Arcola Town Center zoning modifications nearly triple residential development

By Katie Northcott

At their Nov. 7 meeting, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a revision to the Concept Development Plan and Proffer Statement for a plot of land in Arcola Town Center. The approval came contrary to staff recommendations.

The property discussed is north of Arcola Boulevard, south of Arcola Mills Drive (Route 321), and east of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 659). Initially, the county planned 530,000 square feet of nonresidential development on this parcel of land. The applicant proposed to add 460,000 square feet of that land to land already allocated for residential development. The residential density increased from 299 dwelling units to 823 units.

At its Sept, 11 public hearing, the board forwarded the plan to its Oct. 16 business meeting. Before the meeting, the applicant requested to defer discussion of the application to the Nov. 7 business meeting so that the applicant could ensure the county would have an opportunity to eventually use the historic barn for commercial purposes.

At the Sept. 11 public hearing, land use attorney Colleen Gillis presented the plan to convert Arcola Town Center to an 89% residential development (the guidelines for this place type allow 60%). She highlighted the application’s offer to finish a walking trail and to convert a historic barn into a community “eat-ertainment” space. The applicant also planned to open a coffee shop with Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, a coffee brand that seeks to provide jobs for Rwandan farmers.

“This is a mix of residential and nonresidential uses, but with—I think—an innovative way of providing some nonresidential use to this area,” Supervisor Matthew Letourneau (R-Dulles) said.

Previously, Letourneau had been encouraging commercial development in Arcola Town Center since that had been the vision for the property since around 2007. He pointed to the Target that is currently under construction as the commercial center for the area. He said it’s time to try something different for Arcola Town Center.

“I’ve been trying to get commercial into Dulles South as long as I’ve been on the board,” Letourneau said. “We do not lack for approved projects in this area. What we do lack are users.”

Supervisor Laura TeKrony (D-Little River) argued the board should not give up on the original vision for the property.

“Buchanan Brothers described it as another Fairfax Corner and kind of a needed pedestrian main street in Dulles South,” TeKrony said. “This didn’t happen, as we all know, because in 2018, 2.3 million square feet of data center was approved right in the center of the community, so it really cannibalized that whole vision.”

TeKrony said that the property would likely support retail and small businesses. She agreed with a public comment speaker who said approving the plan would be a “missed opportunity” to use recent road improvements as access ways to commercial real estate.

In addition to concerns about the large increase in residential units, supervisors expressed concerns that a substation would be built next to the development. These fears resolved after the Loudoun County Planning Commission’s Sept. 24 public hearing. The commission recommended denial the application to build a substation on the Arcola Grove property, which is adjacent to the Arcola Town Center property.

Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) supported the proposal.

“You have to put in the rooftops before you put in retail and restaurants,” she said.

Supervisor Kristen Umstattd (D-Leesburg) spoke against the proposal.

“I really appreciate Supervisor Letourneau’s hard work in trying to get something into this area, and I do agree with him that the barn is very attractive and hopefully will be a great asset,” she said. “However, I am hung up on the annual operating costs for the school needs of this project, and that will be $5.6 million every year.”

The board approved the plan with a vote of 7-2 (TeKrony and Umstattd opposed).