You might hear it referred to as “Mesa Groves”, “Citrus Sub-Area”. "Citrus Corridor" or just “The Groves”, they all refer to a protected sub-area in North-East Mesa, Arizona where estate size housing lots abound in and around 80-year old Citrus Groves.
There are many unique things that set this area apart from any other area in Mesa or the Valley. According to the City of Mesa’s Citrus Sub-Area Plan, the purpose of the sub-area is, “to provide estate-type residential uses and characteristics associated with large lot residential development.” 
Approximately 89% percent of the roughly 3 square miles is zoned R-35, low-density single-family housing, with schools and parks making up another 5%. In addition to miles of large estate size lots, a double row of citrus trees line most of the arterial streets and are incorporated into many of the sub-divisions and private lots. Consequently, The Citrus Groves Corridor has it's own microclimate which can be 10-15 degrees cooler at night than the adjacent desert areas.
In order to protect and maintain the history of what remains of the once 1,000 + acre groves, developers are strongly encouraged to follow guidelines set forth in the Mesa Citrus Sub Area Plan.
Below are a sample of a few of the Guidelines of this Area Plan that promote a rural experience:
- All Garages Should be side or real entry
- All walls should be of solid masonry construction using natural stone, stone veneer, brick or decorative block in keeping with the rural theme.
- Minimum lot size should be no less than 30,000 square feet.
- Citrus Trees should be maintained with flood irrigation when possible.
- In the Citrus Sub-Area, all new residential development should promote and encourage custom home development on R1-35 zoned lots.
You are going to see a lot of mature citrus, grass and beautiful custom homes in this area. While there is still evidence of a dessert, it is greatly muted by an abundance of green. From November to March is not 
uncommon to see an occasional John Deere tractor loaded with a trailer full of citrus driving down the street. People drive from all over the Valley to the few local citrus stands and stores that still remain in the area. In fact, Winter Visitors love to ship the fresh citrus to family and friends back east and beyond during the winter months. Several city parks, award-winning schools, a few churches and a couple of antique stores are also a part of this unique citrus sub-area. It is not a surprise, that The Phoenix Business Journal 2008 Book of List, states that Mesa’s wealthiest zip code, 85215, is a part of this unique area. The Groves are bordered by Loop 202 freeway on the North with easy access to Scottsdale and Tempe and less than 15 miles from Sky Harbor International Airport and Arizona State University.
As of March 4, 2009, ¾ acre lot homes in The Mesa Groves are listed from $339,900 to $3,150,000. The average list price per square foot is $263 and the average listing has 5688 sq/ft. If you would like more information on homes in this unique area, please give me a call 888.668.4629 or email me Tiffany@CloudHomes.com
