Council adopts Airport Vicinity Overlay after split vote; map and noise metric draw public scrutiny

The Prescott City Council adopted an Airport Vicinity Overlay (AVO) ordinance and a implementing resolution aimed at guiding land use near Prescott Regional Airport, voting 4-3 on both the resolution (2025-1911) and the ordinance (2025-1879).

Community Development Director Chelsea Walton presented the ordinance package as a tool to protect airport operations and steer compatible development. The AVO establishes noise-compatibility zones, adds “safety impact” zones tied to runway approaches, requires fair-notice disclosures to buyers, and protects airspace from tall-object encroachment. The council packet and staff recommended a cleaner display of the proposed “future 60 DNL” contour as a single contiguous line and minor textual cleanups before final posting.

Public comment at length raised technical objections to the map and the AVO’s use of a “future 60 DNL” noise contour rather than the federally referenced 65 DNL. Several residents and aviation commenters said the mapped contours do not match flight-track noise experience in neighborhoods such as Pinion Oaks and Granite Dells; they urged the council to use the FAA’s standard modeling or make the current map and modeling methodology transparent. Others stressed that the noise footprint will change if the runway is extended north, and some urged the council not to pre-empt future mitigation options such as quieter aircraft or a university-run training strip.

Airport Director Rick Kreider and council advisory members said the overlay is intended to inform future development decisions and protect the airport; they noted the AVO will not apply retroactively to properties already covered by development agreements or to uses that are already established. City Attorney Joe Young and staff confirmed the draft exempts properties with existing entitlements (recorded plats, development agreements and permitted construction) and that affected parcels can be listed or mapped more clearly for public reference.

Council debate split largely on timing, transparency and map clarity. Supporters said the AVO creates a formal, public framework to prevent incompatible development near the airport; opponents called for clearer exhibits, an explicit list of exempted parcels, and concern that the map’s non‑contiguous contour depiction would confuse property owners. Planning and Zoning had recommended the overlay in December 2022 after multiple hearings; staff and council emphasized the AVO is a living document that can be revised as operational conditions change.

The council adopted the resolution and ordinance by 4-3 votes. The council also asked staff to produce a clearer, contiguous depiction of the “future 60 DNL” line, to include an exhibit or table listing properties exempted because of development agreements, and to document the modeling methodology to the extent possible for public review. The city said future changes to noise contours—such as any runway extension or changes in fleet mix—would prompt re-examination of the overlay and maps.