Board approves height variance for single‑family home in Haciampa planned community

The City of Prescott Board of Adjustments on Aug. 21, 2025 approved variance V25011 to allow a maximum building height increase from 35 feet to 55 feet for a single‑family residence on a steep, custom lot in the Haciampa planned community.

Tammy Duweg, community planner, told the board the city measures permitted building height from natural grade and that the applicant’s lot requires substantial fill—roughly 10 to 15 feet in the rear—to achieve a buildable pad. Duweg said the request arises commonly on steep custom lots where changes in fire code and driveway slope requirements necessitate higher finished pads; staff reviewed the application under the Land Development Code variance criteria, mailed notice within 300 feet, posted the property and published a legal notice. The staff packet included two letters of opposition and two letters of support and a supporting letter from the homeowners association.

Applicant Larry Evans described the site’s topography at the hearing, noting the cul‑de‑sac street elevation and the rear lot elevation and explaining attempts to minimize impact on adjacent homes. Evans provided elevation figures to the board: he said the street elevation is about 5,620 and the house pad would be near 5,612 after grading, with the rear of his lot dropping to about 5,580; he said those numbers mean the front of the house will read like a single story from the street while the back will be a walkout condition. Evans told the board the driveway grade was constrained by the fire department to about 18 percent and that the proposed grading keeps the driveway within the department’s allowable slope limits.

Duweg showed site plans and cross sections in the packet that depict the natural grade line, the 35‑foot maximum and the portions of the structure that would exceed that line when measured from natural grade. She noted that the lot backs to open space associated with the golf course and that no residences are immediately behind the lot. The staff analysis concluded the application met the variance criteria given the lot’s slope and the constraints imposed by driveway and fire code requirements.

Three members of the public signed to speak; one, Hank Goodman, indicated no additional remarks. Board member Mary Frederickson said she visited the site and compared the proposed home with adjacent houses under construction and concluded the proposal was consistent with neighborhood scale. No roll‑call vote breakdown appears in the hearing transcript for this item.

Mary Frederickson moved to approve V25011; Miriam seconded. The motion carried (tally not specified in the transcript). The approval permits the applicant to construct the residence with the approved height measurement from natural grade, subject to required permits, inspections and any conditions of the building permit process.

Board members were reminded there is one item on next month’s agenda before the meeting adjourned.