The Mesa City Council unanimously voted in favor earlier this month of approving approximately 30 acres of land to be turned into space for new homes. Facing criticism from residents, some council members defended their support for the development.
Approval of the rezoning means the land, located on the southeastern corner of McDowell and Hawes roads, will be developed into a space for 65 homes.
Some residents expressed concerns over an increase in the cost of living and traffic, but Councilmember Alicia Goforth said the development is relatively small and is consistent with past zoning ordinances.
“It’s a balancing act, of course. I love the saying, ‘There’s no solutions, only trade-offs,’” she said.
Councilmember Rich Adams agreed.
"The owner of the property certainly has rights (on) how it’s used," he said. "Every place where every one of us lives used to be a piece of barren dirt that someone probably felt they would like to see it stay that way, so it’s not easy."
Pew and Lake PLC, which requested the development, said they’ll work with Mesa’s Transportation Department and Maricopa County to improve roads surrounding the development.
“The capacity of McDowell Road is about half, right now, of what it could handle, so with the improvements that we have with the small amount of homes we’ll be developing, there will be more than enough capacity,” Sean Lake, a lawyer with the firm.
The number of homes was reduced from 81 to 65 last year after residents voiced concern over the size of the project. The developer said construction is planned to begin in 2026.
