The Mesa Board of Adjustment on Aug. 5 approved a permit that will allow a small multifamily complex on East Dana Avenue to more than double in size. The permit authorizes an expansion of the La Jolla Villas development at 1500 E. Dana Ave., increasing the property from its current seven units to a total of 15 units after the project is completed.
The action by the board was taken as part of a consent agenda and recorded as a 4-0 vote. The approval was described in city documents as a substantial conformance improvement permit for the La Jolla Villas development. Boardmembers Troy Glover, Gerson Barrera and Gordon Sheffield were listed as absent for the Aug. 5 meeting.
The project site is located south of Main Street and east of Stapley Drive in Mesa. City planning materials identify the property by address and by the La Jolla Villas name and note the addition of eight units to the existing seven-unit complex. The proposed expansion will bring the total number of dwelling units on the parcel to 15 once construction and any required inspections are complete.
City planning exhibits accompanying the application include a landscape plan that lists the trees and shrubs intended for the property. The landscape plan, as provided in municipal documents, names thornless cascelote, leslie roy mesquite and live oak among the trees slated for planting. The plan also identifies a variety of shrubs and groundcover to be used on the site, including aloe vera, wide leaf giant hesperaloe, brakelight hesperaloe, pine muhly, spineless prickly pear and tall slipper plant.
Illustrations submitted with the application show how the expanded building would appear when completed. Colored elevation drawings depict planned facades, entrances and exterior treatments for the development as proposed in the expansion documents, providing a visual reference for city reviewers and for members of the public examining the proposal.
Proposed colored building elevations for the Mesa apartment project, showing the planned facades, entrances and exterior treatments for the 7‑unit building as it would appear after expansion.
The application packet also includes zoning and site maps that indicate the parcel’s location and its relationship to surrounding properties. One map image shows the hatched parcel labeled 'SITE' at the intersection of S. Barkley and E. Mahoney, clarifying the lot’s placement within the neighborhood and the zoning that applies to the surrounding area. These maps were part of the documentation considered by the board in conjunction with the permit request.
Zoning and site map with the hatched parcel labeled 'SITE' at S. Barkley and E. Mahoney, indicating the location and surrounding zoning where the 7‑unit apartment building is proposed to expand.
The municipal record for this item identifies the request as a substantial conformance improvement permit for La Jolla Villas and notes that the board approved the permit by a unanimous vote among members present. The approval was placed on the board’s consent agenda and was recorded without further formal action in public minutes beyond the vote and attendance notation. The city documents that accompanied the permit application, including elevation drawings, a site map and a landscape planting list, remain part of the official record for the development at 1500 E. Dana Ave.
With the Aug. 5 approval, the developer is authorized to proceed with plans consistent with the permit and the supporting exhibits filed with the city. The record shows the project will add eight units to the existing seven, expanding the La Jolla Villas footprint as documented in the application materials and approved by the Mesa Board of Adjustment.
No additional statements, public comments or conditions tied to the approval are included in the materials provided with the board’s action. The formal documentation for the request lists the project elements described above and reflects the board’s recorded vote and member attendance for the Aug. 5 meeting.
The property at 1500 E. Dana Ave. has been listed for sale at $1,300,000 and was marketed by Orion Investment Real Estate with listing agent Jackson Everhart; MLS records for the listing show a sale-pending status in March 2026. (coldwellbanker.com)
Commercial listing materials and property records identify the site by APNs 138-11-036 and 138-11-038 and show the parcel is zoned RM-2. (crexi.com)
Ownership history in public listing records lists La Jolla Villas LLC as the current owner, with a purchase recorded on Sept. 8, 2021. (homes.com)
Marketing and listing documents state the existing seven-unit complex was renovated in 2022, include a unit-by-unit mix for the current building, and note that approved site plans call for eight additional units configured as 2-bedroom, 2-bath residences. (coldwellbanker.com)