“We don’t want this” – Mayfair residents object as Town management lobbies for Fields Farm project

On Sept. 7, the Purcellville Town Council held a Special Meeting with the Planning Commission and County staff to discuss the Fields Farm Park rezoning and proposal. 

Loudoun County is requesting a zoning change to part of the 230-acre Fields Farm complex, which houses Woodgrove High School and Mountain View Elementary School. They want to shift the complex from its current Transition X zoning to Institutional and Public Use (IP) zoning. 

The County is also asking for a Special Use Permit and Commission Permit to develop 9.98 acres into a Commuter Parking Lot. The proposed lot would include approximately 250 to 330 parking spaces, a kiss-and-ride, and a bus pick-up/drop-off area with bus shelters.

Additionally, the County is asking for an SUP and CP permit to develop 50.54 acres into eight Astro Turf athletic fields – 5 soccer/multipurpose fields and 3 baseball fields along with picnic pavilions, maintenance structures, restrooms, and a concession structure.

If approved, this is also within an area of right-of-way that had been previously dedicated to a possible extension of Mayfair Crown Drive. 

Page 17 of the Town of Purcellville’s staff report describes the proposed extension of Mayfair Crown Drive as a “local collector road, with all other roadways in the project, as well as development from as far away as Purcellville Road (Route 611), [potentially] feeding into it. There is an existing school access road which currently consists of a single lane paved road terminating in an open field.” 

This road is proposed to be “extended to Mayfair Crown Drive, and widened to a two-lane public road, providing a second point of access to the schools.” 

In explaining the current Transition X zoning of the Fields Farm complex, Town Manager David Mekarski said, “This zoning has no uses.” 

Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser corrected Mekarski, saying “there are uses” with Transition X zoning.

Mekarski also said that in 2019 the former council approved the connection of Mayfair Crown Drive to 690. “Obviously any adjustment to that road is something only the council can decide,” he said. 

Fraser again had to correct Mekarski. “The Town Council did not approve the road. We approved a boundary line adjustment, is that correct?” 

Mekarski responded that there was a vote on a boundary line adjustment, “with essentially a full discussion at the public table of the road to be connected from Mayfair Crown to 690.”

Fraser rhetorically asked, “What was the vote?  We want to be crystal clear to the citizens and accurate. Was the vote for the boundary line adjustment?”

Planning Commissioner Nedim Ogelman said, “I have looked at the record and I have listened to the minutes, and the only thing that the Town Council voted on was a boundary line adjustment on Dec. 10, 2019.”

Council Member Tip Stinnette reaffirmed that the vote was solely for a boundary line adjustment.

Fraser added, “And that is correct; I just want to correct that for the record.” Fraser stressed that he wants “to make sure what we presented” to the residents of Mayfair “is accurate, so they can make informed decisions.”

Town Attorney Sally Hankins reiterated what Mekarski said in the beginning of the meeting: Because extending Mayfair Crown Drive was discussed before the boundary line adjustment vote, which passed, this vote was for extending Mayfair Crown Drive. 

“When Council adopted the boundary line adjustment, the road and the park are mentioned in that agreement,” Hankins said, inferring that the discussion before the vote was part of the boundary line motion vote to approve the extension of Mayfair Crown Drive. 

But that was not part of the motion.

Commissioner Ogelman said, “I recall the discussion, and I recall the vote. I’ll say once again that the Town Council, which I was a part of at the time, only voted on a boundary line adjustment. It did not vote on the road, or any other things…

“It seems odd to me that the Town would accept responsibility for a road which would cost the Town’s taxpayers service repair maintenance … to accommodate travel that’s really not related to the citizens of the Town and would harm the neighborhood that’s there.”

“Just to be clear, what did the Town Council vote to approve on Dec. 10, 2019?” Ogelman asked. “It’s a rhetorical question, because I know what the council approved was a boundary line adjustment – period.”

Ogelman said he was “confused about our form of government here. We have citizens of the Town of Purcellville, and they are looking for things. They are also citizens of the County … but I don’t understand why our Town’s administrative staff, our executive body, is lobbying on behalf of this project.” 

Council Member Stan Milan called the proposed project a “Trojan Horse” and said, “We get to that end gate, and we reject it.”

The County staff revealed that they were working with the Town’s administrative staff to move forward on extending Mayfair Crown Drive. However, the Town Council was unaware of this. 

Council Members reacted by requesting that Town staff immediately stop the process of approving the extension of Mayfair Crown Drive. Fraser said he had at least four votes to stop the administrative process. 

Fraser said to move forward with the extension of the road “will affect the health, safety, and welfare of our community.”

A Mayfair resident said, “But if you really look at this plan it’s garbage. We don’t want this. This is very negative to our entire neighborhood and the Town of Purcellville.”

Fraser said, “I know there’s a line item of 13 items [for the Planning Commission to consider regarding this proposal], but at the end of the day, we as your legislative body are governed by our police power. Our police power is the health, safety, and welfare of our community. 

“Regardless of 13 or 16 items, we as legislators and the Planning Commission should look at the health, safety, and welfare of our community … and that’s what I am convinced these folks will do.”

Mayfair resident Sharon Hoffman asked, “What is the impetus for this massive sport complex?”

Steve Torpy, Director of Parks Recreation and Community Services, said that the County goes “with what we call Capital Facility Standards.” He said that the Fields Farm Park proposal is “based on growth in western Loudoun.” 

“There are nearly 18,000 more youth sport participants in the last nine years,” Torpy said, adding that the County needs “space for that.”

Sharon Hoffman asked if “these fields would be used by travel teams.” Torpy replied, “No travel teams that are less than 90 percent Loudoun County residents.”

County staff later confirmed fields could be rented by out-of-town travel teams based on availability.

Torpy said that the County has over 1,200 youth participating in new leagues that formed during Covid-19.

Another resident pointed out that Blue Ridge Middle School has 8 fields. “They are always open and free… Where are these kids coming from? I just don’t see the math.”

Torpy said the County gets calls nearly every day from leagues that are looking for space. 

Resident Lloyd Harting asked if the teams that play sports come from not only Loudoun County, “but outside the Commonwealth of Virginia?” Torpy answered yes.

Torpy said that if the proposed fields are not lighted then the County “will need more fields somewhere else. Our standard is to light all fields.”

Another resident asked if Mayfair Crown Drive, which currently ends in a cul-de-sac, has “to go all the way through” to the proposed complex. “Why can’t you just have an exit at 690” going to the Fields Farm complex?

Mark Hoffman, County Transportation Design Manager, said the “road design has already been approved [by the County]” “and we follow what is already in the Town’s [2009] Transportation Plan, which is to have a through road between Hillsboro Road.” 

“Can it be changed?” asked a resident. 

“Sure,” said Mark Hoffman, “It can be changed by the County or the Town…”

Another resident said that the traffic study used for this proposal was done 4 years ago – before the Mayfair community of over 250 homes was developed. 

One resident said that opening up Mayfair Crown Drive “screams less safe for my neighborhood.” Another resident told the County to find another entry to the proposed fields other than Mayfair Crown Drive.

There is general concern that extending Mayfair Crown Drive would be part of the Northern Collector Road. The NCR was proposed to start at 287 and go through to Mayfair Crown Drive.

The Town of Purcellville’s Comprehensive Plan eliminated all aspirations of a Northern Collector Road. County staff said that since it was removed from Purcellville’s plan “it has been removed from the County’s Transportation Plan.”

County staff confirmed later that the NCR is still on the County’s Transportation Plan.