Community meeting set Sept. 17 for Valley Commerce Center rezoning

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept.17 at 6:45 p.m. in the Harmony Middle School cafeteria in Hamilton to discuss a proposal that would rezone 117 acres of land along Purcellville Road for industrial development. The meeting is being hosted by Michael Romeo, the applicant representative for the Valley Commerce Center project.

The property, located at 17110 Purcellville Road, is currently zoned JLMA-3, allowing up to 39 residential homes. The proposed rezoning would change the designation to Planned Development–Industrial Park (PD-IP), permitting up to 1.27 million square feet of industrial construction.

The application has raised concern due to its location within the Purcellville Joint Land Management Area (JLMA), an area defined in Loudoun County’s 2019 General Plan as appropriate for rural and low-density residential development. The County’s Planning Department has issued a staff report recommending denial of the rezoning, citing inconsistency with the land use guidance for the area.

In addition to the zoning change, the applicant is seeking a modification to waive requirements for connecting to public water and sewer systems. Instead, the project proposes using on-site wells for water supply. County staff expressed concern that development of this magnitude could impact groundwater availability for neighboring properties that also depend on wells.

The Planning Department report further noted that the proposed industrial use is not adequately buffered from adjacent residential neighborhoods and does not align with the rural character outlined in existing planning policies.

Although the Planning Department recommended against approval, the Planning Commission recently voted to move the application to a work session for continued review.

The property has previously been proposed twice for annexation into the Town of Purcellville, but those efforts were rejected by different Town Council majorities. Town officials and residents have repeatedly expressed opposition to industrial development on this site, citing public health, safety and welfare, environmental, and traffic concerns.

The site is located between the Mayfair, Chestnut Hills and Wright Farm neighborhoods and is surrounded by agricultural and residential uses. County estimates show that, under current zoning, residential development would generate fewer than 500 vehicle trips per weekday. In contrast, the industrial proposal is projected to result in more than 3,500 vehicle trips on an average weekday, with significant increases during peak commuting hours.

The Sept.17 meeting at Harmony Middle School is open to the public. Residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the proposal and provide feedback.