SE Mesa intersection getting 9 drive-thrus

Mar. 20—District 6 in southeast Mesa has grown rapidly in recent years and residents crave commercial amenities for dining, nightlife and so-called "third spaces" like coffee shops for working outside the home or just hanging out.

The relative lack of these types of commercial places was an issue in last year's District 6 city council race, with both candidates for the seat promising to help the district's retail and cultural amenities catch up with its residential and industrial might.

At one key intersection, Elliot and Ellsworth roads, the community is slated to get badly needed retail.

But it is coming with nine drive-thru eateries — a controversial building type that residents in District 6 have been telling the city they don't want.

When District 6 Councilman Scott Somers asked social media followers in February what types of eateries they wanted to see in the district, many took the opportunity to say the area has enough drive-thrus already.

"Literally anything but fast food," one commenter wrote.

"Not any more fast-food or drive- thru," another posted.

Many residents who replied to Somers' online call for restaurant suggestions called for more sit-down restaurants and breweries.

"There's a lot of pent up demand for the sit down dining experience," Somers told the Tribune recently.

But at a key intersection in Southeast Mesa, Elliot and Ellsworth roads, just north of Eastmark near the Dignity Health hospital and close to the Loop 202, nine new drive-thrus are planned.

With the city's current zoning rules, there's not much residents can do about it.

El Coyote LLC, owner of the 17-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Elliot and Ellsworth, is planning a shopping center there totaling 18 buildings, including a Discount Tire and Cambria hotel.

The plan, which is up for final approval at the March 22 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, includes seven drive-thrus ringing the development's perimeter.

A smaller commercial development on a parcel on the west side of Ellsworth will add another two drive thrus to the intersection, along with a hotel and retail buildings.

Last year, the Mesa Planning Department introduced proposed changes to the city zoning ordinance regarding drive-thrus that staff said would reduce clustering of the auto-centric eateries.

Staff also said its proposal, if adopted, would give neighbors more opportunities to weigh in before new drive-thrus go in.

Assistant Planning Director Rachel Prelog explained at the time that the city was seeing a sharp rise in the number of drive-thrus in commercial site plans, creating basically an "autocourt," or food court for cars surrounding a retail core.

The Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center appears to be an example of what Prelog said the city wants to avoid.

Under the proposed changes to Mesa's drive-thru zoning, the Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center would only be allowed four drive-thrus and those would need to be approved by city council, rather than just the Planning and Zoning Board, because of the parcel's Limited Commercial zoning.

During a Design Review Board hearing for the commercial center last month, a Mesa city planner said a drive-thru ordinance wouldn't apply to the Elliot-Ellsworth project even if it were adopted.

The official noted that a site plan for the 17-acre parcel was previously approved in 2021 and El Coyote is only seeking a modification.

Whether or not stricter drive-thru rules will ever be put in place is far from clear as intense opposition has formed in the commercial development community.

El Coyote attorney Sean Lake did not respond to a call requesting an interview on the plans for the Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center.

While the two developments at either side of Ellsworth at this intersection will inject nine drive-thrus into the area, they will also include walk-up retail space that could be used for sit-down dining.

Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center has two walk-up buildings totaling 5,400 square feet designated for restaurant uses in the site plan, though some might consider that limited for a 17-acre site.

During public meetings about the proposed drive-thru rule changes, developers said that there is surging demand from the restaurant industry and consumers for those eateries.

And while developers want to include sit-down dining options, those prospective tenants are getting harder to find.

At Elliot and Ellsworth's Design Review Board hearing, an architect for the project said the developer appreciated the importance of the Elliot and Ellsworth intersection and acknowledged the city's desire for "placemaking" — or creating destinations where people want to go and spend time.

In rapidly developing District 6, there are a dwindling number of locations where a cultural and dining destination like Gilbert's Heritage District and new Epicenter could go.

"We know this is a unique project because it is the only really retail project per se, and it is in the Gateway," he said.

The architect said designers made an effort to make the commercial center as attractive and "sophisticated" as possible.

"We're trying to spend a lot of time on the trellises and the shade structures. I'm a big believer in the way sun relates to people who use those buildings, so we're really cognizant of that in a big way," he said.

He also said the buildings in the shopping center were designed to get progressively taller the further from the street they are, culminating in the Cambria Hotel in the center, making for a more attractive look.

"We tried to create some visual interest rather than just everything the same height," he said. "I think it's going to appear a lot more interesting for somebody not only walking in the project, but also somebody driving by."