Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism Zone topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears first reading of tourism-zone ordinance aimed at unlocking state grants
Summary
On first reading, council considered O2026-22 to create tourism zones that would make Winchester eligible for state tourism grants and offer tourism-focused incentives; staff said proposed zones would initially mirror neighborhood design districts and that lodging is an eligible use.
Winchester City Council held the first reading of O2026-22 on June 9, a zoning ordinance that would authorize creation of tourism zones to support tourism‑focused investments and eligibility for state tourism grants.
Jeff Bittner, speaking for the Economic Development Authority, said tourism zones would let the city create incentives targeted to businesses that bring out‑of‑town dollars, including restaurants, hospitality, retail and sports. "It would allow us, as the EDA to create a set of incentives that are specifically for tourism," he said, noting more than 70 tourism zones exist across Virginia.
Council members asked for examples of how the tool has worked and whether lodging would be eligible; Bittner and staff pointed to enterprise‑zone successes and confirmed that lodging would be eligible in a tourism zone. "Yes," a council member asked and staff replied that lodging is eligible.
Staff said the proposed ordinance would initially mirror the city's neighborhood design district (NDD) boundaries — Old Town, Cedar Valley, Cider Hill and Berryville Avenue — and that the ordinance would allow adjustments over time if new tourism opportunities arise. Because this was a first reading, no council action was required that evening.
