Council advances Chapter 13 zoning text amendments to ease business processes and reduce pool setbacks

The Prescott Valley Town Council heard a presentation from Planner I Britney Cleveland and approved text amendments to Chapter 13 of the municipal code intended to clarify regulations and provide limited flexibilities for businesses.

Cleveland said staff compiled about 40 proposed amendment items after a year of interpreting the newly adopted zoning code and seeking community feedback; roughly half of those items are substantive and the rest are wording or clarity tweaks. She described the package as changes that improve consistency, process efficiency, and economic opportunity. Cleveland told the council the Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed the proposals and voted unanimously to recommend approval.

Among the items highlighted were a provision to regulate fences used for privacy screening separately from other fences and walls (allowing such fences up to 8 feet with spacing requirements to mitigate viewshed and airflow concerns) and a reduction in pool setbacks from 10 feet to 5 feet to the waters edge when building- and safety-code requirements are met. Cleveland said staff considered previous board of adjustment situations and planned outreach to affected applicants.

The council opened and closed the public hearing with no registered speakers and then moved to read the ordinance by title on two separate occasions and place it on final passage. The clerk announced the ordinance number in the record and the council approved the measure. The ordinance amends Chapter 13 (zoning), makes conforming changes to Chapter 14 (subdivisions), and becomes effective 30 days after passage unless challenged in court.