Planning commission approves Hilltop Church PD with 30-foot exception for main building, limits future pads

Lake Havasu City Planning & Zoning Commission on Aug. 7 approved a planned-development rezone for Hilltop Church that grants a 30-foot height exception for the primary new building while limiting future buildings on the site to 15 feet above their eventual pad elevations. The commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval to city council (Land Use Action 192097).

The commission’s vote follows staff analysis that established a maximum site grade of 115.5 feet to measure height from existing development elevations. Stu Schnelling, who presented the item as Development Services staff, said staff set that figure from existing building pads and benchmarks and recommended the commission allow the single 30-foot exception at the top-of-hill location but keep other future pads lower to reduce neighborhood impacts. “We came up with the max grade of 115.5,” Schnelling said during the presentation, explaining how height measurements are derived from benchmark elevations.

The site is the Hilltop Church property east of Bermuda Avenue on McCulloch Boulevard and covers about 6.1 acres. Schnelling described a substantial slope: the property drops roughly 30–33 feet from the…