Land Use Guidance

Downtown Winchester

Introduction

Throughout the years, the City of Winchester has drafted a number of guidance documents that seek to inform the general public. Please review the areas of interest.

Installing a fence?

Fence Requirements

A  Zoning Fence Permit is required for the installation or replacement of any fence or wall in the city of Winchester. Before installation, determine the type of lot you have based on the graphics below and review the regulations associated with each section of the lot (A-E). Set-back requirements, fence height and opacity vary depending on the lot layout. Additional permits or Certificates of Appropriateness may be required based on the purpose of the fence on the property (i.e. pool enclosure, retaining wall, etc.), or if the property is located within the Historic Winchester (HW), Corridor Enhancement (CE), or Floodplain (FP) district(s). 

Printable Fence Regulations(PDF, 241KB)

Additional Permits May be Needed (i.e. Board of Architectural Review, Corridor Enhancement, floodplain development). 

A separate building permit may be required if:

  1. The fence is a required pool enclosure.
  2. The fence is required for pedestrian safety.
  3. The retaining wall has 3 feet or more of unbalanced fill.

Materials Needed

A copy of a scaled drawing/plat illustrating proposed location, height, and opacity of the fence. Please note that the applicant is responsible for researching and indicating whether or not any easements exist on the subject property.

 

Planning Department Approvals

Below are a number of educational documents that seek to better inform applicants of the approvals and permits that fall under the responsibility of the City of Winchester's Planning Department:

Site Plans

Rezonings

Rezoning Brochure(PDF, 741KB)

Major Subdivisions

Major Subdivision Brochure(PDF, 751KB)   Subdivision Checklist(PDF, 205KB)  

Historic District 

Historic District Webpage

Corridor Enhancement District

Corridor Enhancement District Webpage

Zoning Information

Below are a number of educational documents that seek to better inform applicants of the approvals and permits that fall under the responsibility of the City of Winchester's Zoning Department:

Minimum Zoning Standards

Minimum Zoning Standards(PDF, 78KB)

Minor Subdivision 

Old Town Outdoor Dining