by Matthew Holloway | Dec 2, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Jim Griset, the proprietor of a souvenir store, an art gallery, and a Harley Davidson shop in Prescott, has secured a hard-fought victory in his efforts to bring his vision of a new hotel to the city’s historic downtown. Represented by Goldwater Institute attorney Jon Riches, Griset’s victory successfully overturned a City Council ruling that upheld the Prescott Preservation Commission’s denial of his permit.
According to the Goldwater Institute, Griset has sought to transform three buildings he already owns on Prescott’s historic Whiskey Row into a hotel. The buildings already house his existing businesses, but he has endeavored since 2023 to bring the hotel into being that would “complement the surrounding architecture and preserve the charm and character that make Prescott special.”
As noted by Goldwater, none of the buildings in question are listed as historic. Still, they are located within the city’s designated historic district and thus require approval from the Preservation Commission.
Writing for Goldwater Riches explained:
“When Jim first submitted his application in 2023, the commission rejected it—not based on any clear or objective standards, but in response to NIMBY [not-in-my-backyard] opposition and vague impressions. Instead of pointing to identifiable criteria in the city’s preservation code, the commission relied on subjective notions like whether the design was ‘respectful’ of the district’s ‘intimate scale.’
Those terms don’t appear anywhere in the law. They’re not defined. They’re entirely subjective—which is exactly what the law is supposed to prevent.”
The law Riches refers to is The Permit Freedom Act, a Goldwater Institute-developed law enacted in 2023. He notes, “The Act prohibits local governments from making new rules midstream or applying vague, subjective standards to block lawful use of private property. And that is precisely what Prescott did.”
When Griset applied for the permit and was denied, he reportedly took the commission’s feedback, revised his designs, and worked to meet the standards set. “Yet every time he met the standards placed before him, the standards seemed to change,” Riches wrote.
When the denial was appealed to the Prescott City Council, the Council ruled against Griset. The council brought in a neutral historic preservation expert, who found that Griset had met the standards, and Goldwater attorneys brought the potential violation of the Permit Freedom Act to the City’s attention. Goldwater told the city, “Based on this review, under the Permit Freedom Act, there was simply no legal criteria authorizing the denial of his permit,” per Riches. However, the Commission again ruled 3-2 against Griset and his hotel plans.
Riches noted that in 2024, Prescott’s City Council sold the old City Hall building to a property developer with similar plans for a four-story hotel in the very same district. But it wasn’t rejected by the Commission or Council.
On November 4th, the City Council heard Mr. Griset’s appeal. Riches wrote, “Several council members spoke openly about the importance of private property rights and the need for fair, consistent rules—not decisions driven by subjective preferences or political pressure. Members of the public echoed the same: government rules must be fair, consistent, and objective. They should not favor some over others.”
Riches concluded, “Property owners in Prescott, and across Arizona, deserve certainty. They deserve to know the rules before they invest. When government shifts the rules or invents new ones as it goes, it undermines confidence, deters investment, and violates the law.”
The council voted to overturn the Preservation Commission’s decision. Mr. Griset’s hotel plan is pending approval from Prescott’s city zoning and planning commission and, subsequently, from the Council. A water service agreement will also require approval.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 23, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
New research ranks the Prescott Regional Airport (PRC) third among U.S. airports for arrival delays, with flights idling an average of 32 minutes and 31 seconds. Between May 2024 and May 2025, the time lost to the ether across 791 arrivals totaled 25,716 minutes. The study from student travel company Rustic Pathways, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics data on scheduled versus actual arrival times, paints a grim picture for regional flyers.
PRC trails only Lea County Regional Airport (HOB) in New Mexico, where delays average a whopping 37 minutes and 24 seconds per flight, and Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) in Texas at 33 minutes and 45 seconds. Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) in Michigan rounds out the top five at nearly 32 minutes.
Arizona’s high-country travelers aren’t likely to see mere statistics in this report, but rather a summer of stalled plans. PRC, which sits at an elevation of 5,045 feet, is home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, numerous flight training facilities, and is subject to mercurial wind and weather patterns. It has three runways handling under 1,000 flights in the period, amplifying every hiccup. Monsoons and mountain turbulence contribute to 6.91 percent of nationwide delays, according to the study. But carriers shoulder 37 percent of the blame across U.S. airports, a potent reminder that human error often outstrips Mother Nature in accounting for delays.
Rustic Pathways CEO Shayne Fitz-Coy explained the challenges faced by PRC, “Looking at the data overall also shows us that carrier delays account for 37% of delay minutes at each US airport, with 6.91% delays coming from weather, highlighting the fact that many flights are delayed at the fault of a flight operator, and not just natural occurrences.” As reported by The Daily Courier, the Prescott City Council heard a presentation at its Tuesday, Sept. 23 study session on a proposal for a runway shift and extension at Prescott Regional Airport, which would, if approved, save the city millions of dollars in land acquisition costs, according to Airport Director Rick Crider and Project Manager Charlie McDermott with Dibble Engineering. In May, the city purchased parcels at the southern end of the runway for a slated expansion at a cost of about $3.2 million.
Seven of the top 10 airports ranked for delays clocked fewer than 1,000 flights, turning minor snags into major problems. Conversely, Minnesota’s St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC) is the punctuality leader, with arrivals delayed a mere 1 minute and 46 seconds on average. In his Labor Day message published in The Prescott Times, Mayor Phil Goode announced in September that “additional flight and schedule enhancements are coming to Prescott Regional Airport,” slated for October.
“An additional United Express flight, operated by SkyWest Airlines, will soon be available between Prescott Regional Airport and Denver International Airport. Starting October 26th, air travelers in northern Arizona will have two daily options to connect to Denver and the world, through United’s Denver hub, in addition to the daily flight to United’s hub at Los Angeles International Airport.
The enhanced schedule will include both a morning and an early evening option to Denver. Plus, the flight to Los Angeles will soon connect to more flight options by departing earlier in the day around noontime. Each of the flights to and from Prescott Regional Airport will be onboard Bombardier CRJ200 50-seat regional jet aircraft.
These service improvements are indicative of the strong demand in Prescott and the surrounding region. Airlines have many requests and an abundance of opportunities to serve smaller communities, the fact that they are allocating more of their aircraft and their crew resources to Prescott Regional Airport is a testament to the partnership and collaboration with SkyWest and United Airlines.”
Prescott officials haven’t commented on the Rustic Pathways report. However, United Express, PRC’s main carrier, has cited “operational challenges” at the airport in filings, according to Dibble Engineering. Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Prescott Regional Airport has a single runway and is served by American Eagle and Contour Airlines. The airport has three runways and is served by United Express. The story has been updated to reflect this.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Ethan Faverino | Jun 30, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Prescott City Council has voted down a proposed General Plan on Tuesday, rejecting what critics said contained “woke policies.” If the proposal had been approved, it would have made its way to the ballot for the next election.
The proposed General Plan included policies such as Vision Zero, road diets, and pricey, unreliable energy. These were just a small part of the “woke proposal,” according to critics, that seemed to change the dynamic of the city, rather than shape the future in a way that reflects the community’s vision and priorities.
Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic deaths and injuries, which may seem noble on the surface, but is designed to ultimately eliminate the use of fossil fuel vehicles.
Road diets have a similar goal, reducing vehicle lanes to add bike lanes or wider sidewalks.
Prescott Mayor Phil Goode, along with two city council members, opposed the original proposal, citing its misalignment with the city’s conservative values and practical needs. Mayor Goode spoke strongly against this proposal, which he believed reflected policies that could transform the small, historic town into Los Angeles or San Francisco.
In the final vote, the original plan failed to obtain the five-vote supermajority needed to be referred to the ballot. A revised version, which made minor adjustments but retained many of the original policies, was also brought forward but failed again, this time with a 4-3 vote.
Prescott City Council is running out of time to agree on a General Plan that best describes the community’s needs for future development. If they do not vote and decide soon, they may likely miss the ballot for this fall’s general election.
Associate of Government Affairs for Arizona Free Enterprise Club, Mylie Biggs appaluded the move, saying, “This is a major win for the people of Prescott and the members of the Council that stood firm. Every other city in Arizona should be cautious of the language in their own General Plans and follow Prescott’s lead in rejecting wokeness in their cities.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
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