Protecting the Mountainside is the Final Battle 

By Al Van Huyck

One advantage, or perhaps disadvantage, of having lived in Loudoun County for 36 years many of which have been devoted to sustaining the quality of life and preserving the unique assets of the County, is you remember the lost battles.

In 1991 Loudoun was largely green fields, productive farms, and hosted many historic assets.  But already the powerful development interests were massing at our border. Over the next 10 years development began to occur in earnest. 

The Comprehensive Plan of 2022 laid out a fresh vision whereby Eastern Loudoun would develop as low density family oriented planned communities with excellent amenities. And this was largely achieved. A transition area was created that would permit compact residential development with at least 50% open space surrounding them. And several were built. And the 200,000 acres of the West would be a permanent rural area, based on a strong rural economy, and clustered housing based on a density of 10 acres (now 5). And Loudoun’s mountains would be restricted from development to serve as the backdrop to our beautiful County.

Since then, one by one, this unique vision of Loudoun has changed, and development battles lost.  Metro has been built with a yet to be realized vision of massive residential and commercial development. The decision to seek needed affordable housing by letting developers build to here- to- for unacceptable densities with compromised quality-of-life standards. The massive miscalculation on allowing data centers by right throughout most of the East.  All of which accelerates development in the Rural Area zones as families seek relief from the deteriorating quality of life in the East.

Essentially, Loudoun County has changed the fundamental goal from preserving our once beautiful and unique County to prioritizing the monetization of the land for the private gain of the property owners at the expense of the public at large.

Which brings us to the last great battle, the restrictions on mountain side development which are now under attack around the zoning regulations debate. The original vision was the mountains serve as the backdrop of the County. How many of us over the years as we drove up the Toll Road enjoyed seeing our Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance and know we were almost home.  Do we want to see the scars of clear cutting, the lights of residents and commercial building shining down on the valley? Do we want the historic features of the mountains to be compromised with new development? Is this not enough to require their protection, but there is much more?

The Blue Ridge Mountains provide huge environmental gifts to our County. The trees clean our air and produce oxygen; they are the main source of our groundwater. They support the diversity of wildlife and birds, trees and flowers. They are a source of recreation for hikers, horseback riders, birders, and naturalists. Once this fabric is torn by development it can never be repaired. As being proven even now as citizens are seeking to deny the large Eastwind Blue Ridge Hotel.

We have lost the development battles for the Urban, Suburban, and Transition areas. We are slowly losing the battle for the Rural area, but we can win the battle for the Mountainsides if all the citizens East and West rise and say our mountains are too important to sustain more development.