Supervisors approve plan for zoning ordinance project

By Katie Northcott

In their meeting on Sept. 17, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to review rural zoning ordinances in Western Loudoun.

The Board of Supervisors wishes to facilitate communication between themselves, the Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC), and stakeholders in the community. The Board of Supervisors is seeking to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan and the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. 

“Our goal from the very beginning both from TLUC and from staff was to try and replicate as closely as possible the very successful discussions we had at the end of the zoning ordinance rewrite process at the end of last year,” said Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn). “I think the model staff has presented does exactly that.”

Among other things, these amendments will affect farm wineries, limited breweries, and limited distilleries; definitions including farms and other rural uses; Mountainside Overlay District use restrictions; liveries, stables, and outdoor recreation; rural signage; performance standards and other rural-related Zoning Ordinances.

Concerns at the Sept. 17 meeting centered around the plan’s timeline. The plan originally proposed a year-and-a-half long review. After revisions, the projected timeline is now 30-36 months.

“We have an old saying in the military: ‘Any task will consume all the time available,’” Turner said. “As we finish the TLUC meetings, if it becomes obvious that some of the items on this list have been resolved, can we shorten the timeframe?”

“We’ve baked in a lot of time for this to expand or contract if needed,” planner Brian Wilson said. “If we move this along, there’s opportunity to cut several months out of this.”

The plan includes seven meetings between TLUC, two Planning Commission members, and representative stakeholders. Each meeting will cover different topics affected by the amendments with the exception the final meeting which is designated to address outstanding issues. If there are no outstanding issues, this meeting can be cut to save time.

Other examples of extra time include the allowance for four meetings on amendment language and multiple Planning Commission work sessions.

In his closing comments about the plan, Turner personally guaranteed that the project will finish on time before the current supervisors’ terms expire on Dec. 31, 2027.

In previous meetings, the board selected coordinating leads for representative stakeholders. Chris Van Vlack, Urban/Ag Conservationist for Loudoun Soil and Water, will coordinate the Agricultural Conservation representatives. Beth Erickson, Visit Loudon President and CEO, will coordinate the Business and Tourism representatives. The three supervisors representing western Loudoun, Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large), Supervisor Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin), and Supervisor Laura TeKrony (D-Little River), will select one representative for residential stakeholders.

Below is the tentative schedule for the zoning review: