 29, 2020 meeting     Not available

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5 Planning Director's Updates
                a. July 1 and July 8 City Council's land use cases and decisions.
                b. Status of staff on-going work on text amendments to the Mesa Zoning Ordinance and General Plan(Page 1City of MesaJuly 15, 2020Planning and Zoning Board - Study Session Meeting Minutes)

6 Adjournment.
Approved (Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)

The City of Mesa is committed to making its public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities. 
For special accommodations, please contact the City Manager's Office at (480) 644-3333 or AzRelay 7-1-1 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. 
Si necesita asistencia o traducción en español, favor de llamar al menos 48 horas antes de la reunión al 480-644-2767.
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Meeting Minutes
Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing
4:00 PM Virtual Platform Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Chair Michelle Dahlke
Vice Chair Dane Astle
Boardmember Jessica Sarkissian
Boardmember Tim Boyle
Boardmember Shelly Allen
Boardmember Jeffrey Crockett
Boardmember Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo
_________________________________________________________________________________
Consent Agenda -
All items listed with an asterisk (*) will be considered as a group by the Board and will be enacted with one motion. 
> There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Boardmember or citizen requests, in which the item will be removed from the consent agenda, prior to the vote, and considered as a separate item.     
> Items on this agenda that must be adopted by ordinance and/or resolution will be on a future City Council agenda. 
Anyone interested in attending the City Council public hearing should call the Planning Division at (480) 644-2385 or review the City Council agendas on the City's website at www.mesaaz.gov to find the agenda on which the item(s) will be placed.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Call meeting to order
Vice Chair Astle called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm

1 Take action on all consent agenda items

Items on the Consent Agenda
2 Approval  of minutes from previous meetings.
2-a PZ 20093 Minutes from the June 24, 2020 study session and regular hearing.
Approved
(Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)
INSERT ATTACHMENT

File #:

PZ 20093

Type:

PZ Minutes

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing

On agenda:

6/24/2020

Title:

Minutes from the June 24, 2020 study session and regular hearing.

Attachments:

1. June 24, 2020 Study Session, 2. June 24, 2020 Meeting Minutes

Page 1City of Mesa
July 15, 2020Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing Meeting Minutes

3 Take action on the following zoning cases:
3-a PZ 20094 ZON20-00051 District 2.
3547 East Southern Avenue. Located at the southwest corner of Southern Avenue and Val Vista Drive.
(1.75± acres).
Site Plan Review; and Special Use Permit.
This request will allow for the development of a convenience market and associated service station.
Jon Naut, Quik Trip Corporation, applicant
Val Vista Furniture, LLC, owner.
Planner: Wahid Alam
Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions
Approval with conditions
(Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)

3-b PZ 20095 ZON20-00246   District 2. 
Within the 5500 block of East Baseline Road (north side). Located east of Higley Road on the north side of Baseline Road. (2± acres).
Site plan Review.
This request will allow for the development of medical offices. 
Vince Di Bella, Adaptive Architects, Inc., applicant
Kelly, Kevin, Kemp, and Judith Morris, owners.
Planner: Kellie Rorex
Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions
Approval with conditions
(Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)

3-c PZ 20096 ZON20-00250 District 6.
Within the 4900 to 5200 blocks of South Ellsworth Road (east side) and within the 9300 to 9500 blocks of East Ray Road (north side). Located east of Ellsworth Road and north of Ray Road. (14± acres). 
Site Plan Review.
This request will allow for a multi-residential development within the Eastmark Community.
Drew Olson, PCS Development, applicant
DMB Mesa Proving Grounds, LLC, owner.
Planner: Ryan McCann
Staff Recommendation: Continuance to the July 29, 2020 meeting
Continuance to the July 29, 2020 Meeting
(Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)Page 2City of Mesa
July 15, 2020Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing Meeting Minutes

4 Discuss and make a recommendation to the City Council on the following zoning case:
4-a PZ 20097 ZON20-00207 District 6.
Within the 11200 block of East Ray Road (south side) and within the 5200 block of South Mountain Road (east side). Located west of Meridian Road on the south side of Ray Road. (3.9± acres). Rezone from RS-43 to NC.
This request will establish commercial zoning for future development.  
Rod Jarbo, applicant;
SRF Holding, LLC, owner.
Continued from the June 24, 2020 meeting. 
Planner: Evan Balmer
Staff Recommendation: Continuance to the July 29, 2020 meeting
Continuance to the July 29, 2020 Meeting
(Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)

Items not on the Consent Agenda
6 Adjournment
Please Note:
Vice Chair Astle called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. No time provided when adjourned
Approved (Vote: 6-0; Boardmember Allen, absent)
The City of Mesa is committed to making its public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities.  For special accommodations, please contact the City Manager's Office at (480) 644-3333 or AzRelay 7-1-1 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  Si necesita asistencia o traducción en español, favor de llamar al menos 48 horas antes de la reunión al 480-644-27

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District 2 Mesa City Council Member Jeremy Whittaker Facing More Vicious Political Attacks

He went public on his assertions July 8th
The latest attack:
Here come the anonymous dark money attacks          
By Jeremy Whittaker in Uncategorized        

Candidates hide while dark money attacks

 

"I have spoken out on multiple occasions about anonymous dark money buying our Mesa City Council and the Mayor.

 

"Being vocal about this corruption has its consequences. I am the only Councilmember in which dark money continues to attack. I will give them the free publicity by reposting their attacks here because I know I’ve earned your trust over the last four years. I wear these attacks as a badge of honor. Win or lose these groups despise our campaign and what we stand for. Nothing will ever change that.

It’s time for people to ask, “Why is dark money and special interest groups spending so much money to remove me from office?”

________________________________________________________________________
Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Do you remember when “Arizona Citizens United” attacked me in 2016? Here is one of their hit pieces. (My opponent is blurred out as I don’t want to bring her back into this mess)

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> I debunked all of these false claims:

• I am a proud Independent. I have no party affiliation. I feel as if the political system in America has lost its way and I want nothing to do with it. I will always be an Independent. You will hear false claims that I always change my party affiliation. In prior years you had to do this to get an early ballot for the primaries. I’ll judge politicians by their character not their party affiliation.

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Who is Public Integrity Alliance?

Public Integrity Alliance is run by three individuals according to their tax filings Tyler Montague, Pace Ellsworth, and Steve Cox.

UPDATE: Trevor Denton reached out and asked that his name be removed from being mentioned above. So I will move it. For complete transparency, he was listed on their tax returns as a “trustee or director” in 2013. A link to that document can be found by clicking on the image below. . .

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The hypocrisy

This group claims to be about “public integrity” in government. But here is the hypocrisy.

Do you remember Paul Peterson our old county assessor?

He pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and illegal adoption scam.

But you don’t hear anything from Public Integrity Alliance. Why? Look at the post below. all of these people run in the same elite circles. Public Integrity Alliance has no desire to bring integrity to Mesa. Their goal is simply to maintain power.

It is never popular for a politician to attack their opponent. So what Public Integrity alliance acts as is the “attack dog”. They do the dirty work so candidates can distance themselves from these attacks. But make no mistake they all run in the same elite circles. . .
Why?
Why the double standards?
Because their goal is not transparency and it never will be. It’s just a front organization for the elite to maintain control over our City.
It’s time to start asking who is buying your elected officials and why?
This election is not about winning to me. In fact, I ran for office to give my time back to my community. The truth is if you’re ready for me to go then I would encourage you to vote for my opponent. Until then I will stand up for an America and a Mesa that I can be proud to live in. I will continue to fight for every citizen in Mesa until you send me packing."

 

GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE: The Big ASU Dig @ Pepper Place

(View looking northeast to intersection of Centennial Drive/1st Street. Cimarron Apartments in the backdrop)

Rising above the virtual reality of an image of the proposed ASU Creative Futures Lab on the rent-a-fence barricades behind Mesa City Hall Plaza - it's a big blue rig of some kind - perhaps a drilling rig - it's definitely way too soon to see one more crane here in downtown.
Mounds of earth got moved making some dust in the early Monday morning haze . . .

Hard to say exactly what's there now after ground was broken months ago, so let's let the images deliver the optics when new supplies and big equipment moved on-site during the recorded-shattering heat of the past weekend for more sub-contracting work to do all the underground installation of a new network infrastructure and relocation of city-owned utilities services for the leasing of one existing vacant 1970's-era building needing to get renovated inside. No signs of laying the foundation of a proposed 3-story structure of one new city-owned construction to lease out to,  ASU originally-priced at $64M and financed by Mesa taxpayer-funded debt obligations in the 2018 General Election.

The dust of controversies over that hotly-contested, privately-financed Public Relations campaign had hardly settled when city officials came back to ask the Mesa City Council for approval of million$$$$$$$ more . . the most recent "GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE" was one more GMP that was Item 5-g to approve a $98,000 "study" with Okland - with the last phase recommendations coming back for council approval at a later date.

(Expanded view looking north from City Hall Parking lot to include back of City Council Building)

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INSERT FROM AN EARLIER POST:
This was the Sales-Pitch for GMP #3 (date: 13 March 2020)

A clear example of this is the first item brought up by City Manager Chris Brady Item 7-a (see below), followed by another item, Item 6-a
< Item 6-a is the subject of a FrontPage feature story in this Sunday Edition of the East Valley Tribune 
"High-end NE Mesa plan wows zoning panel" is only one piece of the story that city officials wanted to get told.
< The TOP HEADLINE - coincidence or not - is Item 4-h on Monday's agenda - it's for the third request for an increase of millions more that need to get  approved for the Contract Manager At-Risk that had to get hired as a third-party buffer.

File #:

20-0295

Type:

Contract

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council

On agenda:

3/16/2020

Title:

Mesa City Center - Third Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP No. 3) - ASU @ Mesa City Center (District 4) GMP No. 1 was approved by Council on November 4, 2019 and included infrastructure improvements to the City’s utilities, communications facilities, and streets needed to support the ASU building, the Plaza, the Studios and any future developments and improvements in the area. GMP No. 2 was approved by Council on December 9, 2019 and included general site demolition, excavation of the building site, building pad preparation, foundations, the concrete building structure, and associated items. This GMP is the third of the series of GMP’s relating to City Center work. The scope of work includes all remaining construction necessary to complete the ASU @ Mesa City Center building. Staff recommends awarding the contract for GMP No. 3 to the selected Construction Manager at Risk, DPR Construction, in the amount of $46,548,058, and authorizing a change order allowance in the amount of $2,327,...

Attachments:

1. Council Report, 2. Project Location Map

04 July 2020 More Money CMAR Contracts for ASU Money-Pit ??

Please Note additional information:

Staff has prepared a contract and negotiated the fee for the PreConstruction Services contract.

During the Pre-Construction Phase, the CMAR will work closely with the project team to

> develop the project design,

> review the design for constructability,

> prepare cost estimates, and

> develop the project schedule and phasing plan.   

The last item developed during the Pre-Construction Phase will be the “Guaranteed Maximum Price” (GMP) for the project.

This GMP will then be brought back to the Council for review and approval.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

More than six months after the "Ground-Breaking" + million$$ more than the initial $63.5M approved by the Mesa City Council, there's not much progress to be seen above-ground in this image taken on-site last week for "The ASU Creative Futures Lab" or "The Studios @ Mesa City Center in a parking lot on Pepper Place and Centennial Drive.
< Take a look
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___________________________________________________________________________ 
Item 5-g

File #:

20-0730

Type:

Contract

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council

On agenda:

7/8/2020

Title:

The Studios @ Mesa City Center - Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Selection and Pre-Construction Services Contract (District 4)  In February 2018, Council approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with Arizona State University for a new academic building in downtown Mesa (ASU Creative Futures Laboratory).  This agreement also included provisions for ASU to assist with the programming of the vacant City-owned building located at 59 East 1st Street, which requires the renovation of 6,000 - 12,000 square-foot of the existing 26,500 sf building, to be called The Studios @ Mesa City Center.  This pre-construction phase of the renovation project consists of working closely with the project team to develop the project design, review the design for constructability, prepare cost estimates, and develop the project schedule and phasing plan.  Staff recommends the selection of Okland Construction as the CMAR for this project and award a Pre-Construction Services contract in the amount of $98,322. This project is funded by the Economic Investment Fund

Attachments:

1. Council Report, 2. Project Location Map

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Interestingly enough, these two pieces of "A 360-Degree Dilemma" - and its constantly increasing added costs - and all the current closely-connected interlocking puzzles of speculative real estate gambles in downtown, just happened to open an article that appeared Monday in the East Valley Tribune
Slowly but surely, Mesa getting a new downtown

Jim Walsh, Tribune Staff Writer

East Valley Tribune | 2020-07-13T01:00:00-07:00

"After decades of big plans followed by bigger disappointments, the foundations of new downtown Mesa are emerging as city leaders and developers look past the COVID-19 pandemic towards a brighter day.

Piece by piece, a new downtown is starting to come into focus, with the ASU@mesacitycenter as the epicenter and a constellation of large and small developments swirling around it. . .

Despite the continuing controversy revolving around asu@mesacity center, even during the upcoming election, “I think the wisdom of that project will be evident to everyone’’ once the new campus opens, Giles said.

“It’s not a hole, it’s a ladder out of a hole,’’ he said.

But Councilman Jeremy Whittaker continues to criticize city subsidies for ASU through a favorable lease and Giles’ efforts to repackage the campus into a smaller project with a different funding source than the plan previously rejected by voters.

With the COVID-19 pandemic overshadowing the city’s economic forecasts, Whittaker contends, “I think it’s foolish to continue spending money on this downtown ASU campus.”

But the council approved funding for The Studios@mesacitycenter project, to convert a vacant former Information Technology building into meeting space and conference rooms.

< PAUSE >

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More of the Transform Downtown Puzzle +
The 360-Degree Dilemma
Site 17
“Site 17 is absolutely a big factor’’ in the newly revamped downtown’s future, Giles said. “The easy thing for us to do was to sell off that piece. We want to have some influence over how it’s going to develop.’’
The next step is negotiating a memorandum of understanding with Mira Vista Holdings and Sunbelt Investments, allowing the developer to market Site 17, McVay said.  The agreement may come before the council as early as August.
Brown & Brown Chevrolet

 

 

Glenn Greenwald SYSTEM UPDATE: The Media Diversion Dynamic

Glued to the Tube in self-isolation we all have certain close contact to personal interests grabbing our attention lately.
"While the country is subsumed by both public health and an unemployment crisis, and is separately focused on a sustained protest movement against police abuses, a massive $740.5 billion military spending package was approved last week by the Democratic-controlled House Armed Services Committee. . ."

We all probably missed that.
We all probably missed detail too - some kind of show of "party-unity"
"The GOP-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee will almost certainly send the package with little to no changes to the White House for signing."
Glen Greenwald asks,
How did this happen?



Perhaps most remarkable is the amount of the military budget itself.
> It is three times more than the planet’s second-highest military spender, China
> It is ten times more than the third-highest spender, Saudi Arabia
> It is 15 times more than the military budget of the country most frequently invoked by    Committee members as a threat to justify militarism: Russia
> It is more than the next 15 countries combined spend on their military.
They authorized this kind of a budget in the midst of a global pandemic as tens of millions of newly unemployed Americans struggle even to pay their rent.
_________________________________________________________________________________
"How do Democrats succeed in presenting an image of themselves based on devotion to progressive causes and the welfare of the ordinary citizen while working with Liz Cheney to ensure that vast resources are funneled to the weapons manufacturers, defense sector and lobbyists who fund their campaigns?
Why would a country with no military threats from any sovereign nation to its borders spend almost a trillion dollars a year for buying weapons while its citizens linger without health care, access to quality schools, or jobs?
Who are the people in Congress doing this, and why?
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ONCE AGAIN IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IMAGE AND THE REALITY
Greenwald continues:
". . . In reporting on the approval of this military budget last week, I watched all 14 hours of the committee proceedings. It was remarkably revealing about how the U.S. government really functions, who the culprits are, what their motives are in pursuing policies that so blatantly have no benefit for the people they pretend to represent, and the vast gap between the image they create for themselves and the reality of what they really do in Washington . . ."

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Having spent large amounts of time watching many hours of these committee proceedings and speaking to several people with in-depth knowledge of the committee, I decided it would be very worthwhile to devote this week’s SYSTEM UPDATE episode to showing how this committee works and what it did last week so that some much-needed light is brought to these usually hidden proceedings. We’re very proud of the show we produced this week because it fulfills the goal of providing in-depth examinations of complex but extremely consequential matters that receive far less media attention than they deserve.

The program can be viewed on the Intercept’s YouTube channel or on the player below: