Loudoun Now for Jan. 30, 2025

Inside the Proposed $2B School Budget

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

In the weeks since Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence presented his proposed $1.96 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget Jan. 14, the School Board has been getting detailed briefings on the new programs and personnel included in the package. Spence is proposing a 7.2% increase

over the current year. Most of the budget increase, $99.1 million, is for staff compensation increases averaging 6.5%. If implemented the school division will add more staff positions than new students next year.

The School Board has been briefed on the proposals during three work sessions, with another planned Jan. 30. The Jan. 23 public hearing generated no public comments.

The board is scheduled to vote on the spending plan at its Feb. 4 meeting.

PROGRAMS:

A proposal to roll out a new enterprise resource planning system would include several security enhancements at a cost of $7.9 million. The plan includes hiring eight school support officers for

SCHOOL BUDGET continues on page 35

Purcellville Council Approves $185K Contract for Fraser

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Purcellville’s newest interim town manager, Kwasi Fraser, will be paid $185,000 a year during his time in the role, after a divided Town Council approved his contract Tuesday night. That salary comes to just over $7,115 every two weeks.

Fraser, who served four two-year terms as the town’s mayor, was appointed during a Jan. 8 special meeting immediately after a newly elected council majority voted to fire Town Manager Rick Bremseth.

Council members Erin Rayner, Kevin Wright, and Caleb Stought opposed Bremseth’s firing Jan. 8, and Fraser’s contract Tuesday night.

The council had been poised to vote on Fraser’s contract during a Jan. 14 meeting, but Rayner, Wright, Stought and Council Member Susan Khalil said they had not had time to review the contract because it had not been sent to them in advance of the meeting.

Vice Mayor Ben Nett said the contract was based on the contract used for Bremseth when he was first hire as an interim manager.

During discussions Tuesday night, Wright said he had only received the contract Friday, Jan. 24 and asked how the contract’s salary had been reached, noting it was higher than Bremseth’s interim contract. That was agreed at

FRASER CONTRACT continues on page 39

Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now

Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence speaks at the Jan. 24 School Board retreat.

Leesburg Council Denies Oaklawn Data Center Rezoning

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Leesburg Town Council denied an application to build a 450,000-square-foot data center in the Oaklawn neighborhood following a standing-room-only public hearing Tuesday night.

The application came as a packaged deal, tied to a 184-unit multifamily affordable housing project planned by Kim Hart’s Good Works LP. Hart noted that Leesburg hasn’t seen a significant attainable housing project built in the past 25 years.

The data center element drew strong opposition from residents in the nearby Stratford community who objected to the impacts the project could have on their neighborhood.

A series of alterations by the applicant, Oaklawn LLC, over the past several months to address those concerns failed to win their support. Those adjustments included extending the setback from the data center and the nearest property line to 400 feet and extending the original six-foot berm. While the application exceeded the requirements of the town’s ordinance, residents who packed into the council chambers said Leesburg wasn’t a place for data center development.

“Things change, new information comes to light,” Revina James said. “In this case, a lot of new information about data centers, what they do, the sound, it’s daunting and I cannot imagine that our sleepy little bedroom community will stay a sleepy little bedroom community. What you may gain in tax revenue from this, you will lose in tax revenue from people leaving.”

“What you may gain in tax revenue from this, you will lose in tax revenue from people leaving.”

— Revina James

Catherine Gilanshah worried about the “uniquely annoying” hum that comes from data centers.

Director of Land Use for the Piedmont Environmental Council Julie Bolthouse said that she had “begged” the council last year not to approve new data center regulations because they would “open Pandora’s box.” Bolthouse said that Virginia is the largest net importer of power in the

country, and that the 30 to 90 megawatt requiring buildings would leave Dominion without the ability to provide power.

“I’m sorry I’m in a sweatshirt today,” Bolthouse said. “I just gave a tour to Canadian TV because they are reading about us in the Wall Street Journal. They are thinking of us as a poor coal mining town that is being overrun by industry.”

The questionable location of a substation was also a major point of contention between council members, town staff, the public, and the applicant. A proffer agreement stated that the applicant would not build a substation on the site. Department of Community Development’s Christopher Murphy, who presented the Council with the Town Staff’s recommendation to deny, explained that the State Corporation Commission could override the proffer should they determine that the data center require an on-site substation.

“That’s kind of a big way of saying that they can proffer that there won’t be one [a substation] there, but that is not a guarantee that there won’t be one,” Brian Boucher from Town Community Development said.

Members of the Council weighed in on their votes before making them.

“I have absolutely no problem foregoing revenue if I think a plan is not serving

the community,” Council Member Neil Steinberg said. “But everybody needs to understand that that makes our investment a little more difficult, and everyone in the room needs to accept that reality. … It’s too bad that this application is tied at the hip with Mr. Hart’s application.”

Council Members Nicholas Krukowski and Zach Cummings both recognized Molly Novotny’s development team for working with the Town, but ultimately weighed that the considerations of the citizens mattered more.

Vice Mayor Todd Cimino-Johnson explained that he originally ran on a platform of affordable housing, which made it too difficult for him to vote against the project. Several members of the public showed interest in the Town building affordable housing projects– Bijan Gilanshah said “to pit me against affordable housing isn’t fair.”

Marcia Keene remarked on the fact that affordable housing would be built directly next to a data center in the case the application did go through.

“What does that say about how we value people that need affordable housing?” she asked.

The Council voted 5-1-1 to deny the application with Council Member Kari Nacy absent and Cimino-Johnson against. n

Dale City, Maryland Routes Approved for Transit Service

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Commuters from Frederick, MD, and Dale City will soon have a new way to get to Loudoun, after county supervisors on Wednesday approved a pilot project that adds two destinations to the county’s transit system.

The service is intended to reduce congestion on the county’s roads by offering mass transit options to those commuting into Loudoun for work.

The two routes were chosen after consultants Michael Baker International conducted a survey to identify where a majority of commuters are traveling from, and who would be the most likely to ride the bus. That survey identified Dale City and Warrenton because they have a lower

average cost per trip than the other routes and because they are expected to have a high ridership rate.

However, during a Board of Supervisors’ finance committee meeting in December, Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) pushed for a route from Frederick instead of Warrenton, saying there were other factors to take into consideration such as the ease of the drive from Warrenton and the planned construction along Rt. 15, the primary corridor from Frederick, in the next few years.

Those routes were endorsed by the committee that night and approved by the full board Jan. 22.

The cost of the pilot for the first year is estimated at $1.1 million. There will be two morning trips and two afternoon/ evening trips for Frederick and three

morning trips and three afternoon/evening trips for Dale City, with fares set at $8.25.

Letourneau said the pilot is also a way to bring workers into Loudoun.

“We do have workforce issues. We hear that from our business community all the time, that they have trouble hiring people. And one of the impediments to hiring people is the commute that they experience coming from other places,” he said.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) cast the only vote against the program, citing the cost per passenger of the Frederick route, which is estimated at $84.17 versus the Dale City cost of $15.95. She also said taking the bus would not save drivers any time.

“I’m not quite sold that we should be spending taxpayer dollars for this

purpose of going out of the county to provide transportation out of the county. I don’t know why Maryland isn’t providing this service because it’s for the benefit of their constituents,” she said.

But Letourneau said he thought the ridership numbers from Frederick would be higher than estimated, bringing the cost per passenger down.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said she also did not like the idea of “sending money outside the county.” But, she said, it would benefit Loudoun in the long run.

“Businesses are constituents as well. And so if we are bringing in people to work in our county’s businesses to help our economy and help those businesses thrive, then I think that is a good use of money,” she said. n

Loudoun Supervisors Urged to Oppose Fairfax County Casino Bill

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A coalition of Loudoun residents concerned about a bill passing through the General Assembly that would add Fairfax County to the list of counties eligible to house a casino last week pushed the Board of Supervisors to oppose it.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said the board would not take a position on the legislation.

Senate bill 982 was introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34). The bill requires that any casino built in Fairfax be within a quarter mile of an existing station of the Metro Silver Line, part of a coordinated mixed-use project of no less than 1.5 million square feet, within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing at least 1.5 million square feet of gross building area and outside of the I-495 Beltway.

The bill was endorsed by the Senate

Appropriations Committee on Tuesday morning on a 9-6 vote. The bill was also endorsed by the General Laws and Technology Committee. It will now advance to the full Senate.

Surovell introduced the bill last year, but it was not supported by the Senate Appropriations Committee. He stated in an announcement Jan. 28 that he was pleased to see the bill’s progression this year.

“Positive action reflects that many of the concerns that have been raised about the project were in fact addressed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report on casino gaming in the Commonwealth, and that this project presents a huge opportunity to fund school construction in the Commonwealth,” he stated.

Surovell said the revenue from a casino could help address a recurring $300 million revenue gap in the Fairfax County budget.

“Virginia residents are already sending billions of dollars per decade to Maryland in the Northern Virginia region by patronizing the MGM National Harbor Casino just over the Maryland state line,” he stated. “It is time to bring that money back to benefit our state and Fairfax County while building a world-class performing arts venue, a convention center, and creating thousands of union jobs so everyone who works in the County can live in the County. This bill will allow the voters of Fairfax County to decide whether or not the project should move forward.”

During the Jan. 22 Loudoun Board of Supervisors meeting, however, residents said having a casino nearby would increase traffic even outside of Fairfax County and harm the “at-risk” population.

“I ask that the Loudoun Board of

CASINO continues on page 5

Eastern Loudoun Art Center Moves Forward with $500K Dedicated

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

County supervisors last night advanced plans to develop an eastern Loudoun arts center, allocating $500,000 for the initial design.

The approval comes after staff members and representatives of the consultant group Page on Jan. 14 presented their final report to the board’s finance committee following a two-year study of options to provide more space for the performing and visual arts.

The study team developed three options of different scales, ranging from an arts campus that would include a concert hall, two theater spaces, arts workshops and galleries with an outdoor plaza to a community arts center that would have a multi-purpose performance hall along with arts workshops and gallery spaces. The projects came with a price tag

ON THE agenda

Board Approves Plans for New County Building

Plans for a new government administration building are underway and received endorsement from the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 22.

The 125,000-square-foot building is the first phase of years-long planning efforts to build additional office space for county employees near the intersections of Kincaid and Crosstrail boulevards in Leesburg. The site plan was approved through special exception in 2015 and is planned for four government buildings totaling 425,000 square feet.

The first building is expected to house departments in the Development Services Hub, which include planning and zoning, building and development, mapping and geographical information and the county health department’s permitting, environmental health and administration divisions.

The building design has reached 95% completion. Recent cost estimates show the project is estimated to be $115 million, $6 million over the original budget. Options to reduce the cost are being evaluated by the staff.

Saines Asks for Ranked Choice Voting Review

The county’s Office of Elections will be presenting an overview of what ranked choice voting could look like in Loudoun County after the Board of Supervisors approved a proposal by Supervisor Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) to research the topic.

Ranked choice voting allows voters to prioritize which candidates they would like to see elected in most to least order with numbers 1, 2, 3, etc. If a candidate receives the most first choice votes and that is over 50% of the votes cast, they win. However, if no candidates receive over 50% support, the candidate with the fewest first votes is eliminated and votes for that candidate are distributed to the second choice on each of those ballots. That process is repeated until one candidate has over 50% support. State code permits localities to implement the ranked-choice voting in city and county board elections. The proposal passed on the board’s consent agenda, but Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said he was unsure how he felt about the issue. The Office of Elections staff is expected to give their presentation during the Feb. 19 board meeting. n

TYSONS

Tysons Casino

continued from page 4

Supervisors oppose this bill and casinos in general in their legislative agenda and have their government relations people in Richmond keep on top of this particular bill,” President of the county’s Community Levee Association Chris Stephenson said.

The opposition is a “preemptive effort” to keep casinos out of Loudoun, he said. Stephenson provided 5,000 letters to the board from county residents opposing casinos in northern Virginia.

“The General Assembly could amend [the bill] very well to allow a site in Reston or Dulles and I’ll have to tell you there’s a major developer considering a casino at Dulles Airport or in the Dulles area,” said Ken Reid, a former Leesburg District supervisor.

Randall said that she does not take positions on bills that are completely within another county.

“I don’t even know what I would say to [Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chair] Jeff McKay or any of my colleagues in other places if Loudoun weighs in on a bill that’s in their county, and I would not appreciate if they did that to us,” she said. n

Supervisors Award $250K to Land Private Hangar Company at Dulles

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The Board of Supervisors on Jan. 22 approved a $250,000 incentive grant to Sky Harbour Group Corporation in support of plans to develop an 18-acre homebased aviation campus at Dulles Airport.

The grant was authorized without comment on the board’s unanimously approved consent agenda.

According to the staff report on the incentive grant, county leaders have been working with Sky Harbour representatives since 2022 on the project. Last May, the company signed a contingent 60-year ground lease agreement with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to develop a hangar campus at Dulles.

At completion, the campus is expected to create approximately 408 new jobs with an investment of over $104.5 million. The total investment in the first

three years is estimated at $53.13 million with nearly 200 new jobs, according to the staff report.

“This initiative not only enhances land access but also reinforces Loudoun County’s commitment to economic diversity by enabling various, high-employment opportunities in targeted clusters. Additionally, the proposed project increases the development potential of the western side of [Dulles Airport] by developing essential infrastructure—including roads, power, fiber, natural gas and water—to facilitate increased business development opportunities such as cargo, manufacturing, and logistics,” according to the staff report.

The hangars are expected to be the first in Loudoun designed to house and service electric aircraft. The project includes a workforce development program to certify aircraft service personnel within four to six months of operations.

According to the Department of Eco-

nomic Development report, the company also considered Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the campus.

“Dulles International Airport is business aviation’s gateway to our nation’s capital and a Sky Harbour National Tier1 airport. We are grateful for Loudoun County’s support and eager to deliver on our commitment to the airport, to the Greater DC business aviation community, and to the citizens of Loudon County and Northern Virginia. The Sky Harbour campus at Dulles will be another best-inclass facility with outstanding operational leadership driving uncompromising standards for business aviation safety and efficiency,” Sky Harbour’s Chairman and CEO Tal Keinan stated.

The company operates similar hangar campuses in Houston, Nashville, Miami and San Jose, with campuses in development in Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Hartford, Orlando, and Dutchess County and Orange County in New York. n

Data Center, Rural Uses Continue to Top Planning and Zoning Priorities Set

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

This year’s priorities for the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning were approved by the Board of Supervisors during a Jan. 22 meeting.

At the top of the projects to amend the county’s Zoning Ordinance is continued work on data centers standards and locations. The first phase is expected to be completed this spring, with the work continuing into 2026.

Last June, the board authorized work for two phases to address data center regulations. The first phase is intended to change data centers from a by-right use in some areas to requiring special exception review by the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.

The Planning Commission in December recommended against that change, saying the panel needed more time to look into where data centers might be appropriate as a by-right use.

The second phase will dive more deeply in standards for the industry.

The second zoning amendment priority is a detailed review of western Loudoun’s rural uses and standards. Work has already begun at the committee level, but that is expected to continue until spring 2027.

In November, the board’s Transpor-

Art Center

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of between $219 million and $158 million, with annual operating costs ranging from $5.2 million to $4.8 million.

At the recommendation of the finance committee, the board approved moving forward with the mid-range option that would include an 800-900 seat multi-purpose performance hall, a 300-350-seat black box theater, art gallery space, and art making space at a projected construction cost of $181.3 million and $4.7 million annually.

Members of Loudoun’s art community have been requesting a facility of some kind for a while.

“Our dream is to have a place for patrons to experience various forms of performing and visual art,” Citizens for the Arts in Eastern Loudoun Representative Bobbie Christman said during the Jan. 22 meeting. “Our dream is for a place to give our youth an opportunity to develop

tation and Land Use Committee held its first deep dive session with stakeholders from three categories—agriculture and conversation, business and tourism and residents—to help guide the work. Members of the county’s Planning Commission also attended.

That meeting largely dealt with equine regulations and outdoor recreation. The second work session will take place Thursday evening and will cover agricultural processing, seasonal labor dormitories, guest farms and ranches, farm labor housing and lodging for private or

their art participation, for families to have shared experiences, for adults young and old to have a date night, and for seniors to enjoy the support of the arts. Our dream is for our talented artists to have a dedicated center to call home and expand their audiences.”

The center could also serve as a venue for the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra and other performing groups.

“I’ve had the privilege of serving this community since 2020,” LSO Music Director Hayden Denesha said. “I’ve seen the growth, the two-fold overnight enthusiasm in the arts seems to increase year after year.”

Having a dedicated space would mean the organization would no longer need to use Loudoun County Public Schools for practices and performances.

“We, like our other organizations, also need rehearsal space and other rooms to do our good work in the community. For example, we serve over 250 youth orchestra students,” Denesha said.

Supervisors Koran T. Saines (D-Ster-

Ordinance amendment to address source water protections is the fifth priority on the department’s work plan but does not have an estimated completion date.

The board also set community planning initiatives for non-historic and historic projects.

At the top of the historic projects list is adopting a community plan for the village for St. Louis. That has no estimated completion date yet.

That is followed by both phases of the data center standards and locations Comprehensive Plan amendment. Those changes are being made in conjunction with the Zoning Ordinance changes and are estimated to be completed in spring 2025 for phase one and spring 2026 for phase two.

special events.

Next, the department will move onto general adjustments in the county’s Zoning Ordinance, addressing any oversights or errors within the recently adopted document. That has an estimated completion date of summer 2025.

The fourth project is a zoning map and ordinance amendment that would adjust the county’s Floodplain Overlay District to regulate floodplains as an environmental resource in the ordinance. That is expected to be complete by winter 2026.

A Comprehensive Plan and Zoning

ling) and Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said they would prefer to endorse the larger campus option.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) voiced concerns that spending this amount of money on a “life enhancing” project would take from funds that could be spent on “lifesaving” services.

“Clearly this is a life enhancing project, but it is not as critical as a number of other responsibilities we have toward the community, whether that be food, shelter, the schools, medical care, etc.” she said.

But Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) said experiencing the arts affects every aspect of life.

“The arts can bring many benefits to a community including social, economic and educational strength. It unifies communities. It reduces loneliness. It inspires empathy. It will have economic benefits of supporting jobs, driving tourism, generating tax revenue. The educational benefits are fostering creativity, communicating knowledge. The health benefits are im-

The third non-historic priority is the western Loudoun rural uses and standards Comprehensive Plan amendment, also done in coordination with the Zoning Ordinance changes.

A general review of the Comprehensive Plan is expected for completion by summer 2025 and is set as the department’s fourth non-historic priority.

An effort to review the classifications for the county’s rural historic villages is nearly completed, after the Planning Commission in December approved revised criteria that would add three additional communities to the list. n

proving physical health and improving mental health,” she said.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said moving forward at this stage did not commit the board to building the facility.

“It is going to help us flesh out and produce essentially a concept plan of what this really is, which could be used to help find a private partner. There’s a long road ahead on this,” he said.

He agreed with the prioritization of funds referenced by Umstattd but said that doesn’t mean the county can’t allocate any money for life enhancing services.

“Let’s go forward for now, let’s get this concept, let’s find those partners, if they exist. If they don’t exist, that’s going to tell us something, too,” he said.

The motion to move forward with planning, preliminary design and site assessments passed 7-1 with Umstattd opposed and Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) absent. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Director of Planning and Zoning Daniel Galindo answers questions by the Board of Supervisors during a meeting April 2, 2024.

General Assembly Oak Hill State Park Proposal Finds Early General Assembly Support

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The effort to convert the Loudoun home of President James Monroe to a state park cleared its first hurdle in the General Assembly last week.

The House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee’s Natural Resources Subcommittee on Jan. 22 voted unanimously to report out a bill, HB2306, that would authorize the commonwealth to acquire the 1,200-acre Oak Hill property south of Leesburg.

The action followed the release of a detailed feasibility study outlining a longterm revenue strategy to support the project, which would include opening the well-preserved manor house to the public and providing extensive outdoor recreation uses on the land surrounding the 86-acre core historic site.

Monroe inherited the property on the west side of today’s Rt. 15 north of Gilbert’s Corner in 1808 and constructed its large mansion between 1820 and 1823. He retired there at the end of his second term in 1825. Around fifty enslaved African Americans lived and worked at the plantation.

The property is owned by Tom and Gayle DeLashmutt, whose family has owned the property for 70 years. As they make plans to downsize in retirement, the family has been working with The Conservation Fund to put the historic property in public hands.

Last year, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors committed $22 million to support the acquisition of the land. Also, an endowment is being established to sup-

port ongoing operational costs.

During the General Assembly session, state legislators will be asked to approve acquisition of the property and support to the establishment park operations there.

Last week’s brief subcommittee hearing focused on the land acquisition bill carried by Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (D-3), of Arlington, who chairs the House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.

He said the campaign to create Oak Hill State Park has been an extraordinary effort by citizens, the local government, historic preservationists and the com-

monwealth. He stressed that the acquisition could be accomplished without using funds from the state’s general fund budget.

“Oak Hill was the homestead of President James Monroe. The original Monroe Doctrine was written in the dining room. It’s a house dripping with history from Lafayette, Dolly Madison, the Civil War,” Lopez said. “Equally significant, the property has valuable stories to tell us about the role of enslaved African Americans, the legacy of indigenous people. It has some of the first fully mechanized agricultural systems built in Virginia on site. And it’s also the site of the first dinosaur

bones found the United States east of the Mississippi.

“Here’s the thing, and the land is the only presidential home of a founding father still in private hands. We are lucky that it has been so lovingly cared for and preserved by a succession of families, only approximately five families, the current owners want to open it up for all Virginians and visitors from Virginia to enjoy,” he said.

Lopez told the subcommittee that the family has turned down offers to sell the property to developers, with offers up to $55 million.

“Instead, the family wants to give it to the commonwealth for pennies on the dollar,” he said.

Following the subcommittee’s 10-0 vote supporting the bill, the proposal was scheduled for a vote by the full House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning before being moved to the House Appropriations Committee for review. That panel also will take up a budget amendment sponsored by Del. David L. Bulova (D-11), of Fairfax, to authorize five fulltime equivalent positions to begin park operations.

According to the project’s feasibility study, $41.35 million already has been committed to the project toward a goal of $52 million. A $20 million startup endowment will be managed by a local community foundation expected to provide $1 million annually to support the projected operating costs of $1.4 million and capital costs of $1.2 million. Revenue from tickets and leases is expected to grow to $2 million annual, with philanthropy brining in another $400,000 to $700,000 a year. n

Reid’s Data Center, Power Line Bills Receive Approval

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpapmpaloni@loudounnow.org

Two bills introduced by Del. David Reid (D-28) that address information presented in a recent study on data centers in Virginia have received endorsement from House committees.

The first, HB1821, would allow large energy consumers to claim credit under the Accelerated Renewable Buyers

Program by using battery energy storage systems. Currently, the program provides credit for purchases of solar and wind energy to offset certain utility charges.

Batteries store power when energy demand is low and there is excess supply in the grid. They then store it until demand increases. Most systems can store four to six hours of peak power usage.

Originally, the bill’s language was broader, allowing credit to be applied

for additional features such as hydrogen-fueled generation sources. However, changes made in a Labor and Commerce subcommittee narrowed the bill to address battery storage specifically, which aligns with the third recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report.

“The intent is to allow battery storage in that program, so that as we continue to use more energy generation from solar

and wind, that we’ll be able to the battery storage to smooth out the use of that energy,” Reid told the subcommittee Jan. 21. A fiscal analysis conducted by the State Corporation Commission found that the legislation could increase the number of accelerated renewable energy buyer certification requests each year.

REID'S DATA CENTER continues on page 9

Hugh Kenny/Piedmont Environmental Council

An arial view of President James Monroe’s Oak Hill.

Reid's Data Center

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“The potential fiscal impacts to the Commission are indeterminate at this time but could be potentially significant,” according to the analysis.

During the subcommittee discussion, representatives from Dominion Energy voiced support for the bill.

The full Commerce and Labor Committee endorsed the revised legislation 11-9 on Jan. 23.

The second bill, HB1822, would require the SCC to consider requiring an applicant to use advanced conductors when building new transmission lines that are 138 kilovolts or higher.

Advanced conductors replace traditional cables made with aluminum strands around a supporting steel core with a lighter steel core such as ceramic, glass or carbon fibers, resulting in a line that can transmit more power than conventional conductors.

“These are technologies that allow for the transmission of more electricity along the same exact pathway that you have now,” Reid said. “So, if you perhaps have a 500 kV line that is using existing technology, at some point in the future you would possibly be able to upgrade that to use [advanced conductor material] technology which would then allow you to put down 625 kV or 750 kV down the same line.”

This makes better use of existing rights-of-way, he said.

The original language prohibited the SCC from approving new construction on 230 kV or higher voltage lines without advanced conductors. The change allows but does not require that.

“We have collectively made a decision that we want to be sure that we are empowering the State Corporation Commission to do their job fully,” he said. “… I think this maintains the intent of the General Assembly with being able to empower the State Corporation Commission and provide them with other alternatives.”

Dominion Energy representatives said the company also supports this legislation, which is proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The committee endorsed the bill 20-0 Jan. 23.

Both bills now advance to the full House for consideration. n

Reaser’s Education Bills Clear Committee

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Three education bills proposed by Del. Atoosa Reaser (D-27) made it to the full House of Delegates for consideration this week after being approved by committees. They concern teacher contracts, English learner funding, and teacher training.

The first, which would change the state funding formula for English learner students, cleared the House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 22.

Reaser, a former Loudoun County School Board member, said HB2032 is intended to address the below average funding that Virginia gives to support English learner students and bring it up to the standard recommended in a 2023 Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission report.

The report found that funding for English learner students should be set at 40%, instead of the approximately 19% that is happening now. The bill also directs the Department of Education to develop and implement a system for data collection on EL proficiency and expenditures and give a report on the findings by Sept. 1.

“Recent changes that have been proposed and are currently taking place in Virginia’s accountability system significantly raise the expectations for EL students. Virginia is setting some of the highest expectations for EL students in the country, but we are providing below average funding for their education at this point, and the disconnect is unsustainable and unfair, both to the students and to the schools that are working to support them,” Reaser told to the K-12 subcommittee on Jan. 14.

There were concerns from Del. Mike A. Cherry (R-74) that the bill would clash with school funding rules established last year. Del. Sam Rasoul(D-38), however, noted that not every EL student is the

same, and that the JLARC study said that the new funding would be used to “meet students where they are.”

A substitute bill passed from the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee that struck the funding adjustment on the bill and kept the initiative to direct the study of English learner expenditures and literacy rates so that the information can be evaluated by a joint subcommittee.

That cleared the House Appropriations Committee unanimously Jan. 22. It passed the House on Tuesday afternoon 67-31-1. It will now go to the Senate.

Reaser also introduced HB1915 on Jan. 7 that changes language in the Virginia Code from allowing both the school division and the teacher to pull out of an employment contract in writing by June 15 each year to just the teacher being able to submit the written request. It was approved by the House Education Committee on Jan. 15.

Reaser said in a presentation to a subcommittee on Jan. 14 that the change is a “quasi-technical fix” and that the language in the original law never meant to allow school systems to terminate a teacher contract in writing after their three-year probationary period during a window of time in the summer.

“This bill is clarifying, I think, what the intention was to begin with, that teachers no longer in a three-year probationary period are supposed to get due process for changes, for termination of their contract,” Reaser said.

She also said the change would not take away power of school boards and superintendents to fire teachers if they demonstrate cause and follow the due process guidelines. These guidelines state that the written notice and reason for termination must be delivered to the teacher who has a right to request a hearing to present their side of the story. Acceptable reasons to dismiss a teacher include incompetency,

non-compliance and immoral behavior.

“The technical fix assures that experienced teachers have the same rights during the school year, that they have it between school years, and without this change I just like to point out that veteran teachers have less protection than a brand-new teacher, I don’t think that was the intention,” Reaser said.

The change was requested by the Virginia Education Association.

It was opposed by Cherry, who said it would turn the teacher due process system on its head.

The bill now moves to the full House of Delegates.

Reaser’s third bill is HB1936, which would require the Department of Education to create an index that chronicles all trainings teachers have received in an easily accessible public format and on its website. It requires the index to be updated annually or when there is a change in trainings.

The proposal is designed to increase transparency for school divisions as well as give information on what trainings need to be added, taken away or changed, Reaser said.

A substitute version of the bill took away mention of trainings required by individual school board policies and just included state or federal training. An amendment also required that this be completed by Aug. 1. The fiscal impact of this bill is expected to be an additional $25,500 in staffing costs.

The bill was supported by the VEA, Virginia School Board Association, and several school systems including Loudoun County.

It passed through the subcommittee with the recommended changes on Jan. 20 8-0-1 and the Education Committee on Tuesday 21-1. It passed through the House on Tuesday afternoon 95-2. It will now go to the Senate. n

Loudoun Delegation Advances Bills in General Assembly

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Loudoun’s legislators are working to move their bills through the General Assembly with several gaining approval last week.

A bill by Del. Atoosa Reaser (D-27), that would allow localities to negotiate for affordable rental units during the review of special exception applications for assisted living facilities received approval by the House of Delegates on Jan. 24. The bill only applies to localities with affordable housing programs, of which Virginia currently has seven, including Loudoun.

Reaser attempted a more stringent version of the bill last year, which would have authorized local governments to require the affordable units, but it was vetoed by Gov. Glen Youngkin.

“I’ve changed some language to make it a little more friendly to being a free-market bill,” she told a House committee meeting Jan. 17.

Allowing this type of negotiation could result in a developer being permitted to build higher density projects, which would also increase the housing supply for senior citizens, she said.

The bill is supported by LeadingAge Virginia, an association for not-for-prof-

it aging services organizations that serve clients across the senior care spectrum.

Organization Vice President and General Counsel Dana Parsons said the legislation could go a long way toward addressing the fastest growing homeless demographic – elderly citizens.

“Assisted living is a very needed area, but is currently not covered by Medicare or Medicaid, and so this really responds to a dire need for affordable assisted living units, really throughout the state as an option,” Parsons said.

Leesburg

Town Staff Recommends Keeping Vehicle License Fee

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

As other Loudoun towns lean toward eliminating their $25 vehicle license fee, the revenue loss may be too big for Leesburg to absorb.

The town staff is recommending the Town Council decline the county government’s offer of a one-time payment to offset the revenue loss for one year.

In Leesburg, the fee generates more than $900,000 per year, nearly the value of adding a cent to the town’s real estate tax rate.

The Town Council was scheduled to discuss its options during Monday’s work session but punted that debate until its Feb. 11 meeting. The town must notify the county government next month whether it will accept the grant.

The dilemma was created by the Board of Supervisors’ decision, ratified last week, to reduce the county’s vehicle fee to $0 as a method to provide a form of tax relief—valued at $7.8 million—in the face of extraordinary revenue collections from data centers.

As the option was being discussed last year, Loudoun’s town leaders pointed out that their residents would not receive the benefit because unless the town agreed to drop their municipal fees, impacting their budgets that don’t benefit from data center revenue. They suggested that the county make funds available to each town to offset the expected vehicle license fee revenues during any budget year that the county decides to provide full or partial vehicle license fee relief.

Supervisors then proposed the onetime grant to cover the towns’ lost revenue if they also eliminated the fee. Adding

to the challenge is that the county’s grant would be paid in fiscal year 2025 to offset funds already accounted for by the towns in their FY 2025 budgets. But the towns would feel the impact of eliminating the fee in their FY 2026 budgets, which are currently being developed.

Together, the seven towns collect $1.22 million from the fee, with Leesburg representing $934,000 of that total.

In a Town Council briefing report, Assistant Town Manager and Chief Financial Officer Owen A. Snyder warned that giving up the vehicle fee revenue would create a significant budget challenge.

“By setting the respective rate at $0.00, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget will immediately have a revenue loss of approximately $900,000 that must be recovered either by new revenues or expenditure reductions,” he wrote. n

Planning Commission Begins Capital Projects Plan Review

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The fiscal year 2026 budget is starting to take shape in Leesburg with the Planning Commission reviewing a draft Capital Improvements Program that includes 13 new projects adding $67.9 million to the 2026-2031 construction plan.

During a Jan. 16 presentation to the Planning Commission, Assistant Director of Capital Projects Doug Wagner broke down the 13 projects into five categories: general government, parks and rec, streets and highways, storm drainage, and utilities.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

The town plans to install electrical vehicle charging stations at the Leesburg Executive Airport, Ida Lee Park, and Town Hall. The Town has applied for grant funding for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy.

A replacement for the Town Hall Roof is expected to cost $2.5 million. According to the preliminary draft, the current 34-year-old roof has reached the end of

AROUND town

Police Department Lobby Closed for Renovations

As crews move to the next phase of the Leesburg Police Department expansion project, the headquarters’ lobby will be closed to the public through mid-February.

Services normally offered there will be suspended or modified.

In-person crime recording will be available through an intercom system with a direct line to the dispatch center outside of the building. Records may be retrieved by contacting 703-771-6506 or emailing records@leesburgva.gov.

To retrieve property from the department, call 703-771-4558 or email Dpayne@leesburgva.gov.

Fingerprinting services and medication disposal will be temporarily suspended.

Loudoun Beauty Collective Opens

A ribbon cutting was held on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the Loudoun Beauty Collective.

The boutique, at 217 Loudoun St. SE, offers permanent makeup, warm airbrush tanning, full-service hair care, therapeutic massages, and other services to support a journey towards balance and renewal.

“This has been a dream of mine for years. It came to fruition really really fast but we’re here and I’m so excited,” owner Olivia Round-Kerrigan said.

Learn more at loudounbeautycollective.com.

Town to Replace Raflo Park Pavilion

Beginning Monday, Feb. 3, the pavilion at Raflo Park will be temporarily closed to facilitate the removal and replacement of the structure.

The new design will closely mirror the existing structure while incorporating elements to improve maintenance and preserving the stone foundations and flooring.

its useful life.

PARKS AND RECREATION

A project to resurface and remove old, worn-out layers of the outdoor tennis

court to be replaced with new ones, alongside replacing the fences at Ida Lee Park’s

CAPITAL PROJECTS continues on page 11

The construction area will be enclosed with temporary fencing. The park’s walking trails, open spaces, and bike depot will remain accessible.

The project is expected to be completed by Feb. 28. n

William Timme/ Loudoun Now

The Lee Avenue Sidewalk stops before reaching Dry Mill Road—a 400-foot connection that was recommended to be added to the Capital Projects Budget at the Planning Commission’s Meeting Jan. 16.

Capital Projects

continued from page 10

Outdoor Tennis Court Facilities was discussed. The project’s total estimated cost is $1 million.

Alongside an ongoing analysis of parks facilities and plans to rehab the lockers at the Ida Lee Recreation Center, Wagner said that refreshing the facility was a main focus of the parks department.

He also said that pickleball is a big topic for Parks and Rec.

“We’re moving forward like a freight train with pickleball,” Wagner said.

STREETS AND HIGHWAYS

The town plans a 400-foot sidewalk connection linking Dry Mill Road and Lee Avenue, which is projected to cost $1.5 million.

Improvements to the Liberty Street Parking lot also made the list. According to the briefing, existing access to the Liberty Street Parking lot will improve by widening the one-way exit onto South Street, converting it to a two-way exit and entrance. The project will also resurface the lot and upgrade the lighting. These improvements are projected to cost

$1.6 million.

Battlefield Parkway safety improvements were discussed. Plans include installing flashing beacons, pedestrian refuge islands, and other measures at the intersections with Chadfield Way, Catoctin Circle, Balls Bluff Road, Smarts Lane, Woods Edge Drive and Idyllic Place. The projected total cost of the improvements is $2.6 million.

The town’s Milling and Paving Program is responsible for 269 lane miles. The town is required to meet VDOT’s requirements for a condition index rating of 60 on a scale of 1-100. During the Town Council’s recent planning retreat, members indicated they wanted to put more resources into the repaving program to improve more neighborhood streets. The program is projected to cost a total of $12.7M from FY26 to FY31.

The town also is pursuing improvements to South King Street/Leesburg Bypass interchange to address congestion and improve safety, concerns that are expected to increase as approved commercial developments in the area are constructed. The interchange improvements are ranked as a “high priority” for Loudoun County and the town and

is included in the regional TransAction 2040 plan. Those planned improvements are projected to cost $34.5 million total, with $4 million in appropriations through June 30, 2025.

The Townwide Bridge Maintenance project was listed with the intent of improving pedestrian and vehicular safety. The project’s total cost projection sits at just under $3million over the course of the six-year CIP budget. The project facilitates routine repairs and annual inspections for the Town’s aging bridges.

STORM DRAINAGE

A planned Town Branch tributary stream and restoration project on South Street is planned to improve a degrading stream channel, increasing water quality, reducing sediment deposits and property loss and reducing erosion in the corridor. Spending is planned through FY 2029, with a total projected cost of approximately $3 million.

Drainage channel enhancements to Fort Evans Road and Plaza Street are planned to increase water quality and reduce erosion, sediment deposition and property loss within the corridor. The project is projected to cost $2.7 million.

UTILITIES

The preliminary proposal includes the construction of a chloramine disinfection feed and control system, the total cost of which will amount to a projected $1 million. The town plans an evaluation design and construction for a chloramination feed and control system at the Water Treatment Plant. The town’s water system currently uses free chlorine for distribution system disinfection and is meeting EPA disinfection by-product regulations, according to the briefing. The project is planned to begin with a study to evaluate regulation revisions.

Secondary Clarifiers A & B are settling tanks that separate sludge from water and remove suspended solids and scum from the treated wastewater. They were last refurbished in 2012-2013. The project is projected to cost $1.2 million.

Between now and Feb. 6, the Planning Commission will work with the staff to make potential adjustments to the preliminary plan before a public hearing. Town Manager Kaj Dentler plans to present the CIP to the Town Council on Feb. 11. The Town Council is expected to hold a public hearing on the capital improvements budget on March 11, according to Wagner. n

After 36 years of dedicated service, Reston Pediatrics Associates will be closing on January 31, 2025. We thank our patients for their trust and support over the years.

After this date, medical records can be requested from Clary, a HIPAA-compliant record storage facility. https://medicalrecordcustodian.com/reston-pediatrics/ phone: 763.548.1320 | email: chartcontrol@clarydm.com

2 Design Options Offered for Waterford Elementary Expansion

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Hord, Coplan and Macht, the company contracted to renovate Waterford Elementary School, are proposing two design options for community feedback. The school, turning 60 this year, is getting a 14,000-square-foot addition along with upgrades to the existing building and fields.

Today, there are four classrooms inside the school and temporary classrooms outside the school. The cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium and some classroom space all share one room. There is also no dedicated space for music, art, or the library as they are all shared.

In addition to making room for more students, parents and community members have expressed needs for more parking, a safer walking path, and dedicated spaces for subjects and activities. They also wanted to keep the close atmosphere of the school, the front entrance with the mural, and the overall look of the school from the street.

Both of the options presented by the design team during a Jan. 22 community meeting put the additions and new gymnasium on the back of the school and preserve the school’s facade. They also both provide the same number of bathrooms and ADA compliance at the front entrance, as well as a bigger administration suite. A walking path around the parking

lot is also included in all options.

The art and music facilities are being separated in both options, with a new music room included in the addition. Storage would also be increased in either option, according to HCM Project Manager Adam MacDonald. The library will stay approximately the same size but will no longer share space with other programs – a change administrators say will accommodate projected enrollment.

Both options also build new, bigger kindergarten and first grade classrooms, meeting today’s Department of

Education requirements. The placement of the doors leading to the outside have not been planned yet, pending the consultants review of the county’s safety standards.

The first option has the gymnasium and addition going back further behind the school. It would extend a few feet into the existing soccer field and would not allow any regulation-size field. MacDonald said this option keeps the field closer

WATERFORD ELEMENTARY continues on page 14

Bar Associations Prepare for 2025 Law Camp

The Loudoun County and Fauquier County bar associations are accepting applications for the Thomas D. Horne Leadership in the Law Summer Program.

The program is a week-long team building/mock trial program for rising seniors in the Loudoun and Fauquier county public and private high schools. This year’s law camp will be held from June 22-27.

The camp is limited to 24 participants.

The deadline for submitting applications to the Recruiting Committee is March 28.

For more details and to apply, go to loudounbar.org.

LCPS and Inova Hold Sports Safety Seminar

Loudoun County Public Schools and Inova are hosting a virtual panel discussion on “Concussions Uncovered: What Parents Need to Know From Diagnosis to Return to Play” on Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The session is for parents and student athletes and will give them the opportunity to learn from professionals about what it takes to manage, recognize, recover from and prevent concussions.

The panel includes school division athletic trainers, physical therapists, and experts from the Inova Concussion Program.

For more information and to register for the Zoom session, go to bit.ly/SpringInova. n

Loudoun Girl Scouts Start Refugee Tutoring Program

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Over a year ago, scouts in Girl Scout Troop 2747 saw the needs of refugee children in the community and decided to do something about it. They partnered with the nonprofit MOZAIC to create a tutoring program to help support the students with their transition into the school system.

Scouts of 12 years Soniya Yamin, a junior at Broad Run High School, Lana

Fakhro, a junior at Riverside High School, and Anum Ghori, a junior at Independence High School, noticed that many children of refugees were not receiving enough support to thrive in school. Not only did they not speak English, but they also didn’t know how to interact with other children and teachers. The girls started a tutoring program to give back to their community.

“A little bit of help can make a positive impact in their lives,” Yamin said. They started meeting with nonprof-

its last April. Yamin said they wanted to make sure they partnered with the right organization. They went on several interviews, but ended up connecting the most with MOZAIC through one of the girls’ parents.

Founded in 2016, MOZAIC is a regional nonprofit that focuses on the needs of refugees, women and children.

After months of coordinating with MOZAIC, the girls got their program up and running in September. Four girls from the troop are tutoring students from

elementary to ninth grade. Since many of them speak different languages, they are able to connect with their students better. They spend from three to four hours per week on sessions and creating plans for their students.

Fakhro said that, while she started with just helping them with their homework, her tutoring sessions have grown to teaching them English and helping them come out of their shells. She tutors three

GIRL SCOUTS continues on page 14

Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now

The back of Waterford Elementary School, housing the playground, basketball courts and temporary classrooms. A 14,000 square foot addition is being planned to extend the school.

LEGAL NOTICE

On December 17, 2024, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or the “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) an application (“Application”) for approval and certification of electric transmission facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia. Dominion filed its Application pursuant to § 56-46.1 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”) and the Utility Facilities Act, Code § 56-265.1 et seq

To maintain reliable service for the overall growth in the area, the Company proposes to complete the following (collectively, the “Project”):

(1) Construct a new approximately 0.6 mile 230 kilovolt (“kV”) Line #2183 Loop by cutting the 230 kV Brambleton – Poland Road Line #2183 at Evergreen Mills Junction and looping in and out of the Evergreen Mills Switching Station, resulting in: (i) 230 kV Brambleton – Evergreen Mills Line #2210 and (ii) 230 kV Evergreen Mills – Poland Road Line #2183; and

(2) Install two additional strings of breakers (totaling four) in a breaker-and-a-half scheme at Evergreen Mills Switching Station to allow for two additional 230 kV terminations of 230 kV Brambleton – Evergreen Mills Lane #2210 and 230 kV Evergreen Mills – Poland Road Line #2183. The third and fourth string will consist of two 230 kV breakers with make ready work for a third breaker on each string to be added in the future to allow for the customer’s third and fourth 230 kV delivery.

In the Application, Dominion asserts that the proposed Project is necessary to assure that the Company can maintain reliable service for the overall growth in the Project area, and to comply with mandatory North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”) Reliability Standards.

Dominion states that the Company proposed to construct the Project in two parts in Case No. PUR-2019-00191 (“Evergreen Mills Part A”). Pursuant to the Commission’s Final Order in the Evergreen Mills Part A proceeding, the Company constructed the Evergreen Mills Switching Station and the Line #2172 Loop. Evergreen Mills Switching Station was approved by the Commission on May 22, 2020, and placed into service on May 6, 2021. For the current proceeding, Evergreen Mills Part B, the Company now proposes to construct the Line #2183 Loop and to install the remaining breakers at the Evergreen Mills Switching Station.

The Company states that the desired in-service target date for the proposed Project is May 17, 2027. The Company represents that the total estimated conceptual cost of the Project is approximately $9.46 million, which includes approximately $6.72 million for transmission-related work and approximately $2.74 million for substation-related work (2024 dollars).

Description of the Route

The Proposed Route would originate from the existing Brambleton – Yardley Ridge Line #2172 / Brambleton – Poland Road Line #2183 double circuit system at a tap point approximately 0.1 mile west of the Yardley Ridge Switching Station, which is located near Loudoun County Parkway and Arcola Boulevard. The new 230 kV double circuit transmission lines would extend approximately 0.6 mile to the existing Evergreen Mills Switching Station. From the tap point, the Proposed Route would extend for approximately 0.3 mile southwest to Arcola Mills Road (formerly Evergreen Mills Road) within a forested stream valley associated with an unnamed intermittent tributary to Broad Run. The alignment in this section is constrained by planned commercial development to the east and an existing sanitary easement to the west that parallels the stream. Angling to the south, the Proposed Route would span Arcola Mills Road (formerly Evergreen Mills Road) and extend for approximately 0.3 mile to the existing Evergreen Mills Switching Station. This segment would span two unnamed intermittent tributaries to Broad Run and a stormwater management basin, then extend into the proposed station adjacent to the customer’s data center facility within Arcola Center.

For the Proposed Route, the minimum structure height is 40 feet, the maximum structure height is 130 feet, and the average structure height is 95 feet

All distances, heights, and directions are approximate. A sketch map of the proposal accompanies this notice. A more detailed map may be viewed on the Commission’s website: scc. virginia.gov/pages/Transmission-Line-Projects. A more complete description of the Project also may be found in the Company’s Application.

The Commission may consider routes not significantly different from the routes described in this notice without additional notice to the public.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on Dominion’s Application. On July 16, 2025, at 10 a.m., the Hearing Examiner assigned to this matter will hold the telephonic portion of the hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before July 9, 2025, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. Beginning at 10 a.m. on July 16, 2025, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify, if any, as provided above. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting

On July 16, 2025, at 10 a.m., or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Application from the Company, any respondents, and

the Commission’s Staff.

To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

Electronic copies of the Application and other supporting materials may be inspected at: https://www.dominionenergy.com/NOVA. An electronic copy of the Company’s Application also may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Vishwa B. Link, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or vlink@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the Application and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia. gov/Case-Information

On or before July 9, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Application by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/ Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00225.

On or before February 28, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, any other respondents, and Commission Staff as described above. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-2010 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-202400225.

On or before April 4, 2025, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc. virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR2024-00225.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing in this matter, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Company’s Application and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/Case-Information

Lovettsville Union Cemetery

P. O. Box 146, 12930 Lutheran Church Rd

Lovettsville, VA 20180 lovettsvilleunioncemetery.org

NOTICE

Lot Holder’s Annual

Meeting

March 03, 2025 at 6:30 P.M. To Be Held At New Jerusalem Lutheran Church 12942 Lutheran Church Rd

Lovettsville, VA 20180

Snow Date: March 10, 2025

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

Waterford Elementary

continued from page 12

to the building and keeps the playground right outside of the cafeteria and accessible from the gymnasium as well. The inside of the school would have one path though the school.

In the second design option, the addition would wrap around the back of the building more, according to HCM President Steven Orlanski. It would require the playground and corresponding fence to be moved back, but they will be able to keep the current inclusive playground equipment. The side of the addition would not extend past the current school and will allow for the smallest size regulation soccer field, according to MacDonald. The inside of the school would also feature a continuous hallway in this option, which MacDonald said could potentially be safer and provide better flow. This option also features a hill for rolling near the new playground site, something that the students said they wanted during their earlier listening session.

pacts audience experience.

The parking lot renovation also had two options. They both feature more spaces and a second loop to streamline parent dropoffs, but one also has a second entrance point into the parking lot. The teacher parking lot would remain unaffected.

The HCM team said that when they presented to the staff there was almost consensus support for the second design option. Staff members had concerns that the second option had potential for isolation because of the shape of the hallway. Option 2 was viewed as more centralized and one that would foster a close-knit community.

Community members also leaned toward option two. Parents said that design seemed to make better use of the space. They also liked that it did not stick out beside the building or impede the soccer fields.

There were concerns brought up about parking shortages when school programs attract large crowds a few times a year, including the end-of-year carnival and the fifth-grade play. HCM representatives said that they would work on a safer parking option for those situations.

fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov www. fairhousing.vipnet.org

to 2:00 p.m. at Harmony Hall in Hamilton, VA.

This must-attend event brings together Loudoun’s agricultural community to foster meaningful connections between local farms, trusted suppliers, and key B2B market channels.

Don’t miss this chance to strengthen your business and contribute to Loudoun’s thriving agricultural economy. Admission is free, but space is limited—register today to secure your spot!

Register as a vendor or attendee: biz.loudoun.gov/exchange

Because of the shape of the school in the second option, that one will also provide more interior daylight than the first option. In the classrooms, MacDonald said that the lights would only be needed for part of the day.

Placement of the stage in the new gymnasium is also different in either option. Option one places it on one of the short sides of the rectangular gym, and option two places it on one of the long sides. MacDonald said the placement on the long side will allow for bleachers facing the stage, and that placement on the short side im-

Girl Scouts

continued from page 12

elementary school aged siblings.

“Having someone they can talk to and ask questions, they can finally talk to people directly,” she said.

Fakhro and Yamin said that it was rewarding to see their students grow.

Yamin tutors some students going into ninth grade, and said it is great for them to be able to talk to someone who has already gone through the transition since she is a junior.

She also creates lesson plans for her students and finds that practicing conversation skills makes her students feel much more comfortable raising their hands and participating in class.

The design option for the school will be picked based on feedback from the staff, students and the community as well as the recommendation by the school division’s Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis. Superintendent Aaron Spence will then present the recommendation to the School Board.

Before construction begins there will be another community presentation on the final design, expected in late spring or early summer.

Community comments are also being collected though a Let’s Talk form. n

The children they tutor are all identified through the MOZAIC program. Yamin said that MOZAIC helps to resettle families and connects to the tutoring if they have school-age children. Families can also learn about the program through MOZAIC’s website.

Mostly members of the MOZAIC community are participating now, but the scouts hope to grow the program in the future. Fakhro and Yamin said that they would welcome other volunteers to the program.

They also hope to keep tutoring through their college years. Since all the sessions are virtual, they want to continue giving back to the community even if they are not physically present.

For more information about the program, go to mozaicdmv.org. n

Murder Case in Fatal Sterling Shootings Advances to Grand Jury

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The case against an MS-13 gang member charged with murder in the fatal shooting of two people in Sterling moved to a Loudoun grand jury after General District Court Judge Lorrie Sinclair Taylor found probable cause following a three-hour preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Marlyn Medrano-Ortiz, 18, is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Deputies were called to the area of Huntington Square and Ridgetop Circle just after 4:30 a.m. Aug. 28 after callers reported a disturbance in a parking lot. They arrived on the scene to find Mijal Conejero-Romera, 22, of Sterling, and Diego Alexander Woollett, 22, of Arlington, suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment of traumatic wounds. They died at the hospital.

According to witness testimony, a resident on the third floor of a nearby apartment building awoke at approximately 4 a.m. Aug. 28 to the sound of a car’s horn blowing continuously. He went to his window and saw a car zigzagging through the street, blowing its horn. A few minutes later, the man testified he heard a woman scream.

The man said he returned to his window and saw a man in a blue T-shirt looking for someone or something before tucking something in his waistband or pocket and leaving. He joined two others before the three walked out of sight. His wife called 911 to alert law enforcement of suspicious activity.

Woollett and Conejero-Romera left and returned to her first-floor apartment a few times. After they left the last time, the witness saw them walk in the direction of three men.

Through video taken by the witness

and shown in court, two loud noises can be heard. The witness said it sounded like gunshots from movies. Two additional loud noises were not caught on video, he said.

The first arriving Sheriff ’s Office deputy found Woollett and Conejero-Romera alive but injured. He administered aid prior to the paramedics arriving. He testified that Conejero-Romera told him she did not know who had shot her. A pink stun gun and two knives were found at the scene.

Two months later, on Oct. 23, Medrano-Ortiz was arrested and held at the Alexandria Detention Center where two detectives interviewed him the next day.

Detective Tonmy Rodriguez testified that Medrano-Ortiz said that an individual known as Chele had killed Woollett and Conejero-Romera. Then he said an individual known as Gordito had killed them, before saying that he had killed them himself.

Rodriguez said that Medrano-Ortiz had said he was drinking and smoking with friends near the area of Huntington Square and Ridgetop Circle and that Woollett and Conejero-Romera were looking for someone who was with him.

Rodriguez testified that Medrano-Ortiz said Woollett and Conejero-Romera attacked him. Conejero-Romera used something that caused “a burning” on his side, while Woollett punched him in the stomach, according to testimony.

Medrano-Ortiz said he fired one shot before Conejero-Romera “burned” him again and he fired additional shots.

The case will be reviewed by a grand jury on Feb. 10.

Following Medrano-Ortiz’s arrest in October, Sheriff Mike Chapman said he had been confirmed as a member of the MS-13 gang.

If convicted, he faces life in prison for the second degree murder charge. n

Grand Jury to Hear Case of Deputy Charged with Having Sex with Inmate

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A case against a former Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office deputy charged with having sex with an inmate at the Adult Detention Center near Leesburg is moving to the Circuit Court.

Mason Zimmerman, 30, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the General District Court Jan. 23. The charge will now be reviewed by a Loudoun grand jury.

Zimmerman was arrested Oct. 27, 2024, after he allegedly had sex with a

female inmate Oct. 25. According to the criminal complaint filed in District Court, Zimmerman admitted to the charge in an interview with another deputy.

He had been a Loudoun correctional deputy since 2016 and resides in Smithsburg, MD. He was held at the Alexandria Detention Center prior to being released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

The Sheriff ’s Office released a statement Oct. 28 stating that Zimmerman had been terminated as an employee

He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. n

Nonprofits

Reeve Foundation Contributes to The Arc’s Rehabilitation Center

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation has donated $21,780 to The Arc of Loudoun to support its work with individuals with paralysis.

The foundation provided $1.5 million in funding to 73 organizations through its 2024 Direct Effect 1st Cycle Quality of Life grants. Since the program’s inception, more than 3,800 grants totaling $44 million have been awarded. Funding for this program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living.

“These grants are dedicated to restoring independence to our community members,” stated Dan McNeal, director of the Quality of Life Grants Program at the Reeve Foundation. “Our primary mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis. We are honored

LoCo Disc Golf Club Chili

Cook-Off Sees Heated Competition

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The LoCo Disc Golf Club Chili CookOff on Saturday continued its annual tradition of heated rivalry and hotter chili.

Chili entries ranging from spicy to sweet to savory sat in crockpots, warming up the tasting table inside an uninsulated barn in Morven Park. Judges sampled a total of 25 entries—22 in the meat category, three in the vegetarian category. Palate cleansers included beer and donuts.

This year’s competition saw the first ever female champion of the meat category, with Susan Koolthong’s Chili, labeled “CC,” taking the top prize.

Personal preference and taste was the primary metric used by the judges, who presented their arguments during a vote at the end. The process to determine the winners saw a conclave of judges wedged between a few top choices, leading to a series of honorable mentions and runner up awards to be named in the meat category.

Steve Duncan’s “AA” and Mike Tomlin’s “U” took third and second place respectively. John Iliff ’s “M” and Geremy Gierynia’s “H” both landed honorable mentions.

Mike Sullivan again was crowned champion in the vegetarian category.

“I’d like to thank Wes for making a chili that’s almost as good as mine, giving me some competition,” Sullivan joked at one of his rivals. “As the only person who’s ever won this award twice, I feel zero humility and a lot of pride. I’d just like to thank all the judges for taking the bribe I gave them.”

The LoCo Disc Golf Club is a nonprofit working to grow the sport of disc golf in Loudoun County and support parks and landowners with disc golf courses.

The group took part in raising and donating $41,000 to Loudoun Hunger Relief during last year’s Ice Bowl, an accomplishment ranked them the international leader in Ice Bowl fundraising for the fourth year in a row. n

Marshall Center Donates $2,500 to Boulder Crest Foundation

The George C. Marshall International Center recently presented a $2,500 check to Boulder Crest Foundation to support the Bluemont-based nonprofit’s free programs for members of the military, veterans and first responders.

The donation was made possible by sponsor support for the Marshall Center’s annual Veterans Day Commemoration.

“Our annual Veterans Day event is a powerful opportunity to honor all who have served our nation in uniform,” stated Marshall Center Board Chairman Tom Greenspan. “The Marshall Center is dedicated to showing our gratitude in meaningful ways every day, and supporting the vital work of the Boulder Crest Foundation is one of the best ways we can do that.”

Boulder Crest founder Ken Falke, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Special Operations Explosive Ordnance Disposal, delivered the keynote address during last year’s ceremony. Since 2013, he has spearheaded the foundation’s efforts to improve the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of individuals who have experienced trauma, particularly those dealing with post-traumatic stress.

“When we think of strength, we often envision physical prowess— the kind of strength that’s displayed on the battlefield,” Falke said. “But true strength encompasses much more. It’s about strength in the face the adversity, moments of fear and courage and selfless commitment to a greater cause than oneself. Veterans embody these qualities in ways that inspire us all.”

The Marshall Center program was sponsored by Monoc, LMI, EIT 2.0, Shirley Pearson, 155 Strategies, Bank of Clarke, Fortinet Federal, McCandlish Lillard, Presidential Bank, AUSA – George Washington Chapter, and the Loudoun County Public Library. n

Contributed

A LiteGait 400D rehabilitation device helps clients at The Arc of Loudoun’s Ability Fitness Center.

William Timme/ Loudoun Now

Mike Sullivan, winner of the vegetarian category, strikes a pose next to a rival chili cook.

REEVE FOUNDATION continues on page 17

Chamber Foundation Awards $80K in Nonprofit Grants

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation last week awarded grants totaling $80,000, its highest level of support ever to local nonprofits.

The funding will be split evenly among 20 nonprofits working to support the workforce, economic growth, and quality of life in Loudoun County.

The foundation’s record level of giving was significantly aided by a donation from the Microsoft Corporation.

Founded in 2014, the foundation invests in nonprofits focused on the economy, workforce development, public safety and wellness in Loudoun. Over the past decade, it has invested $330,000 in the Loudoun community.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to express how proud we are to see the Loudoun Chamber Foundation become a true force for philanthropy in Loudoun. I want to thank our donors,

especially the Microsoft Corporation, for your generosity in supporting the work of our Foundation,” Chamber Board Chair Angela Mitchell, of ARM Consulting, stated.

share in our prosperity and quality of life,” said incoming Board Chair Scott Loftis, of Atlantic Union Bank.

The organizations receiving 2024 Loudoun Chamber Foundation grants

“One of Loudoun’s greatest economic assets is the strength of our local nonprofits and their vital contributions to our community’s quality of life. The Loudoun Chamber is proud to support these organizations that are working hard to ensure all who live and work in Loudoun can

are:

· African American Community Alliance

· All Ages Read Together

· A Place To Be

· ECHO (Every Citizen Has Opportunities)

· Insight Memory Care Center

Loudoun Horticulturist Joins in Senegalese Farming Outreach

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Loudoun Commercial Horticulturist

Beth Sastre last month joined a team from Virginia Tech to provide agricultural outreach training for facilitators and farmers in Senegal.

Training sessions were conducted in the Kolda and Sedhiou regions and focused on critical challenges faced by farmers, including on soil health, insect life cycles, pest identification, and integrated pest management. The program emphasized practical and cost-effective pest management strategies and focused on cultural, mechanical, and biological practices.

Cooking demonstrations provided engagement with producers, women, and school principals about incorporating mung beans in school meals to provide higher nutritional intake for students.

Through the program, 21 facilitators and 20 farmers were trained to share information about more sustainable agricultural practices with farmers to improve livelihoods in Senegal. Facilitators were awarded Virginia Tech/Virginia Cooperative Extension training certificates. n

· Legacy Farms

· Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls

· Loudoun Free Clinic

· Loudoun Hunger Relief

· Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

· Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers

· Loudoun Youth, Inc

· Morven Park, Inc.

· Northern Virginia Family Service

· Pathway Homes, Inc.

· Ryan Bartel Foundation

· Shelter House, Inc.

· St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church

· Tree of Life Ministries

· Veterans Moving Forward

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation is a fund within the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Learn more at  LoudounChamber.org/Foundation. n

Reeve Foundation

continued from page 16

to collaborate with numerous committed organizations that tirelessly ensure accessibility and inclusivity and are integral to their programs.”

At The Arc of Loudoun’s Ability Fitness Center the grant will help fund the purchase of a LiteGait 400D rehabilitation device, a powered, robotic harness system that assists clients during exercise and increase their functional ability. The center works to help people with paralysis, mobility-related disorders and neurological conditions to heal with the support of expert clinicians and specialized, state-ofthe-art equipment.

The LiteGait is already installed and in use at the center.

“The new LiteGait device means our clients and staff can make the most of their time here, since our clients won’t have to wait for their turn to use this piece of equipment,” Ability Fitness Center Clinical Director Helen Parker stated. “We pride ourselves on providing the state-of-the-art services and equipment that our clients need. We all thank the Reeve Foundation for helping us provide this life-changing therapeutic exercise. It is already making a real difference to the people we serve.”

Learn more at thearcofloudoun.org or christopherreeve.org. n

Contributed

A delegation of horticultural specialists, including Loudoun’s Beth Sastre, promoted the use of mung beans to increase the nutritional value of school meals in Senegal during a recent training outreach.

Community Leaders Honored at Chamber Awards

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Six community leaders were honored by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce on Friday night during an annual ceremony recognizing individuals and organizations that have shown exemplary leadership and community engagement.

From a roster of 24 finalists, six were chosen across a variety of categories including executive leader, nonprofit executive, DEIA leader, young professionals, small business and large business.

President and owner of Loud & Clear Marketing Sharon Wright was awarded Executive Leader of the Year. The Ashburn-based business provides pro bono marketing support to the Love U More Foundation, served as the sponsor and advisor for the Saving Loudoun’s Little team, and held a rally to secure 1,200 backpacks for local students.

Women Giving Back CEO Nicole Morris earned the Nonprofit Executive of the Year award for her work leading the or-

BUSINESS briefs

Winey Earns Accolade for Chamber Leadership

Loudoun Chamber Vice President of Communications & Events Andrea Winey has been named to the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives “Forty Under 40” list of emerging leaders shaping the chamber of commerce industry.

This annual recognition program showcases 40 of the industry’s top emerging leaders who have demonstrated success in their careers and made significant contributions to the communities they serve. The list includes CEOs and staff professionals from a wide variety of roles and chamber sizes. Honored for their creativity, dedication and commitment to identifying innovative solutions that will help shape the future of the chamber profession.

“Over her 11 years with the Loudoun Chamber, Andrea has developed into a proven leader and a rising star in the chamber industry. Her unwavering commitment to professional growth and dedication to our mission has helped the Loudoun Chamber earn 5-Star Accred-

ganization in its effort to support women and children in crisis by providing quality clothing at no cost. Based in Sterling, the nonprofit provides a boutique where clients can shop free of charge and also packs and delivers bags-to-go for clients unable to make it to the store.

Loudoun County Chief Equity Officer

itation, a national honor achieved by fewer than 2% of all Chambers nationwide,” said Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard.

Winey leads a four-person team that plan more than 100 events annually. She previously earned eight ACCE Awards for Communication Excellence

ACCE is America’s leading professional association for Chamber of Commerce executives. ACCE has over 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations as members, representing more than 9,000 industry professionals. Learn more at ACCE.org.

Visit Loudoun Seeks Tourism Award Nominations

Visit Loudoun is accepting nominations for its annual Tourism Awards program, which showcases the work, service, creativity and contributions of individuals and organizations in the tourism industry.

Carl Rush was named DEIA Leader of the Year for his efforts overseeing development and implementation of programs and policies to make the county government and community more equitable.

The Young Professional Leader award was given to RE/MAX Realtor Kathleen Schwab for her contributions to the

The tourism award winners will be announced at Visit Loudoun’s Annual Meeting & Tourism Awards on April 25 at Lansdowne Resort.

Individuals who work in the industry are invited to nominate candidates for excellence during the 2024 calendar year in the following award categories: Tourism Management Employee of the Year, Tourism Event of the Year, Tourism Community Event of the Year, Tourism Marketing Promotion/Campaign of the Year, Back-of-the-House Tourism Employee of the Year, Front-of-the-House Tourism Employee of the Year, New Tourism Business of the Year, Diversity in Travel, Loudoun Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) of the Year, and The Judy Patterson Tourism Award.

Visit Loudoun accepts nominations on an on-going basis; the deadline to submit nominations for the 2024 Tourism Awards is 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28.

Learn more at visitloudoun.org/industry/industry-events/annual-meeting-tourism-awards.

Godfrey, Burgess Named Partners at UMMC

Sarah K. Godfrey and Mark S. Burgess are the newest partners at Updegrove,

community during 2024. The category is open to individuals between 21 and 40 years old.

ND Point Strategies earned the Small Business leadership award. The nonprofit consulting company was founded by Nikki Daruwala 10 years ago. The company focuses on strategic planning and program development for nonprofits, foundations, government agencies and socially responsible organizations.

The final award of the evening, the Large Business category, was presented to Microsoft for its investment in the community, programs and projects.

The winners in each category will have the opportunity to select a nonprofit organization to receive a $1,000 grant, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

Friday night’s event also featured the

CHAMBER AWARDS continues on page 19

McDaniel, McMullen and Chiccehitto, effective Jan. 1.

Godfrey, who joined the Warrenton office in 2012, graduated George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She serves clients in tax preparation, tax planning and consulting, as well as outsourced CFO services. She is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of CPAs, and serves as treasurer on the Board of the Foothills Housing Corporation.

Burgess returned to UMMC after having his own public accounting practice. A James Madison University graduate, he has assisted clients with a diverse array of services including tax preparation, tax planning and consulting, compliance, and part-time CFO and controller duties for businesses and nonprofit organizations. He is a member of the Virginia Society of CPAs and a Not-For-Profit Section Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Updegrove, McDaniel, McMullen & Chiccehitto, PLC, is a full-service accounting firm with offices in Leesburg and Warrenton. Learn more at  ucmcpas.com. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Incoming Loudoun Chamber Board of Directors Chair Scott Loftis speaks at the annual meeting and Community Leadership Awards ceremony Jan. 24.

Winey

Blackstone to Acquire Loudoun Power Plant

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners last week announced plans to acquire the Potomac Energy Center, a 774-megawatt natural gas power plant south of Leesburg.

While terms of transaction were not disclosed, industry media are valuing the transaction at $1 billion.

Established by Panda Power Funds in 2017, the plant sits near the heart of Northern Virginia’s data center cluster. In 2021, Ares Management Corporation subsidiary ARCC Green Energy Partners Blocker acquired the plant as part of a out-of-court restructuring that included a $490 million debt refinancing.

Blackstone’s investment comes amid efforts to greatly improve power supplies to fuel the growth of AI technology.

“This investment underscores Blackstone’s commitment to investing in the

Chamber Awards

continued from page 18

passing of the mantel – or in this case, the chair – from Angela Mitchell, who chaired the Chamber board in 2024, to Scott Loftis, who will serve as chair in 2025.

Mitchell said when she took on the role of chair a year ago, she set four goals – engagement, policy and advocacy, innovation and creating an inclusive business environment.

“We set a lofty budget goal to achieve a break-even budget,” she told the audience. “I am happy to report that we exceed that goal by three times the amount. … This is a testament to our advocacy, hardworking ambassadors, and all of our committees,

electric infrastructure required to power AI innovation. We believe Potomac is well-positioned to help meet data center-driven power demand growth in Northern Virginia,” stated Bilal Khan, BETP’s senior managing director.

“We are particularly excited about this investment given the opportunity to supply reliable, baseload power to the region. Potomac is one of the most efficient gas power plants in the region and has the potential to integrate a hydrogen fuel blend in the future, which could provide future environmental benefits,” stated Managing Director Mark Zhu.

Blackstone ranks as the largest data center provider in the world, with major investments in both Northern Virginia and globally. n

along with our chamber staff.”

In addition, during 2024 the Chamber provided a record number of grants to the nonprofit community, Mitchell said.

As Mitchell was presented with the opportunity to sit in the chair’s char, Loftis took the stage to present his vision for 2025. Loftis said his focus will be engaging the “best and the brightest” in Loudoun County.

“Loudoun County is a place of innovation, diversity and opportunity. We are fortunate to be at the intersection of some of the most dynamic economic and cultural shifts in the entire country, not to mention this is one of the best places to do business in the entire world,” he said. n

Obituaries

Barbara Williams

Barbara Jean Moore Williams was born September 12, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. Barbara is survived by her devoted and beloved husband and friend of 64+ years, Anthony R. Williams and three children: Michelle Diane Williams Daczkowski of Haymarket, Virginia, John Ruffin Williams of Warrenton, VA, and Kathryn Marie Williams Becraft of Providence Forge, VA. She had 13 grandchildren (Julie Becraft Shehan, Michael Becraft Jr., Alicia Becraft Gardner, Brittany Williams Murphy, Jeremy Williams, Christina Williams Tsutomu, Bryan Woods Williams, John R. Williams Jr., Dakota Brashear, Madelyn Brashear, Aiden Becraft, Abigail Becraft, Gabriella Becraft) and 14 great-grandchildren. Barbara was the daughter of Joseph Ruffin Moore and Thelma Louise Anthony Moore Adkins, both of Richmond, VA and both deceased. Barbara’s father was killed in action in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. Barbara has a stepbrother and stepsister, John Wayne Adkins and wife, Patricia, and Linda Adkins Englemeier and husband Keith. Barbara’s paternal grandparents were Hattie Childress and Clarence Garnett Moore of Richmond, Virginia and her maternal grandparents were Henry Thomas Anthony, Sr. (born Ashland, Va) and Christine Mary Augst Anthony (born in Henrico County, Va.) Barbara graduated from Northern Virginia Community College with Honors in 1985. She worked as a Secretary, Meeting and Conference Planner, and Technical Editor at The Mitre Corporation in McLean, Virginia and as an educational technician at Northern Virginia Community College. Barbara was a Special Education Teacher for 5 years in the Loudoun County Virginia Public Schools until 2000, when she retired, and as a Special Education Assistant for Cumberland County Public Schools for 3 years. She was a member of the Carlisle Civic Club, the Newcomers Club of Carlisle, Friends of the Bosler Library, Cumberland County Historical Society, St. John’s Episcopal Church and also on occasion attended Dickinson Presbyterian Church with her husband. Barbara participated in various PTA’s; was active in political campaigns throughout her lifetime; volunteered 20 years for the Loudoun County Voter Registration Boards in Loudoun County, Virginia; belonged to the Newcomers Bridge Group, USAWC Officers Wives Club Bridge Group, and AAUW Bridge Group. She was Nana to all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was always waiting with open arms and an open heart for any child. Barbara enjoyed bridge, crafts, ceramics, piano, movies, music, and dancing. She enjoyed traveling anywhere and loved Italy - Rome, Florence, and Venice the best. Funeral Services will be managed by Hoffman Funeral and Cremation and held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Carlisle, PA. She will be buried in Union Cemetery, Leesburg, VA. www.Hoffmanfh.com

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Potomac Energy Center, a gas-fired power plant south of Leesburg, is being acquired by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners

Towns

Cournoyer Presents $6.9M FY 2026 Budget in Lovettsville

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounow.org

Lovettsville Town Manager Jason Cournoyer on Thursday presented a draft town budget for fiscal year 2026 that totaled $6.9 million – a 10% increase from last year.

The budget includes nearly $2 million for the General Fund, $1.4 million for general capital projects, $2.8 million for the Utilities Fund and $113,550 for the Event Fund.

The 10% increase over last year is largely attributable to the number of capital projects, Cournoyer said, noting that grants will cover 92% of those costs.

The budget is based on a real property tax rate of 14.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. That is one cent higher than the equalized rate, which would keep tax bills about the same as the previous year’s bill for the same parcel. The extra cent is attributed entirely to the council’s indication earlier this month that they are interested in eliminating the $25 vehicle fee.

“[The extra penny] is basically supplanting the lost revenue the vehicle licensing fee and basically replacing it with a real estate property tax,” he said.

The Board of Supervisors has decided to eliminate the fee and have offered the towns a one-time grant to offset revenue if they also eliminate it. If the Town Council

agrees, that money will be used to offset the expected vehicle fee revenue already counted for in the adopted fiscal year 2025 budget.

One cent of real estate revenue in Lovettsville is approximately $54,800. A year’s worth of vehicle fee revenue is $53,000. Setting the tax rate at 14.6 cents would result in an estimated $56.02 increase in the average annual bill for residents.

“They might not be burdened by that license fee, but it’ll be in the real estate tax and it is pretty close in relative terms

if you have two vehicles at a house,” Cournoyer said.

Council members will need to decide in February whether they want to eliminate the vehicle fee.

The current real property tax rate is 14.75 cents, while the equalized rate is 13.6 cents. The town experienced an 8.55% increase in residential real estate assessments in 2025 over 2024, Cournoyer said.

“This is a pretty significant increase year to year,” he said. “I always say that I think it’s a reflection of the quality of life in Lovettsville.”

The proposed budget includes a 2.5% cost-of-living increase and a 3.5% merit-based increase for town staff members as well as adjustments to retirement and health benefits.

The Capital Improvement Plan includes five projects for FY 2026. The majority of the funding, 82%, for improvements along Loudoun and South Locust streets. An additional 10.2% is allocated for South Church and Pennsylvania Avenue improvements, while 4.9% is set for expanding the Lovettsville Museum and repairs at the Council Chambers. Two and a half percent is allocated for Town Green improvements and 0.4% will be used for

LOVETTSVILLE BUDGET continues on page 21

Middleburg Looks to Eliminate Annual Vehicle Fee

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The Middleburg Town Council endorsed a plan to drop its $25 vehicle registration fee and to accept a one-time reimbursement from the county government during a meeting Jan. 23.

The town is the second to indicate support for the plan, which stems from the Board of Supervisors’ decision to eliminate the fee at the county level. Lovettsville’s Town Council has also indicated it will drop the fee. Board members said the plan is a way to provide tax relief to

residents during a period of extraordinary revenue from data centers.

The mayors of Loudoun’s seven incorporated towns raised concerns about the plan, noting that residents living within town boundaries would not share in the savings unless they also eliminated the revenue source. In response, supervisors backed a plan to offer the towns reimbursement during the 2025 tax year if they drop their fees. The reimbursement has not been offered in future years.

In Middleburg, Town Manager Danny Davis recommended accepting the offer. The town does not impose a personal property tax on vehicles, but it

LOVETTSVILLE

El Pitayo Celebrates Grand Opening

The town’s newest Mexican restaurant celebrated its grand opening Jan. 23 as community leaders gathered with the business owners and residents.

El Pitayo is a family owned and operated restaurant bringing family recipes and authentic flavors from Jalisco, Mexico to Lovettsville with dishes like mole verde and mango chipotle shrimp ceviche.

The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

See the full menu at elpitayomexican.com.

MIDDLEBURG

Reserve Well Shows PFAS Contamination

Middleburg has joined the list of utility providers impacted by new federal regulations seeking to eliminate the presence of PFAS, known as forever chemicals, in water supplies.

garners about $15,000 annually from the vehicle fee.

Although that fee once was a significant element in town budgeting, today Middleburg’s General Fund is supported mainly by hotel and meals taxes, which surpass even real estate tax collections. Davis said increases in the hospitality-based revenues are on pace to make up for the elimination of the vehicle fee.

The council took no formal action but indicated support for Davis’ plan to develop the fiscal year 2026 budget without the vehicle fee. The council in February is expected to amend the Town Code to reduce the fee to $0. n

Recent initial testing found that the town’s Well 3 showed signs of PFAS. The discovery is not expected to impact the water supply as the well is not in use and will be used as a backup at times that Well 4 may be out of service. Confirmation of the contamination is awaiting a second round of testing this summer.

Round Hill, Purcellville and Lovettsville also have reported well tests that show the presence of PFAS and have limited use of those water sources pending further testing. n

Contributed

Lovettsville’s newest Mexican restaurant celebrated its grand opening Jan. 23.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Lovettsville Town Manager Jason Cournoyer presents his draft fiscal year 2026 budget to the Town Council on Jan. 23.

Erickson’s ‘Body at the Lake’ Wins Favorite at Cabin Fever Film Festival

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Local filmmakers and enthusiasts gathered at Franklin Park over the weekend for the arts center’s annual Cabin Fever Film Festival. The theme this year was The Sky’s the Limit.

Five filmmakers competed for awards in three categories – best in theme, most likely to break cabin fever and festival favorite.

“The Body at the Lake,” a black and white, live-action film by Phil Erickson, won festival favorite with over 60 votes. The film showcases 11-minutes of comedic detectives attempting to solve a murder.

“Save a Buck,” by Drew Broadhurst and Rikki Elizabeth Stinnette, a 13-minute live-action film about a crew trespassing to shoot a film in a wooded area with hunting, won in the most likely to break cabin fever.

Tara Roberts Zabriski’s “Stellafane and Beyond,” a 22-minute documentary about amateur telescope-making set in southern Vermont, won best in theme. The remaining two films were a second

Lovettsville Budget

continued from page 21

remaining Town Square improvements.

Only $160,000 of $2 million will come from the town. The rest is allocated from awarded grant funding.

Utility rates are estimated to increase by 3%. As the towns have grappled with drought conditions the past two summers and pushed for conservation efforts, water use has decreased bringing down the amount of revenue for the town.

That rate increase would result in an additional $3.13 to the average monthly water bill.

The Utilities Fund also includes six capital projects totaling $660,000. Those are a watermain replacement, wastewater treatment plant upgrades, planning and design for a new water tower, capital assets replacement, watermain redundancy projects and water plant improvements.

“The budget really just kind of just holds the line,” Cournoyer said. “… there is minimum or no increase to the burden on our residents.”

The Town Council will hold work sessions to ask questions and make potential changes to the draft budget and a public hearing will be held for residents to provide their feedback. n

documentary by Zabriski about native plants called “The Buzz on Native Plants” and a live-action art film called “Cherry Waves” showing current life and childhood through a red lens by Evan Jackson.

Each of the winners received $500 and were congratulated by Purcellville Mayor Christopher Bertaut. All five contestants received a handcrafted item donated by Round Hill-based K&S Pewter.

“The Cabin Fever Film Festival highlights films by Loudoun County residents and those who have a connection with beautiful county,” Bertaut said. “We have so much talent here, as you can see by the film show of this festival. We thank all the filmmakers for sharing their talent and vision.”

The event was founded eight years ago by Liz Jarvis, former Hollywood PR maven and Director of Franklin Park Arts Center Elizabeth Bracey. It is co-hosted each year by the arts center and the Purcellville Arts Council and is designed to feature films made by Loudoun residents. n

Lovettsville Council Overrides Mayor’s $3,600 Plaques Veto

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Lovettsville Town Council last week voted to override a veto cast by Mayor Christopher Hornbaker that stopped that town from spending $3,600 to replace plaques on the town’s Veterans’ Memorial.

The council initially voted to spend the money Jan. 9 at the request of American Legion Post 1836. Two new plaques were recently added to the memorial in honor of the Space Force and Prisoners of War/Missing in Action service members. The two new plaques were created by a different company, after the original vendor went out of business.

The two new plaques did not exactly match the older installations, which were less brown and thinner.

The council voted 4-1 with Council Member Brandon Davis opposed and Council Member David Earl absent to allocate $3,600 to replace the five old plaques with new ones matching the two most recent additions.

Davis and Hornbaker, who does not get a vote on council items, opposed the action, saying more due diligence should be done to see if there would

and state that this is the most fiscally responsible way to get that done,” Hornbaker said.

The Town Charter also allows the council to override the veto by a twothirds majority, a provision council members took advantage of Jan. 23. The motion to override passed 4-0 with Davis absent.

be a cheaper option. Hornbaker proposed sending in an old plaque to a third company asking if they would be able to guarantee a match, requiring the town to only need to pay for two, rather than five.

But council members said it was important to have them ready by the town’s Memorial Day ceremony in May.

Directly after the vote, Hornbaker vetoed the action, a provision allowed in the Town Charter.

“It’s going to be twisted as I don’t support veterans and everything else … but I would not be doing my job, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to sit here and say that any opportunity I get, I find the fiscally responsible way to actually get the objective done and not sit here

Town Manager Jason Cournoyer said the money will come from $7,000 of currently leftover funds allocated to improvements at the Town Square.

Hornbaker said that money is already planned to be used for other improvements.

“What do we anticipate the additional expenses for the AV equipment, and other scope that we still have to pay for to call this a completed project?” he asked.

Cournoyer said he was still working that out but will be proposing an additional $7,500 allocation in the fiscal year 2026 budget for landscaping improvements on the square. He also said the AV equipment could be purchased with the current funding allocation in addition to the five new plaques.

“The landscaping, the PA, are not in jeopardy as we proceed,” he said. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Lovettsville Mayor Christopher Hornbaker listens to staff presentations during a Jan. 23, 2025 meeting.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Filmmakers Phil Erickson and Drew Broadhurst were among the four winners at Purcellville’s 2025 Cabin Fever Film Festival.

HILARY VELTRI

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30

Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

LENNY’S JUKE JOINT

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 City Tap Loudoun, 20376 Exchange St., Ashburn. citytap.com

THE OUTLAWS

7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $39.50. tallyhotheater.com

MOON MUSIC

5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Three Creeks Winery, 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton. 3creekswinery.com

JASON TEACH

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

CHRIS COMPTON

5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

DOMINICA KNAPP

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

FORK IN THE ROAD

5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com

AMANDA MILLER

& MATTHEW MORREALE

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

TWO FOR THE ROAD

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewery.com

Birch Tree Builds New Communities with Book Clubs

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

It’s 6:30 p.m. on a recent Monday night and a council of avid mythology readers gathers at the Birch Tree Bookstore on Market Street in Leesburg.

“Name one hero who was happy,” says Kaitie Stine, co-leader of the mythology book club, using the phrase from Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles to spark the night’s discussion.

What is a hero? Would the ancient Greeks define the term the same way we do?

A club attendee noted that many mythological heroes commit acts we would consider immoral today.

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 23

This is just a snippet of the sorts of exchanges you might hear from any of the Birch Tree Bookstore’s 17 book clubs,

including four new groups established this month along with the Birch Tree Writing Circle. Those new clubs include Horror Book Club on the second Thursday of each month, True You Book Club on the third Tuesday of each month, an audio book club called Knit Lit, and the Mythology Club on the second Monday of each month.

Stine, the bookstore’s events coordinator, said she loves the mythology club because it teaches people that reading that lore isn’t a scary undertaking.

“I know the classics are very gatekeep-ey when it comes to who gets to read them and stuff, because it is not easily accessible,” she said. “There are so many retellings out there that combine the fantasy elements, the historical fiction and contemporary literature. … They’re just so fun to read, and I think they’re

great for fans of like Game of Thrones who like to memorize the names of people and see them popping up in other stories. They’re all interwoven somehow.”

That desire to spread mythology to others ignited the club’s founding when Stine introduced Ami Mason, co-owner of Birch Tree Bookstore and owner of Foliage Plant shop, to mythology retellings.

“Just last year, I picked up The Song of Achilles and fell in love with Greek mythology,” Mason said. “So I kept talking about all these books with our staff members, and at some point we said, ‘we’ve got to do a mythology book club.’”

Mason and Stine, who host club meetings together, joked during the first session that it would be the only club where

William Timme/Loudoun Now

The inaugural meeting of Birch Tree Book’s Mythology Book Club attracted a full house of attendees.

OLD OX ROCKS FOR TEACHERS

Saturday, Feb. 1, 3 to 10 p.m. Old Ox Brewery oldoxbrewery.com

The Loudoun Education Foundation and Old Ox Brewery band together to host a day of music in support of Loudoun County teachers with performances by student musicians, The Surfabilly Vibe and Berlin Calling.

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 22

TRAILIN’ SMOKE

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com

HALL PASS

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

FORK IN THE ROAD

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JASON MASI

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

JOE DOWNER

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

MATT BURRIDGE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX DUO

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

RYAN SILL

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattogoombas.com

BEST BETS

THE HILLBILLY BISCUITS

Saturday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m. Lucketts Community Center luckettsbluegrass.org

Led by the husband and wife team of Trae and Jamie Lynn Buckner, The Hillbilly Biscuits perform high energy, foot stompin’ bluegrass and Appalachian music that will have you swaying and tapping your toes.

DENNIS WAYLAND

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

DAVID THONG

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. facebook.com/doukenie

RICHARD WALTON

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

STEVE BOYD AND FRIENDS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

LAURA CASHMAN

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

OLD OX ROCKS FOR TEACHERS

3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. $5. oldoxbrewing.com

CLARK PEKLO

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Lost Rhino Brewing Company, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

CURT & ROB

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

PERSONAL MOOSE

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive, Sterling. crookedrunfermentation.com

GRATEFUL DUB

Sunday, Feb. 2, 8 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Roots of Creation combine their longtime love for reggae-dub style music and the Grateful Dead for this special performance.

HILLBILLY BISCUITS

7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. $22. luckettsbluegrass.org

COLLECTIVE

7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Ion Arena, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $25. ionarena.com

JASON TEACH

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com

SHOT THRU THE HEART

7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $20. tallyhotheater.com

DR. FU

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31

Rai’s Rendezvous Kitchen + Bar, 44042 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn. raisrendezvous.com

YOKO SAYS NO

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

CONNER HITCHCOCK

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JASON MASI

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Mt. Defiance Cider Barn, 495 E. Washington St., Middleburg. mtdefiance.com

MELISSA QUINN

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

ROBBIE LIMON

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

ROWDY

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church

Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

THE O’MCPUB BAND

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

DREW STEVYNS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

MEISHA HERRON

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

GRATEFUL DUB

8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. tallyhotheater.com

TEJAS SINGH

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

MATT DAVIS

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS BAND

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6

Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen Leesburg, 1 N. King St., Leesburg. eatatrebellion.com

CREED FISHER

8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $25. tallyhotheater.com

RICHARD WALTON

4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6

Marie de la Fleur, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg. fleurdecuisine.com

continues on page 24

GET OUT

HAPPENINGS

continued from page 23

HAPPENINGS

DANCE FOR MUSICAL THEATER

3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. $12. thepickwickplayers.com

ROUTE 50 SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL STUDY

6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3 Willard Middle School, 40915 Braddock Road, Aldie. loudoun.gov

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST

8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5

Belmont Country Club, 19661 Belmont Manor Lane, Ashburn. $75. loudounchamber.com

Book Clubs

continued from page 22

different books spoil each other and have recurring characters. Mason said she was impressed by the first meeting’s turnout, noting that reservations for the next meeting are already full.

But if mythology isn’t exactly your jam, the bookstore’s clubs provide many options.

Horror Club, new among the line-up, garnered a lot of interest from what Mason said was a desire to see something evolved from the Mystery and Suspense Club. Stine noted that the hosts for the Horror Club were receptive to what the community wants out of horror books and include trigger warnings with specific books. The club likely wouldn’t include a lot of body horror since that wasn’t what the demographic wanted, Stine said.

The Knit Lit Club saw audiobook lovers taking their craft supplies to the upstairs room of the building and discussing their books. Members who attended the first meeting were gifted one free audio book. The club plugged libro.fm, an audiobook service that directly supports independent bookstores.

“We really want to spread awareness that there are other forms of audio books

outside of Audible, which is by Amazon,” Mason said. “If you sign up for libro. fm, and you take the bookstore that you want to support and then your monthly subscription, part of that goes toward funding the bookstore, so it can really help out small bookstores all around the country.”

The True You Book Club, an evolution of the old Better You Book Club, is focused on nonfiction books centered around wellness.

The book store also introduced the Birch Tree Writing Circle, the store’s first paid club-style event with a $20 fee.

Mason said the writing circle provides a space where writers can meet up and exchange their work for feedback.

“We’ve really got it all,” Mason said. “There’s a lot of very intelligent people around here. Them getting together for this Writers Workshop is, I think, a great focus for our community. For those who want to start writing the books and not just reading them.”

That sense of community is something the hosts hope to build on by attracting a diverse set of readers. Mason said the clubs cater to lots of different demographics.

“As someone from Gen Z, I find that a lot of people’s main concern about book clubs, especially in our area, is the age

group and kind of the demographic that tends to go to book clubs,” Stine said. “It’s great especially for recent graduates who are kind of looking for a certain community after graduating from college. … It was the easiest way for me to form a community and make new friends, so I really encourage younger people who are looking to make more friends and like to talk about books to come on over and join one of our book clubs.”

Mason added that the Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Mythology book clubs see a lot of younger attendees, but that they also see more men joining.

“It is harder to get men to these book clubs,” Mason said. “It tends to be a very social thing, and it’s harder, it seems, for some men to explore and feel comfortable getting out there. We want it to be known that this is a wonderful place where you can meet friends and hang out and feel comfortable.”

The Queer Lit book club, which meets one Sunday a month, has been growing, she added. The club provides a space for readers to explore LGBTQ authors, and even has a Discord server, according to Birch Tree Bookstore’s website.

Learn more about the store’s book clubs at birchtreebookstore.com. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Carvers gathered at the Village of Leesburg on Saturday to chisel away at huge blocks of ice transforming them into works of art on display on during the community’s annual ice festival.

Legal Notices

LOUDOUN COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

SUPPLEMENTAL REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE

Henry C. Eickelberg,

Treasurer

February 5, 2025

The deadline for payment of the Supplemental Real Estate and Personal Property taxes are on February 5, 2025.

Please note: Payments received or postmarked after February 5, 2025, will incur a 10 percent penalty and interest. Any such penalty, when assessed, shall become part of the tax with interest accruing on both the tax and penalty at a rate of 10% annually. Personal Property taxes remaining unpaid after 60 calendar days from the original due date will incur an additional 15% penalty. The due date will not be extended for bills where assessment questions have been filed with the Board of Equalization. Taxpayers who are having financial difficulties should contact our Collections Team at 703-771-5656 who stand ready to assist.

For Your Safety and Convenience, please consider making payments online, by phone or mail.

CONVENIENT PAYMENT OPTIONS AND LOCATIONS

Online: www.loudounportal.com/taxes

Pay using electronic check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover

By Telephone: 24-hour line 1-800-269-5971

Please note: There is a convenience fee added to a Credit Card transaction. No fee is charged for electronic checks (e-check).

By Mail: County of Loudoun P.O. Box 1000

Leesburg, Virginia 20177-1000

TREASURER’S OFFICE LOCATIONS

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

1 Harrison Street, S.E. 46000 Center Oak Plaza 1st Floor 1st Floor

Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Sterling, Virginia 20166

*A 24 hour drop box is located outside the Sterling and Leesburg locations. All Check payments should be made payable to “County of Loudoun”.

Please contact the Loudoun County Treasurer’s Office at 703-777-0280 or email us at taxes@ loudoun.gov with questions or if you have not received your bill.

Stay up to date on tax information by subscribing to the Tax Notices category of Alert Loudoun at www.louduon.gov/alert. You can also text the word “TAXES” to 888777 to receive text messages about tax-related information, including upcoming deadlines. Additional message and data rates may apply.

For information regarding Real Property or Personal Property Tax Exemptions or Deferrals, please contact the Exemptions Divisions of the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at taxrelief@loudoun. gov, by phone at 703-737-8557 or visit www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief 1/30/25

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ROUND HILL TOWN COUNCIL

The Round Hill Town Council will hold a public hearing on February 5, 2025 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia to receive public comment and consider approval of a telecommunications company’s lease of space on the Town water tower located at 17144 Evening Star Drive, PIN:554266077000; Tax Map No: /34//30////1-A. The lease is authorized by Virginia Code Section 15.2-1800. Copies of the property description and draft lease are available for inspection and copying in the Town Clerk’s Office and at the Town website: www.roundhillva.org. All interested persons should appear and present their views at the above time and place. If a member of the public cannot attend, comments may be submitted by mail to PO Box 36, Round Hill, VA 20142; by fax to (540) 338-1680; or by email to hwest@roundhillva.gov. Comments received by Noon on the day of the hearing will be distributed to Council members and made a part of the public record. Copies of relevant documents may be viewed on the Town website at www.roundillva.gov. Anyone needing assistance or accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should call the Town Office at (540) 338-7878. The regularly scheduled Town Council meeting will begin after the public hearing.

Scott T. Ramsey, Mayor

1/23, 1/30/25

PLAT-2024-0350 Arcola FarmsPhase 1

Ms. Angela Rassas of Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company, Inc. of Reston, VA is requesting preliminary/ record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately fifty-five (55.07) acres into forty-six (46) residential lots, three (3) open space lots, and accompanying right-of-way dedication and easement creation. The property is bounded by Ryan Road (Route 772) to the north, east of the intersection of Ryan Road (Route 772) and Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621). The properties are zoned Residential – 4 (R4) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The properties are more particularly described as Parcel Identification Numbers 199-25-1135-000, 199-25-3525-000, 119-25-6408-000, 119-15-7187-000, 119-15-5059-000, 242-10-8536-000, and 242-10-2937-000 in the Ashburn and Little River Election Districts.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0350. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Eric Blankenship at Eric.Blankenship@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to the Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6 & 2/13/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0365

Tillett’s View Phase 2

Mr. Christopher Spahr, of Pulte Home Company LLC, of Fairfax, VA is requesting Preliminary Plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately 18.60 Acres, into one hundred fifty (150) single family attached lots with accompanying right-of-way, civic space, and associated easements. The property is located north of Waxpool Road (Route 900), west of Claiborne Parkway (Route 901), south of Truro Parish Drive (Route 2119), and east of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). The property is zoned R-16 Townhouse and Multifamily Residential, under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as MCPI #156-26-4485-000 and MCPI #156-36-3643-000 in the Broad Run Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0365. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Vaughn Bynoe at vaughn.bynoe@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, & 2/13/25

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

LVRZ 2023-0001, HK&S SERVICES REQUEST TO REZONE 12745 BERLIN TURNPIKE FROM THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT, TO THE R-C, RETIREMENT - COMMUNITY ZONING DISTRICT

The LOVETTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on the above referenced application at their meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 6 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia.

The purpose of the hearing is to consider the application filed by Mohamed El-Kalla representing HK&S Services LLC, of Aldie, Virginia, to rezone the subject property from the R-1, Residential Zoning District, to the R-C, Retirement Community Zoning District, in order to construct an 80-bed assisted living facility. The subject property is a 4.38-acre parcel identified as 12745 Berlin Turnpike, and by Loudoun County Parcel Identification (PIN) Number: 370-19-5365-000.

All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting. Written comments regarding this item can be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically

The rezoning application is available for review on the Town website at: www.lovettsvilleva.gov/planning You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

1/23 & 1/30/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

EAST G STREET SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS - UPC 122041

The Town of Purcellville is in the process of designing a sidewalk and associated improvements along East G Street from South 12th Street to 350 feet east of South 11th Street. The Town will be holding a Design Public Hearing to gain additional input on design elements from the community at the following date and time:

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 6:00 p.m.

Town Hall Council Chambers 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, VA 20132

Project Description: Improvements will include installing an American with Disabilities (ADA) compliant sidewalk, curb and gutter, and storm sewer to address pedestrian safety and connectivity while simultaneously improving drainage. The Town of Purcellville was allocated $2,733,414 in project funding from the Transportation Alternatives Program (Safe Routes to School category) administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

At the public hearing, project plans, information about property impacts, right of way policies, the tentative construction schedule, and environmental documents may be reviewed. This information will also be available 30 days prior to the public hearing at Purcellville Town Hall, 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, VA 20132. Community input is requested on the design details. If you are unable to attend the public hearing, comments can be sent to Jessica Keller, Project Manager via phone 540-751-2330 or email at jkeller@purcellvilleva.gov . All comments must be submitted to Jessica Keller by Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement pursuant to Code of Virginia § 10.1-1188-B., VDOT has determined the project will not have significant impacts to the environment and meets the criteria for a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, information concerning the potential effects of the proposed project on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places is also available.

The Town of Purcellville ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All Town government offices can be contacted by dialing 540-338-7421. If you require an accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance, please contact Kimberly Bandy, Town Clerk, at kbandy@purcellvilleva.gov.

1/9 & 1/30/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING

TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSPEX2024-0005 POTOMAC STATION DUNKIN DONUTS DRIVE-THROUGH

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0005, Potomac Station Dunkin Donuts Drive-Through.

The subject of the application is an existing, vacant structure at 607 Potomac Station Drive NE. The property is zoned PRC, Planned Residential Community, and is further described by Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 148-16-4540-000.

Special Exception Application TLSPEX2024-0005 is a request by Vigario Holdings, LLC to allow an overall total 3,028 square foot fast food use with drive-through pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance Section 8.5.2 Use Regulations

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development located at 222 Catoctin Circle SE, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Debi Parry, Planner – Land Use, by telephone at 703-737-7023, or by email at dparry@leesburgva.gov.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

1/23 & 1/30/2025

ATTENTION LOUDOUN COUNTY | COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS

INCOME AND EXPENSE SURVEYS DUE MARCH 3

To facilitate the establishment of accurate real estate assessments for tax year 2026, as authorized by the Code of Virginia § 58.1-3294, I am requesting that owners of income-producing real estate provide a certified statement of income and expenses for calendar year 2024. This information, which shall be kept confidential in accordance with the Code of Virginia § 58.1-3, will be utilized to determine fair market values for tax assessment purposes. The survey forms are available online at loudoun.gov/income-expense and should be returned to my office by email or regular mail by March 3, 2025.

Commercial property owners are encouraged to review and verify our record of property characteristics online at loudoun.gov/parceldatabase to assist us in ensuring fair and accurate assessments. For information or filing assistance, please visit loudoun.gov/cor or contact my office at commercialre@loudoun.gov or 703-777-0260.

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office Loudoun Tech Center 46000 Center Oak Plaza

MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804 Phone: 703-777-0260

Email: commercialre@loudoun.gov Website: loudoun.gov/cor

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

1/30 & 2/13/25

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.

This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

1/30 & 2/6/2025

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, February 12, 2025, in order to consider:

CPAM-2024-0004, RURAL HISTORIC VILLAGES (Comprehensive Plan Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2225 and 15.2-2229, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 2, 2024, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice its intent to consider a proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) and the Loudoun County 2019 Countywide Transportation Plan (2019 CTP), in order to establish new policies and criteria regarding the identification, designation, and preservation of Rural Historic Villages (RHVs) and other smaller rural historic communities in accordance with existing 2019 GP RHV Policy 1, Strategy 1.1, Action A. The CPAM proposes revisions to Chapters 1 and 2, the Glossary, and certain 2019 GP and 2019 CTP Maps, and such other Chapters, policies, and provisions of the 2019 GP as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of, the above-mentioned section(s) of the 2019 GP. The RHVs and rural historic communities to which the CPAM would apply generally are located within the Little River Election District and the Catoctin Election District in the Rural Policy Area (RPA). The proposed CPAM includes, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to 2019 GP Chapter 1- Introduction:

• Amend Chapter 1 – Rural Policy Area – to update the number and designation of recognized RHVs and add a reference to rural historic communities.

Amendments to 2019 GP Chapter 2 – Land Use:

• Amend Chapter 2 - Rural Historic Village - to establish new policies regarding the identification and designation of, update the list of, and revise Action A to address the preservation of, RHVs and rural historic communities.

Amendments to the 2019 GP Glossary:

• Establish a new definition for “Rural Historic Village”.

• Establish a new definition for “Rural Historic Community”.

• Establish a new definition for “Legacy Village”.

Amendments to 2019 GP Maps:

• Revise the RPA Place Types Map to reflect the updated list of designated RHVs and Planning Areas.

• Establish a new Map showing rural historic communities.

• Establish a new Map showing all documented historic settlements, whether still existing or not.

Amendments to 2019 CTP Maps:

• Revise 2019 CTP maps to reflect the boundaries and locations of newly designated RHVs.

(continued on next page)

Legal Notices

CPAM-2024-0001, DATA CENTER STANDARDS AND LOCATIONS, PHASE 1 (Comprehensive Plan Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204 and 15.2-2229 the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of its intent to consider a proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) (adopted June 20, 2019, as amended) in order to establish new, clarify existing, revise, and/or delete certain existing policies and guidelines in regard to Data Center use. The amendment also corrects inconsistencies in the Place Type designations that are unrelated to Data Center use. The amendment proposes revisions to Chapter 2 – Land Use of the 2019 GP to establish Data Center as a conditional use in all Place Types where Data Centers are currently identified as a core use or as a complementary use. The amendment also proposes revisions to the Urban Policy Area Place Types map, Suburban Policy Area Place Types map, and Joint Land Use Management Area (JLMA) Place Types map of the 2019 GP, as well as revisions to such other Chapters, policies, and provisions of the 2019 GP as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with all of the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the policies of, the above-mentioned sections of the 2019 GP. The proposed CPAM would apply Countywide. The proposed text and map amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to 2019 GP Chapter 2 - Land Use:

• Establish new, and clarify, revise, and/or delete certain existing terminology pertaining to Data Centers.

• Revise Data Centers to be a conditional use in the following Place Types where they are currently a core use:

o Suburban Industrial/Mineral Extraction;

o Transitional Light Industrial;

o Transitional Industrial/Mineral Extraction; and

o Leesburg JLMA Industrial Mineral Extraction.

• Revise the Leesburg Employment Place Type to make Data Center a conditional use where it is currently identified as a complementary use.

Amendments to 2019 GP Urban Policy Area Place Type Map:

• Amend the Urban Policy Area Place Types map to replace Urban Employment Place Type with Urban Transit Center Place Type.

Amendments to 2019 GP Suburban Policy Area Place Type Map:

• Amend the Suburban Policy Area Place Types map to change the Place Type designation for the communities of Southfork, Winsbury West, Winsbury, Arcola, and the parcels subject to the Old Arcola Residential application (LEGI-2023-0033) from Suburban Employment to Suburban Neighborhood Place Type.

Amendments to 2019 GP JLMA Place Type Map:

• Amend the JLMA Place Types map to change the Place Type designation for the Goose Creek Club community from Leesburg JLMA Employment to Leesburg JLMA Residential Neighborhood.

(continued on next page)

Legal Notices

ZOAM-2024-0001, DATA CENTER STANDARDS AND LOCATIONS, PHASE 1 (Zoning Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 2, 2024, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of its intent to consider proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance) in order to establish Data Centers as a special exception (SPEX) use in all zoning districts where Data Center use is currently permitted by-right. The amendment proposes revisions to Chapter 3: Uses, Table 3.02.051 of the Zoning Ordinance, and such other chapters, sections, subsections, and provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendment or as otherwise necessary to correct typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of, the above-mentioned section of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed text amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to Zoning Ordinance Table 3.02.05-1:

• Designate Data Centers as a SPEX use in the following zoning districts where Data Center use is currently permitted by-right:

o Industrial Park;

o General Industry; and o Mineral Resource – Heavy Industry.

The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes of zoning as set forth in Virginia Code §§15.2-2200 and 15.2-2283, including, without limitation, furtherance of the public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice and facilitating the creation of a convenient, attractive, and harmonious community.

Copies of the full text of the ordinance amendment are on file at the Office of the County Administrator, Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

ZOAM-2024-0003, MANUFACTURED HOME REGULATIONS (Zoning Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 7, 2024, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance) in order to establish new, and clarify and revise, regulations and definitions to correct an ambiguity regarding Manufactured Home use that was unintentionally created in the text with the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance on December 13, 2023, that could allow for Manufactured Home use to be considered as a different principal use from Dwelling, Single-Family Detached, or Dwelling, Single-Family Attached principal uses and thereby not be subject to the one per lot limitation for such uses. The proposed text amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to Zoning Ordinance Chapter 3: Uses, Chapter 4: Use-Specific Standards, and Chapter 12: Definitions:

• Establish new, and clarify and revise, existing, regulations to clarify that only one Manufactured Home may be developed as a principal use per lot; that any such Manufactured Home shall be in lieu of any, Dwelling, Single-Family Detached, or Dwelling, Single -Family Attached, principal use that may be permitted or permissible on such lot under the Zoning Ordinance; and that any additional proposed Manufactured Home use on such lot must be considered a Caretaker or Guard Residence, Dwelling, Accessory, or Dwelling, Tenant.

Amend such other chapters, sections, tables, and provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as otherwise necessary:

• Establish new, and clarify and revise, existing, regulations to fully implement the objective of this amendment; to maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments; to incorporate input received during the public hearing process; to correct typographical errors, section and table numbering, and formatting; to update cross references; and to further clarify the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance consistent with the intent of amendment.

The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes of zoning as set forth in Virginia Code §§15.2-2200 and 15.2-2283, including, without limitation, furtherance of the public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice and facilitating the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community.

Copies of the full text of the ordinance amendment are on file at the Office of the County Administrator, Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

LEGI-2024-0028, CHICK-FIL-A SUGARLAND: SPEX-2024-0045 (Special Exception)

Chick-Fil-A has submitted an application for a special exception for approximately 0.2 acres of a 22.01-acre shopping center located just south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), west of Draineville Road (Route 228), and east of North Sterling Boulevard (Route 846) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: 47100 Community Plaza #175, Sterling, Virginia, PIN: 01-438-2990-000, and Tax Map # /81///5/////1/. The applicant seeks a special exception to reduce the Road Corridor Structure Setback from 50 feet to 30 feet in Table 7.04.02-1 in the Commercial Center (Small Regional Center) Zoning District, pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance

(continued on next page)

LEGI-2023-0090, RACEFIELD SUBSTATION:

SPEX-2024-0008, & SPEX-2024-0018

(Special Exception, Minor Special Exception)

Legal Notices

Northern Viginia Electric Cooperative has submitted applications for: a special exception and a minor special exception for approximately 39.24 acres of land located along the north side of Little River Turnpike (Route 50), south of Racefield Lane (Route 877), and west of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 2625) in the Dulles Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 42139 Reeds Farm Lane Aldie, Virginia, PIN: 203-17-0856-000 and Tax Map # 100AC/1///A2B/. For SPEX-2024-0008, the applicant seeks to permit a Utility Substation in the Industrial Park Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. For SPEX-2024-0018, the applicant seeks to remove a six-foot, 95 percent opaque fence on the southern Type C Buffer of the Subject Property.

LEGI-2023-0109, NOVEC SOUTHFORK SUBSTATION:

SPEX-2024-0033, & SPEX-2024-0034 (Special Exception, Minor Special Exception)

Northern Viginia Electric Cooperative has submitted an application for a special exception and a minor special exception (for approximately 17.67 acres of land located along the north side of Little River Turnpike (Route 50), south of Racefield Lane (Route 877), and west of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 2625) in the Dulles Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as PIN: 203-16-8093-000 and Tax Map # 100AH/1///A1A/. For SPEX-2024-0033, the applicant seeks to permit a Utility Substation in the Industrial Park Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. For SPEX-2024-0034 the applicant seeks to remove a six-foot, 95 percent opaque fence on the northern and eastern Type C Buffers of the Subject Property.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, and amendments for each land use application listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40. Meetings also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on January 31, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on February 12, 2025. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF: PHYLLIS J. RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

1/23 & 1/30/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047156-04-00, -05, -06

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aleszandra Bywater Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Anika Bywater, mother and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Aleszandra Bywater; Petition for Approval of Entrustment Agreement signed by Mother, Anika Bywater, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-277.01; and Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Father, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Aleszandra Bywater. Unknown Father is hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination

of his residual parental rights with respect to Aleszandra Bywater. Unknown Father is hereby further notified that if his residual parental rights are terminated, he will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Aleszandra Bywater; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Aleszandra Bywater; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Aleszandra Bywater. Further, Unknown Father will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Aleszandra Bywater, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Aleszandra Bywater for adoption and consent to the adoption of Aleszandra Bywater.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Anika Bywater, mother and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.

1/16, 1/23, 1/30 & 2/6/25

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025, in order to consider:

THE ADOPTION OF THE REVISED HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN, STREAMLINED ANNUAL PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY (PHA) PLAN, AND FIVE-YEAR PHA PLAN.

Pursuant to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations at 24 CFR § 903.17, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice that it intends to conduct a public hearing for the purpose of considering and adopting the Streamlined PHA Annual Plan, Five Year PHA Plan, and Revised Administrative Plan (effective April 1, 2025) for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The Streamlined PHA Annual Plan and Five-Year PHA Plan are comprehensive guides to PHA policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. The Administrative Plan establishes policies for Loudoun County to implement the HCV Program in a manner consistent with HUD requirements, local goals, and objectives contained in the Administrative Plan.

Copies of the above-referenced plans may be examined at the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, Front Desk, 1st Floor, 106 Catoctin Circle, S.E., Leesburg, VA 20175 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding holidays or call (703) 737-8213 to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40 and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to speak at the public hearing may appear and present their views regarding the matters listed in this notice for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken from 8:30 a.m. on February 28, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 12, 2025. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodation may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF: PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0372

Defender Drive, Phase 1

Mr. Stephens Collins, of Defenders Inc., of Washington, District of Columbia is requesting preliminary record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately twelve (12.373) acres into forty-eight (48) lots, one (1) open space parcel, private streets, street dedication and associated easements. The property is located south of Little River Turnpike (Route 50) and east of the intersection of Defender Drive (Route 1278) and South Riding Boulevard (Route 2201). The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential 16) and PD-H4 (Planned Development-Housing 4) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 128-48-4437-000, 128-48-1771-000, and 127-18-4380-000 in the Dulles Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0372. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Hilary Russo at Hilary.Russo@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20 & 2/27/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0373

Defender Drive, Phase 2

Mr. Stephens Collins, of Defenders Inc., of Washington, District of Columbia is requesting preliminary record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately twelve (11.924) acres into thirty-two (32) lots, one (1) open space parcel, private streets, street dedication and associated easements. The property is located south of Little River Turnpike (Route 50) and east of the intersection of Defender Drive (Route 1278) and South Riding Boulevard (Route 2201). The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential 16) and PD-H4 (Planned Development-Housing 4) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 128-48-4437-000 and 128-48-8353-000 in the Dulles Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www.loudoun.gov/LandMARCand searching for PLAT-2024-0373. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Suzanna Brady at Suzanna.brady@loudoun.gov or you may mailthem to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20 & 2/27/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0374

Defender Drive, Phase 3

Mr. Stephen Collins, Vice President, of Defenders, Inc. of Washington DC is requesting preliminary/ record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately four (4.03) acres into 47 (47) lots, one (1) open space parcel, and associated easements. The property is located south of Little River Turnpike (Route 50), west of Poland Road, east of South Riding Boulevard, and north of Tall Cedars Parkway. The property is zoned R16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 128-48-4437 and 128-488353 in the Dulles Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www. loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0374 Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Samantha Swift at Samantha.swift@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20 & 2/27/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0375

Defender Drive, Phase 4

Mr. Stephens Collins, of Defenders Inc., of Washington, District of Columbia is requesting preliminary record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately three (3.035) acres into thirty-three (33) lots, one (1) open space parcel, private streets, and associated easements. The property is located south of Little River Turnpike (Route 50) west of the intersection of Defender Drive (Route 1278) and Helmsdale Terrace, and northwest of Valley Vista Lane. The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential 16) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as a portion of parcels 128-48-4437-000, 128-48-8353-000, 128-489540, and 127-48-9920-000 in the Dulles Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www. loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0375. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Vaughn Bynoe at Vaughn.Bynoe@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20 & 2/27/25

ONLINE.

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 2026-2031 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM

Pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-2239, the Leesburg Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, to solicit public comment on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2031 Capital Improvements Program (CIP).

The following table reflects potential Fiscal Year 2026 requested funding totaling $38,111,154. The requested funding amount will be included in the Town Manager’s Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget scheduled to be presented to Town Council during their regular meeting the evening of February 11, 2025 at 7:00 P.M.

CATEGORY FY 2026 AMOUNT MAJOR PROJECTS

ADMINISTRATION

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

PARKS & RECREATION

$2,230,335

$4,990,000

$375,000

STREETS & HIGHWAYS

$7,788,119

• Management costs associated with the Capital Improvements Program

• Capital Asset Replacement Program

• Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations at Miscellaneous Town Locations

• Police Station Expansion

• Town Hall Parking Garage Structural Repairs

• Town Shop Expansion and Refurbishment

• Miscellaneous Playground Surface and Equipment

• Old Waterford Road Trail to Morven Park

• Washington & Old Dominion Trail Lighting

• Battlefield Parkway Safety Improvements

• Davis Court Bridge Conversion and Maintenance

• East Market Street Improvements (Plaza Street to Fort Evans Road)

• Evergreen Mill Road Widening

• Liberty Lot Resurfacing, Access and Lighting Improvements

• Milling and Paving Program

• Miscellaneous Roadway, Pedestrian, and ADA Projects

• Townwide Bridge Maintenance

• Traffic Signal Replacements

• Chesapeake Bay TMDL Phase III

STORM DRAINAGE

AIRPORT

$4,881,200

$9,730,000

UTILITIES

$8,116,500

• Miscellaneous Storm Drainage System Analysis & Repair

• Tuscarora Creek Stream Restoration (Utilities Maintenance Building to Town Shop)

• Airport Air Traffic Control Tower

• Airport Hangar Row Lane Security Fence Replacement

• Airport Parallel Taxiway Relocation

• Airport Runway Pavement Rehabilitation

• Airport Terminal Parking Lot Expansion

• Townwide Lead and Copper Rule Compliance

• Townwide Sanitary Sewer Improvements and Repairs

• Townwide Water Line Improvements and Repairs

• Water Pollution Control Facility Solids Processing Improvements

• Water Pollution Control Facility Nutrient & Liquid Processing Improvements

• Utilities Repair, Replacement, and Rehabilitation Program

Copies of the proposed CIP Summary with a complete list of projects are available in the Department of Finance, Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. by calling 703-771-2763. Questions should be directed to Owen A. Snyder, Assistant Town Manager/Chief Financial Officer at 703-771-2717.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of the Commission at 703-771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

1/23 & 1/30/25

ABC LICENSE

Biryani House LLC, trading as Tava Fry, 44054 Pipeline Plaza, 104, Ashburn, VA 20147. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Retail Restaurant or Caterer ApplicationRestauraunt, Wine, Beer, Consumed On and Off Premises.

Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.

Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

1/23 & 1/30/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ048910-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Andrea Isabel Benitez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Wasnat Mojamet, putative father and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Andrea Isabel Benitez

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Wasnat Mojamet, putative father, and Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 25, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

1/16, 1/23, 1/30 & 2/6/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES

Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: CL 24-7038

Loudoun County Circuit Court 18 E. Market St. - Leesburg, VA 20176

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Pro Se Divorce

Terry Lynn Caban v. Jose Caban

The object of this suit is to Divorce by Publication.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Jose Caban appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 28, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6/25

Case No.: CL25-77

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Lisa Gerben v. Alemayehu Mamo

The object of this suit is to divorce.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Alemayehu Mamo appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before March 7, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.

1/23, 1/30, 2/6 & 2/13/25

Loco Service Providers

VEHICLE AUCTION

MD Repo Vehicles For Public Sale at ADESA Washington, DC. All Makes and Models Running Weekly Details can be found at www.adesawashingtondc.com

Terms: State and local orders will be strictly enforced at the sale, including social distancing and limits on the number of people permitted to gather in certain areas. All attendees must comply with such procedures or will be required to leave the premises. We strongly recommend that all attendees wear face coverings for the protection of themselves and our staff. Bidder agrees to register and pay a refundable $500 cash deposit plus a non-refundable $20 entry fee before the Sale starts. The balance of the purchase is due in full by 5:00pm on sale day. vehicles are AS-IS and are subject to a buy fee based on the sale price of the vehicle. Only cash or certified funds will be accepted. No vehicle will be released until Payment is made in full. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted.

VEHICLE AUCTION

ADESA WASHINGTON DC 705-996-1100 44475 OLD OX

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale monthly on Wednesdays. Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may preview/inspect vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops. All results will be final by 5:00

Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities

Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.

Regular Full-Time Positions

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications.

All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

OFFICE COORDINATOR

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

School Budget

continued from page 1

elementary schools. There would also be contracted security officers to handle visitor relations at elementary schools.

Panic buttons are included in the security enhancements. They would be worn on badges and connect to security personnel and administration at the school. AI technology for security cameras with the ability to detect weapons, fights and even medical emergencies is also planned.

A recovery school for students diagnosed with a substance use disorder is slated to open in August. It will have 8.5 full time equivalent employees and cost $900,000 in the FY2026 budget. It will be established at the North Star School in Leesburg.

Students who have been diagnosed and received treatment are eligible. When fully implemented, it will serve 30 students and prioritize continuing education and on-time graduation while continuing teaching the skills students will need to remain sober.

Operations for the Accelerated College and Employability Skills Academy, a collaboration with George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, will begin operation this fall. It will be housed at Potomac Falls High School in Cascades.

The academy will provide college transition or career transition skills for atrisk students. It has already begun some preparations, including hiring a program coordinator.

The Global and Linguistic Studies Academy is in its planning phase with no established opening date. It will offer services to students expanding their knowledge in Chinese or Arabic to better prepare for jobs that might participate in the global market.

The proposed budget includes $300,000 for both ACCESS and the linguistic academy. The programs will also require 1.5 FTEs.

A $600,000 alternative education program for elementary schoolers is also expected to be funded. It will require six FTEs. Elementary school students who have been identified as struggling with managing anger or other behaviors would be eligible for the program. Location and other specifics will be planned by once the program is officially adopted into the budget.

New after-school programming for elementary schools—up to 150 hours per-

school—also is included in the proposed budget. This includes interest-based programs, education enrichment and transportation for the enrichment program. The interest-based programming will cost $200,000 and be sponsored by a member of staff. The after school enrichment pilot will cost $900,000 to start at Forest Grove, Guilford, Rolling Ridge, Sterling and Sully elementary schools. The school division will partner with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services’ CASA program.

School-provided tutoring programs will need $3 million to continue operations. They previously were funded by a state grant. Funding will be distributed to elementary and middle schools based on math and reading tutoring needs.

Several services once supported by grants will be funded with local revenues. They are tutoring, Lexia Core 5, Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics, and Propel and Level Up.

Lexia Core 5 is the only program approved by the Virginia Department of Education to be used in all areas of literacy support. It provides supplemental materials to support literacy for elementary students. The school division has been using it since 2023. The cost to keep it running is $670,000, but only $300,000 is needed in the FY2026 budget because of a reallocation of $400,000 from existing funds. It was previously funded from the All In Virginia grant that expires in 2026.

School-provided tutoring programs will need $3 million to continue operations. They previously were funded by a state grant. Funding will be distributed to elementary and middle schools based on math and

reading tutoring needs. Funds will also be set aside to continue online tutoring services.

BEAM and Propel and Level Up programs will receive $200,000 in the proposed budget. For BEAM, it will expand the program and allow more students to participate. Propel and Level Up will receive funding to reduce the reliance on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant. Programs being expanded include the International Baccalaureate program, the World Language program and the Dual Language Immersion program. The IB program will get two more FTE’s and cost $300,000 for more support for the program. The World Language program will need two FTEs and $200,000 for the addition of American Sign Language at four more high schools. The elementary Dual Language Immersion program will require $400,000 and four FTEs to add second grade to the program, with the goal of expanding to kindergarten through fifth grade by fiscal year 2029.

A second Welcome Center for international students is also included in the budget. It would be located in Sterling and extend the services of the Leesburg Welcome Center. This will require 8 FTEs for the establishment of the Sterling center and the expansion of the Leesburg location. It would cost $500,000.

Leesburg would receive three of the FTEs, one additional registrar and one additional family liaison as well as an assessment data specialist. Sterling would need five positions, two family liaisons, two registrars, one program assistant and one assessment data specialist.

ADDITIONAL STAFF

An executive principal is planned to oversee the alternative and special programming. This will be one FTE and cost $200,000. The administrators will oversee the Academies of Loudoun, the alternative education program, the North Star School, the recovery school, virtual and distance learning and W.O. Robey.

Five FTEs are proposed to provide behavioral resources at a cost of $800,000. There will be one behavior crisis support coordinator, one behavior analyst, and three school behavior specialists. These new positions will work together to support students identified as struggling with behavioral issues.

Ten FTEs are proposed to expand elementary school health clinics. It would cost $1 million. Currently, all middle and high schools have a registered nurse, this money is to also provide them to elementary schools. Positions to be hired include

one community school nurse, three elementary school nurses, one registrar for student health services, and five school nurse assistants.

Additional athletic trainers are also included in the budget. Currently, the school division needs 11 additional athletic trainers to reach the goal of providing two per school. Five are planned for FY2026 at a cost of $600,000. After this, six more will be needed to fully staff the high schools.

Additional school support staffing will cost $1 million and require nine FTEs. This will include five instructional coaches for $700,000 and four resource teachers, two for math and two for reading, for $500,000.

The budget also plans for a phased approach to improve staffing standards. In FY2026, this will add four more elementary English learner teachers for $500,000 and three more elementary gifted teachers for $400,000.

Other staff planned for the FY2026 budget, totaling $1.2 million, include one hearing officer to assist with the appeal proceedings, two adaptive physical education teachers, one children’s services act coordinator, two employees to support child find, the program put in place to identify gifted students, and two homebound teachers.

Other staff-related expenses in the budget total $1.1 million. They include aligning calendars due to some positions being extended, reclassification of some job titles, and stipends for elementary school special education teachers and trainers.

There is also a new elementary school fine arts stipend for art and music teachers that often work outside of their contracted hours for events such as concerts, practices, or galleries. The total cost of this is $100,000.

Positions moving from grant funding to local funding total $500,000 and include one career and technical education specialist previously funded by the Perkins grant and one restorative practices facilitator previously funded by the Virginia Department of Education’s restorative practices grant. $100,000 for threat assessment software is also being moved from STOP grant funding to local funds.

An additional $99.1 million is also related to staff costs. These include the average 6.5% pay increase, health insurance increases and stipends for staff. n

Published by Loudoun Community Media

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 703-770-9723

KURT ASCHERMANN

Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org

NORMAN K. STYER

Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

EDITORIAL

AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org

ADVERTISING

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TONYA HARDING

Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org

VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

Opinion

The Mounting Needs

While continuing to take public criticism for its secretly conceived plot to oust the town manager and appoint a political ally in the seat, the new majority of the Purcellville Town Council on Tuesday also got a detailed update on the needs of the municipal utility system.

It was significantly bad news for the newly elected members whose chief pitch to voters was the fallacy that the town’s high utility rates could be addressed through their innovative management techniques. It’s a fantasy that has been peddled successfully in town elections for a decade.

The town’s current rates are driven by the small system’s debt level—about $40 million today—and the quite purposeful lack of growth, which limits the numbers of users to share in the increasing operations and maintenance costs.

Past councils’ efforts to avoid steep rate increases mainly have involved refinancing the debt to stretch principal payments over longer terms and delaying costly system upgrades.

Each year the costs of that kick the can down the road strategy increases and so does the risk.

This week, the town staff laid out the upcoming capital improvements needs for the water and sewer systems identifying another $34 million in spending that will be needed before fiscal year 2030—including projects to address known points of failure concerns and the treatment of PFAS, forever chemicals, that have been detected in its groundwater system.

The cost to replace worn out pumps, pipelines, screens and filters adds up quickly. So far, 17 utility upgrades have been identified as needed within the next five years—almost entirely to be financed with borrowed money.

Earlier this month, the new council majority diverted a portion of the town’s meals tax revenue for the General Fund to subsidize utility rates. But the needs of the system exceed the impacts of such fiscal sleight of hand.

And if council members want to follow the course of pursuing continued delays to critical infrastructure, they need only to look to the recent multi-day water outage in the City of Richmond to see how that strategy can play out.

LETTERS to the Editor

Resistance

Editor:

On Jan. 27, 1945, Auschwitz was liberated. In August 2024, I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Now, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation and in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, I share the story of that visit:

I look for my brother’s scowl. It is my father’s scowl and his father’s scowl. I’ve seen it in pictures of my great grandfather Alec. Sometimes I catch it on my nephew’s face, but, after years of childhood squabbles, my brother’s scowl is as imprinted as the smell of the honeysuckles by our home in base housing.

I searched the silent photos, grainy with time. There was no color then—not in pictures, not in the Lodz Ghetto.

I thought I might have seen it, but perhaps no one smiled in 1944. There were 164,000 Jews in the Lodz Ghetto. A scowl isn’t much to go on, so I moved on.

Then I stopped. It was the man who killed Daniel Weiskopf.

Dr. Daniel Weiskopf specialized in radiology and gastrology in the time before the Lodz Ghetto, and he continued to practice inside the ghetto—albeit without medicine or an X-ray machine.

Dr. Perla Weiskopf, his wife, specialized in internal medicine and gynecology, and I imagine her boiling water and delivering babies into a world of pain and scowls.

As the liquidations of Lodz increased, Daniel Weiskopf went into hiding but was discovered by Hans Biebow, the Nazi administrator of the Lodz Ghetto. Daniel Weiskopf, trying to afford his family time to escape, rushed Biebow with a knife,

brick, or his bare hands—the accounts vary. Any of the three are viable: we Weiskopfs are a sturdy, stubborn, and impetuous lot. Weiskopf was shot, but not before he wounded Biebow. According to Lodz Ghetto survivor Salomea Kape, Daniel Weiskopf did not attack Biebow in silence: "Murderer, blood of innocent people is on your hands! Your days are numbered!"

In 1947, after a trial in a Lodz court, Biebow was hanged.

And now Biebow’s picture hangs in the Holocaust Museum, but there is no mention of the man who resisted. Daniel Weiskopf is one of six million, and even the Holocaust Museum can’t contain them all.

Pictures of Daniel Weiskopf do exist. He scowls.

— Andrea Weiskopf, Ashburn

READERS’ poll

Budget season is ramping up for local governments. What is your priority?

your Groundhog Day prognostication?

your views at

— By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

Randall, Briskman: About Our Budget Surplus

The belief that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has not and is not providing tax relief is false.

Loudoun County has been fortunate to end our recent fiscal years with a sizeable budget surplus, or “fund balance.” And 2024 was one of the biggest. The surplus our jurisdiction enjoys is derived from three main factors:

1. Conservative forecasting of corporate revenue, specifically data centers

2. Vacancy savings from positions that were not filled

3.     Market-driven higher real estate assessments than forecasted

This annual surplus had been fairly steady, between $75-$100 million annually, until the past two years when the county purposefully predicted much lower amounts of corporate revenue because of a new state law House Bill 791 that adjusted how the personal property inside data centers is assessed. Being fiscally responsible, the Board directed staff to conservatively estimate the revenue so that we will always be able to cover our costs.  We predicted that this would create a larger than normal surplus but were not willing to bet our budget on it lest we have less revenue than we proposed to allocate.

The board recently considered the FY2024 budget surplus, which came in at

$259,577,199. As usual, the board directed staff to make the requisite investments in our contingency accounts. For example, our fiscal policy requires we keep a reserve equivalent to 10% of our General Fund and School operating costs. We also have created contingency accounts for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Sidewalk and Trails Program, the data center revenue stabilization fund, and LCPS capital reserves. These funds are designed to help the County weather increases in material and labor costs, inflation and emergencies, and it is good fiscal policy to keep them up to date. Keeping our capital projects on schedule benefits all residents across the county who use our schools, public facilities, roads, sidewalks, and much more.

These investments usually expend the bulk of our annual fund balance, and the investments only serve our community. For example, this month the Board allocated the following with the FY 2024 surplus:

·     $69 million to the capital budget, asset preservation program and debt service

·    $60 million to the fiscal reserve and stabilization funds

·  $9.7 million to LCPS for one-time capital projects

·  $105 million to active capital

projects, contingency funds, and the land acquisition fund; and

·   $16.9 million to board directed projects such as a library/senior center renovation, corridor studies, and a micro-transit pilot program

Tax relief proposals include:

·    Eliminating the annual $25 car decal fee (which is going into effect immediately)

·  Proposing to reduce the real estate tax rate for FY 2026 by another two cents and setting it at the homeowners’ equalized tax rate ($.845/$100)

·  Lowering the car tax by $0.67 in Fiscal Year 2026 – from $4.15 to $3.48, a nearly 20% reduction!

We can now lower the car tax rate without lowering the rate on data centers because we received authority from the state to split these categories. The Board opted to take advantage of this authority to lower the car tax rate.  We were not required to do so.

The board has declined to issue a “tax rebate” for several reasons. The most important is that by state code, any rebate must be distributed proportionately to all taxpayers. Because data centers pay the highest share of local taxes, they would, by law, receive the vast majority of a tax rebate. In short, this would be a massive tax giveaway to private compa-

nies that are raking in millions in profits nationally. We presume residents would not want the Board to rebate these corporate taxes. With this in mind, the Board considered options to provide tax relief, that actually will save Loudoun taxpayers significant amounts of money.

Even though it’s not a “rebate,” the budget surplus expenditures help lower your tax bill year over year over year as we invest in our county infrastructure and schools.  It should be noted that the Board of Supervisors has lowered the real estate tax rate by 18 cents since 2020 and Loudoun’s tax rate is consistently and drastically lower than any other in the region. We continue to hold a AAA/AAA bond rating because of our responsible fiscal management and policies, which allows us to issue bonds rather than use taxpayers’ dollars or cash for projects. This, again, saves taxpayers’ money.

We hope this clarifies some misinformation that has been published about how the county handles the budget surplus. n

Phyllis J. Randall, Loudoun County Chair at Large

Juli Briskman, Chair of the Loudoun County Finance, Government Operations, and Economic Development Committee and Algonkian District Supervisor

Rural Development: The Difference Between Words and Actions

BY JOHN ELLIS

Citizens living on a narrow gravel road on the east side of Short Hill Mountain recently learned that a developer is planning to build a 20-unit “cluster subdivision” on an adjacent property. The development will increase the daily traffic on that road from about 60 to over 250 vehicle trips per day.

In addition to worries about too many cars on roads that weren’t designed for that much traffic, they also wonder whether drilling so many new wells in such a small area will affect the water pressure in their own homes and whether the concentration of so many private drain fields will pollute local sources of fresh water.

They aren’t alone. Similar cluster subdivisions are also planned or already under development on the Berlin Turnpike, Harpers Ferry Road, Sawmill Lane (a one-lane tributary of Harpers Ferry Road), Hesketh Lane (another gravel road on Short Hill Mountain), and Short Hill Mountain Road.

Collectively, these developments will add about 1,600 vehicle trips per day to the existing traffic in northwestern rural Loudoun. Much of that traffic will funnel into the congested intersections on the north side of Purcellville.

Those who are affected by this random,

Bills Advance

continued from page 9

She said the language change from last year, making the bill permissive, rather than mandatory, gives localities “another tool in their toolbox” to provide more affordable housing opportunities.

“I think that one of the major factors is that it this bill really emphasizes flexibility for localities. It really enables them, if they have a housing affordability program, to extend it to assisted living,” Parsons said.

The bill was approved in the House on a 75-21 vote. It will now be considered by a Senate committee.

A bill that would add an extra step in the road abandonment process for localities in northern Virginia received unanimous Senate approval Jan. 22.

The legislation was drafted by Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) and is intended to cause lawmakers to consider whether a road, particularly gravel and dirt roads, could be used for something else, before it is abandoned and becomes private property. Loudoun has approximately 250 miles of

unplanned rural development frequently ask: “how can this be happening, since it doesn’t seem to make much sense?”

The short answer is that cluster subdivision development is permitted “by right” under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. Not only that, but the ordinance allows three times more houses to be built in a Loudoun cluster subdivision than is allowed in any neighboring county.

If this latest cluster subdivision were located in Fauquier County, for example, the maximum number of new houses that would be allowed on the same number of acres would be six rather than 20, generating 60 new vehicle trips per day rather than 200.

People also ask: how can this be happening, since the county Board of Supervisors has assured us that they are committed to preserving rural Loudoun from over-development and the county comprehensive plan specifically says that we will “limit residential growth to protect the land resource … minimize traffic impacts; and reduce demand for additional public facilities and services.”

County supervisors repeatedly claim that they “have not approved a single new house in rural Loudoun.” The supervisor who represents this district asserts that we are “winning the race” against over-development in rural areas.

rural roads.

“As part of the effort to preserve this extensive network of roads that have significant cultural, historical and environmental value, my constituents raised concerns with the process of road abandonment,” Perry told the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 16.

The bill would only affect Virginia’s Planning District 8 which includes all of Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park, Alexandria and Arlington.

“This bill does not require anyone to do anything, but just to make a consideration of other things that that road could be used for prior to abandoning it. Specifically, whether it could be used for hiking, or bicycle trails and paths, or other non-vehicular transportation or recreation, greenway corridors for resource protection or biodiversity, enhancement with or without public ingress and egress, and access to historical trail and education sites,” Perry said.

A bill by Del. Marty Martinez (D-29) designed to give towns a portion of revenue collected from the county’s plastic bag tax,

Since hundreds of new homes obviously are being built here, one way to square these claims with our reality is to assume that County supervisors have no control over the Zoning Ordinance and its current standards for cluster subdivision development.

But that assumption just doesn’t hold, since the county is currently re-writing other rural zoning standards and, last year, the Board of Supervisors explicitly instructed the county staff to exclude potential revisions to the cluster subdivision standards from that process.

Another possibility is that the supervisors simply disagree with the concerns of the citizens who are immediately affected and do not consider more cluster subdivisions to be a problem, whether from the standpoint of traffic congestion, access to water, water pollution, the taxes required to “improve” historic rural roads, or any other issue. They know what’s best for us, and allowing many more houses in rural areas is part of it.

The final possibility is that supervisors believe there are more important issues than our concerns about traffic, water, or taxes. The current supervisor for the Catoctin District asserts that changing cluster subdivision standards would take away developers’ “property rights.” He apparently believes that developers who

was approved by the House of Delegates.

The Board of Supervisors in 2022 adopted a five-cent tax on disposable plastic bags. Use of the revenue from that tax is limited to support programs that assist in environmental cleanup, provide education programs designed to reduce environmental waste, mitigate pollution and litter or provide reusable bags to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program or Women, Infants and Children program benefits.

This fiscal year, Loudoun’s tax is budgeted to generate $500,000, however in fiscal year 2024 the county earned $774,435 and in fiscal year 2023 it earned $767,808. Supervisors authorized $780,000 of the money to be spent on a Lovettsville Recycling Center relocation.

Last year, Martinez successfully passed the bill through both the House and the Senate, but the legislation was vetoed by the governor.

“Plastic bag taxes fail to achieve their intended goals and burden Virginians amid escalating inflation. Redirecting tax revenues to towns may further encourage governmental reliance on these taxes, ex-

own identical properties in Loudoun and Fauquier have been endowed with a God-given “right” to build three times more houses in our backyards. This is why he strongly opposed the Board of Supervisor’s decision last year to require preservation of prime farming soils on cluster subdivision properties.

It may be just a coincidence, but property speculators and developers who support these views strongly agree with his positions and have been very generous in supporting his political campaigns.

Actions should speak louder than words. When we hear county supervisors assure us there is no problem with an unknown number of “by right” cluster subdivisions in unknown locations in Loudoun’s remaining rural areas, we need to remind ourselves that the supervisors are actually working hard to pave the way for that to happen.

If we agree with their policy, then everyone should be satisfied and happy. But, if we don’t agree, we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by empty rhetoric and we should not allow supervisors to deny responsibility for the results of their actions. n

Mr. Ellis lives in Hillsboro and serves on the boards of Save Rural Loudoun and the Between the Hills Conservancy.

acerbating the issue,” Gov. Glenn Younkgin stated in his veto justification document.

But Martinez has said there was misunderstanding about what the bill does.

The amount awarded to each town would be based on the local sales tax distribution formula.

“Based on the 2023 calendar year bag tax revenue in Loudoun County, the Town of Leesburg would have benefited from $48,271 in additional tax revenue to support recycling and litter collection efforts,” Martinez said during a Jan. 17 House committee meeting.

The bill passed in the House on a 52-45 vote.

“I am pleased to share that my HB1764 passed the House of Delegates this afternoon,” Martinez told Loudoun Now in an email. “This legislation will help towns like Leesburg fund environmentally forward initiatives like ‘Keep Leesburg Beautiful.’ It is only fair that Leesburg and all other towns in the Commonwealth get to keep the revenue that is generated by the plastic bag tax within the town.”

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Local Government. n

A Loudoun Moment

Ravens fly off a perch along Millville Road near Bluemont.

Fraser Contract

continued from page 1

$176,000, which is approximately $6,800 bi-weekly.

Human Resources Director LaDonna Snellbaker said Fraser and Nett came to her office Jan. 9 and since there was no offer letter or signed contract for Fraser, she told them she would put something together and used Bremseth’s interim contract as the template.

“I put that together, basically just changing the dates and the contact information and send that over. So that was sent to [Town Attorney John Cafferky] and the mayor, for them to review and provide comment,” she said.

When Monday came with no response from Mayor Christopher Bertaut or Cafferky, Snellbaker said she needed to have some kind of agreement to use for the I-9 forms required when onboarding a new employee.

Wright and Stought asked when the request to increase the proposed salary was made. LaDonna said she received a request from Bertaut the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 14 to increase the salary.

“I wasn’t involved in any discussion regarding this contract, which I should have been, and I can’t speak for anybody else who was not who was involved, but that seems a little out of the ordinary and really not in the best interest of the town, for me not to have any input as a city council member on this contract prior to the night we’re sitting here to discuss it and determine that,” Wright said.

Rayner, Wright and Stought said they were unhappy with how the process of creating the contract was done.

“You didn’t have the authority, Mr. Mayor, to up a salary on a contract. That is up to all seven of us,” Rayner said. “And I’m really upset about how this, the whole process here, fell apart, where all of us weren’t included in these discussions. … That was really unethical of you to do that and then sell it to us in the town meeting as essentially saying, ‘let’s go ahead and vote on something we haven’t seen.’ That’s really upsetting to me.”

The process should have gone through a closed session meeting as the previous five town manager contract discussions were conducted, Rayner said.

But Bertaut said he had sent the contract out prior to Friday.

“I solicited feedback from town council members, received feedback from some, sent it back to HR to get a finalized version with the editorial corrections, and then it was sent out again,” he said.

“This should have been taken care of before the council made a determination to part with Mr. Bremseth. That we would make a decision like that and not have a contract ready to go get an employee to walk in and not have a contract signed, it was wildly irresponsible,” Stought said.

He proposed re-hiring Bremseth on a temporary basis while the town searched for a new manager.

The council approved the contract 4-3 with Rayner, Wright and Stought opposed. They also authorized Snellbaker to begin the process of hiring a permanent town manager.

“An employee position will be posted for 30 days to get an adequate number of people to apply,” she said. “And then basically, what I do is I look at the resumes and assess them against what the requirements are for the position. The most qualified candidates are scheduled for interviews with council and with the department heads as they have done in the past.”

Prior to the vote, Nett, a town police

officer, made a disclosure saying he had been advised by Cafferky that as a town employee he would be allowed to take part in the discussion and the vote if he thought he could do so objectively.

“After careful consideration I’ve concluded that I’m capable of discussing and deciding this matter fairly, effectively and in the public interest,” he said.

The council also heard from Bremseth’s wife, Marlena, who worked as Fraser’s campaign manager for years. She said then-mayor Fraser had asked Bremseth to work as the town manager in 2023, after three other town managers were fired or quit in a six-month period.

“It’s likely that Rick’s fate was sealed over a year ago owing to two factors,” she said. “The first was that Rick, though requested to do so by Fraser, did not seek Fraser’s guidance when conducting business of the town. Fraser’s frail ego could not accept being overlooked and ignored.”

She advised Khalil and Council Member Carol Luke to learn to “think for themselves.”

“To all of you, including the interim town manager, you are gutless cowards. Your treatment of my husband is beneath contempt,” she said. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now