Land Use, Zoning & Land Development

The Master Plan

The 2020 Churchill County Master Plan (PDF) (Large file may take a few moments to download) provides the framework foundation for decision making on matters relating to growth and development. The Master Plan focuses on land use and development issues facing Churchill County and establishes goals and policies that address countywide issues and concerns. All sections except Section 12, Policy Plan for Public Lands, were updated in 2015. This section will be updated in the near future.

The land use element of the Master Plan establishes a planned pattern for the development of Churchill County. The Master Land Use Plan / Growth Management Plan (PDF) is a map that describes general locations appropriate for different land uses, such as agriculture and low-density residential uses, and it designates an urbanizing area for more intensive mixed uses.

Zoning

There are five distinct groups of zoning designations that implement the Master Land Use Plan: agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, and rural resource. Within these groups, there are a total of nine zoning districts. View a brief description of land use districts. All land in Churchill County is assigned a zoning district. To see how your property is zoned, use the Zone Map App on the Web Maps page. The zoning district of the property determines the allowed uses as shown in the Land Use Table. This table also indicates the type of permit that is required.

Title 16, Consolidated Development Code provides for the permitting procedures, development standards and land division requirements applicable for each zoning designation. The planning director reviews some permits, and the Planning Commission reviews most of the other permits. The Board of County Commissioners perform the final review of Land Divisions, Code and Master Plan changes, TDRs, and abandonments after receiving a recommendation from the Planning Commission. Find a listing of specific application forms and information sheets.