After hearing concerns last month regarding a proposed zoning ordinance amendment regulating humanitarian service facilities and the best places to locate operations of that nature, City Council on Tuesday held a first reading of a revamped ordinance that would better differentiate between service providers and homeless shelters.
The proposed ordinance update was first discussed in March, when Winchester Zoning Administrator Alfredo Gutierrez-Velasquez told the Planning Commission that a humanitarian services facility designation was needed to replace the city’s existing definition of philanthropic and charitable organizations, which he said was too broad and poorly defined.
At City Council’s meeting on April 22, representatives of several nonprofits that could be affected by the ordinance change spoke out against the amendment because they believed it inappropriately lumped together every agency that provides services to Winchester’s homeless population. Council voted to table the matter and advised Gutierrez-Velasquez to meet with the nonprofits and find a workable solution.
On May 12, Gutierrez-Velasquez said city staff sat down with representatives from shelter providers Winchester Rescue Mission and Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS), and service providers C-CAP, Knights of Columbus, Highland Food Pantry and Winchester Church of God’s Home Again Care Center.
“The nonprofits know better than we do,” Mayor Les Veach said on Tuesday. “I appreciate their input.”
After hearing the representatives’ concerns, Gutierrez-Velasquez updated the proposed zoning amendment. In addition to differentiating between homeless shelters and service providers, the measure now being considered by council:
Changes the term “philanthropic and charitable institutions” to “charitable provision centers,” which excludes on-site hygiene facilities, cafeterias and meal services.
Allows charitable provision centers that distribute free food and clothing to individuals experiencing homelessness to locate by-right in Winchester’s Central Business (B-1), Residential Business (RB-1), Highway Commercial (B-2), Commercial Industrial (CM-1) and Medical Center (MC) districts. Homeless shelters would require council’s issuance of a conditional-use permit (CUP) and be limited to the B‐2, CM‐1, MC and Limited Industrial (M-1) districts.
Allows homeless shelters to charge clients for program services.
Documents each guest’s length of stay at a homeless shelter to prove that the facility is not being used for permanent residences.
“I would support this, providing that the nonprofits and their contributions are incorporated,” Councilor Kim Herbstritt said on Tuesday.
If approved, the amended ordinance would not apply to religious institutions that provide homeless services such as food and clothing distributions as part of their mission, or the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s warehousing and distribution branch in Winchester.
A vote on the revised humanitarian services amendment is expected to take place at council’s next meeting on July 8.
