Is Middleburg ready for 55 more acres and 126 affordable homes?

By Laura Longley

At a time when Loudoun County is taking its first tentative steps to address the lack of affordable housing for the County’s workforce, Middleburg, capital of the nation’s horse and hunt country, has surprising news: The Town is considering two offers that would add 55 acres and as many as 126 new housing units.

The news—and controversy—over two annexation proposals introduced at the Town’s April 19 Public Information Session is traveling fast on the Middleburg grapevine. The Town’s website (middleburgva.org/input) is also recording citizen feedback. 

One of the proposals comes from the Windy Hill Foundation, which, over its 40 years, has renovated and/or constructed more than 300 affordable units in Middleburg and nearby Marshall and The Plains, as well as Sterling and Brambleton. Many of Windy Hill’s properties are federally subsidized and can be rented only to families who fall under a certain annual income.

According to the Windy Hill annexation proposal, a 33-acre parcel south of Rt. 50 near the Plains Road—a gift to the Windy Hill Foundation from the late Magalen “Maggie” Bryant—would be developed with 20 age-restricted units and another 40 subsidized units, either duplex or quadplex, with trails and access to community space. The homes would be leased, not owned, and managed by the foundation. The remainder of the property would be protected through open space easement. 

The second proposal—from Homewood Farms LLC—would add 22 acres and 66 housing units into the Town along Foxcroft Road east of Salamander Resort & Spa. Of the farm’s 212 acres, the remaining 190 acres would be placed in conservation easement, which would restrict the current and future owners from building on the land.. 

Home to Blackwater Beef, which is owned by Erik Prince, founder of the private military company Blackwater, the farm’s easement would allow for limited commercial use in the existing, renovated barn. The housing would comprise 48 condo units of one, two, and three bedrooms in multi-family buildings at maximum heights of two or three stories. The community also would include eight townhouse units and 10 single-family, cottage-style homes. Access would be off Foxcroft Road, not Rt. 50. 

Controversy over the proposals pivots around the need for less costly housing in Town and the prevention of housing developments encircling the Town as property owners elect to develop under Loudoun County’s AR-2 Zoning Ordinance regulations for “clusters.” 

Middleburg’s object lesson on clusters is Banbury Cross Reserve on the eastern approach to the Town on Sam Fred Road. This 570-acre by-right development has been approved and platted by the County. It will consist of 28 clustered residential lots between one and four acres, 10 “rural economy” lots of 25 acres each, as well as required common open space equaling 70 percent of the whole. The developer does not have to put that open space in easement. The 10 rural economy lots can be either residential or any of the permitted uses under the applicable zoning—from agriculture or communal sewage disposal to 10 more houses or breweries. 

Meanwhile, the Town of Middleburg is increasingly short on small starter homes. Part of the local inventory for decades, these houses are disappearing as owners tear them down to replace them with much large homes. The increasing size of homes in the Town is right on trend: homes in the U.S. have almost doubled in size since 1970. Along with time and inflation, this large increase in home size in the Town has contributed to a huge spike in price.

The shortage of homes is especially evident in the need for housing of teachers whose average salary in the Middleburg area is $57,000. Meanwhile, the average tax assessment for houses in town is $650,000 and, for the average townhouse, $690,000. Recent new builds –after teardowns—are $1 million and more.

The best way forward, Littleton believes, is aligning the proposals with the Middleburg Comprehensive Plan, which was developed with community input and adopted in 2019. That plan supports a variety of housing types that maintain a diverse community of attractive neighborhoods and provide quality housing for a wider range of residents in styles that match the historic character of the Town.

The details matter, he adds, agreeing with constituents who have already voiced their opinions on the Town’s website. “We missed a chance for affordable housing when we negotiated the agreement for the boundary line adjustment that brought the Harriman Tract into the Town for Salamander Resort. Salamander had agreed to 60 condo units for workforce housing and housing for faculties in Middleburg area schools. Since then, Salamander has said they don’t plan to build them.” What happened? “We didn’t require them,” he says.

So far, feedback to the proposals has been mixed, ranging from hearty applause to not-in-my-backyard—ever. A few remarks from the Town website demonstrate: 

To the Mayor, Town Council, and Town Staff: “Thank you!…I’ll take this opportunity to inform you that I would prefer that you all, rather than Loudoun County, be in charge…allowing Middleburg to meet desired goals in regards to housing and conservation easements. I do, therefore, support both of the proposed annexations.”

“I believe the Windy Hill Foundation’s proposal is reasonable. It will not be visible from the road. The Town needs affordable housing.” 

“I need to learn more about the restrictions that would keep selling prices in a range that may enable ‘workforce’ participants to buy units here…I appreciate that the balance of the Homewood property would be in easement, but the details of the easement will be critical to limiting any commercial enterprises such as breweries or wineries. As is often said, the devil is in the detail.”

“Concerned about number of units – result in 26% increase in housing in Middleburg. Concerned that property in conservation easement will still be developed. It’s important to know what will occur there.”

“Very concerned about the development proposal… to add 126 new homes. This will ruin the character of Middleburg. I moved my family from Fairfax county to Middleburg to get away from all the cottages and townhomes and development and the people. I moved to Middleburg to find a safe place for my horses and dogs to live free from concerns of too much traffic on roads. This proposal will put more people and more cars into Middleburg threatening the safety of our animals. It will threaten the relaxed character of the town which is why people come to visit. It will make Middleburg lose its uniqueness and it will become just another northern Virginia town. In addition, there is no clear benefit at all and the mayor’s rationale of protecting the borders makes no sense because most of the land bordering the town is in easements…”

Littleton emphasizes that these proposals are not actions taken by the Town. “The Town cannot annex property into itself. This is two parties approaching the town to be annexed in.

 “We don’t have to do this,” he added. “It’s a Town-citizen choice. Of course, some will never be okay with this. But if we do nothing, what are the consequences? The owners can do whatever they want and put in as many houses as the County allows. Maybe 20 ‘two-over-two’ stacked townhouse condos?”