At the Aug. 11 meeting, the Prescott City Council a zoning ordinance following a recommendation from the Plan Commission after a public hearing earlier this month.

Administrator Matt Wolf explained the changes stem from the Aug. 4 plan commission meeting, where members reviewed updates to Chapter 635-19, which currently governs high-density residential zoning.

“What this ordinance would essentially do would split this zoning into two so there’d be a 635-19A which would be medium density residential,” said Wolf. “And then also 635-19 B which would be R4 high density residential.”

The ordinance creates distinct standards for each district. For medium density, building heights will remain capped at 35 feet, while R4 will allow up to four habitable floors instead of a strict height limit. Lot sizes will also differ slightly, with a minimum of 24,000 square feet for R3 and 26,000 square feet for R4.

Setbacks will remain the same for medium density residential at 25 feet for the front and rear yards and 12 feet for the side. R4 zoning will reduce setbacks to 20 feet for both front and rear yards, while the side yard remains 12 feet.

“The number of units for medium density residential would be 3 to 10 units and all the buildings and properties within those proposed medium density would meet that 3 to 10 units,” Wolf said. “The new R4 would be anything over nine units for high density residential.”

Additionally, the R4 single-family district will be renamed R5.

“But there would be no changes to the actual zoning changes itself,” Wolf explained, adding that updates to the zoning map will be presented to the council at its first meeting in September.

As a next step, the council also approved holding a plan commission public hearing on Sept. 2 to consider amendments to the city’s official zoning map. As part of that discussion, they agreed to move forward with rezoning the parcels of the Prescott Housing Authority, Prescott City Hall, and the Prescott Police Department from C2-Highway Commercial to R4-High Density Residential.

“That way we wouldn’t have any spot zoning,” said Wolf.

Key zoning changes

Medium Density Residential (R3A)

• Height limit: 35 feet
• Lot size: Minimum 24,000 square feet
• Setbacks: 25 ft. front / 25 feet rear / 12 feet side
• Units allowed: 3–10 per property

High Density Residential (R4)

• Height limit: Up to four habitable floors (no strict foot limit)
• Lot size: Minimum 26,000 square feet
• Setbacks: 20 ft. front / 20 feet rear / 12 feet side
• Units allowed: 10+ per property

Other Notes

• R4 single-family district renamed to R5 (no zoning changes to standards).
• Future zoning map changes to be considered at the council’s September meetings.

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