The Winchester Planning Commission voted to initiate an ordinance to amend sections of the City of Winchester zoning ordinance to define "humanitarian services facilities," establish zoning districts where those facilities would be permitted, set performance standards for such facilities and repeal "philanthropic and charitable institutions" as a permitted land use.

City planning staff said the initiation moves the proposal into a March work session for detailed drafting, followed by a public hearing at the commission's second March meeting and then a potential referral to City Council. "If you continue move through initiation, you move through the process," staff said.

The proposed text removes the Health Services (HS) district from the list of districts where these facilities could be allowed and adds the city's educational/institutional/public land-use district (referred to during discussion as EIB/EIP) to the proposed list of permitted districts. "We removed the HS, which is your health services," staff said, and explained that the EIB/EIP inclusion reflected an earlier 2021 text amendment that staff determined should apply in this draft.

Staff also summarized how the ordinance would treat existing providers as nonconforming uses: they may continue operating at their current location unless they move, cease operations for more than two years, or request an expansion of the use. "Basically, for existing service providers that fall under nonconformities, it means that they can continue," staff said. Staff distinguished those long-term nonconforming uses from temporary shelters, which staff said are governed by a different body of land‑use law.

Commissioners asked for clarification about why the proposed permission would apply only in certain districts. Staff responded that the city must choose which districts will allow a new land use and that many strictly residential areas lack the space or buffering appropriate for such facilities. Staff cited the Winchester Rescue Mission as an example of a provider that sought to relocate away from downtown to a more controlled, campus-like setting.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to adopt the meeting agenda: approved (voice vote).
- Motion to approve the commission regular meeting minutes for January 2025: approved (voice vote).
- Motion to initiate the zoning ordinance amendment defining humanitarian services facilities: moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; the commission formally initiated the ordinance and scheduled the next steps in the review process.

Next steps and context
City planning staff said the commission will discuss a detailed draft at a March work session and hold a public hearing at the commission's second meeting in March before issuing a recommendation to City Council. No final ordinance or council action took place at this meeting.

Clarifying details from the meeting include that existing nonconforming service providers may continue operating unless they relocate, cease operations for more than two years, or seek an expansion; temporary shelters are treated under different land-use rules; and staff will bring a detailed draft back at the work session for more substantive review.