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Prescott Board approves garage-height variance at 5750 Symphony Drive over neighbor objections
Summary
The City of Prescott Board of Adjustments approved a variance (V25-008) to allow a detached garage at 5750 Symphony Drive to exceed the 20-foot accessory-structure limit, permitting a height up to 27 feet 3 inches after staff cited steep topography and measurement from natural grade. The vote was 5–1.
The City of Prescott Board of Adjustments on July 17 approved a variance permitting a detached garage at 5750 Symphony Drive to exceed the accessory-structure height limit from 20 feet to 27 feet 3 inches. The motion to approve V25-008 passed 5–1.
Community planner Kaylee Nunez told the board the property sits in the northern Pinion Oaks subdivision and that staff measures building height from natural grade. Nunez said the proposal meets required setbacks, that the front elevation reads roughly 22 feet and the rear elevation reaches 27 feet 3 inches, and that neighborhood outreach and legal notice were completed per state statute.
Neighbors who testified said the increase would block long-standing panoramic views and could reduce property values. Tony Peroncino, who said his home is directly across the street, urged the board to consider lowering the garage roof or grading changes instead of granting a height increase. The contractor for the applicant said the site’s steep topography and the requested large, 14-foot RV door made the extra clearance necessary; he also said an administrative adjustment would have been possible had it not been for the rear topography.
Board members questioned whether the proposed garage roofline would be visually comparable to the principal structure and whether comparable examples exist in the neighborhood. Staff responded that city measurements use natural grade and that CC&Rs and private architectural-review processes are enforced privately, not by the city.
After discussion, a motion to deny the variance failed for lack of a second; Mary Frederickson moved to approve V25-008 and Tom Davis seconded. The board voted 5 in favor, 1 opposed. The board’s approval applies only to the city’s land development code criteria and does not relieve the applicant of any private covenant, condition or restriction (CC&R) obligations or private remedies available to neighbors.
The board did not list additional conditions tied to the variance in the hearing record. No specific building-permit timeline was stated on the record.
