Prescott council opens review of road-width and secondary-access rules after wildfire and evacuation concerns

City fire, planning and public-works staff briefed the Prescott City Council on Feb. 25 on how ingress and egress requirements are set and asked for direction as part of a broader land-development-code update.

Chief Holger and planning staff described a system of overlapping rules: the international fire code sets minimum fire-apparatus access widths (commonly 20 feet, up to 26 feet where hydrants or aerial apparatus are required), the land development code governs new subdivision layout and connectivity, and the city's general engineering standards prescribe street cross-sections (for example, a typical local roadway section was described as 28 feet of pavement within a 50-foot right-of-way).

Staff said the fire code is oriented to getting apparatus to a structure rather than managing mass evacuation traffic, so evacuation planning should be addressed in coordination with regional transportation plans and emergency management. Fire department staff and planners noted differences across the city's geography: recently built subdivisions (e.g., Copper Basin) can meet modern standards, while older neighborhoods were built with narrower streets and may lack reliable secondary access.

Several council members and residents raised safety and insurance concerns tied to narrow roads. Councilmember Roosing described living on a 20-foot street where two cars cannot pass easily and said narrow roads make homeowner insurance harder to obtain in some areas; another council member cited an insurance broker's comment that policies are less likely for homes fronting streets under 26 feet. Staff confirmed some insurers use road width as a risk factor and noted that new fire apparatus dimensions and hydrant-supply needs can make widths below 26 or 28 feet impractical for reliable fire response.

Staff proposed several next steps: (1) incorporate road-width and secondary-access recommendations into the upcoming land development code overhaul; (2) consider targeted fire-code or engineering-standard amendments that address specific high-risk areas differently (risk-based application rather than one-size-fits-all); (3) improve maintenance and legal clarity for secondary-access easements so they remain usable long term; and (4) coordinate evacuation planning with regional transportation agencies to ensure arterial capacity.

Councilmembers discussed a preferred default width range of 28 to 30 feet for public roads and expressed interest in eliminating different standards for private roads and private subdivisions; staff noted that while private roads are typically built to public standards, exceptions have been granted historically and should be re-examined. Staff indicated proposed language and specific amendments will be advanced through the planned land development code update and that emergency management and the new fire marshal will lead evacuation-zone planning and public-notification improvements (including a Genesys/Rave rollout).

The council requested staff to prepare proposed code amendments and to return with recommendations as part of the code-adoption schedule.