Queen Creek has roadway access concerns. Some high-profile East Valley landowners and big developers want land-use flexibility. Aviation authorities warn that too much residential development could hurt airport operations and its economic benefits. All of these points and more were expounded at Mesa’s planning and zoning board meeting late Thursday.

Mesa zoning board to review Gateway draft plan

It was enough to push back ambitious development plans for the 52-square-mile Mesa Gateway Area by at least another month, when the board meets next. Unless something changes, the outgoing City Council is unlikely to vote on the southeast Mesa plan, leaving it to a new mayor and council.

Click to view the proposed land-use plan

District 6 Councilman Scott Somers said Friday the outgoing council has been closely involved in the planning process, especially since June.

That’s when the city hired consultant group HDR Engineering to study land-use, transportation and financing options for the area.

HDR presented the planning leaders with a final draft Thursday, but with such stiff opposition, the board deferred a decision until next month.

Instead, board members suggested coming up with a fresh plan, because the ones presented were not palatable to many stakeholders.

“It seems like this needs to be filtered before I feel comfortable making a decision on it,” board member Jared Langkilde said.

The final draft of the Mesa Gateway Strategic Development Plan, which explores options for the chunk of land near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, included two land-use plans. One shows higher-density urban-style vertical homes north of the airport inside Loop 202 to the northwest side of the 32-square-mile study area. This would include village centers along Elliot Road intersections to create a mix of uses and a chance for pedestrian activity.

Both plans have two higher-density mixed-use areas to create downtowns that benefit from the proximity to the airport.

However, the second plan replaces high-density residential land use with more industrial development. Under this plan, there is no room for housing inside Loop 202. “This alternative was designed to respond to stakeholder concern that we weren’t providing adequate protection to Gateway,” HDR Vice President Mark McLaren said.

Both plans are similar in job projections, at up to 133,000 by 2030.

But residential allocation is significantly lower in the second plan, which is why the aviation industry favors that alternative.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Director Lynn Kusy and Boeing Co. representative Rich Lee drove home that point. Planning, they said, should be such that it doesn’t hurt the very reason the area is being termed the next big aerotropolis: a city filled with aviation businesses built near an airport.

Otherwise, the city could end up throwing away millions of dollars to buy out homes to protect airport runways, Lee said.

Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker has said that his priority is to ensure smooth airport operations and attract quality jobs to Mesa.

The Arizona Land Department, which owns a 434-acre chunk of land at the intersection of Elliot Road and Loop 202, sent a letter to Mesa requesting more dialogue with the city about land use on their property.

Officials at developer DMB Associates, which owns 3,200 acres of the soon-to-be-emptied General Motors Proving Grounds, are also filing zoning and other land use applications on the state Land Department’s behalf.

Jill Kusy, DMB’s director of entitlements, said the state Land Department is concerned about not being able to do commercial development the way the property has been earmarked now.

DMB joined other landowners and developers in saying that an overall framework plan, which divides the study area into “character areas,” naming specific types of uses — such as mixed use or a freeway-oriented mixed-use area, or urban mixed-use, each allowing varying levels of commercial, housing, industrial and retail development — is too specific in defining usage. Opinions are divided on which plan is suitable.

Zoning attorney Ralph Pew brought up concerns on behalf of three landowners — Ross Farnsworth, Nelson Stewart and Warren Steffey. While Stewart and Steffey would be OK with the first plan, Pew noted, neither option works for Farnsworth. That’s because his 30-acre property south of DMB’s land is being planned for residential instead of the current business park designation. That would kill their plans to move a wholesale facility from Gilbert to Mesa, Pew said.

The major problem with plan B for the other two owners: too much land-use priority given to commercial development in the second option, with little flexibility for other uses including residential development.

Queen Creek’s planning manager Wayne Balmer said the town still has transportation corridor issues with the plan. Queen Creek Road ends at Ellsworth Road. Town officials would like to have sufficient roadway access to be able to benefit from the economic growth once development takes shape, Balmer said.

Mesa transportation officials said they would look into the issue.

The draft states that its transportation study includes Power Road to Meridian Drive and the area from Southern Avenue to Germann Road.

The land-use study area goes from Power Road to Meridian Drive and from the halfway point between Guadalupe Road and Elliot Road to Germann Road.

Mesa’s goal is to turn the land into a vibrant economic engine, complete with airport and modern freeway access and the nearby Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus. The idea is to turn that area into a magnet for young, highly educated residents. This East Valley region is projected to generate more than 100,000 high-paying jobs by 2030.

Ultimately, the planning and zoning board suggested the city ask for a third plan, taking into account all of the concerns raised.

“I see too many conflicting messages,” board chairman Rich Adams said, as he voted to delay a decision in order to get additional information.

The City Council was expected to consider the draft in a meeting later this month, following planning and zoning’s recommendations. But with a vote deferred until next month’s board meeting, the council may not go that route.

Thursday, city planners and leaders plan to visit Arizona State University’s Decision Theater to understand the impact of flight patterns using three-dimensional models.

Somers said even if this council is unable to vote on the plans, they could still give their ideas at future City Council meetings. Five new members including a new mayor will join Somers and Councilman Kyle Jones in the new council beginning June 2.

“We may end up having an input anyway, and certainly Keno (Hawker) could still be involved in the process,” Somers said.