Prescott City Council denies design for proposed 47‑room Prescott Plaza Hotel on Whiskey Row

Mayor Goode and the Prescott City Council voted on Aug. 5 to deny the current design for the Prescott Plaza Hotel, a proposed four‑story, 47‑room hotel at 136–140 South Montezuma Street, after a lengthy hearing focused on whether the design complies with Prescott—s historic‑district design criteria.

The council—s action came after staff, the city attorney and the architect reviewed the project—s revisions and the Prescott Preservation Commission—s 3–1 recommendation against approval. City Attorney Joseph Young told the council that in appeals from the Preservation Commission they sit "in a quasi‑judicial role" and must evaluate the design "based on the historic design guidelines, which is codified in ordinance number 3744."

Why this matters: the site sits within the Courthouse Plaza local historic district on Whiskey Row, Prescott—s most prominent historic block. Council deliberations centered on whether the hotel—s massing, fourth‑floor terrace and certain storefront and window materials meet the preservation criteria and the master plan the city adopted in 1998.

What the council considered and found

City planning manager Alex Bramlett told the council the project is a four‑story, 47‑room hotel with a stepped‑back fourth floor and a roof‑top terrace; the submitted elevations list the top of parapet at 36 feet 6 inches, total roof/roof‑deck…