Prescott amends hillside development standards to apply slope-based limits to larger commercial and multifamily sites

Prescott City Council adopted updates to the city’s Land Development Code (LDC26‑004) on June 23, extending the existing hillside development standards so they can be applied to single‑site commercial and multifamily projects on parcels two acres or greater and specifying slope-category disturbance limits.

Community Planner Jacob Lun explained the policy goal: “the intent of the hillside development standards is to allow safe reasonable use of slope properties while minimizing environmental damage, protecting public safety and natural hazards and preserving the natural scenic character of the community.” The changes require applicants for qualifying parcels to submit a slope-category map and a disturbance envelope that shows where construction activity would occur; staff then measures proposed disturbance in each slope band against the new maximum‑disturbable-area percentages.

Key features: the ordinance sets different maximum disturbable percentages for slope ranges (for example, more permissive disturbance allowances in lower-slope bands and progressively stricter limits in the 20–30%, 30–40% and 40%+ categories), removes the prior minimum‑lot‑area provision for single‑site commercial applications (relying instead on the slope‑based disturbance limits), and creates a density‑transfer bonus option in a separate section. The code also clarifies where exceptions or variances must be considered: exceptions for subdivisions and land splits remain a council-level process, while variances tied to single‑site development will generally follow the board of adjustment review pathway.

Council action and amendment: Planning and Zoning recommended approval with technical edits; council adopted Resolution No. 2026‑1993 and Ordinance No. 2026‑1951 and added a clarifying amendment to section 6.8.7 clarifying exception authority. The final vote was recorded as six in favor and one opposed.

Why it matters: The update tightens rules about how steep, scenic and constraint‑ridden parcels are developed, and gives developers and staff clearer standards for acceptable disturbance. Council members said the change responds to appeals and to previous code interpretations that had limited the reach of hillside standards to subdivisions only.

What’s next: Staff will update application forms and internal checklists, and developers with projects on steep parcels should expect to submit a slope analysis and disturbance-envelope plan. Variances for single‑site projects will go to the Board of Adjustment; significant deviations will come to council if they involve subdivisions or planned developments.