Milan and Rayner’s vision of 21st Street – California Dreamin’

By Valerie Cury

Welcome to Purcellville Mayor Stan Milan and Vice Mayor Erin Rayner’s vision for Purcellville’s Historic Downtown area: a historic district containing 21st Street, divided into downtown north and south, named Purcellville’s Gaslamp District. They took this idea from the city of San Diego, California, where the historic district is called San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

In Milan’s State of the Town Address on March 11, Rayner said they would “liken” Purcellville’s Gaslamp District to “the one in San Diego,” a city of 1.4 million residents and a typical urban area. She showed pictures of the entrance to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter – an archway to a large two-lane, two-way street with parking on both sides of the street. The lamps in San Diego’s district are much larger than the single bulb historic lights currently on 21st Street – a narrow one-way street with angled parking.

Rayner proudly declared 21st Street as Loudoun County’s only certified tourism zone in the State of Virginia. This zone was instituted nearly 12 years ago by the Town Council under Mayor Robert W. Lazaro, and it identified only the Chapman properties on 21st Street as incorporated into Purcellville’s newly created tourism zone.

At the time, it was discussed that this zone would entitle the owners of the Vineyard Square project to have the potential not to pay in full for a choice of either hookup fees, and/or a reduction in permit or user fees, and/or meals tax or gross receipts for a period of up to approximately 10 years – if council so chooses.

The town would then be reimbursed for the revenue lost by applying for grants. There would also be certain regulatory flexibility for the owners of Vineyard Square.

Rayner said she has a vision “to ensure that Purcellville maintains the hub of western Loudoun.”

“The success of a small town, a town like ours, should be measured how we embrace community visioning and collaboration, enhance economic development, diversification, initiatives, promote local culture and businesses, and ensure sustainable development.”

Said Rayner, “This is a shared vision not only of mine or the mayor’s but that of our community.”

“We need to focus on that and use it to promote, revitalize, benefit economically.” Rayner said the town needs to identify and facilitate more parking in the district, “preferably behind buildings where we cannot see it.”

“We need to promote street connectivity and sidewalks,” said Rayner. She said 1 to 3 stories were preferred, with a mix of family friendly retail and different entertainment uses. She said the area needs a strategic plan with “resource allocation and infrastructure improvements.”

Rayner said that economic development would go through the town council’s recent majority vote approved Economic Development Advisor. That person would then also reach out to Loudoun County Economic Development Department.

Rayner said the Loudoun County Economic Development Department plays a crucial role “in fostering a vibrant and diverse economy in the county by supporting businesses, workforce development and economic initiatives.”

They would also continue to partner with Visit Loudoun, which the town has done for years. “Visit Loudoun promotes the county and towns within, as desirable destinations for leisure travel, business travel, conferences and events, and contributes to the economic prosperity and cultural vibrancy of the county and the towns,” said Rayner.

Rayner said the town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee will host a meeting of the historic corridor at the American Legion located at 112 N 21st Street in Purcellville from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on May 22.