Council approves introduction of Carmelo annexation and zoning (23-01004, 23-01003); residents question water, traffic and street lighting

Mesa City Council on Feb. 3, 2025 voted to advance two related items: annexation 23-01004 (annexation of roughly 30+ acres into the city) and accompanying zoning case 23-01003, a residential project named Carmelo by Blandford Homes. Councilmember Pillsbury made the motion and Vice Mayor Summers seconded; the motion passed with no recorded opposition.

Two members of the public spoke during the item. Norm Sandler urged the council to vote against the annexation to protect open land and to highlight broader energy and transmission impacts he described as environmental concerns. "A no vote on 8 a is a yes vote for mother nature," Sandler said. Alex Ronincic Losendes, a District 5 resident, questioned how the city balances water availability with continued growth and asked whether paying more for water was being presented as a substitute for limiting development.

Sean Lake, representing the applicant Blandford Homes, said traffic questions on McDowell and Hawes roads are being handled through Maricopa County permitting and that the developer will fund required improvements. "We will be doing improvements to both McDowell and Haws Road through permitting of Maricopa County," Lake said. He added the project team worked with the City of Mesa Transportation Department and that adjacent roadways have capacity to accommodate the development as proposed.

Councilmember Go Forth said she remains satisfied with progress on the street-lighting issue raised at earlier hearings and reported she has conferred with the city attorney about a study that might extend the area where street lights are not required. She said the council will work with the applicant to delay requiring installation of street lights until the study is complete. "There is a city ordinance that does not allow us to exempt this area from street lights. But we're gonna be looking into that ... and we're at the same time [work] with the applicant and not requiring the infrastructure and the street lights to go up until that study is done," Go Forth said.

Council debate framed the vote as a balancing of property-owner rights, neighborhood character and the need for housing and infrastructure. Several councilmembers said the project is consistent with the city’s general plan and zoning policy for the desert-urban fringe. With those factors in mind, the council approved the annexation and zoning introduction; no final zoning ordinance was adopted on Feb. 3.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve item 8a (annexation 23-01004) and item 8b (zoning case 23-01003, Carmelo) — Mover: Councilmember Pillsbury; Second: Vice Mayor Summers; Outcome: motion passed to advance both items for final hearings; no recorded opposition.