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Mesa council narrowly divided over two options for fleet‑based services ordinance
Summary
Councilors debated two text‑amendment options that would regulate fleet‑based services (including drone charging/staging), focusing on whether to allow pole‑mounted 30‑foot stations citywide or confine taller structures to industrial zones and rely on CUP review in LC districts.
The Mesa City Council study session on July 27 centered on a forthcoming ordinance to regulate fleet‑based services — a category staff said includes delivery drones, robotaxi staging and delivery vans. Council members split over two options: option 8a would allow vertical deployments (up to 30 feet) in all zones where fleets are permitted; option 8b would restrict 30‑foot pole deployments to General Industrial (GI) and Heavy Industrial (HI) zones and require at‑grade deployment elsewhere.
"I prefer a over b because...it allows us to store or have fleets of drones vertically instead of using the land," Council Member Duff said, arguing rooftop or vertical storage makes smarter use of land and reduces the need for screening, fencing and wide ground‑level parking. Several council members echoed that flexibility would let Mesa adapt as the industry evolves.
Staff told the council both options include a 150‑foot separation from residential uses and that each LC (limited commercial) deployment would require a Council Use Permit (CUP). The city attorney’s office and planning staff warned the state statute timing — with a stated general effective date in September — constrains how much the council can change before the law takes effect.
Opponents of option 8a said pole structures could create visual and noise impacts in commercial areas with outdoor seating and that a cautious rollout limited to industrial zones could let the city study effects before wider deployment. "It's good to be prudent in my mind and start small and have them peripheral," one council member said, noting experiences in other regions with high volumes of deliveries.
The study session ended without a binding vote; the mayor said council would take the decision upstairs in the regular meeting, calling it a likely close vote. No ordinance was adopted in study session.
