Outdoor seating area permitted at Salsitas restaurant in Mesa

Allowing deviations from certain development standards for an outdoor seating area at the Salsitas Mexican Food restaurant at 35 N. Country Club Drive was recently approved by the Mesa Board of Adjustment.

The seven-member board conducts public meetings to hear and decide requests for variances, special-use permits and interpretations of the city of Mesa zoning ordinance and sign code. Members are appointed for staggered terms of three years, according to the city’s website.

A substantial conformance improvement permit was approved in a 7-0 vote June 1 of a consent agenda with other items.

The land is zoned downtown core with a downtown events overlay, with restaurants permitted and outdoor seating permitted through a special use permit. A drive-thru is a legal nonconforming use on the property, Staff Planner Jennifer Merrill said at a study session prior to the board’s meeting.

“The site plan shows the new shade canopy and ground surface for the outdoor seating area,” she said. “There’s a new gate on solid waste enclosure and there’s a new pedestrian path leading directly from the outdoor eating area to the right-of-way.”

The requested substantial conformance improvement permit includes some modifications to the standard code requirements, she said.

“The code and the downtown core district requires a designated loading space to be provided and there is not one on-site. There is a requirement for a 140-foot stacking distance for drive-thrus in the code and they are requesting a 65-foot stacking distance, which is what’s existing there now,” she said. “They are requesting a reduction to the number of required parking spaces — they are providing 19. And they are requesting a zero-foot parking setback from the right-of-way, when 50 feet is typically required.”

A canopy over an outdoor seating area at the restaurant was constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic for customers who sought to sit outside, Jorge Roldan, owner, said in a written project narrative.

“Due to 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 shut down in particular restaurants with inside sitting, we had to add a canopy to our existing patio to provide exterior seating to our customers. This act was primarily to have our employees keep their jobs and be a service to our long-time customers. Since all government agencies including the Mesa building department was either closed or on half staff service and obtaining a permit rather very lengthy, I have constructed the canopy without a permit,” he said. “Now that we are almost back to normal, we need to legitimize our good-in-heart action by going through its permitting process.”