Harrisonburg schedules zoning overhaul open houses for Oct. 21 and 26

Harrisonburg residents will have two opportunities in October to review a draft zoning overhaul, including a proposed zoning map, and give feedback before city staff aims to take a final proposal to City Council in early 2027.

The open houses are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Monday, Oct. 26, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Oct. 21 session will be at the Harrisonburg Public Works Building, 320 East Mosby Road. The Oct. 26 session will be at the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center, 620 Simms Avenue.

How residents can review the draft

At the sessions, attendees can compare current and proposed zoning maps, review draft ordinance text, visit booths focused on different topics, ask staff questions and provide feedback. The city’s online survey is planned for mid-October; Rocktown Now reported Oct. 14 as its expected start date.

The city’s Community Development Department is leading the update. Draft maps and ordinance text are available for public review through the city’s project page, giving residents another way to examine the proposal alongside the in-person events.

What the zoning update would address

The draft would create a new set of zoning districts and a map intended to better reflect development patterns in Harrisonburg. The project also covers residential lot-area and setback requirements, land uses, development processes and commercial parking requirements. A city deputy director described proposed reductions to residential lot-area requirements and setbacks.

Those subjects are part of a proposal still under development, not changes to zoning rules already in effect. The city’s materials identify both current and proposed maps, but the announcement does not establish which individual properties would be affected. Property owners can review the draft map and ordinance and ask staff questions at the open houses.

The update has included Planning Commission work sessions, and the city is now inviting broader public review of draft materials. Feedback gathered through the events and survey will come while the proposal is still being considered; the final text and map may change.

City staff’s reported target is to bring a final zoning-update proposal to City Council in early 2027. The October open houses and survey are opportunities to comment before that step, not an adoption of the proposed zoning.