The Windham Town Board voted unanimously to adopt the town’s first zoning law, a proposal that’s been in the works since 2022.

The new law, adopted at a June 11 board meeting following comments submitted by residents since April, splits the town into five districts, each with separate rules governing what kinds of development can be proposed. The town, which already has a planning board, must form a zoning board of appeals and hire a zoning officer before the law goes into effect on Aug. 1. 

Under the law, land-use regulations such as site plan, setback and sign rules are folded into one code, establishing minimum lot sizes and density limits and allowing some accessory dwelling units. It also creates a separate framework for the town’s resort area. 

The law is grounded in the town’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan, which recommended that the town develop an independent zoning commission. Bolstered by a state Smart Growth Zoning Grant, officials spent almost three years studying land-use patterns before submitting the draft law to the Town Board in late 2025. 

The law was drafted by consultant Delaware Engineering and a board-appointed zoning commission.

At this week’s meeting, Town Supervisor Thomas Hoyt said the town had a “potential candidate” for zoning officer. 

“The young man has worked in Windham before but he lives in Greenville, which is probably a good thing,” Hoyt said. “He’s close enough and you can deliver the law a lot better when you’re not sitting next to someone at a little league game.” 

In addition, four people have already volunteered to serve on the five-member zoning board of appeals. Hoyt hopes to have them approved by the end of June, giving them all of July to get the information they’ll need from the town attorney.

“I will workshop with them on what the ZBA actually is supposed to do and how they interpret the zoning law itself when they are so called by the zoning officer and the planning board.”

The new law divides the town into Rural Residential, Hamlet, Planned Residential, Business and Resort districts. For each district, the town has delineated both use and area regulations. 

The town aims to maintain the sparse residential nature of rural areas while encouraging commercial and housing expansion within hamlets. The regulations also facilitate ongoing residential projects, bolster commercial zones and establish a framework to accommodate the potential growth of the Windham Mountain Club.

The law differs slightly from a first draft proposed in March. For special use permits, the condition regarding a change in ownership has been removed, and the period for cessation of operation has been extended to two years from one.

In a list of exemptions for the Ridgeline Protection Overlay District, an overlay designed to protect topographically prominent and scenically important ridgelines and associated steep slopes, an additional exemption — “selective cutting of trees or vegetation in accordance with a professionally prepared Forestry Management Plan” — has been added. 

Hoyt said in an interview that the changes were made in response to public comments on the draft law. 

“The public spoke and we listened to their comments,” Hoyt said. “Some of their comments weren’t put into the new plan, but a lot of the other comments were minor tweaks to the plan.”

He attributed the minor changes to the work of Delaware Engineering and the town commission that developed the law. 

“The group took almost three years to compile the information, so they kind of investigated every possible scenario,” he said. “That’s why there weren’t a lot of changes, because the commission did a great job addressing all of the concerns before they put it out on the street.”

Hoyt said both the town board and the Windham community are confident with the law passed. “The group kind of investigated every possible scenario,” he said. “I think that’s why there weren’t a lot of changes.” 

“I think the people understand they had their opportunity, what they requested was considered, and they’re happy with it,” he said.

Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.