Despite impassioned opposition from a small but vocal cadre of nearby residents, the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board last month voted to recommend City Council approve the 359-unit multifamily mixed-use project Ascend at Longbow Highpoint.
Planning staff had previously recommended the project for approval by the Board.
The 20-acre site near Longbow Golf Club is currently zoned for light industrial. Developer DHI Communities intends to build 359 residential units with additional commercial uses.
In meetings between DHI Communities, opponents and a City-hired facilitator to discuss the project, stated concerns included: General opposition to multifamily housing, overflow parking in neighborhoods, noise and light pollution, and the introduction of “undesirable people” into the area. Several residents who spoke during the meeting lobbied to maintain the site’s status as light industrial, since that is the type of development area homeowners are used to.
In the end, only Board member Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo voted against the plan. With the Board’s recommendation, the project now advances to City Council for consideration. (Source)
