County PC to review Valley Commerce Center rezoning Nov. 13 

By Valerie Cury

As of press time, the Valley Commerce Center rezoning application (LEGI-2023-0080), proposing a change from Joint Land Management Area–3 (JLMA-3) to Planned Development–Industrial Park (PD-IP), is tentatively scheduled for discussion at the Nov. 13 Planning Commission work session.

Applicant Chuck Kuhn, representing 17110 Purcellville Rd. LLC, has submitted updated proffers that include enhanced buffering along Purcellville Road and portions of the property boundary adjoining Wright Farm. The applicant is also committing to limit building heights to 32 feet along Purcellville Road and 40 feet along the Wright Farm boundary.

Additional revisions include a study—and potential installation, pending VDOT approval—of a crosswalk on Purcellville Road to connect the Mayfair community with sidewalks along the proposed development. Exterior lighting would be limited to a height of 25 feet and directed inward and downward.

The applicant has offered to monitor wells in the Wright Farm community for two years and mitigate any identified impacts. The proposed total building area has been reduced from approximately 1.27 million square feet to 986,000 square feet, which the applicant estimates would lower traffic generation by 23%.

Transportation-related commitments now include increasing the applicant’s contribution for the Hirst Road/Hatcher Road/Purcellville Road traffic signal from $91,100 to $500,000, and providing a northbound left-turn lane on Purcellville Road at Mayfair Crown Drive. The proffer statement also includes dedication of a 70-foot right-of-way for the future Purcellville Northern Collector Road and construction of a six-foot sidewalk with curb and gutter if the NCR will be required by the County.

The original proposal seeks approval for up to 1,274,892 square feet of industrial development, along with a zoning modification to waive certain road, water, and wastewater infrastructure requirements. 

The property, located in the County just outside Purcellville’s boundary, is currently zoned JLMA-3 (Joint Land Management Area – residential), which allows up to 39 homes. Loudoun County planning staff has recommended against approving the rezoning request, citing inconsistencies with the County’s 2019 General Plan and the Purcellville Joint Land Management Area designation for lower-density residential use.

Staff has also raised concerns about the development’s compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods, noting that the impacts of industrial zoning “are not adequately mitigated given the immediate proximity to residential uses.” The project site directly borders established residential communities, including Wright Farm and Mayfair, which would experience the visual, traffic, and operational effects of large-scale industrial activity nearby.

Traffic impacts remain a significant issue. A 39-home residential development currently permitted on the property would generate an estimated 32 trips during the morning peak hour, 41 during the evening peak, and about 424 total trips on an average weekday. 

By comparison, the proposed 1.27 million-square-foot industrial park is projected to generate approximately 433 trips during both morning and evening peak hours and 3,527 total weekday trips—representing a substantial increase in vehicle traffic on local roads already near capacity.

In addition, County staff and community members have expressed concern over the applicant’s proposal to rely on private wells rather than public water service. The Hydrogeologic Report prepared for the site warns that high-capacity groundwater withdrawal for a project of this magnitude could lead to significant aquifer drawdown, resulting in neighboring wells running dry, sediment intrusion, declining water quality, and long-term depletion of the groundwater supply. Overuse of groundwater may also reduce flow to nearby springs, wetlands, and streams, potentially altering local ecosystems.

The report cautions that recovery from such depletion could take decades or may never fully occur. County staff have concluded that industrial development of this size would be more appropriate within the Town of Purcellville, where public infrastructure already exists to support it.

Since 2015, the property has twice been proposed for annexation into the Town of Purcellville—both times rejected by different Town Councils following strong community opposition to annexation and higher-density development.

If the rezoning were to be approved, it could set a significant precedent for other undeveloped parcels within the County’s Joint Land Management Area. Granting industrial zoning for one site could lead to a cascading effect on other neighboring properties in Western Loudoun.