Chapter 2 – Land Use

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 Chapter 2 – Land Use

Introduction
Land Use is considered by most people to be the heart of the
Comprehensive Plan. The Land Use Plan serves to coordinate
public and private decisions that affect the physical development
of Winfield. By establishing a vision for the future, the plan strives
to create a desirable pattern of development toward which present
activities can be directed.

In designating areas for various land uses, consideration must be

given to natural features, existing land uses, existing and proposed
public improvements as well as the current and future transportation
system. Overall, the Land Use Plan is intended to create a well-
organized, cohesive community that functions efficiently. While
future growth is encouraged, the unique character of Winfield must
be protected and the needs of existing residents and businesses
addressed.

The Land Use Plan designates areas as low density residential, low-
medium density residential, suburban and high density commercial
and public land uses. The designation of these areas is based on the
following underlying principles:

• The costs to the Town of not managing growth will

be extremely high, thus, future development should
locate in those areas of the Town in which public
services and facilities are planned and can most
efficiently and economically be provided;

• Development should be located in such a manner as

to minimize impacts to the Town’s environmental
resources, including, but not limited to, wetlands,
steep slopes, highly erodible and highly permeable
soils, and aquifer recharge areas;

• Highway oriented commercial areas should be

located in well-defined groupings and should be
accessible and convenient to Route 817.

2 CHAPTER TWO
This chapter sets the policies and guiding principles for the
future development of the Town, based upon accepted growth
management and “smart growth” principles. Development trends
and their land use implications for the future are considered. Finally,
recommended changes to land use will be discussed and goals,
objectives and action strategies to be pursued in implementing the
land use plan are set forth in this document.

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 Growth Management
The concept of growth management has been around since the
1970’s and is an extremely complex issue. Growth management has
often been misguided and used in ways to attempt to limit or control
growth. Instead, growth in Winfield should be shaped in such a
manner as to benefit the entire community. How the Town responds
and attempts to guide or “manage” growth and the form of that
growth is the issue. Growth can either be beneficial or detrimental.
Winfield, through its development policies, can influence the
quality, rate and timing of development.

Growth management brings together all aspects of comprehensive

planning. Its purpose is to encourage development in an orderly
manner and in a way that allows the Town to efficiently and
effectively provide services together with development needs. This
concept involves many issues addressed elsewhere in the plan,
including natural resources, public facilities, transportation, cultural
and historic resources, as well as land uses.

Existing and future land use patterns will directly affect the
provision of services. Transportation, schools, utilities, parks
and recreation, and public safety are all affected by land use
development patterns. As such, the following growth management
principles should guide Winfield’s planning and development
decisions:

• Development should be accommodated in an orderly

manner, which takes into considera!on physical and en-
vironmental constraints, the rural character of the Town,
and the quality of life of residents;

• Development should be encouraged at a rate that does

not stress the Town’s ability to pay for the cost of services
generated by development;

• Public facili!es should be provided in the most cost-effec-

!ve manner possible, in a public-private partnership that

4 CHAPTER TWO
 spreads development costs to all who benefit;

• Environmentally sensi!ve features and other natural re-

sources should be protected from the adverse effects of
development;

• Cultural and recrea!onal facili!es and opportuni!es

need to be provided in conjunc!on with development;

• A variety of housing styles, prices and loca!ons are need-

ed to meet the housing demands for exis!ng and new
Town residents;

• The Town should strive to maintain a manageable ra!o of

residen!al to nonresiden!al development;

• Town policies should encourage the commercial tax base

to increase at an annual rate faster than that of residen-
!al growth;

• Sustainable development measures should be encour-

aged in all developments;

• Significant specimen trees or stands of trees should be

preserved during the development process and the clear
cu$ng of land should be discouraged;

• The Town should manage its rate of growth in order to

ensure the demands of growth do not outpace the ca-
pacity to provide the necessary services and infrastruc-
ture; and Rezoning applica!ons should be evaluated to
ensure that they meet adopted level of service standards
for transporta!on, public facili!es and u!li!es.

LAND USE 5
 Current Land Use Analysis
The overwhelming majority of land in Winfield is zoned R-1 and the
nature of the growth in Winfield since the 1970’s has been single family
residential subdivisions. Zoning efforts in the Town are relatively
recent. The current Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance were enacted
on September 6, 1994. Significant effort was made when creating the
required Zoning Map to honor prior land uses to the extent possible.
However some existing uses became and continue to be nonconforming
in nature. A copy of the current zoning map is attached as (Attachment
2-1). The following table delineates the breakdown of existing zoning
classifications in Winfield.

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RESIDENTIAL USES

Residential land uses in Winfield can be classified in one of three categories:

R-1 (Single Family Residential), R-2 (Mixed Residential) and Manufactured
Housing. Single family residences are the most prominent feature of Winfield
and form the character of the Town. The Manufactured Housing designation
is not anticipated to be expanded during the twenty year span of this
Comprehensive Plan.

COMMERCIAL USES

Commercial land uses in the Town can be classified in one of two categories:
C-1 (Suburban Commercial) and C-2 (High Density Commercial). A vast
majority of the commercial uses in Town are clustered around Route 817.
Many of them were constructed prior to the adoption of Zoning in Winfield
and they are neither located nor designed to any particular Town standard.

PUBLIC USES

Many parcels of land in Winfield are dedicated to public use. Winfield is the
County Seat of Putnam County and houses a substantial government complex
in the center of town. Winfield also has three schools (Winfield Elementary,
Winfield Middle and Winfield High), a sewage treatment plant, a Town Hall
and Community Center, and a City Park. These uses are long established and
are not likely to change in the future. As can be seen on the attached Zoning
Map (Attachment 2-1) the underlying Zoning on these parcels is R-1.

It is recommended that a Public Use Zoning Category might be established

to accommodate these varies uses in the future. This public use designation
would result in a more accurate depiction of actual real world conditions. To
the extent allowed by law, the Town should promote its right to apply current
Town standards to any future development on the publicly used properties.

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 Land Use Plan
Overview

The initial Land Use Plan generated in this Comprehensive Plan

acknowledges and reflects existing conditions and should be used as a
baseline against which future growth and development can be measured.
The plan provides a significant amount of land to meet the development
needs over the next ten to twenty years. It also attempts to adequately
provide for sufficient growth areas in a manner that can be effectively
served by public facilities and utilities. Finally, the plan recognizes the
need to develop in an orderly manner so as to not create a financial burden
on residents.

The overall land use plan for the Town includes specific land use
categories and indicates that development within each of these areas
should be based on a comprehensive approach that provides the
mechanism to look at the overall benefits and impacts of a particular
development, as opposed to a parcel by parcel basis.

All of the area plans have been designed with the intent of incorporating
“smart growth” concepts into the plans. Smart growth is a term for
policies that integrate transportation and land use decisions into one plan.
The components of smart growth include the following:

• Create a Range of Dwelling Opportuni!es and Choices - Provid-

ing quality housing for people of all income levels is an integral
component in any smart growth strategy.

• Create Walkable Neighborhoods - Walkable communi!es are

desirable places to live, work, learn, worship and play, and
therefore a key component o f smart growth.

• Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collabora!on - Growth

can create great places to live, work and play if it responds to a
community’s own sense of how and where it wants to grow.

8 CHAPTER TWO
 • Foster Dis!nc!ve, A%rac!ve Communi!es with a Strong Sense of Place - Smart
growth encourages communi!es to cra& a vision and set standards for develop-
ment and construc!on, which respond to community values of architectural
beauty and dis!nc!veness, as well as expanded choices in housing and trans-
porta!on.

• Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair and Cost Effec!ve - For a com-
munity to be successful in implemen!ng smart growth, it must be embraced by
the private sector.

• Mix Land Uses - Smart growth supports the integra!on of various land uses into
the community as a cri!cal component of achieving be%er places to live.

• Preserve Open Space, Natural Beauty and Cri!cal Environmental Areas - Open
space preserva!on supports smart growth goals by bolstering local economies,
preserving cri!cal environmental areas and improving quality of life within the
community.

Those who consult the Land Use Plan should keep in mind the following:

• Boundaries of areas designated for specific land uses should be considered gen-
eral and approximate;

• The plan is a statement of long range goals for achieving land use changes.
Current uses that are in conflict with the plan will not change immediately, but
must be changed over!me; and

• The Land Use Map cannot simply be u!lized by itself to make development de-
cisions, but must be consulted and used in conjunc!on with specific area plans,
chapters of the plan, the goals, objec!ves policies and implementa!on strate-
gies within the plan, as well as other planning documents.

LAND USE
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 The Winfield Future Land Use Map (See Attachment 2-2) is the
graphic representation of proposed land uses in the Comprehensive
Plan. The Land Use Map identifies the following general land use
designations: low density residential, low-medium density residential,
suburban and high density commercial and public land uses. Each is
discussed below:

LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AREAS –These residential areas are

those areas developed exclusively for detached single-family dwellings
and should be preserved for that use. As long as the preference for this
dwelling type remains as strong as it is, the right to live in a single-
family area should be vigorously protected. In planning residential
areas, emphasis should be placed on proper relation to physical features,
focal points, transportation facilities and place names encourage
community interest, neighborhood pride and civic participation.
Densities should range from one to eight dwelling units per acre.

MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AREAS -A variety of housing

styles would be encouraged in these areas depending on the physical
features and existing residential character of the property in question.
Housing types typically found in this use are townhouses, duplexes and
apartments. Densities should range from eight to fifteen dwelling units
per acre.

SUBURBAN AND HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL AREAS-

This classification of permitted land uses includes commercial retail
development that serves the residents of Winfield and the surrounding
rural area. Some of these retail establishments serve a more regional
public and require convenient automobile and truck access.

PUBLIC AREAS- Existing public educational, governmental, and

recreational areas in Winfield should be integrated into the fabric of the
Town. Pedestrian and vehicular access to and from these uses should
be enhanced. Uniform design standards should be implemented where
practical.

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Area Analysis - Future Land Use Map
Overview

The initial Land Use Plan generated in this Comprehensive Plan

acknowledges and reflects existing conditions and should be used
as a baseline against which future growth and development can be
measured.

Description of the Historic Wellsburg & Bethany Scenic Byway 11

 • Eastern Sec!on- River to CR 817 Town Limits to Sco" Lane

The por!on of Winfield between the Kanawha River and Winfield Road
contains a series of residen!al subdivisions and single family dwellings
and is planned predominantly for Low Density Residen!al Development.
Also included are a few nonconforming businesses fron!ng upon Win-
field Road and Winfield Middle and High Schools.

A series of proper!es abu$ng the northern boundary of Winfield Road

running from the western boundary of the Riverdale Estates Subdivision
to Sco% Lane are planned for Suburban and High Density Commercial
Development. Some of these proper!es contain commercial uses and
some are vacant. Two developments south of Winfield Road across
from the Winfield Mobile Home Park contain mul!-family units (Bri%any
Point and Berry Hills). They are planned for Medium Density Residen!al
Development.

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• Old Town Winfield-Sco" Lane to Bridge

The Old Town por!on of Winfield located south of Winfield Road currently
contains a mix of small residen!al lots and older business housed in repur-
posed and nonconforming structures. Current zoning is split between the R-1
and C-2 districts. The land use plan designates that area between Third Street
and Winfield Road bounded by Sco% Lane and Walters Street for Suburban
and High Density Commercial Areas. Flexibility in design that integrates and
encourages a mixture of commercial uses should be encouraged. The part of
Old Town located north of Winfield Road contains the historic Putnam County
Courthouse and Hoge House, both of which are included in a County Govern-
ment Complex that is currently unregulated by Town Ordinances. Frontage
along both the northern and southern faces of Winfield Road in Old Town re-
mains essen!ally unchanged since the mid 1900s.

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 • Southern Sec!on- South of CR817 Ridgeline to Winfield Southern Cor-
porate Limits

This part of Winfield is currently undeveloped due to topographic

constraints and lack of access. Planned for Low Density Residen!al De-
velopment, this por!on of the Town will most probably be established
as soon as growth pressures render it economically feasible. This area
could serve as a primary growth area for the Town in the next ten to
twenty years.

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• Western Sec!on-River to Ridgeline Bridge to Western Corporate Limits

The western por!on of Winfield located south of Winfield Road contains a mix
of subdivisions, some commercial development, Winfield Elementary School
and Winfield Town Park. Several parcels north of Winfield Road remain un-
developed. The areas between the River and CR 817 along with those parcels
abu$ng it to the south are planned for Suburban and High Density Commer-
cial uses. The remaining southern por!on of this sec!on is planned for Low
Density Residen!al Development.

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 LAND USE / GROWTH/COMMUNITY DESIGN GOALS:
Ensure that adequate infrastructure, services and growth areas are available
to the citizens of Winfield by:

Goal 2-1 Identifying and planning for the physical expansion of Winfield
through the creation and implementation of an annexation plan that will
result in the normalization of Winfield’s town boundaries and will guide in
appropriately locating beneficial expansion/growth areas

• Task 2-1.1 – Prepare and adopt an Annexa!on Plan focusing on an!ci-

pated growth pressures east and west of current corporate limits

• Task 2-1.2 – Seek out new funding partners, both public and private, to
share in growth-related costs that are not directly a"ributable to new
development

• Task 2-1.3 – Develop a formal monitoring system to ensure that the

public investment decisions are consistent with adopted plans

• Task 2-1.4 – Adopt a system to monitor and maintain a desired balance

of residen!al and nonresiden!al development for tax base purposes

• Task 2-1.5 – Work with neighboring jurisdic!ons to iden!fy growth ar-

eas so that planning efforts may be coordinated and poten!al areas of
conflict iden!fied

• Task 2-1.6 – strive for a sustainable, long-term rate of growth and de-
velop implementa!on mechanisms to ensure development does not
unduly burden Winfield’s infrastructure and services

• Task 2-1.7 – Encourage the development of a tourism program coor-

dinated with that being developed by the Rivers and Ridges Heritage
Trail Byway

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Goal 2-2 Continue to create, review and refine policies, regulations, and
procedures to ensure that all new development meets Winfield’s high quality
development standards

• Task 2-2.1 - Rewrite the Winfield Subdivision Ordinance to bring it into com-
pliance with the Comprehensive Plan and to address other needed changes

• Task 2-2.2 - Rewrite the Winfield Zoning Ordinance to bring it into compli-
ance with the Comprehensive Plan and to address other needed changes

• Task 2-2.3 - Prepare and adopt a Design Guidelines Manual to ensure that
new development meets Winfield’s design standards

LAND USE 17