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Council approves rezoning and water service for Marina Street apartment project
Summary
Council adopted a rezoning and minor general-plan amendment and approved a water service application for a proposed 106-unit apartment complex at South Marina and LaRue streets after changes to the site plan addressed parking concerns.
The Prescott City Council on May 13 approved a rezoning, a minor general-plan amendment and a water-service allocation for a multifamily apartment project near the southeast corner of South Marina Street and LaRue Street.
What the council approved: The council adopted Resolution 2025-1921 and Ordinance 2025-1891 to rezone approximately 0.6 acres from Single-Family (SF-9) to Multi-Family High (MFH) and approved a minor general-plan amendment to change land-use designation from low/medium density to medium/high density for a total project area of roughly 3.28 acres. The council also approved Water Service Application (WSA) 25-009 for an estimated net demand of 13.24 acre-feet per year for the 106-unit project (12.72 a.f. building use plus 0.85 a.f. landscape, net of prior site use).
Why it mattered: The developer revised the project after earlier public hearings to resolve the council’s chief concern — parking. The revised site plan redistributed units and added parking, raising available spaces from 153 to 180 to meet city parking code requirements (one space per bedroom plus 20 guest spaces). After staff confirmed the revised plan met parking requirements and the city’s water-resource manager provided the water-demand estimate and the developer’s appeal of the 50% water-budget threshold, council members voted to approve both zoning and water allocation.
Key council and staff points: Tammy DuWhite, community planner, told council the revised plan removed a small building at the south end of the site, redistributed density so all buildings are three stories and added parking to meet code. Brian Reese, the city’s water-resource manager, summarized the WSA calculations and noted the applicant requested an appeal of the city rule limiting single WSA approvals to no more than 50% of the remaining semiannual residential water budget; staff presented economic-benefit material and recommended approval of the allocation.
Public comment and concerns: Residents and nearby property owners spoke at length. Opponents raised topography and buildability concerns, said the plan appeared nonconforming in places, questioned whether hillside standards and parking placement were being properly applied, and asked for traffic and grading details. Supporters — including renters, employers and neighborhood business owners — said Prescott needs more housing close to downtown and urged approval.
Council rationale: Several council members said the revised plan addressed the primary code concern (parking) and that the rezoning aligns the parcel’s zoning with multifamily development surrounding the site. Council members noted that engineering and grading details, hillside standards and final site engineering remain subject to later plan-review stages; approval of the rezoning does not authorize construction until building plans meet all applicable codes and receive permitting.
Outcome and next steps: The rezoning and minor plan amendment passed 5-0. The WSA 25-009 approval also passed 5-0. City staff will continue plan review during permit submittal, where final grading, drainage, traffic-engineering and compliance with hillside standards will be checked and must be satisfied before permits are issued.
