How MPS spends / P. 6
Ostrich Fest returns P. 27
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
Mesa: Have it our way, curb drive-thru businesses
INSIDE
This Week
COMMUNITY......
BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer
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At 15, Mesa violinist turning heads.
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rive-thrus played a starring role during the pandemic, helping businesses stay afloat and customers stay safe. But some Mesa City Council members think the growth of drive-thru businesses has gone too far. They are concerned that drive-thrus today dominate whole intersections and street fronts, hurting the city’s appearance
and walkability and, in some cases, adversely affecting nearby neighborhoods and businesses. “We have been seeing a lot of development applications come in recently where it is just a string of drive thru-facilities on frontages,” Assistant Planning Director Rachel Prelog told the council at its Feb. 23 study session, “and they basically act as auto courts, like food courts for drive-thrus.” Commercial zones host most of the drivethrus in Mesa, but they are also allowed
Olympian reward
BUSINESS............ 20
Mountain View hires new basketball coach.
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see DRIVE-THRUS page 4
$3M tire contract brings rare discord to Mesa council
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SPORTS ............... 25
COMMUNITY ................................ 17 BUSINESS ...................................... 20 OPINION ....................................... 23 SPORTS.......................................... 25 GET OUT ....................................... 27 CLASSIFIED .................................. 33
downtown and in industrial districts. The city allows drive-thrus in some commercial district types “by right” – without a permit – and through a special use permit in other commercial districts. After meeting with council members to discuss concerns with drive-thrus last year, city staff took a close look at the issue and studied options for addressing impacts. Last week, Prelog and Development Ser-
BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer
Landmark Mesa restaurant faces uncertain future.
Zone
Sunday, March 6, 2022
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Mesa native Jagger Eaton, flanked by Mesa Mayor John Giles and Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury, thanks the audience at the Kids That Rip skateboard school after receiving the key to the city. There’s a reason why the ceremony last week was held at Kids That Rip and you’ll read about it on page 8. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
tire maintenance contract originally slated to pass without discussion on the consent agenda provided unexpected drama at Mesa City Council’s Feb. 28 meeting. At issue was whether to approve a threeyear, $980,000 annual contract for tire maintenance on the city of Mesa’s vehicle fleet. After discussion, the outcome of a vote appeared up in the air, with Mayor John Giles remarking, “It’s hard to know what the consensus here is.” Council ended up approving the contract with a rare 5-2 split vote. Councilmen Kevin Thompson and Mark Freeman voted against the deal.
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see TIRES page 13
