Mesa Council OKs 386-unit apartment/retail complex

May 15—An abundance of live-work multifamily projects is underway in southeast Mesa.

City Council on May 6 added to that growth by approving a dynamic mixed-use site plan for The Craftsman, a multifamily-commercial complex on Elliot and Hawkes roads, and tentatively okayed a townhouse project for a hearing May 20.

Council members weighed in on the importance of mixed-use developments for Mesa as Jenn Duff and Scott Somers said the Craftsman is the first vertical integration, mixed-use development project in District Six.

"It's very important as an example of what mixed-use is and how to do it successfully and make a statement, and hopefully we see more opportunities, and then there are I know other areas doing mixed-use," Duff said. "It's good to make a statement of what is possible and creating a place for community."

Evan Balmer, the city's principal planner, presented the developer's changes based on the council's previous feedback.

Balmer said that staff worked with the applicant to address concerns about accessible pedestrian pathways and entry points, enhancing the integration of open spaces and parking.

The Craftsman will include 386 apartments, a mixed-use two-story building with 12 apartments above six retail spaces, two urban plazas, a building with four "live/work" units on the ground floor and 18 dwelling units above them, five single-story garages with 11 parking spaces and one drive-thru restaurant.

The Craftsman is located within the Hawes Crossing Planned Development Area, which requires properties include 35% non-residential uses to ensure commercial and employment uses.

"It's certainly an iterative process where we've gone from essentially nothing but garden apartments to something that finally has some integration in it," Somers said. "And to have the retail integrated is hugely important for what comes next and what comes next for other projects."

Council members suggested that the Craftsman has opportunities for an optimization of open space in the future.

Councilwoman Alicia Goforth emphasized that walkability is attainable, but that the project's wide parking lots between stores may deter it.

"It's that continuous activation of the street storefronts and living, and that's where we would like to get to," Goforth said. "They exist in other parts of the Valley.

"So, the fact that we continue to need a large parking lot on a frontage road in between buildings, which is an unproductive use of space in Mesa. I'm not exactly sure why, because other municipalities are doing it differently."

Balmer said the vertical mixed-use buildings have "come a long way" to minimize parking off Elliot Road as the developer moved the lots behind buildings and to rear of the site.

"There's also enhanced landscaping in front of those areas on Elliot to kind of try to visually mitigate the impact of that parking," Balmer said.

The Craftsman does not currently provide electric or solar-powered vehicle chargers, according to the site plan. Balmer said if the city sees a demand for them, there are future opportunities to convert parking canopies on the north side of the complex for those devices.

"So, it's not on the site plan now, but there are avenues to make that change and it's relatively painless from a permitting perspective," Balmer said.

Council also tentative approved a rezoning request and site plan for The Cottages on Sossaman Road and Main Street pending a May 20 hearing.

The proposed project comprises 37 townhouses with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a one-car carport with an adjacent uncovered parking space, ground floor rear patio and a front porch.

The reports also showed pedestrian access from Sossaman Road with pathways throughout the development. Amenities includes a swimming pool, shade structures and a dog park.

The Cottages will provide an active outdoor space with a covered armada, a pickleball court, barbeque facilities, and gathering spaces.

The applicant relocated the pickleball court — suggested by the council — to the west side of the site, adjacent to a commercial development. In addition, Balmer said the applicant added 12 guest parking spaces by the pool.

Council members said that the city should identify parking standards for mixed-use and multifamily developments for future projects.

"We really need to look at this particular product when we're looking at parking standards and make sure that we're not under-parking these so that they don't cause problems down the road for our neighborhoods." Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury said.

The Cottages will be the subject of a public hearing on May 20.