Event venue south of Lovettsville seeking construction approval

By Grace Bennett

Located a convenient twenty minutes from hotels in downtown Leesburg, a parcel of property owned by farmers Steve and Rita Baker awaits permission from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to be developed into an event center. They and staff have discussed the semantics from special events to noise regulations, and they are ready to present their case to the Board in early October.

The facility in question—Magnolia Rose 1880—would be zoned as Agricultural Rural-1 (AR-1) and is located in the Catoctin District. The parcel of land is amidst the Baker family’s 51 acres of farmland. The property would thus remain under agricultural use.

Similarly to the footprint of other buildings in the area, Magnolia Rose 1880 would occupy up to two floors with 7,200 square feet of indoor space. Another 36,000 square feet of outdoor space would provide generous room for its maximum guest capacity of 175 per event.

Discussions regarding the facility began in May 2024. Commenters expressed concerns over the scale and intensity of the events, noise generation, traffic safety, and compatibility with the surrounding agricultural landscape. Staff has resolved most if not all of the public concerns.

A Traffic Impact Analysis, for one, was reviewed by the County’s Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Both agreed that the addition of the event center would not negatively impact adjacent road usage. The applicants have also been instructed to provide an appropriate 100-foot turn lane for access.

The surrounding environment, too, will retain its integrity. An Endangered and Threatened Species Review was conducted in June 2022 to confirm that “no endangered or threatened species would be disturbed by the project,” according to staff’s documentation. No hazardous or toxic substances will be stored at the facility.

A later meeting in March 2025 clarified some other issues to be resolved by the applicant, which resulted in a revised draft submitted to the Board. The current plan is as follows.

The maximum number of events to be hosted by Magnolia Rose 1880 is 51 per year.

In accordance with feedback, the applicant has agreed to silence outdoor music after 7:30 p.m. and stop outdoor activities after 8 p.m.. To reduce noise disturbances, exterior levels should not exceed 55 decibels, and the front entrance of the building will be oriented away from the closest residential areas.

Sustainability measures for reducing energy and water usage will be implemented by the applicant to an effective degree. This may include low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, rain barrels, and more.

Magnolia Rose 1880 will not be permitted to use fireworks or pyrotechnic displays.

All exterior lighting will be shielded when in use and powered down outside of the facility’s hours of operation.

The property will implement buffering and screening via evergreen trees to maintain the visual integrity of the landscape. In addition, the applicants will construct a fenced-off area for the purpose of reforesting.

Steve and Rita Baker and the supporting staff will receive a reply from the Board of Supervisors within the next few weeks to determine whether their plans for Magnolia Rose 1880 are ready for action.