The City of Mesa is currently evaluating how updates to the zoning ordinance may reduce barriers to creating ADUs and provide homeowners a range of housing options that align contextually with existing neighborhoods.

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a secondary, independent dwelling unit situated on the same lot as the primary residence. ADUs were traditionally associated with small, detached structures located in the backyard of a single-family property. As housing needs have changed over time, so have the variety of ADU types and designs. Today, ADUs can take various forms, including larger detached units, attached units, basement conversions, garage conversions, and even tiny homes.

• Increase Mesa’s housing supply.
• Increase opportunities for older residents to age in place.
• Provide homeowners with more flexibility in the design of ADUs.
• Make ADUs more responsive to different neighborhood contexts.

Documents/Updates

City Council Study Session Presentation – November 30, 2023 

Virtual Meeting Presentation - February 27, 2024

Planning and Zoning Board Study Session – February 28, 2024

Public Meeting Questions and Answers

Updated November 1, 2023

City Council approved Ordinance 5813 on October 16, 2023 approving Drive-Thru Text Amendments to the Mesa Zoning Ordinance. The ordinance will go into effect on November 15, 2023.

Drive-Thru Council Use Permit Waiver

A property owner may request a waiver of the requirement to obtain a Council Use Permit for Drive-thru Facilities contained in Section 1 of Ordinance 5813 within three years of the effective date of Ordinance 5813. The waiver needs to be filled out by the property owner and submitted through DIMES. The original signed and notarized document should also be mailed to the Planning Division at:

Attn: Planning Division
P.O. Box 1466
Mesa, AZ 85211-1466

Please send any questions on the waiver to Specialprojects@mesaaz.gov

Project Goals

• Improve the land use suitability for permitted locations of drive-thru facilities.
• Enhance walkability, pedestrian activity, traffic, and neighborhood aesthetics.
• Reduce the impacts of drive-thru uses on residential neighborhoods, businesses, and the built environment (i.e., noise from ordering boxes, idling cars, traffic etc.).

Frequently Asked Questions

July 3, 2024 FAQ sheet

Documents

September 6, 2023 Public Meeting Presentation

2023 Draft Amendments - Land Use Tables

2023 Draft Section 11-31-18 Repeal and Replace

2023 Draft Section 11-31-18 Repeal and Replace (strike through version)

May 25, 2023, Study Session recording

January 30, 2023, Public Meeting Text Amendments Presentation

November 1, 2022, Public Meeting Text Amendments Presentation

Meeting Minutes for September 27th Public Meeting

September 27, 2022, Public Meeting Text Amendments Presentation

September 21, 2022, Public Meeting Text Amendments

June 29, 2022, Public Meeting slides

Drive-thru Text Amendment

February 24, 2022, Study Session recording

2022 Draft Drive-thru Amendments

2022 Draft Section 11-31-18 Repeal and Replace

Updated November 1, 2023

Mesa’s current Historic Preservation Design Guidelines, Historic Homes of Mesa: An Architectural and Preservation Guide was adopted in 1996 and most recently amended in 2001 but the Design Guidelines focused mostly on pre-World War II resources. 

Since the creation of the original Design guidelines, Mesa has added several new historic districts, many of which have post-war resources. The Design Guidelines are being updated to reflect Mesa’s growing population of historic resources and modern historic preservation goals and practices.

There are two parts of the project: Design Guidelines and Text Amendments.

Design Guidelines

The updated Design Guidelines will reflect modern historic preservation goals and practices and provide information and guidance needed for projects to comply with Historic Preservation standards. Specifically, the Design Guidelines will: 

• Simplify historic contexts for each Historic District and identify character-defining features found within each District
• Create clear guidance to inform current and future historic preservation efforts in Mesa
• Update areas of the current Historic Preservation Ordinance
• Draft Historic Preservation Design Guidelines [PDF]
• Design Guidelines FAQs [PDF]

Text Amendments

The Historic Preservation Office is proposing text amendments that would combine Chapter 23: Historic District and Historic Landmark Overlay Districts; Chapter 44, Historic Signs; and Chapter 74, Historic District and Historic Landmark Procedures into one comprehensive chapter related to Historic Preservation.

• Draft Historic Preservation Text Amendment [PDF]
• Text Amendment FAQs [PDF]

Updated July 2023

In 2022, the City of Mesa was awarded a $920,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to conduct detailed transit-oriented development planning along a proposed 5-mile streetcar route in west Mesa.

The proposed transit route will connect five major activity areas within the city including Sloan Park, Riverview Marketplace, the Asian District, the Fiesta District, and Downtown. The funded planning efforts provide the City with the opportunity to conduct detailed branding and marketing of special areas; study, market, and partner on catalyst sites; and implement strategies from three of the City's four Redevelopment Plans.

Project Goals

The study will include comprehensive planning along the streetcar route to increase economic development opportunities along the transit line; increase transit ridership; improve transit access for pedestrians and bicycle traffic; increase mixed-use development near transit stations; and address climate change, environmental justice challenges, and racial equity/barriers to opportunity. 

Documents

FTA Transit Oriented Development Planning Grant [PDF]

March 17, 2022 Study Session presentation

Updated July 2023 

Residential development has trended toward higher-density, smaller lots, and narrow streets in recent years.  Small Lot design is fundamentally a site planning challenge. It requires addressing practical spatial requirements while simultaneously creating high-quality living environments. These spatial requirements include: small lot sizes and complex configurations; parking and automobile access; pedestrian circulation; adequate access to air, light, and ventilation; outdoor space and privacy; and refuse bin placement and utilities location. To mitigate the issues that have risen with regard to these types of projects, guidelines are being established to document the level of design quality expected. 

What is Small Lot Development?

Small Lot Development is compact, residential development commonly known by the City of Mesa’s zoning designation, Residential Small Lot (RSL), which allows for the platting and development of residential lots ranging in size from 2,500 to 6,000 square feet. Generally, these homes have smaller lot areas, compact building footprints, and minimal street frontage and setback requirements. They are distinct from condominiums in that they are fee simple, compact homes, meaning that tenants have complete ownership of their lot.

Project Goals

• Provide clear design expectation which result in more compatible architecture, attractive residential projects and context-sensitive design that contributes to an enhanced sense of place.
• Improve efficiency by providing both site planning and technical requirements in one document.
• Identify design criteria that needs updating.

Recommendation

The creation of a guidance document that provides direction for site planning and lot configuration, setbacks and building transitions, parking and driveways, building design and materials, and landscaping and technical requirements for utilities, solid waste, and fire access in one consolidated reference.

Documents

 Updated July 2023

The City of Mesa encourages infill and redevelopment as a strategy to promote compact and efficient land uses and development. The City is reviewing best practices with the purpose of creating Infill Guidelines is to help residents, property owners, prospective developers, staff, and decision makers better understand the City’s review process for infill development projects. The document will highlight infill strategies, incentives, and processes tailored to infill projects.

What is Infill?

Infill development is the process of developing vacant or underutilized parcels or rehabilitating buildings within existing urban areas that are already largely developed.  Infill sites are located within the service areas of existing infrastructure such as streets, utilities, fire protection, and parks. Infill lots also includes redevelopment of land in those areas. Redevelopment is described as encompassing construction in previously developed areas, which may include the demolition of existing structures and building new structures or the substantial renovation of existing structures, often changing form and function.  

Project Goals

• Streamline the review processes to encourage infill development.
• Consolidate various process required for infill development.
• Encourage infill and redevelopment by providing one document detailing all infill strategies and incentives.
• Identify best practices that could be adopted by the City of Mesa.