As huge East Mesa rezoning nears OK, farm exodus begins

East Mesa dairy farmer Jim Boyle is already dismantling his dairy farms, moving operations to his farm in Casa Grande. / Chris Mortenson / East Valley Tribune

Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Hawes Crossing

By Jim Walsh | East Valley Tribune

Urban sprawl may level Jim Boyle’s bucolic East Mesa dairy farm and force him to move his home and operation to Casa Grande, but he’s okay with that.

Despite the more than 40 years his family has tended his two farms near Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, Boyle and four other neighboring dairy families aren’t afraid of the coming upheaval in their lives.

Indeed, they’ve been looking forward to it.

The upheaval will come if the Hawes Crossing proposal – a large controversial zoning case with astronomically high financial stakes – gets Mesa City Council approval later this month.

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