Land Use Department

The main responsibilities of the Washington Land Use Department are 1) to provide the Land Use commissions with technical assistance to help them effectively administer their regulations and responsibilities and 2) to guide the public through the Town regulations and permit process.  The Land Use Department staff is available to answer questions about regulations,  provide assistance with application forms and the permit process, respond to complaints, and enforce the Town's Land Use regulations.

The Land Use Department includes the following boards and commissions: Planning Commission, Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Inland Wetlands Commission, Conservation Commission, and Historic District Commission.  Please see their corresponding pages on this website for complete information.

We recommend applicants start with a pre-application meeting if they have never applied for a permit and are unsure where to start.

All applicants first consult with the Housatonic Valley Health District. Even if you do not think the Health District should be involved in your plans, please meet with the Sanitarian who will review your proposed project and determine whether Health approval is needed or a "non-applicable" sign-off is all that is required.  

All of our permit applications are online.  We have a computer in the Land Use Office which is open for public use by appointment.  Please call our office to schedule a window of time to use the computer if you need help submitting a Land Use Application.  Our staff will guide you through the process

***ALL PLANS/MAPS/SURVEYS MUST BE FOLDED TO FIT INTO A LEGAL SIZE FOLDER - ROLLED PLANS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED***

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