Permit Information

Waterbury has Zoning Regulations which were rewritten in 1994, combining the Town and Village regulations. The 1994 Zoning Regulations have been amended numerous times since 1994 and re-compiled in 2007. Waterbury does not have Subdivision Regulations, however a zoning permit is required for any land subdivision. Our Zoning Regulations have excellent Planned Unit Development, or cluster development, provisions which have been well utilized for exemplary residential developments. The Town and Village have a combined Planning Commission and two separate Zoning Boards of Adjustment.

Waterbury requires a zoning permit for all land development which includes the following: the division of a parcel into two or more parcels, the construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation, or enlargement of any building or other structure, or of any mining, excavation or landfill, and any change in the use of any building or other structure, or land or extension of use of land. All zoning permits are issued by the Zoning Administrator listed below. An additional local building permit is not required in Waterbury. Also, local use and occupancy permits are not required in Waterbury.

No zoning permit is required nor are setbacks applicable for the following:

Structures And Activities Which Do Not Require A Permit

1. Any alteration that does not change the dimensions, location, or use of an existing building or structure;
2. Landscaping of a lot or premises, including ponds, provided such does not materially alter a landscaping plan approved under this ordinance;
3. Trails, including hiking, recreation, snowmobile, and bicycle trails;
4. Removal of surplus material that results from a bona fide construction, landscaping or agricultural operation;
5. Fences or walls of 6 or less feet in height in any side or rear yard, or 4 or less feet in height in any front yard, which do not interfere with corner visibility;
6. Utility poles and connection boxes, water well casings, and propane gas tanks not used for commercial storage;
7. Sheds, dog houses, tree houses, residential swing and play structures, satellite dishes, and similar structures with a floor area not more than 80 square feet and a height of not more than 8 feet, which may be lawfully located within any required yard except the front yard, but not closer than 10 feet from any property line.
8. Public utility power-generating plants and transmission facilities regulated under 30 V.S.A. §248;
9. Hunting, fishing, trapping, and other activities specified under 24 V.S.A. §2295; and
10. Farm structures or farming, as those terms are defined in 6 V.S.A. §4810 and 10 V.S.A. §§1021(f), 1259(f) & 6001(22).  For purposes of this section, “farm structure” means a building, enclosure, or fence for housing livestock, raising horticultural or agronomic plants, or carrying out other practices associated with accepted agricultural or farming practices, including a silo, but excludes a dwelling for human habitation.  A person shall notify a municipality of the intent to build a farm structure and shall abide by setbacks approved by the secretary of agriculture, food, and markets. No municipal permit for a farm structure shall be required.

All land development requires site plan review and approval by the Planning Commission prior to the issuance of a zoning permit, with the exception of the following:

Exceptions

1. One or two family dwellings, or a residential accessory structure such as a garage or shed,
2. Home occupations as described in the Zoning Regulations,
3. A project which does not involve any intensification or expansion of use and does not require any parking lot or driveway construction, expansion, or relocation,
4. Any application solely to erect or replace a sign,
5. Any other project which the Planning Commission deems through their official action to be minor in nature and would not cause a substantial increase in traffic or otherwise adversely affect the purposes of the Zoning Regulations.

If there are any questions regarding whether or not a use, activity or structure requires a permit please contact Alena Schnarr or Steve Lotspeich.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment for the Town or Village must approve all appeals for variances from dimensional requirements and requests for conditional use, prior to the issuance of a zoning permit for those activities. Variances cannot be granted from permitted or conditional uses, from minimum lot area requirements, or from sign requirements. The Zoning Boards of Adjustment also hear all local appeals of permit decisions of the Zoning Administrator.

Zoning Fees (Fee payable with application)

An additional $10.00 recording fee is required for each application.  All fees are non-refundable except when an application is withdrawn prior to any review by the Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment.

All fees listed above include a $25.00 application fee. 
Additional $25.00 application fee shown below.

Note: The application fee for an appeal of a decision of the Zoning Administrator will be refunded if the Board of Adjustment rules for the applicant.

Make checks payable to Town of Waterbury, and drop off or mail to Town Clerk's Office, 51 South Main St., Waterbury, VT 05676.

Available for download is the Zoning Application Packet. See the 2007 Waterbury Zoning Regulations, as amended, for all structures, uses, and other forms of land development requiring a zoning permit, and possible Site Plan Review by the Planning Commission, and Conditional Use and/or Variance Review by the Town or Village Zoning Board of Adjustment.

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