Mesa council approves 36‑unit Beverly Apartments after debate over density and traffic

The Mesa City Council on Aug. 18 approved a rezoning, minor general plan amendment and site‑plan for the Beverly Apartments, a three‑story, 36‑unit workforce housing development near Main Street and the light rail. Neighbors and the applicant both addressed the council at a public hearing that focused on density, on‑street parking and traffic safety. Councilmember Duff moved approval; Councilmember Heredia seconded. The motion passed with Mayor Freeman and Councilmember Adams voting no and the remaining council members voting yes. The project replaces an existing 12‑unit building on the site. Taylor Earl, attorney for the applicant, told the council the developer commissioned a traffic analysis showing the net increase from the site would be 86 trips per day. "If you take that over the 22‑hour day that our traffic study analyzed it over, you'd be looking at about 1 extra car every 20 minutes," Earl said. He also said the study found about 12 additional trips in the AM peak hour and seven additional trips in the PM peak hour. Neighbors asked the council to require a more extensive traffic study, to reduce the unit count to 24 and to adopt street changes such as closing Beverly between Main and Second or adding traffic calming devices. Madison…