Mesa council continues 121 North Beverly rezoning after neighborhood concerns

Mesa City Council on April 7, 2025, voted to continue consideration of a rezoning and planned-area development request for “The Lofts at 121 North Beverly,” a proposed multifamily project in the Westwood neighborhood, so staff, the applicant and residents can work through outstanding issues including density, vehicle access and park impacts.

The continuance, made at the request of Councilmember Adams and seconded by Vice Mayor Summers, was put forward after more than 30 members of the neighborhood spoke to the council during a public comment period. Council members said they wanted more time for the developer and neighbors to try to reach compromises on unit count, sight lines, traffic calming and whether the project would be marketed as for-sale units or rentals.

Why it matters: the parcel sits adjacent to Beverly Park and inside a long-established residential area. Residents said the proposed project’s scale and the volume of additional vehicle trips could change the character of the neighborhood, raise safety risks for children who walk to nearby schools and overload narrow local streets. The developer and some neighbors said the project is intended to provide housing options in an aging neighborhood.

Neighbors cited neighborhood character, traffic and safety. “The Lofts at 121 proposal is incompatible with the identity, values, and safety of this historical Mesa neighborhood,” said Brett Stevenson, a homeowner who spoke during public comment. Several residents said they had been told the project would be for sale, and that the prospect of rental units would increase turnover and reduce neighborhood stability. Jeremy Rowley, who said he grew up on the property, told the council the project was designed to be for ownership and rooted in local history: “This wasn't something that we were just trying to boot together and, you know, just pass through. There was a lot of time and effort put into this.”

The applicant and project team stressed design elements and mitigation. Kevin Boyle, the applicant, presented architecture and landscape plans during a longer presentation and said the project’s layout places three-story units along the park “so that we have eyes on the street” to improve safety. Boyle told council members the project was designed with garages and private amenity spaces so the units would function like houses and to encourage ownership; he said, “The project is always intended to be for sale.”

Staff and consultants flagged regulatory limits and technical constraints. Mary Baumler of planning staff said the application before the council is for multifamily housing and that the developer would need to return later to modify the planned-area development if they pursue a condominium/ownership structure: “We do not have an application in for ownership. It is for a multifamily residential project.” Eric Cadarian, interim transportation director, told the council the neighborhood’s narrow streets and the required emergency-access standards limit the city’s ability to install a long cul-de-sac: “City code for the longest cul-de-sac that we should have is 400 feet. This cul-de-sac length would be 1,300 feet.” Cadarian’s summary of the traffic work noted the consultant’s estimate that the project would generate about 446 daily trips and peak-hour increases of roughly 28 trips in the AM and 35 trips in the PM.

Council members split on next steps but agreed to allow more time. Several council members said they wanted to hear directly from neighbors before taking final action; others said rezonings should not be conditioned on whether a project is sold or rented. After discussion, Councilmember Adams moved to continue item 6A to allow staff, the applicant and neighbors to negotiate potential design and density changes; Vice Mayor Summers seconded the motion and the council approved the continuance.

What happens next: staff will work with the applicant and neighborhood representatives to address outstanding issues described during the April 7 hearing. Council did not set a specific return date at the meeting; staff indicated a future public hearing will be scheduled and properly noticed once a revised submittal is ready. No final zoning decision or building approvals were made at the April 7 meeting.

Votes and formal action: Motion to continue consideration of agenda item 6A (rezoning/PAD for The Lofts at 121 North Beverly), moved by Councilmember Adams, seconded by Vice Mayor Summers; outcome — motion approved (continuance). Specific roll-call vote totals were not recorded on the public transcript.