The City of Prescott will hold a public hearing on Aug. 4 to discuss proposed changes to City Code Chapter 635-19, which addresses zoning regulations for residential developments.

City Administrator Matt Wolf said the changes are being considered in response to interest from developers in constructing multi-family housing in the community.

“So recently we’ve had some developers who are looking at specifically multifamily development within the community,” Wolf said.

During preliminary discussions, city officials identified limitations in the current code that make it difficult for developers to meet height restrictions for high-density residential projects. The existing height limit is 35 feet, which can be a challenge depending on roof pitch and the number of stories in a building.

Wolf said the Plan Commission proposed creating a clearer distinction between different residential density categories. He mentioned that what the plan commission wanted to do was “basically splitting up the community.”

Under the proposed changes, areas currently zoned as R3 high-density residential would be reclassified as medium-density residential. “So, the same height requirement would be for medium density,” Wolf said. While the 35-foot height cap would remain, medium-density zoning would be limited to developments with three to 10 dwelling units. High-density zoning, in contrast, would be defined as nine or more units.

The new regulations would also allow for four habitable floors in high-density developments, though there would no longer be a specific height limit in feet. Additional adjustments would include changes to minimum lot size requirements, which Wolf described as overly complex in their current form.

He explained that simplifying these requirements would make the code more manageable for both developers and city officials. Wolf said that having a minimum lot size with a single line would be helpful and added that setback requirements would also be revised—front and rear yard setbacks would each be reduced to 20 feet, and side setbacks to 12 feet.

Wolf emphasized that the zoning adjustments are meant to accommodate development while maintaining compatibility with existing neighborhoods. “We didn’t want to split all the high density so that’s why they’re being split into two because those areas that are not in the northeast corner of the community are surrounded by smaller single-family lots,” he said.

If approved, the changes would move forward through a two-step process: first, a public hearing and vote by the Plan Commission on the text amendment, followed by a map amendment to update the zoning maps.

In other news

The City of Prescott will begin exploring options for a new city attorney, as the current attorney, Phil Helgeson, is transitioning to a new position in Pierce County.

Also, the Red Cross is seeking to move its upcoming blood drive from its usual location in the American Legion basement to Prescott City Hall. The City Council will vote on the proposal at its next meeting.