Residents raise concerns over proposed Purcellville industrial rezoning 

By Valerie Cury

On Sept. 17, Michael Romeo, senior land planner with Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh, and Chuck Kuhn, the applicant behind the Valley Commerce Center rezoning proposal (17110 Purcellville Road, LLC), hosted a community meeting at Harmony Middle School to present details of the project and gather feedback from County and Town residents.

The 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, is currently zoned JLMA-3 (Joint Land Management Area – residential, allowing up to 39 homes). The applicant is requesting a rezoning to PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park).

Loudoun County planning staff has recommended against approving the rezoning request, citing inconsistencies with the County’s 2019 General Plan. In a recent report, staff stated that the proposal conflicts with land use policies for the Purcellville Joint Land Management Area (JLMA), which designates the site as part of the Rural Neighborhood Place Type—a designation intended for lower-density residential development.

The report also raises 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.” Staff concluded that the proposed use “is not consistent with the Rural Neighborhood Place Type.”

As part of the application, the developer is also requesting a zoning modification to eliminate the requirement for industrial uses to connect to public water. Instead, the applicant proposes relying on private well water. Given the scale of the project—more than 1.27 million square feet—staff expressed concern that groundwater usage could affect nearby residents who also depend on well water. According to the report, such a project would be more appropriately located within the Town of Purcellville, where infrastructure is already in place to support industrial development.

Since 2015, the property has been proposed for annexation into the Town of Purcellville on two separate occasions. Both times, different Town Council majorities voted against the annexation. Community meetings were held in 2022 and 2024, along with a design charrette in 2015. At each of these events, residents overwhelmingly expressed opposition to annexation and increasing the proposed density.

A 39-home residential development on the site, which is currently allowed, is estimated to generate approximately 32 trips during the morning peak hour, 41 during the evening peak, and 424 total trips on an average weekday. In contrast, the proposed 1.27 million-square-foot industrial park is projected to generate 433 trips during both the morning and evening peak hours, and a total of 3,527 weekday trips.

As part of the Valley Commerce Center rezoning application, the applicant is requesting a zoning modification to allow industrial development without connecting to public water—relying instead on private wells. According to the Hydrogeologic Report prepared for the site, such an approach raises serious concerns about the long-term sustainability
of local groundwater resources.

Excessive groundwater withdrawal from high-capacity wells, particularly for a development of this scale, can lead to a phenomenon known as “drawdown,” where water levels in the aquifer drop significantly due to pumping. The report outlines several possible consequences. Among them: wells running dry, pumps overheating or failing, and the need for increased maintenance as sediment and minerals are drawn into the water system.

Beyond infrastructure, the report also highlights environmental risks. Over pumping can lead to aquifer depletion, reduced water quality, and interference with neighboring wells. In some cases, local springs, wetlands, or streams that are hydrologically connected to the groundwater system may begin to dry up, threatening nearby ecosystems. In more extreme scenarios, land subsidence—permanent sinking of the ground—can occur, especially if the aquifer’s supporting layers become compacted.

The report notes that recovery from this kind of groundwater depletion can take decades or longer, and in some cases, the aquifer’s storage capacity may never fully return.

Purcellville resident Lydia M. Clark said the community has participated in multiple meetings over the years, and at each one, neighbors have consistently voiced concerns about noise, traffic, safety, and water availability. She noted that the lack of adequate buffering between the proposed industrial site and nearby residential properties has been a repeated point of contention.

Clark also pointed out that a previous proposal by a different property owner—which included a mix of industrial, commercial, and residential uses—was ultimately rejected.

Owen Brown said, “It’s pretty simple—the County’s own planning and zoning staff have already said multiple times that this proposed rezoning is completely out of line with the County’s own strategic planning documentation.  But guess what is in line with that strategic guidance—residential homes like those that border this property on all sides.  Nothing was presented at this meeting that changed or dealt with any of this reality.” 

Mayfair resident Dan Carvill said he hoped the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors would seriously consider the risks the proposed development poses to nearby elementary and high schools, as well as to residents in surrounding neighborhoods like Mayfair and Wright Farm. He called the project a serious safety concern and warned that, if ignored, it could ultimately result in someone getting hurt—or worse.

While many residents voiced opposition to the proposal, property owner Chuck Kuhn expressed optimism about the project’s future and its potential benefits to the broader community. In an email to the Blue Ridge Leader, Kuhn wrote:

“We remain optimistic about the future of the proposed Valley Commerce Center and enjoyed meeting so many members of the community last night at the public meeting. We will incorporate their feedback into our planning process. With so little commercial space available in the county, this center will fill an important gap and be a job and tax generator. In addition, the center will be an attractive business park with proper buffers—and no data centers. Our county—including Purcellville—benefits from building a business-friendly climate that balances community and conservation.”