Western Loudoun rural uses and standards meetings begin

By Katie Northcott

On Nov. 21, Loudoun County’s Transportation and Land Use Committee hosted the first of a series of meetings to address Western Loudoun’s Uses and Standards.

Brian Wilson, a staff member representing Planning and Zoning, said the committee evaluating Western Loudoun’s zoning ordinances originated during the four-year process of revising Loudoun County’s zoning ordinances. During the process, staff realized that Western Loudoun residents had distinct concerns due to the rural conditions in which they lived. Instead of delaying the entire revision process, the Board of Supervisors approved a separate committee to address concerns of Western Loudoun residents living on rural land. This committee is to address outstanding issues, not to rewrite Western Loudoun zoning ordinances.

The Blue Ridge Leader covered the supervisors’ debate on the timeline for the committee in this article.

Each meeting will address a unique concern. The Nov. 21 meeting addressed language surrounding equine care and activities. The group included four representatives from the Board of Supervisors [Michael Turner (D-Ashburn), Phyllis Randall (D-At Large), Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin), Laura TeKrony (D-Little River)], two representatives from the Planning Commission [Robin-Eve Jasper (Little River) and Mark Miller (Catoctin)], and nine representative stakeholders.

The meeting opened with comments from each of the supervisors. The supervisors emphasized how important the equine industry is to Loudoun County. Kershner said that Loudoun County’s equine industry is number one in the state.

“Being number one in the state is quite frankly a really big deal,” he said. “So, anything we can do to kind of take the shackles off and create successful equine business opportunities, I think is really important.”

Next, the commissioners and representative stakeholders spoke for three minutes each, addressing their unique concerns. These concerns centered around overregulation of the equine industry.

“There are an infinite number of uses that you could define,” representative stakeholder John Ellis said. “It leads to problems to regulate every one of them. On the other hand, there are a fairly small number of negative impacts on neighboring properties. And if those are consistently regulated, we may be getting closer to what we want.”

After a dinner break, the committee addressed five categories of concerns laid out by Wilson: Consistency/Uniform Standards, Contextual Appropriateness, Defined Equestrian Standards, Equine Uses as Principal Uses, and Outdoor or Major Recreation Parking Issues.

Issue 1: Consistency/Uniform Standards

The first issue addressed uniformity in the application of standards to equine- and recreation-based uses. The committee mainly discussed hours of operation for equine businesses under this issue.

Below is a chart showing how the hours of operation are currently regulated:

Use	Hours of Operation
Agricultural Support Uses (Direct Association with On-Site Activity)	6 a.m. to 9 p.m. except for Stable, Livery facilities which are limited to 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Ag. Support Uses (Standalone)	6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Banquet/Event Facility	7 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight
Bed and Breakfast Homestay, Bed and Breakfast Inn, Country Inn, and Rural Resorts	7 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight

The committee members reached a consensus that it would be best to simplify the regulations to restrict public-facing equine businesses to hours of operation from 4 a.m. to 12 a.m. Businesses that are not public-facing will not face any restrictions of their hours of operation.

Issue 2: Contextual Appropriateness

Under this issue, the committee considered that certain standards may need to vary based on the location of the facility being regulated.

The committee suggested that the maximums on building size be removed, that facilities be setback at least 60 feet from the property line, that buffering requirements be eliminated, that lighting requirements be reviewed, that options for field parking be examined, and that distinctions be made for event facilities that may need additional parking.

Issue 3: Expand Equestrian Uses

Under this issue, the committee examined whether certain equestrian events required specific standards. The committee mainly discussed polo and fox chasing.

The committee suggested that the standards require a minimum acreage of 25 acres for polo and recognize fox chasing and kennels.

Issue 4: Equine Uses as Principal Uses

Under this issue, the committee discussed whether equine activities should be categorized as a primary part of agriculture instead of an accessory to other forms of agriculture. The committee agreed that equine activities were a core part of agriculture and should be removed from agricultural support uses. As a result, staff will need to create a new list of agricultural uses.

Additionally, the committee agreed that those leasing property should be allowed to operate an equine facility. Previously, only individuals who owned a property could operate a facility.

Issue 5: Outdoor or Major Recreation Parking Issues

Under this issue, the committee considered whether certain standards like parking ratios should be revised based on the intensities of different recreation uses. The committee agreed that athletic fields deserved a unique category since they often require more parking spaces, especially for big events.

Additionally, Western Loudoun should encourage pavers to use impervious material, preferably gravel, when paving parking lots. Gravel is safer for horses than asphalt.

The Planning and Zoning staff will discuss the input they received at this meeting and revise Western Loudoun’s standards using their own discretion.

Below is the tentative schedule for further meetings. Only the first three meetings have been scheduled for an exact date:

TLUC Meeting 1 – Liveries/Stables/Outdoor Recreation	November 21, 2024
TLUC Meeting 2 – Agricultural Processing/Other Farm Related Issues	January 23, 2025
TLUC Meeting 3 – Value Added Farming/Other Farm Issues/Cons. Easement	April 24, 2025
TLUC Meeting 4 – Mountainside Overlay District/Signage	June 2025
TLUC Meeting 5 – Wineries/Breweries/Distilleries/Events	August 2025
TLUC Meeting 6 – Food Trucks/Food Service and Rural Restaurants	October 2025
TLUC Meeting 7 – Outstanding Issues	December 2025
Staff Develops Draft Ordinance Language	January-December 2025
Zoning Ordinance Committee (ZOC) Review and Comment on ZOAM Language – Four Meetings	January-April 2026
Agency Comments	April-May 2026
Board Information Item & Resolution of Intent to Amend Ordinance	June 2026
Planning Commission Public Hearing	July 2026
Planning Commission Work Session(s) for Recommendation	July-October 2026
Board of Supervisors Public Hearing	December 2026
BOS Business Meeting for Action	April 2027