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Mesa planning board approves Record Gardens rezoning after debate over parking for affordable housing
Summary
The City of Mesa Planning and Zoning Board approved zoning and site plan review for Record Gardens (ZON24-00469), a 4.5-acre multifamily project, after extended discussion about parking rates and management for the project's 4% LIHTC affordable units.
The City of Mesa Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously in January 2025 to approve ZON24-00469, Record Gardens, rezoning and site plan review for a 4.5-acre multifamily development east of Recker Road and Main Street.
Board members and the project's representatives focused the discussion on parking counts and management for a development the applicant described as an affordable housing project being pursued using a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Taylor Earl, attorney for the applicant, said the project is "being pursued as a 4% LIHTC project" and that parking demand for this type of development is lower than for market-rate projects. "The rate of cars that are used in these types of developments is simply lower than would be used in a market rate development," Earl said, citing a parking analysis the team submitted.
The applicant proposed 215 parking spaces for the site and said 132 of those would be covered. Earl described lease rules intended to limit vehicle ownership on-site: "Within the lease agreement, every unit will have 1 space, only 1 space. To get a second space, you have to be in 1 of the 2, 3, or 4 bedroom units and have 2 adults. And then you can apply for a second space. And if there's availability, you would be provided a second space." He said the development team had prepared a parking study that referenced national averages and the Institute of Transportation Engineers parking guidance.
Board members voiced concerns that Mesa — and East Mesa in particular — has higher vehicle ownership than national averages and that the site is not adjacent to high-frequency transit. One board member said that while the project should be supported, they remained "worried about it" because of possible overflow parking into nearby streets and lots if demand exceeds the site's supply. Another board member asked whether the parking operational plan described in the applicant's study could be enforced; city staff replied that Mesa does not typically enforce private management plans and instead addresses minimum parking requirements or deviations.
After discussion, a motion to approve ZON24-00469, Record Gardens, including rezoning and site plan review, carried unanimously. Vice Chair Pitcher and Board Member Peterson were recorded voting "yes" during the roll call; the chair announced unanimous approval.
The board's approval was recorded as a vote to recommend site plan review and the planned area development overlay as proposed, subject to the staff-recommended conditions on the docket.
Looking ahead, the project's parking-management provisions will be private, enforced by the property owner and leasing staff rather than by a city parking-operational enforcement program, and detailed engineering and any required building or fire-flow improvements will be reviewed during permitting.
