BOS schedule for work sessions on zoning rewrite

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will consider potential revisions to the county’s Zoning Ordinance during a series of work sessions in September and October. The work sessions are the next step in the multiyear Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project and follow the Board’s July 26 public hearing, on the Draft Zoning Ordinance.

The Board’s first work session is scheduled for Thursday, Sept.7, at 6 p.m. The sections and chapters scheduled for review are:

• Chapter 1: Introduction
  
• Chapter 2: Zoning Districts

Documents prepared for the Sept. 7 meeting are posted online here.

The second work session is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. and will cover chapters and sections related to uses in Urban, Suburban, Office and Industrial Zoning Districts:

• Chapter 3: Uses
  
• Chapter 4: Use-Specific Standards
  
• Chapter 12: Definitions

Documents prepared for the Sept. 11 work session and all subsequent work sessions will be posted on the county’s website at least three days prior to the meeting date at loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

A third work session in September is scheduled for Sept. 26, followed by five work sessions in October. The complete schedule of work sessions is posted online at loudoun.gov/zoningordinancerewrite. The dates and times of all Board of Supervisors public meetings are posted at loudoun.gov/calendar.

The Board’s work sessions will be held at the Loudoun County Government Center, located at 1 Harrison Street SE in Leesburg. All of the Board’s public meetings are televised on the county’s cable channel, Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FIOS 40, and livestreamed online at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public may provide input to the Board of Supervisors throughout their review of the Draft Zoning Ordinance. Comments should be submitted to the Board through this online comment form. Anyone who does not have access to the internet may call 703-777-0246 to submit comments. An additional opportunity for public comment will be available at the Board’s second public hearing on the Draft Zoning Ordinance, which is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 13.

The complete text of the Draft Zoning Ordinance being considered by the Board is available for review on the county website at loudoun.gov/zoningordinancerewrite. The county’s existing zoning ordinance, the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, is posted at loudoun.gov/zoningordinance. Once adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the new zoning ordinance will replace the existing ordinance.

The zoning ordinance regulates land use throughout the county and is the primary implementation tool for the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan, a policy document that provides guidance for elected officials and other governmental decision-makers as to where and how the community will grow over many years.

An update to the zoning ordinance is necessary following adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 2019. The new zoning ordinance is intended to be more modern and user-friendly, with new district regulations that reflect the land use policies in the Comprehensive Plan.

Detailed information about the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project, including a history of the process and a link to sign up for email and text updates on the project, is available on the county’s website at loudoun.gov/zoningordinancerewrite.