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June 2025 - Development Community Newsletter
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 Scott J. Butler is Mesa’s new City Manager
Mayor Mark Freeman administered the Loyalty Oath to Mr. Butler during the June 2 City Council meeting, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Arizona's third-largest city. In his first address to the Council, Butler outlined his vision for addressing Mesa's challenges through innovation and efficiencies while building upon the City’s strong foundation of fiscal responsibility and public service excellence.
The former White House staffer, who has served Mesa in various capacities for 21 years, outlined key priorities including fiscal transparency, strategic economic development and maintaining Mesa's reputation as one of America's safest large cities. He emphasized the importance of attracting high-wage employers in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and biotechnology while leveraging Mesa's competitive advantages.
The new City Manager takes the helm of an organization with approximately 4,000 employees and an annual operating and capital budget of $2.79 billion, serving over 500,000 residents. Butler succeeds Chris Brady, who retired on May 31, after 19 years of service.
 Development Services and other City staff is in the process of developing policy plans for the MesaCONNECTED Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plan. Public feedback from the public engagement process emphasized the desire for:
- More walkable development with access to amenities and services
- Increased shade, lighting, and pedestrian infrastructure
- Stronger placemaking through unique design, landmarks, and public art
- A greater variety of housing options.
The next steps include drafting the final plan and developing policy recommendations such as zoning text amendments and design guidelines. This will be followed by a public hearing and formal adoption process.
More information is available at Mesa CONNECTED Transit Oriented Development Plan - City of Mesa.
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Advisory Board Meetings
All Advisory Board meetings will be held at the Council Chambers, 57 E. First St.
June 25 at 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board
Upper Level Council Chambers
July 1 at 5pm
Historic Preservation Board
Lower Level Council Chambers
July 2 at 5:30pm
Board of Adjustment
Lower Level Council Chambers
July 9 at 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board
Upper Level Council Chambers
July 15 at 4:30pm
Design Review Board
Lower Level Council Chambers
July 23 at 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board
Upper Level Council Chambers
Aug. 5 at 5pm
Historic Preservation Board
Lower Level Council Chambers
Aug. 6 at 5:30pm
Board of Adjustment
Lower Level Council Chambers
Aug. 12 at 4:30pm
Design Review Board
Lower Level Council Chambers
Aug. 13 at 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board
Upper Level Council Chambers
Aug. 27 at 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board
Upper Level Council Chambers
City Council Meetings
All City Council meetings start at 5:45pm in the Upper Level Council Chambers of the new City Hall, 20 E. Main St.
July 1
July 8
Aug18
Aug 25
Community Events
July 4 from 6pm-10pm
Willmeng Arizona Celebration of Freedom
Mesa Convention Center
263 N. Center St.
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The City of Mesa’s Development Services Department (DSD) is working closely with other city departments to strengthen coordination with the development community and enhance the City’s urban form.
Roundtable Luncheon Overview
On April 9, DSD hosted a roundtable luncheon with major developers and their consultants. There were 27 guests including Mayor Mark Freeman and Assistant City Manager Marc Heirshberg. The luncheon focused on building stronger partnerships between the City and the development community and identifying ways to improve Mesa’s built environment.
Several important themes and suggestions emerged from the conversation:
1. Timely and Responsive Reviews
- Developers praised City staff for consistent review timelines and prompt feedback.
2. Increased Administrative Flexibility
- There was strong interest in allowing more administrative approvals to speed up qualifying projects.
3. Updated Design Guidelines
- Attendees emphasized the need to modernize the zoning ordinance’s design guidelines.
- They also recommended reducing the use of Development Agreements for standard projects.
4. Reducing Review Iterations
- Participants suggested streamlining the process to minimize the number of resubmittals required during reviews.
5. Aligning Approval Expirations
- Developers recommended syncing project approval expiration dates more closely with approved site plans.
6. Empowering City Staff
- There was support for giving DSD staff more decision-making authority to help avoid delays and improve efficiency.
DSD is actively collaborating with other City departments to address these key areas. The goal is to:
- Strengthen coordination with the development community
- Continue improving Mesa’s urban planning processes and standards
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The Development Services Department is reviewing the 2024 ICC codes for possible adoption in 2025. The codes include the 2024 edition of the IBC, IRC, IFC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC, ISPSC, IEBC, 2023 edition of the NEC, and 2017 edition of ICC A117.1.
Proposed amendments will be publicly available in the coming months.
We welcome community input in the adoption process through public meetings and the City’s website. The website will continually be updated with future public meeting dates. Please submit any questions or comments online or contact bldgcode@mesaaz.gov
Several text amendments are being proposed for presentation to City Council this summer:
Manufactured Home and RV subdivision text amendments:
- Allow dwelling units of conventional construction in RV/Manufactured Home Subdivisions
- Modify RV Accessory Structure development standards to match Manufactured Home Accessory Structure
- Modify definitions for Manufactured Home, Recreational Vehicle Accessory Structure and Recreational Vehicle
- Add a definition for Recreational Vehicle, Park Model
Marijuana text amendments:
- Remove provision that limits delivery exclusively to Medical Marijuana Dispensaries serving Qualifying Patients
- Increase the maximum size of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Dual Licensee Facilities to 5,000 square feet
- Remove size requirements for storage and customer waiting areas
Land Division (i.e. Subdivision) text amendments:
- Allow for administrative approval of land divisions
- Create a minor plat procedure to allow for the division of 10 or fewer lots without requiring a preliminary plat
- Clarify the procedures and eligibility for plat revisions
- Remove outdated exhibits and/or exhibits contained within the City’s Engineering Design Standards Manual
- Update definitions
Form Based Code text amendments:
- Reformat chapters and modify language to improve clarity and useability
- Remove requirement for public hearings for certain recreation, retail and service uses
- Modify certain development standards to reduce the need for variances and administrative modifications
- Modify the deviations eligible for administrative modification
- Add ability for administrative modifications for Transects established through a Smart Growth Community Plan
Adaptive Reuse Permit text amendments:
HB 2110 was signed by Governor Hobbs April 7. The bill clarified certain provisions:
- It may only apply to multi-residence reuse projects
- Applicable to existing office, commercial and mixed-use LOTS, not buildings
The Adaptive Reuse Permit (Chapter 81) and definitions have been modified to address these changes
Data Center and PAD text amendments:
- Add a definition for Data Center and modify the definition of Indoor Warehousing and Storage.
- Modify land use tables to permit Data Centers as an accessory use in Commercial and Employment Districts, and as a principal use in the General Industrial (GI) and Heavy Industrial (GI) zoning districts, subject to approval of a Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay District.
- Establish specific use standards (i.e. application requirements, development standards, operational standards, etc.) for Data Centers.
- Modify PAD Overlay Districts regulations to allow land uses not otherwise permitted in a base zoning district to be allowed through PAD approval.
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The City of Mesa Development Services Department wants to support small businesses through the development and permitting process. Pamela Williams is the Small Business Assistant who can help small business owners, who may not have experience with zoning codes or construction, navigate the development process. Examples include assistance with obtaining permits, certificates of occupancy, signage and home based businesses.
Each Wednesday, Pamela meets with clients at Mesa Business Builder (MBB) @ The Studios, 59 E. 1st St. MBB @ The Studios, which opened in May 2024, is a hub for innovation and collaboration for small businesses, entrepreneurs, industry associations and other groups who benefit from the diverse offerings
Pamela has been the Small Business Assistant for over two years, but she has been with Development Services for five years, starting as a permit technician and then working as a planning assistant. For more information, visit the Small Business Assistance webpage, https://www.mesaaz.gov/business/development-services/small-business-assistance or email smbz@mesaaz.gov or call 480-644-5600
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Medina Station
Construction has started on Medina Station, a mixed-use development on 61 acres of vacant land at the southeast corner of Signal Butte Road and Southern Avenue.
In addition to multi-residential housing, Medina Station will include a Target store, Dick’s Sporting Goods and other retail development, plus five restaurant buildings known as Restaurant Galley. The project is consistent with the Mixed Use Activity District and other criteria outlined in the Mesa 2040 General Plan.
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Neon Garden
Mesa’s new vibrant outdoor community space celebrates the City’s rich and bright history. The Neon Garden, located behind The Post at 26 N. Macdonald, features six restored neon signs from Mesa businesses dating from the 1940s to 1970s: Bill Johnson’s Big Apple, Watson’s Flowers, Dairy Queen, Smiley Ford, Frontier Motel and a replica of the iconic Diving Lady sign.
The City partnered with the Mesa Preservation Foundation to create the Neon Garden and save and restore the signs. It’s just the start of introducing historic neon signs throughout downtown Mesa, creating a special sense-of-place designed to expand heritage tourism. More information is available online.
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Historic Preservation Month
Mesa celebrated National Historic Preservation Month with a free event May 3 at The Post attended by about 70 people. The event included free tours of downtown Mesa and the West 2nd Street Historic along with the 30 years between 1995 – when Mesa became a Certified Local Government and the City established historic preservation guidelines – and the present. Presentations were made by the Mesa Preservation Foundation and the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office about historic preservation efforts in Mesa over the past three decades.
Students and their families who participated in the City’s Historic Essay and Visual Arts Contest were there for the awards ceremony for the student winners. The artwork and essays were on display and are now posted on the city’s website. The artwork will be on display at the Mesa Historical Museum throughout the summer.
Councilmember Jenn Duff delivered the Mayor’s proclamation for May Historic Preservation Month in Mesa.
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Mesa’s Tree Dashboard Showcases Benefits and Canopy Data
The City is excited to announce a new tree-related resource for the Mesa community to help understand the ways trees take care of us, and how we can care for them. Explore our interactive Tree Canopy Cover and Tree Benefits dashboard, which provides a snapshot of our current tree inventory and highlights the positive impact of our public trees. And find out the Top 10 most popular trees planted in Mesa.
Together, we can care for our existing trees and plant new ones to create a cooler Mesa! If you are planting trees at businesses or in the community, please record the trees to be counted in our 1,00,000 trees initiative.
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Mesa Hydration Donation Campaign
The 19th Annual Mesa Hydration Donation Campaign, from May 5 through September 30, provides supplies of water to people in need. The City of Mesa works with nonprofit agencies and businesses to collect the bottles of water which are distributed through United Food Bank to numerous agencies in the valley, including A New Leaf, Paz de Cristo and Mesa United Way.
The campaign is a life saver for the less fortunate during the hot summer months. Since the campaign began in 2007, more than 7.6 million bottles of water have been donated. $5 or less buys a case of water.
This year, we are offering you not just water drop-off locations throughout the City – we are strongly encouraging you to donate cash online, allowing United Food Bank employees to buy cases of water for the campaign. Donations to United Food Bank qualify for the Arizona Charitable Giving Tax Credit.
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Celebrating Excellence: Over 80% Of Mesa Planning Staff Earn AICP Credentials
The City of Mesa’s Planning Division is proud to share that over 80% of its professional planning staff are either members or candidates for membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Achieving AICP status requires meeting rigorous standards in education and experience, as well as passing a comprehensive exam. This milestone reflects the team’s strong commitment to professional excellence and high-quality planning practices. Congratulations to the Planning Team for their dedication and leadership in shaping Mesa’s future!
Great Employees
Several DSD planners were praised by executive coach and author Nicole Lance, who recently met with several staff members. “I wanted to first relay some really lovely feedback I received about some of your team members. They were referred to as rock stars, exceptionally helpful, easy to work with, and ultra-responsive: Rachel Phillips, Evan Balmer, Jennifer Merrill and Cassidy Welch. It's so great to hear FANTASTIC feedback - another win!”
Jennifer Castaneda and Chris Clark were praised by a tenant at Falcon Field Airport. “they were wonderful to work with and provided world class customer service.”
Rosie Alvarado was praised by Kathleen Boles for help in getting a building permit. “You now have a couple of Canadian forever friends. Our permit is proudly displayed in the shed. Your help and kindness have been so appreciated!...We have enjoyed our time meeting the Mesa staff everyone has been so kind.”
The following comments were submitted online at the Happy or Not machine in the lobby. The iPad kiosk has smiley faces so that the customer can select about their interaction in the office and add comments about the service provided.
“Everyone is always very polite, patient, professional and nice.”
“Jeremy (Ross) was helping us today. He went up and beyond the usual customer service. He was very friendly and very helpful.”
“Dealt with Dominick Lemma. He was awesome. Thank you.”
“Latoya (Tillman) was TREMENDOUSLY helpful!!! She actually sat at the terminal and helped me to set up an account.”
“Great folks in this department, especially Latoya (Tillman - front desk), Emily (Johnson) and Mia (Lozano) and Jennifer (Merrill) in planning and Jenn Cass in compliance. Good team!"
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New / Promoted Employees
Randy Jones is a new Building Plans Examiner
Amir Jazayeri is a new Building Plans Examiner
Erick Pina is a new Permits Technician II
Tulili Tuiteleleapaga-Howard has been promoted to Planner II
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Permitting 480-644-4273 | Planning 480-644-4726 | Building Inspections 480-644-2428
mesaaz.gov/business/development-services
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