Wireless mesh based access networks are destined to play a pivotal role in next generation broadband systems. With the proliferation of mesh networks, a key issue for network designers is the design of an optimal mesh topology which minimizes cost while maintaining carrier-class features. In this paper, we formulate the design of an optimal mesh, taking network deployment cost, topological properties and carrier-grade reliability into account. Next, we present a Genetic Algorithm based algorithm (GaMa) for mesh topology design. We show that GaMa is capable of determining a generic mesh topology with carrier-class network features. The performance of the algorithm is compared with existing mesh topologies and gives improved results without the constraints of maintaining a regular topology.