Mesa City Council debates garage sizes and parking counts for Sienna Ridge rezoning

Mesa City Council members questioned garage dimensions and parking counts for the proposed Sienna Ridge rezoning in District 5 during a study session on Aug. 25.

The discussion centered on whether the development’s garage sizes and guest parking would force residents to park on private or public streets. Mary, a staff member, told council members she had provided "a summary of the garage sizes for the adjacent jurisdictions" to district coordinators. Evan, a staff presenter, said the project is a for-rent product with four floor plans, and that "plan 1 and plan 2 have the garage that's 19 feet, 2 inches in width, 20 feet in-depth. Plans 3 and 4 have the larger garage, 25 feet in width and 20 feet in-depth." He also said the parking requirement is "2.1 spaces per unit," that 61 spaces are required overall, and that the proposal provides 17 guest parking spaces (including ADA spaces) for 29 units.

Councilmember Summers raised concerns about the 20-foot depth and smaller garage widths, saying the trend toward smaller garages risks creating future parking problems in higher-density suburban projects. Summers said shrinking garage depth and width could prevent larger vehicles from fitting, and added that "as we shrink that standard... you're gonna end up having people trying to park in the street." Summers told colleagues she did not support the project on that basis.

Councilmember Adams, whose district includes the site, said surrounding municipalities generally require a 20-by-20 garage and described the difference in this proposal as "about 8 inches here," adding that the development’s private streets and homeowners-association rules often restrict on-street parking. Councilmember Go forth said increasing garage size would either raise housing costs or reduce living area and argued affordability and living space were priorities: "It adds to the cost of the home or it reduces the living space. And I think living space is more important."

Staff described two smaller garage floor plans (19'2" by 20') and two larger floor plans (25' by 20'). Evan noted the development proposes 29 rental units and that the municipal parking standard yields a 61-space requirement; he said the project will supply 17 guest/ADA spaces in addition to required unit parking. One council member relayed that the applicant had stated that "all cars and full size trucks fit," while Summers and others said some SUVs and longer trucks would not fit comfortably into a 20-foot-deep garage.

Council members contrasted suburban vehicle usage with downtown, car-light contexts. Summers said the neighborhood’s suburban character and reliance on vehicles for commuting and shopping made adequate garage size important. Other council members responded that renters seeking larger garages would likely choose different floor plans or locations and that private-street and HOA rules commonly prohibit on-street parking, which could limit spillover onto public streets.

The rezoning item (7A) for Sienna Ridge remained off the consent agenda for the upcoming council meeting; no formal vote or final council action on the rezoning occurred during the study session.

Next steps: the item will proceed to the regular council meeting with the consent/agenda placement already set as "off consent," and councilmembers indicated they would address the PAD (planned area development) and parking questions when the item returns for formal consideration.

(Reporting note: quotations and attributions come from councilmembers and staff during the Aug. 25, 2025, Mesa City Council study session.)