By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Citing increased demand and a need for greater flexibility, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc. wants to expand its Mesa operations on 31 acres near the SEC of State Route 24 and Signal Butte Road in Mesa.
The expansion plan covers 20 acres of the company’s current site and 11 acres the company recently acquired. The 31 acres are adjacent to FUJIFILM’s existing facility, which was last expanded in a five-building, 87KSF project begun in 2019 and completed in 2021.
The company is a leading producer of specialty chemicals and a major developer and manufacturer of materials used in the semiconductor industry.
FUJIFILM has requested a rezoning, site plan approval and design review for the planned expansion. The rezoning would implement a Heavy Industrial zoning with a new Planned Area Development overlay. The current zoning is HI-PAD and Agricultural. According to the staff report, replacing the existing PAD “will re-establish unique development standards for the entire development.” The site plan modification allows for the expansion.
Staff has recommended approval of the requests, subject to standard conditions.
Development Details
FUJIFILM’s plan involves two specified phases and a future development outline. Phase I will create a new entrance from Signal Butte Road, a tank farm, two buildings and new perimeter walls. Phase II will see a 63.3KSF automated storage system retrieval system warehouse, a new guardhouse off Signal Butte, a second tank farm and additional buildings, according to the staff report.
Planned future development includes a utility building and two more warehouse/manufacturing spaces.
According to the submitted site plan, the existing building area totals 365.6KSF.
The ASRS building is planned with a height of 110 feet. The tank farm elevation plans note the tallest towers will be 84 feet high, with additional 36-foot-tall tanks and towers nearby.
The total building area footprint across phases I and II will be 67.6KSF, according to the site plan. The narrative lists the total expected built area at 86.5KSF.
Surrounding property owners were notified of the plans, and a citizen participation meeting was held in July 2023. There are no registered neighbors or HOAs within 1,000 feet of the site, and no citizen response was received.
The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board is scheduled to hear the requests on Nov. 12.
FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc. is the owner. The design firm and engineer is Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. Quarles & Brady LLP is the zoning attorney and project representative.
