Board of Adjustments approves conditional use permit for Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School expansion

The City of Prescott Board of Adjustments voted unanimously Nov. 20 to approve a conditional use permit allowing the Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School to add classrooms for grades K–8.

Community planner Tammy Duey presented the request, identified in the record as CUP-25-002, and told the board the parcel is in an SF-35 zoning district and that the proposed classrooms will be outside the flood plain. "So before you today is a conditional use permit to allow for additional classrooms for a K through 8 school, the Seventh day Adventist School," Duey said during her presentation. She said the site has existing water and sewer service and that ingress and egress from Nicollet Trail and Willow Creek Road will not change.

The expansion, Duey said, involves a recently purchased back parcel that has been combined with the school property; the city notified property owners within 300 feet and advertised the hearing. She told the board that reviewing agencies had no objections as presented and that, aside from one initial concern about property values, commenters did not maintain objections after receiving information about the project.

Board members questioned whether grading or other work would affect the mapped floodway. Duey responded that a fence delineates the floodway, the new work will remain outside the flood plain, and the area in question has previously been used as a playground. "There's not gonna be very much grading or improvements required for that area," she said.

Pastor Tony Jasper, representing the Prescott Seventh-day Adventist Church, said the proposed classroom buildings were designed to minimize impacts on play areas and that the church is negotiating to buy an adjacent lot to provide additional athletic fields and a track. "We have tried to minimize the impact of the buildings on the playground as much as we possibly could," Jasper said.

Following discussion, a board member moved to approve the conditional use permit with the conditions presented; Rick Kimrey seconded the motion. The board recorded the outcome as "Motion carries 5 0." The approval allows the school to proceed with the additional K–8 classrooms; expansion beyond eighth grade would require a separate rezoning to a business general designation and further approvals.

In other business, the board approved minutes from its Sept. 18, 2025 meeting. Board member Mark Oknes moved to approve the minutes as submitted; Rick Kimrey seconded. The motion passed with four ayes and one abstention by an unnamed member who said they were not present for the Sept. 18 meeting.

Chair Tony Teeters welcomed City Councilperson Mary Frederickson as the council liaison to the Board of Adjustments before adjourning the meeting.