Board revokes conditional use permit for hospital helipad after neighbors object to process and incomplete conditions

The City of Prescott Board of Adjustment voted 4–2 on June 19 to revoke conditional use permit CUP24-004, which had authorized a helicopter landing area adjacent to a hospital site at 4822 East State Route 69. The board cited the applicant’s use of the landing site before the permit’s screening and landscaping conditions were completed and extensive resident opposition to how the project advanced.

Tammy Duet, a city community planner, summarized the board’s November 2024 approval and the three conditions placed on the permit: construction of a six-foot masonry screening wall along the north and west property lines, additional landscaping along State Route 69 per the approved plan, and completion of those conditions prior to final building-permit sign-off and initiation of use. Duet said the building-permit submittal was missing the masonry wall and that staff began receiving reports that the helipad was being used before the permit elements were finished—prompting the item’s return to the board.

Representing the applicant, architect Robert Donaldson and property representative Bob Cardenas said the hospital opened operations after receiving state health approvals and that the helipad has been used for life-saving missions. Cardenas said the facility began operations after state approval and that “since the helipad has been approved for use … we’ve had 4 life-saving air medical evacuations.” The applicant proposed alternatives to a full, continuous concrete wall—either a mixture of concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall and wood fencing or a full six-foot wood fence along portions of the border—citing cost considerations; staff said a 1,250-linear-foot CMU wall was estimated at roughly $165,000 for materials and installation.

Many residents urged revocation. Anne Friday told the board the city had early site plans that showed a helipad and said the board’s prior approval was based on incorrect information from staff. “Your approval was based on false information provided to you by the city of Prescott,” Friday said. Other neighbors raised concerns about safety, night lighting and FAA guidance, property values, noise, and the permit process. Several commenters urged the board to require a rezone and a special-use permitting process rather than a conditional use permit.

City staff and the city’s community development director, Chelsea Walton, said the city’s planning team treated the facility as a helistop used for ambulance-style transfers rather than a permanently stationed heliport with fuel and servicing. Walton said that distinction factored into the decision to process the landing area via conditional use rather than a rezoning to industrial. She told the board the city would not likely support a rezoning because it would constitute spot zoning in an area without surrounding industrial parcels.

Board members were split over enforcement and community impacts. Member Mary Frederickson said the applicant had violated condition 3 by using the pad before completing conditions 1 and 2 and advocated revocation so the city could pursue enforcement and require the applicant to reapply if they chose. Another member suggested setting a short deadline for compliance, but the board ultimately voted to revoke the CUP. The board’s revocation removes the conditional-use authorization; staff and legal counsel noted that revocation can be appealed to superior court and that revocation would allow the city to pursue enforcement or require the applicant to seek a new permit.

The hospital representative said the site had been used a small number of times for emergency evacuations and that medical staff make patient-need determinations before requesting air transport. Staff said the building-permit application for the helipad remains out for corrections and that outstanding items must be addressed before a final permit could be issued. The revocation starts the city’s process to address unresolved conditions and any enforcement options.