Shenandoah County officials are weighing a zoning code change that would loosen land-use regulations in the county’s villages and hamlets, aiming to jumpstart revitalization and cut through red tape in some of its most historic, and most tangled, rural communities.

The proposal, developed by county planning staff, would create a new set of development standards tailored to properties in designated villages and hamlets, many of which were built long before modern zoning rules took effect. It’s a response to growing tension between current code requirements and the realities of aging, nonconforming parcels in places like Forestville, Quicksburg and Fisher’s Hill.

County officials say the change is about more than simplifying regulations; it’s also an effort to preserve the rural character

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