Minor Deviations and Administrative Adjustments in the City of Mesa Zoning Ordinance

In the City of Mesa, minor deviations and administrative adjustments are typically permitted for numeric standards—such as setbacks, dimensions, or area requirements—provided the request does not exceed a threshold of 10% to 20%, depending on the specific district or permit type. These adjustments are processed administratively by the City of Mesa Planning Director or Zoning Administrator and must generally result in a project of "superior design" that remains consistent with the City of Mesa General Plan [Section 11-14-3, Section 11-56-4].

Administrative Modifications to the Form-Based Code (FBC)

For properties within the City of Mesa Transect Zones, the Planning Director has the authority to grant minor administrative modifications to the standards found in Article 6. These requests must be submitted concurrently with an application for Zoning Clearance or a Use Permit [Section 11-56-4(G)].

The City of Mesa limits these administrative modifications to the following thresholds:

Standard	Maximum Allowed Modification
Lot Depth	10% reduction or increase
Maximum Build-to-Line (BTL)	10% increase
Side or Rear Setback	10% reduction (if adjacent to public right-of-way or open space)
Required Façade	10% reduction to the required façade within the façade zone
Ground Floor Transparency	Reduction allowed if located outside the Downtown Pedestrian Area (DPA)
Other Exterior Design Features	10% increase or reduction

To approve these modifications, the City of Mesa Planning Director must find that the change is consistent with the intent of the Transect Zone, results in a superior building design (including pedestrian-scale elements), and is necessary for the proposed development [Section 11-56-4(G)(4)].

Adjustments in the Employment Opportunity (EO) District

The City of Mesa provides a specific framework for adjustments to General Development Standards within an approved Employment Opportunity District Development Plan. These are categorized by the degree of deviation from the established standard [Section 11-14-3(C)(3)]:

Minor Adjustments: Defined as an adjustment that is less than 20% of the required number, dimension, or measurement. These are evaluated administratively by the City of Mesa Planning Director.
Major Adjustments: Defined as an adjustment that is 20% or greater. These require a public hearing process as outlined in Chapter 67 of the City of Mesa Zoning Ordinance.

The City of Mesa Planning Director utilizes criteria such as consistency with the implementation of the EO Development Plan, superior architectural design, and compliance with the City of Mesa Building Code when evaluating minor adjustment requests [Section 11-14-3(C)(3)(a)].

Minor Modifications to Approved Site Plans

The City of Mesa allows for minor modifications to approved site plans to be handled through an administrative review process. A modification is considered "minor" if it meets the criteria established in the City of Mesa Code [Section 11-69-7]:

Category	Criteria for Minor Modification
Design Requirements	Does not deviate from applicable design review requirements or guidelines
Landscape/Open Space Area	Change is less than 10% and not greater than 2.5 acres
Building Footprint	Total change is 10% or less and no more than 5,000 square feet
General Adjustments	Minimal adjustments to building location, orientation, pad location, or parking configuration

If a modification exceeds these thresholds or requires a Rezone or Council Use Permit, the City of Mesa classifies it as a "Major Modification," requiring a public hearing review process [Section 11-69-7(C)].

Amendments in the Planned Community (PC) District

In the City of Mesa Planned Community District, amendments to the Community Plan that do not meet the criteria for a "Major Amendment" are considered "Minor Amendments." The City of Mesa Planning Director may administratively act on minor amendments and attach stipulations or conditions of approval [Section 11-11-8(E)].

Major Amendments in the City of Mesa PC District include:

Changes to the overall PC District boundary.
Changes to permitted uses.
An increase in the total number of approved dwelling units or Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
A 10% or greater increase or decrease to the gross area of a development unit [Section 11-11-8(D)].

Minor Modifications for Design Review

After a project has received Design Review approval from the City of Mesa, the Planning Director may grant subsequent minor modifications. These are limited to minor dimensional changes and building configurations that do not significantly alter the approved project. Any modification considered a "major modification" by the City of Mesa (such as significant changes in use or density) requires a new application for Design Review [Section 11-71-7].

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