Winchester council tables ordinance on humanitarian service facilities after nonprofit concerns

Winchester City Council on second reading voted to table O-2025-4 (TA-5-47), a text amendment to define "humanitarian service facilities" and set zoning and performance standards, and referred the item back to the Planning, Economic Development and (PED) committee for further work.

Councilors and staff said they received input from local service providers and that staff will hold a public meeting with nonprofits before PED considers the amendment again. The staff presentation noted no textual changes had been made to the draft since the first reading; the recommendation presented to council was to receive public comment and then send the amendment back to PED to consider incorporating provider feedback.

The amendment would remove “philanthropic and charitable institutions” as a permitted land use and instead establish a distinct category for humanitarian service facilities with performance standards and conditional-use limitations. Nonprofits at the public hearing urged more time and consultation. Pastor Kent Woodward of Hopogen Care Center said, “If the label of nonconforming is placed on us, this leads the city government as well as the community to believe that we're not in good standing, and this verbiage is misleading.”

Faith Power, executive director of Laurel Center, told council that one provision would require agencies to keep a guest list that conflicts with federal confidentiality requirements governing shelters. “We operate under a federal requirement through the Violence Against Women Act that would prevent us from ever disclosing who is in our shelter, so we would never be in compliance with this... ordinance as a result,” she said.

Other providers raised operational concerns: Andrea Cousins, executive director of CCAP, said demand has grown and facility operators need flexibility to expand capacity, noting the food pantry she runs has seen a roughly 15% increase over five years and is “filled to the gills.” Clay Perry, vice president of Watts Ford and a volunteer at Olive Branch Food Pantry, asked the council to avoid zoning approaches that would require conditional-use approvals for shelters because that could create uncertainty when groups identify property for transitional housing: “If we're gonna do the zoning... we shouldn't have to have that further uncertainty.”

Council members and staff framed the next steps as additional outreach and technical refinement. Councilor Windle, speaking in favor of the referral, apologized for any communication failures and asked the full council to give PED direction about whether food banks and pantries should be included in the definition. Staff said they will convene a public meeting with nonprofit providers before PED’s next meeting; PED will not discuss the amendment at its upcoming published agenda but will consider it at the final Thursday in May meeting.

The motion to table and send the amendment back to PED carried; council conducted the procedural vote immediately after public comment.

Why this matters: The text amendment would change where and how shelters, meal programs and related services may operate in Winchester and would reclassify long-standing nonprofit uses. Providers say the changes could affect privacy, funding needs and the practical ability to run low-barrier shelters and food programs. Council and staff said they will use further meetings with providers to refine the ordinance before returning it to PED and council for additional consideration.