Lot 74 in the Town of Purcellvilleis still missing – and no answers yet

By Valerie Cury

At the April 18 Planning Commission meeting, commissioners are still looking for answers to what happened with Lot 74 which is in the Town of Purcellville and part of the Catoctin Meadows Homeowners Association. The address is 601 N. 21st Street and the property has been owned by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors since 2018.

Planning Commissioner Nedim Ogelman said, “I ride my bike, I see these signs that say ‘You’re leaving Loudoun County’ or ‘You’re entering Purcellville’. As an incorporated town with a charter on file in the commonwealth, I’m still perplexed over the idea that the county has jurisdiction over the town.”

Ogelman asked Planning Manager Boyd Lawrence “what is the status of Lot 74” as he could not see it on the map. Lawrence said former Lot 74 has been recorded by the county and that’s why it’s off the list. “It’s closed.” He said it has become an easement.

“What does that mean?” asked Ogelman. Lawrence reiterated that Lot 74 had been recorded as an easement.

Commissioner Ron Rise Sr. said it had been recorded as being extinguished, not an easement. “It was an extinguishment.” Rise Sr. said at the last planning commission meeting that the attorney said it was still in the R-2 zoning district. “So based on what you just said it can’t be in R-2 anymore, which means our zoning map is again wrong.”

“This property was extinguished out of the town with no due process by the staff of the county and by the staff of the Town of Purcellville.” This was “done without any oversight and knowledge of the town council and without any information for this commission or any public hearing,” said Rise Sr.

“So the county has come in, purchased a piece of land–both staffs worked outside and made this decision to extinguish a property out of the town. So it no longer exists.” Lot 74 – the land and not the house – was also protected by the Historic Corridor Overlay District, said Rise Sr.

Rise Sr. was referring to July 12, 2022 when then Director of Planning and Economic Development Don Dooley signed off on extinguishing Lot 74 from the Town of Purcellville and the Homeowners Association of Catoctin Meadows. On that very same day County Administrator Tim Hemstreet signed the Deed of Easement as well. There were no public hearings nor was the public process followed.

Town attorney Gifford Hampshire advised the planning commission to discuss this issue in executive session at the next planning commission meeting on May 2. It will go on the agenda for that meeting.