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Pg. 8 | n EDUCATION
Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES
Pg. 20 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
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2022 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE P. 21
VOL. 7, NO. 12
We've got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always at LoudounNow.com
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Schools Plan International Baccalaureate in $1.5 Billion Budget Request BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
served by public water and sewer, which overall climbed by 16.12%. From 2021 to 2022, the average assessment for one of those homes climbed from $674,506 to $790,070. And while that’s welcome news for anyone who wants to sell a house, it could mean some belt-tightening around tax time—that is also a tax bill of $7,742.69, an increase of $1,133 compared to last year, at the county’s current tax rate of $0.98
The School Board on Feb. 3 adopted its $1.5 billion Fiscal Year 2023 budget request, sending a plan to county supervisors that would fund performing arts and special education stipends, eliminate parking fees and bring the International Baccalaureate program to Loudoun. The 8-1 vote sends the largest bottom line in division history to the county Board of Supervisors. The board is asking for a 5.6% increase from the current year’s budget despite a 7% drop in student enrollment. Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run) was the lone vote against the budget, citing a potential $15 million funding gap from real estate taxes which may require budget reconciliation in the spring. The budget includes an International Baccalaureate program—a program that Tom Marshall (Leesburg) and John Beatty (Catoctin) voted to cut—year-round stipends for performing arts teachers, $1,000 stipends for all special education employees, and an average 5% raise for all teachers. The IB program in its first year in the division will cost $563,000, to cover salaries for one program supervisor and two teachers. While Marshall said that the IB program was unnecessary, Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) said that such a program is an expectation for a school division of Loudoun County Public Schools’ size. He said he has spoken to families that opted to not move to Loudoun County due to the lack of an IB program. Superintendent Scott Ziegler shared that of the 14 largest school divisions in the state, Loudoun is the only division that does not offer the program. The IB program does not require admission, and any student may take the courses. “It is a worldwide program that has rigorous standards and research-backed results,” Serotkin said.
HOME VALUES continues on page 39
BUDGET REQUEST continues on page 39
Hayley Milon Bour/Loudoun Now
A home for sale in Leesburg. Home values saw unprecedented growth last year while new construction slowed.
Home Values Show ‘Unprecedented’ Growth BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun home values showed “unprecedented” increases in sales prices last year, according to Commissioner of the Revenue Robert S. Wertz. The average growth in value for different types of residential real estate values climbed anywhere from 14% to 16% last year, while new construction remained largely stalled by comparison. The fastest growth in values was in single-family homes
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County Leaders Seek More Agriculture in the Classroom BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
County supervisors, School Board members and the Rural Economic Development Commission are hoping to do more to bring the farm to the classroom— even if that classroom is the suburbs. Although it might be hard to tell standing in Sterling, South Riding or Data Center Alley, Loudoun is a statewide leader in agriculture, especially when it comes to wine grapes, honey, equine activities, alpacas and llamas, and farmers who are women or minorities. And that farming heritage has a long history in Loudoun education, too—the first agricultural school in Virginia was the Loudoun Agricultural and Mechanical Institute, established on President James Monroe’s Oak Hill plantation near Aldie in the mid-1800s. That tradition is carried on today at the Academies of Loudoun, which includes agriculture courses among its offerings and hosts the county’s only remaining chapter of Future Farmers of America. It is also reflected in schools across the county, through the Department of Extension Services, school gardens, students spending time working with farmers, and lessons like the embryology program, which sees elementary schoolers across the county hatch and raise a chicken. The egg hatching lesson particularly is a hit. “I think almost all the schools that AGRICULTURE IN CLASSROOMS continues on page 38
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Frederick Douglass Elementary kindergarten students harvest the fruits—and veggies—of their labor in their school garden in 2017.
Governor, AG, Loudoun Families Duel in Courts Over School Masking BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
As state officials this week were granted their motion to join three Loudoun County Public Schools families suing the school division in district court over its mask mandate, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order seeking to make masking optional is facing a challenge in federal court from families who say the order violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. And parents of children with health problems worry the Youngkin administration is putting their kids’ lives in danger. Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow were granted
their motion to join the Loudoun County Circuit Court lawsuit brought by parents Kristen Barnett, Heather Yescavage, and Colin Doniger. They are seeking a temporary injunction and temporary restraining order against the local mandate, which Miyares said in a statement is in violation of Youngkin’s executive order to make masking in schools optional. “The School Board’s actions have directly interfered with the right of each parent here … to make educational decisions for their children, all of whom have been directly and irreparably harmed by the unlawful Universal Mask Mandate and would attend their respective Loudoun County Public Schools mask-
free if it were not for the Mandate,” the filing reads. “After nearly two years in this pandemic, we have better risk mitigation strategies and vaccines, and we know much more about the efficacy of requiring children to wear masks all day,” Miyares said in a statement Wednesday evening. “Parents know what is best for their children and should be able to decide if their children wear a mask for eight hours a day.” Miyares’s statement contradicts longstanding expert health advice on the importance of masks in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Youngkin’s executive order also is the subject of a lawsuit from other school
boards, who argue it is illegal because it conflicts with state law. Senate Bill 1303, signed into law last year, requires that school divisions provide full-time in-person instruction, and to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to the greatest extent practicable. The CDC still recommends masking in schools. Last week, a federal District Court judge ruled in favor of seven Virginia school divisions, granting a temporary restraining order against the executive order. The Loudoun parents’ lawsuit, however, claims that the School Board is in SCHOOL MASKING continues on page 38
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Loudoun
ON THE Agenda
Biberaj Defends Prosecutorial Work, Pushes for More Funding BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj defended her office’s work and pushed for more funding from the county Board of Supervisors during a more than two-hour “State of Justice” online presentation Feb. 2. She also framed her office’s job as bringing a more humane and compassionate eye to the justice system. “We never lose sight of the fact that we’re dealing with human beings. Individuals ask us, ‘well, what is the role of the prosecutor?’ And a lot of times it’s believed to be that to prosecute. That is, someone’s job is to convict. And that actually is not the role of the prosecutor,” Biberaj said. “The role of the prosecutor is a very distinctive role in a criminal justice system, and that is to be a minister of justice. We had a duty to seek justice, not to merely convict.” She argued a more enlightened approach to prosecution is both more efSTATE OF JUSTICE continues on page 6
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Two Dulles Greenway-backed bills to change the way tolls are governed on the state’s only private highway has been sent to next year in General Assembly committee votes. The bills, filed by Del. David A. Reid (D-32) and Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (D33), sought to relieve the Dulles Greenway of new regulation passed last year, instead allowing the state Commissioner of Highways to negotiate a new deal on tolls with the highway owners unilaterally. The bills also added would have further shielding information about the Greenway’s finances from public disclosure with non-disclosure agreements and a new Freedom of Information Act exemption specifically for that information. Both bills were tabled until the 2023 General Assembly session in their respec-
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines continues to decrease and supplies become more widely available from providers throughout the community, Loudoun County will permanently close its mass vaccination clinic at Dulles Town Center after Saturday, Feb. 26. The county is planning to open a smaller vaccination site afterward, but details have not yet been announced. The county will continue to provide first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine, as well as boosters, through the regularly scheduled hours on Saturday, Feb. 26. People who receive their first dose of Pfizer vaccine within 21 days or first day of Moderna vaccine within 28 days of the clinic’s closure will need to get their second dose from another provider.
PEC Raises Dulles Solar Plan Concerns Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj speaks outside the county courthouse during an outcry over a judge’s treatment of an alleged domestic violence victim in the courtroom in September 2021.
Greenway Tolls Bills Stopped in Committee BY RENSS GREENE
Dulles Town Center Vaccine Clinic to Close
tive chamber’s transportation committee this week. The bills were similar one Reid introduced last year. The Loudoun Board of Supervisors opposed the bill both last year and this year. Reid and Boysko had pushed the bill as a path to lower tolls and distance-based tolling. Reid told a subcommittee of the House of Delegates transportation committee that he had met with Gov. Glenn Youngkin on the bill, and in committee sought to amend it to make more explicit the desire for distance-based tolling and reduced tolls along the length of the road. “The objective of this legislation is to empower the new administration to work with the owners of the Greenway and to work in collaboration with county to be able to come up with a way to implement distance-based pricing and to reduce the tolls,” Reid told the subcommittee. Loudoun County’s representatives in
those negotiations would be non-voting members sworn to secrecy by non-disclosure agreements. “Our concern with the bill is, it’s kind of focusing on the process and not necessarily the end result. Our focus as the county is on the end result and getting the best deal that we can,” County Administrator Tim Hemstreet testified to the House committee. “….Because this road is exclusively in Loudoun County and the majority of people that use it are Loudoun County residents, we feel very strongly that the county should have input on the final deal and what the end result is.” He also said the county is committed to working with the Greenway’s owners and stakeholders to come up with a solution. The House Transportation subcommittee continued the bill to 2023 unanimously on Feb. 3; the Senate transportation committee did the same on the same day. n
The Piedmont Environmental Council, while applauding Dulles Airport’s plans for a utility-scale solar array on more than 800 acres of airport property, is pushing for less impact on undeveloped land. The airport plans to lease the land to Dominion Energy for the project. The environmental advocacy group supported the concept of solar development on the site, which is near industrial and commercial development, but argued the solar panels should as much as possible go onto rooftops at the airport. The council pointed to a draft environmental assessment by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority finding that 272 acres of utility-scale solar over parking lots and on rooftops could provide about 80% of the 100MW planned for the project. The airports authority will prepare responses to the council’s comments on the draft environmental assessment before submitting a final report to the Federal ON THE AGENDA continues on page 7
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
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“It started out as a normal outing. My wife and I had to run to the grocery store. We were driving down the road casually going over our shopping list when the car ahead of me started to slow down anticipating the yellow light. I started to move my foot from the gas to the brake as any normal person would do when they see brake lights in front of them but I couldn’t. I couldn’t feel my foot. The car kept moving forward and I just couldn’t get my foot on the brake. And CRUNCH! I finally came to a stop when I hit the car in front of me.”
This was the case with Dan. “I said I wasn’t going to drive again. What if that had been a pedestrian?” It is terribly common that peripheral neuropathy and its debilitating symptoms interfere with a person’s ability to live their life. Dan was now reliant on his wife to drive him around, even the simple pleasure of cruising down to play golf or taking her out to dinner was outside his capabilities. And even more common, Dan’s general practitioner and several specialists told him there was nothing they could do other than prescribe him pills that would ease the pain of his neuropathy.
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This tragic story was shared with us by Dan S. an Ashburn resident who has peripheral neuropathy. And while no one was hurt in this accident, Dan S. had suffered almost everyday of his life with tingling and burning in his feet until numbness set it and he could no longer feel even the brake pedal beneath his foot.
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fective and saves money overall, such as by reducing the number of people held in jail. “If we’re single-minded, we can convict and try to incarcerate, but guess what this society has taught us? It doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t work that way because it’s not successful,” Biberaj said. “We, as a society, spend billions and billions of dollars incarcerating people. And what is the pattern for the majority of them? They return back to our communities, and if there’s not stability in that return, then what ends up happening is we have recidivism.” By way of example, she told a story of a man charged with eight felonies in 2020 for stealing lunch from a grocery store on a daily basis. She said her office learned he was a homeless veteran with mental health issues. “We can look at it and say sure, hey, the facts support that this person committed felonies and numerous ones, but the real challenge is, what do we then do?” she said. Her office instead connected the person with veterans’ services to provide him housing, counseling and stability. “Guess what? He won’t be going back to that store stealing lunch anymore. And for a veteran in our community to have to resign to that action, that’s a black mark on our community,” she said. With the county Board of Supervisors set to begin budget deliberations in earnest this week, she said the office needs more funding. “When you allowed me to represent you as the commonwealth’s attorney for Loudoun County, I made some huge commitments. I have to be honest—I did not realize the limitation that I would have in the ability to be able to provide these services because I didn’t have control of the resources,” Biberaj said. “That is a huge challenge. So, what we’re doing is, we’re inviting our Board of Supervisors mem-
bers to come over, watch what we do, come see what we do, come see where our taxpayer dollars are going. And most importantly, come see why we need more.” Last year, Biberaj’s was the only county office not to see its annual funding request fully approved, amid concerns over her handling of domestic violence cases. Her office’s handling of those kinds of sensitive cases is again under fire this year—one supervisor, Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin), works for the law firm that defended the 15-year-old who admitted to two sexual assaults in Loudoun high schools, events that garnered national attention for the school system’s handling of them. He said the second offense happened after the boy was released from detention, after Biberaj’s office was not ready on the appointed trial date. Under Virginia law juveniles cannot be held pre-trial for longer than 21 days. Biberaj has said that delay was after consultation with the family of the first victim; the family has said that is not true. Biberaj also trumpeted her attorneys’ diverse backgrounds—many were not previously prosecutors. “You, Loudoun County, have the luxury, the benefit and the good fortune to be represented by these attorneys [present] and about 15 others in our office who are the most dedicated group of people that I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” Biberaj said. “… We come from a very diverse background. We don’t have a cookie-cutter team that is all prosecutors, and that’s the only path of legal education, and/or experience that they’ve had. We have individuals who were from legal services, we have individuals from the Public Defender’s Office, from the county attorney’s, from different prosecutors’ offices, it goes on and on and on.” The State of Justice was scheduled to be available as a Facebook Live stream; when that did not work, about an hour into the presentation Biberaj posted a link to a GoToMeeting stream in the Facebook event. n
$195,000 LOVETTSVILLE, 3 ACRES There is nothing not to love about this home and lot. Amazing colonial with almost 5,000 finished square feet. Newly refinished wood floors in two story foyer, kitchen and breakfast room. New carpet through out main and upper level. Private lot off all hard surface roads and driveway. No HOA.
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
ON THE agenda continued from page 4
Aviation Administration for review.
County CFO Romanchyk Honored Upon Retirement County supervisors sent off Loudoun’s Chief Financial Officer a resolution honoring her more than a decade of a service to the county. According to a resolution passed Feb. 1, the day of her retirement, she came to Loudoun on Sept. 19, 2011. During hre tenure, she rose from controller to chief financial officer, along with leadership roles in professional organizations like the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association. Recently, she helped develop the county’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing Program. She also is partly to thank for the county’s flawless triple-A credit rating.
Biz Tax Filings Due March 1 Owners of business equipment located in Loudoun County as of Jan. 1 must declare it for taxation to the Commissioner of the Revenue by midnight, March 1.
The office recently issued notices of business tax filing requirements including the necessary account number to enable taxpayers to report. They can report original cost, year of purchase and item description at loudoun.gov/efile. The license tax or fee can then be paid at loudoun.gov/paytaxes. Semi-annual bills for this equipment will be issued by the Loudoun County Treasurer and will be due May 5 and Oct. 5.
PAGE 7
Prudential Advisors welcomes Bob Howard to Leesburg, VA.
Online Fatherhood Skills Class Begins March 8 The next session of the program sponsored by the Department of Family Services to help fathers build skills begins March 8. All fathers are welcome to attend the free, 12-week virtual program. The National Fatherhood Initiative’s 24/7 Dad program is meant to strengthen fathers’ relationships with their children. The virtual workshops will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Early registration at bit.ly/loudounfathers, by email to Program Assistant Linh Carter at linh.carter@loudoun.gov or by calling 703-737-8237 is encouraged as space is limited. More Information is online at loudoun.gov/fatherhood. n
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Leesburg
A New Deal:
Gregory Under Contract to Buy Mobile Home Park BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Just a few weeks after news that prospective buyer Darius Saiedi would not proceed with the purchase of the Leesburg Mobile Home Park community, a new buyer has the property under contract. David Gregory, who had previously pitched his former Graydon Manor property as a location to relocate displaced residents of the mobile park, confirmed to Loudoun Now that he has a ratified contract on the property. Gregory declined to provide further contract details, but said those would be announced later in the week after he met privately with Leesburg Mobile Park residents. He is also expected to elaborate further on his plans for the property, which includes 75 mobile home units. Residents of the mobile home community and town leaders were prepared for another buyer to come forward quickly to pursue purchase of the land just outside of downtown Leesburg. Some council members had gone so far as to suggest that the town government look into purchasing the property to guard it against redevelopment, or involve local nonprofits to look into what could be done to keep the community together. Gregory said he and Councilwoman Suzanne Fox had spoken about the property and whether he would be interested
Loudoun Now File Photo
Dave Gregory, left, speaks with Zeeland NV engineer Cody Francis about plans for a co-housing village at the 131-acre Graydon Manor in 2019.
in acquiring it. Fox confirmed that Gregory was “one of the parties I was communicating with looking for a possible solution for the trailer park.” “He has indicated that he has no intention of displacing anyone. I’m excited
and I’m happy for the residents. I’m also pleased that we’re able to reach a solution that did not cost taxpayers a single penny,” she said. Mayor Kelly Burk said it was “interesting” to hear that Gregory has a contract on the property and was eager to
hear what his plans will be, and how it will affect the families living there. “My hope is that he will keep in mind that there are 75 families that live there that need housing, and that whatever he chooses to put in there will take that into consideration,” she said. n
Council Priorities Guide Proposed $153M Leesburg Budget BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Priorities established by the Leesburg Town Council during a spring 2021 strategic planning meeting laid the groundwork for Town Manager Kaj Dentler’s proposed fiscal year 2023 budget. Dentler on Tuesday unveiled his proposed spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year—a $153 million budget and accompanying 17.6-cent real estate tax rate. The proposed tax rate is lower than the town’s current tax rate of 18.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. That decrease largely is attributed to the dramatic climb in assessments, with residential assess-
ments up by 13% across town, and a more than 15% growth for all taxable properties in the county seat. The equalized tax rate, where the average residential tax bill would remain flat, is 16.6 cents. Should the council choose to adopt the equalized rate, which Dentler has said he does not recommend, the council would need to trim $1 million from the proposed budget. If the council adopts the proposed 17.6cent rate, most residential real estate tax bills would see an increase. Single-family homes would see an average monthly increase of $9.33; townhouse owners would see a $4.67 monthly impact; and condominium owners would see an average increase of $1.42 per month.
Dentler said the 17.6-cent rate, along with by tapping excess funds in the town’s Unassigned Fund Balance, allows the council to fund the proposed General Fund enhancements guided by its strategic planning session. A recent presentation to the council by the town’s financial advisor noted that a growth in revenues and the influx of federal funding has allowed reserves to eclipse the town policy of maintaining an amount equivalent to 20% of General Fund expenditures. Dentler is proposing to use $1.4 million from the unassigned fund balance to pay for a number of one-time General Fund expenses. Those include several IT upgrades, including $100,000 for an upgrade
to the town’s phone system; $500,000 for additional video storage; and $350,000 for a second fiber connection for the Leesburg Police Department. IT was one of the five areas of emphasis identified by the council during its strategic planning meeting, and laid the foundation for Dentler’s proposed enhancements. In addition to IT, the council identified economic development, the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan, the environment, and emergency preparedness as priorities. On economic development, Dentler has proposed the creation of a new position—a small business development coordinator, budgeted at $120,000. Noting the BIUDGET continues on page 9
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Budget continued from page 8 cessation of the Mason Enterprise Center incubator effective June 30, Dentler said it was important for the town to have its own staff person devoted to the needs of small business owners in the town. There has also been $75,000 in funding budgeted to lease space in the town to house both that staff member and, potentially, Loudoun Small Business Development, which is located in the MEC. He said the current first-floor MEC space at 202 Church St. SE is being explored as one option, but it remains to be seen what that building’s owner plans to do with the space. Dentler also has proposed a one-time cost of $100,000 for the development of an economic development strategic plan, which would be funded out of the unassigned fund balance. On planning, Dentler has proposed another new General Fund position, at $125,000. That staff member would focus on both the Zoning Ordinance rewrite and the adoption of capital intensity factors for the town, an initiative that both the Planning Commission and Town Council have supported. Dentler said the current town staff does not have the bandwidth to take on those two large-scale projects itself. A Zoning Ordinance re-write alone, which is typically undertaken after the adoption of a new comprehensive plan, can take 18 to 24 months, or even longer if there is not a staff member or consultant to support it, he said. The council is expected to adopt the new Legacy Leesburg Town Plan before May 1. The $335,000 needed for a Zoning Ordinance re-write and the $250,000 development of capital intensity factors are proposed to be funded from the unassigned fund balance, along with a $250,000 town-wide traffic study that was proposed by the Planning Commission. Dentler has proposed two other new positions in the General Fund, an IT systems analyst and customer support for the IT Department. These positions would allow senior level IT staff to focus on bigger-picture initiatives and projects and not have them pulled in to assist with day-today IT troubleshooting, Dentler said. On emergency preparedness, Dentler is proposing to add $500,000 to the town’s annual snow removal budget, as those operations in the past couple of fiscal years have regularly eclipsed $1 million. Traditionally, the town has only budgeted a few hundred thousand dollars, $605,000 this fiscal year, and drawn the remaining needed funding from reserves following the winter weather season. The Utilities Fund’s proposed $52.8 million fiscal year 2023 budget includes
funding for three new positions and $21 million in capital projects. A 4.5% rate increase for water and sewer users is planned for the year as part of the fourth year of the five-year plan adopted by the council. The six-year Capital Improvements Program includes 81 projects, including 14 new projects. Fiscal Year 2023 includes $52 million for 46 projects. Two projects Dentler highlighted include funding to either renovate or raze the 16 Wirt St. property, which the town recently purchased to allow for the potential future expansion of Town Hall. Another project that could generate a significant amount of resident interest is
PAGE 9
the construction of a pedestrian trail connecting Old Waterford Road to Morven Park. Dentler said town staff has worked with both Morven Park and the nearby Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center to gain easements that would allow for the construction of the trail, should the council support it. On the capital projects budget, town staff is dealing with some expected cost increases on projects attributed to supply chain issues and inflation. The Leesburg Police Department headquarters expansion is estimated to have a cost increase of $3 million, but that could change for better or worse when the project goes to bid. The
Lawson Road pedestrian crossing project has also increased by at least $500,000. Dentler has proposed a budget schedule for the council that pegs budget adoption March 22. Additional work on the budget is expected during the council’s regularly scheduled meetings on Feb. 22, March 7, and March 21. A public hearing on the budget is planned for March 8, and a hearing on the tax rate for March 22. The council was expected to host a public hearing on the personal property tax rates—which are proposed to remain unchanged—Tuesday, after this paper’s deadline. The proposed budget will be available at leesburgva.gov/budget. n
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PAGE 10
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Education
SCHOOL notebook
School Board Fully Funding Fine Arts Stipends in $1.5B Budget
Hearings Set for School Board Removal Cases
BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
After a years-long battle over funding for the performing arts, the School Board voted this week to allocate $2.4 million dollars to its recommended budget for fiscal year 2023 for teacher stipends for theater and band programs. That amount is a placeholder, pending a human resources investigation and review of funding the stipends. Denise Corbo (At-Large) made the motion to fund year-round stipends for performing arts teachers, initially at $1.9 million. After discussion, board members determined that amount might not cover fully funding stipends for all performing arts programs, and that the staff would need to review positions that are currently funded and consider additional taxes and fees. The additional half million dollars was added to the amount Corbo proposed. The motion passed 5-4, with Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles), Vice Chairman Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge), Brenda Sheridan (Sterling), and Harris Mahedavi (Ash-
burn) opposed. Going into the meeting, the superintendent’s recommended budget included a $400,000 placeholder for the stipends, pending a review conducted by Human Resources and Talent Development. Serotkin made a motion to double that to $800,000, and expressed his disappointment that the stipend review wasn’t completed in time for the budget adoption meeting. Corbo’s motion was made in substitute, supporting a proposal prepared by members of the performing arts community, organized by Rock Ridge theater director Anthony Cimino-Johnson. “We need to compensate our educators accordingly. And according to the work that they put in not just to the productions—but these are lifelong skills our kids are learning,” Corbo said. Tom Marshall (Leesburg) said that the current stipend funding is a safety concern, adding that there aren’t enough adults supervising students in the programs. Morse said that the community proposal did not go through a thorough
review by the staff and did not include details such as payroll taxes. “For example, we went from 1.9 to 2.4 immediately,” Morse said. “That tells me that we don’t know precisely what we’re in for, and I can’t support a motion that’s taking us into an area where it’s irresponsible for us to make budgetary decisions without knowing the impacts.” Sheridan agreed, saying she was uncomfortable supporting the motion without a full review of the plan by staff. “What the School Board did tonight is historic and a win for all of our students. … It is now time to work with the Board of Supervisors to gain support and ensure it stays in the final budget in April,” Cimino-Johnson said after the vote. “We thank the community and board members for their ongoing support of our performing arts programs.” Currently theater directors are only compensated $6,750 a year. Community members have pointed to the inequity compared to sports programs. Head footFINE ARTS continues on page 11
Cornerstone Chapel Plans School at Middleburg Academy Site BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
Cornerstone Chapel plans to open a Christian school in fall 2023 on the site of Middleburg Academy near Middleburg. Cornerstone Christian Academy will begin offering grades K-8, and will add a grade each year after until it reaches 12th grade. Pastor Gary Hamrick made the announcement to his congregation on Sunday morning. On its website, the church shared that it is under contract to purchase the campus. The 90-acre Middleburg Academy property was purchased by JK Moving Founder and CEO Chuck Kuhn in July 2021, with plans to add land to the adjacent Middleburg Training Center, which he purchased in 2017, and to return the campus to educational use by leasing it to a private school operator. The grounds feature two primary academic buildings, totaling nearly 84,000 feet, and four residential dwellings, in-
Loudoun Now file photo
Cornerstone Christian Academy will be founded at the former site of Middleburg Academy.
cluding a manor house dating back to the 1920s. The property has been used for private schools since 1965 when the Notre Dame Academy, then a Catholic boarding school for girls, opened. In 1990, it became a co-educational Catholic day school. In 2000, the school was purchased by the board of trustees and by 2009 transitioned to be become the Middleburg Academy operating as a fully independent, nonsectarian school. It closed in 2018. The Cornerstone is soliciting for interested families and donors. According
to the website, the school plans to offer scholarships. The school is not yet enrolling students and has not yet set tuition rates. During the announcement, Hamrick pointed to the School Board and school administration’s handling of a sexual assault scandal in schools. “What can we do to help rescue students, parents and teachers from the school system? And create an environment where students can learn and teachers can teach with a biblical worldview to help equip the next generation so they can be true to their biblical mission of winning their world for Christ?” Hamrick said. It was welcomed news to members of the Cornerstone Chapel community. The church’s Facebook post announcing the school was shared hundreds of times in less than a day. The news comes just months after Loudoun County Public Schools recorded a 7% drop-off from projected enrollment – missing about 5,000 students this school year. n
While the parties are still awaiting the assignment of a judge to hear the cases, a Feb. 23 hearing is set to hear motions to quash civil suits seeking the removal School Board members Brenda Sheridan (Sterling) and Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian). Another hearing is scheduled March 2 for the Loudoun County NAACP to argue its motion to intervene in the cases. The scheduling followed the decision by Circuit Court Judge Jeannette A. Irby to recuse herself from hearing the cases. The state Supreme Court will appoint a judge for the cases. The two members are facing a removal effort pitched by the group Fight for Schools, for their involvement in a private Facebook group. Both Sheridan and Reaser are represented by Dawn E. Boyce.
6 Middle Schools Named ‘Schools to Watch’ Six Middle schools have been named “Schools to Watch,” a designation awarded to schools that are deemed academically excellent and socially equitable. Belmont Ridge Middle School, J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, Mercer Middle School, Seneca Ridge Middle School, Smart’s Mill Middle School, and Trailside Middle School were among the 13 public middle schools in Virginia to earn the designation. The schools are re-evaluated every three years. The schools will be recognized during the March 8 School Board meeting.
Department of Education Seeking Summer Meal Partners The Department of Education is seeking partner organizations for its Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals to children while on SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 11
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
Student IDs Could Be Bus Passes BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
County supervisors have sent a plan for providing Loudoun County Public Schools students with free local bus passes to the school system for consideration. Under the proposal, first suggested by Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian), middle and high school students would be able to ride local fixed-route Loudoun County Transit buses, with their student IDs printed on free SmarTrip cards. According to county staff research, seven high schools and seven middle schools are within a quarter mile of a bus stop. Briskman suggested that families of middle schoolers should be able to opt in, while families of high schoolers would have the choice to opt out but get the bus pass by default. Some supervisors expressed concern over students hopping buses without their parents’ knowledge. “I do have concerns about carte blanche, just giving every student access to the transit system regardless of whether their parents know about it or not, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the schools have some concern about this as well,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “I wouldn’t want a kid to end up Leesburg who belonged home in Sterling and their mom doesn’t know where they are,” said County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large). Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Director Joe Kro-
SCHOOL notebook continued from page 10
summer break. Community partners are reimbursed for meals and administrative costs. The program operates at sites such as schools, churches, and non-profit organizations. For information on applications, go to doe.virginia.gov/support/nutrition/ programs/sfsp.shtml.
Fine arts continued from page 10 ball coaches are given $7,828 per season. Theater directors work throughout the school year for fall, winter, and spring productions. Theater and performing arts students,
both said the recommendation came after studying two other school districts that have similar programs, Fairfax County and Alexandria. “The logic behind the staff recommendation was [currently] that any student, or high school student, that walked up to a bus stop with $1 could walk onto the bus, pay that dollar, and the bus operator would have no knowledge of whether there’s authorization from the parent or not,” Kroboth said. Supervisors also saw the benefits. “I can see it where we have students that miss the bus and actually will have a way to get to school,” said Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run). “I remember my sons missing school and I would be at work, and later on I would find out that they had to walk to school, and they had to cut through the woods to get to school.” The proposal has the support of the county Transit Advisory Board, which discussed the unused capacity on local bus routes and providing better service to residents who are too young to drive or don’t have access to a car. According to the county staff, issuing SmarTrip student IDs to students of all 17 middle schools and 18 high schools would cost an estimated $93,094, beginning with the fall 2022 semester. Supervisors on Feb. 1 voted to send the proposal to the school district 5-22, with Letourneau and Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) opposed and Supervisors Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) and Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) absent. n
Homecoming Visit for a Washington Commander Stone Bridge High School alum and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen paid a visit to the student body at his alma mater on Feb. 2. The visit followed the announcement of the Washington Football Team’s renaming to the Commanders. Allen addressed students and posed for photos. n including band members, raise their own funds to perform across the state and country. The total budget passed 8-1 with Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run) opposed. That will go before the Board of Supervisors next week, and is $421,319 above superintendent Scott Ziegler’s original recommendation for the 2023 budget. n
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Sentence Imposed in 2020 Ashburn Stabbing BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The Ashburn man initially charged with stabbing three people during a brawl in The Grove at Flynn’s Crossing neighborhood was sentenced Jan. 27 to serve two years behind bars. Erick A. Joya-Morales has been held without bond since his arrest following the assault and, thus, will be required to serve just a few months more, followed by three years of supervised probation. On May 8, 2020, the parents of one of his friends were being confronted in their Blossom Hill Terrace apartment by two individuals who claimed their son owed them money. Joya-Morales came to the home with the son and an altercation ensued inside the home and then outside in a courtyard. At one point, Joya-Morales was pinned to the ground by one of the individuals seeking money and both had knives. As the father worked to break up that fight, Joya-Morales slashed him, causing a serious injury, according to accounts presented during previous court hearings. Joya-Morales fled the scene, but was arrested later that night and charged with three counts of aggravated malicious wounding. The charges carry a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. In August 2020, a District Court judge agreed to a proposal in which prosecutors would drop two of the charges and reduce the third to a felony count of unlawful wounding. Defense attorney Tony Paracha said Joya-Morales acted in self-defense in two of the three stabbings. In the third, prosecutors viewed Joya-Morales as the aggressor, while Paracha characterized the
injuries sustained by the father as accidental. Unlawful wounding, a Class 6 felony, carries a punishment of one to five years in prison. When the case reached Circuit Court, Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj told Judge Jeanette Irby that her office would like to see Joya-Morales, then 18 years old, committed to supervision under the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court until his 21st birthday. She said that would allow Joya-Morales to receive “consequences and services,” rather than just jail time. Irby rejected the plea agreement. He was set to face trial on the aggravated malicious wounding charges in December. However, in November, the attorneys proposed the plea agreement again, gaining approval from Judge Thomas D. Horne. During the Jan. 27 sentencing hearing, Horne imposed a five-year prison sentence, with three years suspended. He rejected Paracha’s arguments for a lesser sentence that would allow for Joya-Morales’ release based on the time he had already served. Horne noted the defendant had a prior criminal history of serious offenses and imposed a penalty above the mid-point of the state’s sentencing guidelines. Joya-Morales also will be required to pay restitution to the man who was severely injured in the altercation. Attorneys said the cost of medical bills previously had been estimated at around $10,000, but recently the victim submitted bills totaling around $120,000. Horne set an April 16 hearing to finalize the restitution amount and repayment requirements. n
Washington Commanders Player Charged with Manslaughter in 2021 Crash LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
Washington Commanders cornerback Deshazor D. Everett is charged with involuntary manslaughter, following a Sheriff’s Office investigation of a Dec. 23 crash that left a woman dead. According to the report, Everett, 29, of Ashburn, was traveling more than twice the posted 45 mph speed limit on Gum Springs Road when his 2010 Nis-
san GT-R left the right side of the roadway, struck several trees, and rolled over. The victim, Olivia S. Peters, 29, of Las Vegas was a passenger in the car. Peters was transported to StoneSprings hospital, where she died of her injuries. Everett turned himself into authorities at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center Tuesday afternoon. He was held on a $10,000 bond.
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
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SAFETY briefs Bystanders Join Rescue in Plaza Street Crash The Leesburg Police Department is investigating a crash involving two cars and two pedestrians on Plaza Street. According to the report, shortly after 6 p.m. Feb. 2, department dispatchers received reports of a crash near the Leesburg Public Safety Center on Plaza Street involving two pedestrians who were struck by a vehicle. The first responding officer found one of the pedestrians trapped under a vehicle. The officer with the help of bystanders lifted the vehicle and freed her. Officers provided medical treatment until rescue crews arrived. The preliminary investigation determined that a northbound vehicle had stopped for two women who were crossing Plaza Street NE in a marked crosswalk. A second northbound vehicle struck the rear of the stopped vehicle. The stopped vehicle then hit the pedestrians.
Both pedestrians and the driver of the stopped vehicle were transported by ambulance to a hospital. The driver and one of the pedestrians were treated for injuries described as minor. The other pedestrian was listed in stable condition Thursday, according to the department. The driver of the second vehicle remained on-scene and cooperated with police. Anyone who witnessed the crash and who has not already spoken to law enforcement is asked to contact Officer S. Winkler at 703-771-4564 or at swinkler@leesburgva.gov, or Officer T. Lotz at 703-771-4578 or at tlotz@leesburgva.gov.
Suspect Arrested in Sterling 7-Eleven Robbery After asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect in the Feb. 3 robbery of a Sterling convenience store, the Sheriff’s Office made an arrest.
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE Around 2:40 a.m. on Feb. 3, a man walked into the 7-Eleven store on Algonkian Parkway and demanded money. He implied he had a firearm and left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the report. He left the scene in a newer model white Toyota pickup truck, possibly a Tundra or Tacoma. The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, approximately 6-feet tall, weighing 150-165 pounds. He was wearing a camouflage jacket, blue jeans, a green and white hat with an orange brim, and black shoes. He left the scene in a newer model white Toyota pickup truck, possibly a Tundra or Tacoma. After circulating photos of the man and his vehicle, Michael J. Hollatz, 22, was arrested the next day and charged with robbery. A preliminary hearing is scheduled March 7 in Loudoun County District Court. n
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.
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Community Foundation Gave $1.8M in 2021 LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties made 448 grants to 238 nonprofit organizations last year, exceeding $1.8 million, the foundation reported. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $11.7 million It was also a record year for charitable giving. The Community Foundation received more than 2,400 gifts from donors, a 60% increase over the number of gifts received in 2020. “Our community has stepped up to the plate as COVID and general challenges have put so many of our local nonprofits and their missions in demand. Clients served and their needs have grown in ways that can be invisible to the rest of us,” President Amy E. Owen stated. “The Community Foundation’s donors who fuel our grantmaking really are the heroes of their work.” Next, the foundation is preparing to host Give Choose on March 29, the community’s largest day of online giving, at GiveChoose.org. “Give Choose is a really exciting day where we all band together and give to nonprofits doing great work in our communities,” Vice President of Grants and Nonprofit Programs Nicole Acosta stated. In 2021, Give Choose raised a landmark $824,307 for local nonprofits. To learn more about participating in or becoming a sponsor of Give Choose or making a gift to the Community Foundation, go to communityfoundationlf.org. n
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Nonprofit Mobile Hope Launches Trade School with Google BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
Mobile Hope, which provides services to homeless and at-risk young adults in the county, launched a trade school last week thanks to a grant from Google. The program, “Trading Up,” backed by a $75,000 grant from the tech giant, will train young adults from 18-24 in trades including HVAC, drywall installation, auto-machinery, and IT. “The vision is to give these kids an opportunity to learn a skill that they can take with them wherever they go, and no one can take it away from them,” Mobile Hope CEO Donna Fortier said. “So many of the kids have fallen through so many cracks.” The program is beginning with five
clients, who will work with community partners to test out various trades, before selecting one to specialize in. “So many of our kids, even when they were in high school, were so focused on survival. Where are they going to eat, where are they going to sleep. That they didn’t really have the luxury of thinking about their future and what they would do to earn a living wage,” Allyson Ruscitella, director of development, said. “This is a great way for them to explore the different opportunities that are out there and choose a trade that would allow them to earn a living wage.” Students will have two mentors: one will be a life mentor, who they can confide in and trust, and the other will be a content expert who is in their desired trade. Fortier said that what sets the program
apart is how customized it is for learners. “We consider the barriers that these kids have to deal with. Instead of 16 weeks to complete this course regardless of what’s going on in your life ... this approach recognizes that and incorporates that,” she said. Fortier and Ruscitella said the program fills a need in the workforce. They said that as trade workers age, there aren’t enough young people preparing to fill the need. “We thought, you know what, we’re going to create something that helps with those barriers—the aging populations and the demand,” Fortier said. “It’s humbling for them to realize that people actually care.” Learn more at mobile-hope.org/ trade-school. n
Visit Loudoun Expands Tourism Grant Program Visit Loudoun is accepting applications for its FY22 Tourism Marketing Leverage Program, which offers up to $60,000 in grant funding to tourism-related programs, projects and special events. It is a matching funds program that extends the reach of the industry and supports tourism partners who create innovative campaigns that attract visitors to Loudoun. New this year, as part of
Visit Loudoun’s strategic plan to position Loudoun as a music and arts destination, the organization has added dedicated grant funds specifically for festivals and events that support this initiative. This is a competitive application process and Visit Loudoun will provide funding to projects and programs that have the greatest return on investment in terms of visitor spending. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Feb.
28 and will be reviewed by a volunteer committee in early March, The Visit Loudoun Board of Directors will vote on the committee’s recommendations to determine funding. Additional details about the program and the application are available on Visit Loudoun’s industry page at visitloudoun.org/tourism-industry/programs/visit-loudoun-grantopportunities/market-leverage-program. n
Making an Impact with Free Coffee & Food BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
SimplyBe Coffee, a ministry of the Tree of Life Ministries nonprofit, has a special way to make an impact on the community—offering their food and beverages for free. The coffee shop recently launched its Impact Day initiative. Every Tuesday during the business’ hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., all consumables are free. That means everything in the coffee shop, from its signature coffee, specialty drinks and smoothies, to all its food offerings, is available free of charge, with the only exception being the store’s merchandise. “We wanted to make sure our mission was reaching the poor and needy specifically through this enterprise,” said Kristen Hickman, Tree of Life’s chief communi-
Kara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now
TJ and Cassie, employees of the SimplyBe Coffee shop in Leesburg, stand ready to help customers during a recent Impact Day. Esme Estrada, a job coach with ECHO, stands in the background.
cations officer. “Are they feeling like can come in and get a cup of coffee? Through a lot of prayer this idea came to fruition.” Launched on Giving Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday, the initiative has so far been well received by the community,
Hickman said. Customers may donate but are not required to, although many do, she added. Perhaps most importantly, Tree of Life employees and volunteers agree, is the Impact Day promotion is a great opportunity to spread awareness of SimplyBe’s mission. The coffee shop employs individuals with disabilities or special needs, many of whom come to SimplyBe through local nonprofits ECHO or CASST. The awareness of SimplyBe’s mission has brought forward many repeat customers looking to support a good cause while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or treat. SimplyBe Coffee is located at 940 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE in Leesburg, in the Floor & Décor shopping center. To learn more about the coffee shop’s mission and the many ministries of Tree of Life, go to tolministries.org. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
PAGE 15
GIVING back Liberry Donates to Loudoun Cares The Liberry recently held a benefit night where it presented a donation to Loudoun Cares, raised from dues paid by members of the craft beverage retailer in Leesburg. The Liberry is open to the public but offers an annual membership program in which participants receive 15% off all in-store items, access to new release beverages, special events, and member-only complimentary tastings. Another member benefit is that 15% of annual dues is donated to Loudoun Cares, a nonprofit that specializes in connecting community members with nonprofits in need of volunteers and donations. The first year of the program raised over $1,000 for Loudoun Cares. The Liberry is located at 458 Madison Trade Plaza SE. Learn more at liberrybrands.com.
Post your job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com 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 Department
Salary Range
Closing Date
Finance
$50,000-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
Deputy Director of Utilities
Utilities
$93,438-$159,968 DOQ
Open until filled
Enterprise GIS Manager
Information Technology
$76,426-$130,688 DOQ
Open until filled
Fleet Maintenance Technician I
Public Works & Capital Projects
$50,000-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
IT Systems Administrator
Information Technology
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled Open until filled
Police Officer
Police
$62,000-$89,590 DOQ
Senior Management & Budget Analyst
Finance
$72,952-$124,893 DOQ
Open until filled
Stormwater & Environmental Manager
Public Works & Capital Projects
$82,999-$141,929 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II, or Senior
Utilities
$50,000-$97,512 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician
Utilities
$50,000-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility System Trainee or Technician
Utilities
$50,000-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
Wastewater Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior
Utilities
$50,000-$97,512 DOQ
Open until filled
Microsoft Funds Community Grant Program ChangeX, supported by a Community Empowerment Fund award from Microsoft, has launched a $20,000 fund for area community groups, schools, and organizations. It is the second Loudoun Community Challenge and builds on the $50,000 of funding Microsoft provided last year. That round supported 20 groups to start community projects related to digital skills and sustainability. The 2022 challenge aims to support up to 10 teams to start new community projects. Groups may choose from a portfolio of 15 proven ideas that have had a positive social or environmental impact in communities across the U.S. and Europe. Groups that apply for funding will have 30 days to build a small team and design an action plan. On completing these steps, they will be eligible for seed funding of up to $5,500. The grant program is part of Microsoft’s effort to establish a positive presence in the communities where it operates data centers by contributing to long-term social, economic, and environmental health in those areas. The Challenge is open to people living in Loudoun County and Prince William County. Funding will be allocated to qualifying applicants on a first come, first served basis. Learn more at changex.org/us/funds/ loudoun-county-community-challenge. n
Position Accounting Associate II
Flexible Part-Time Position Position
Department
Hourly Rate
Closing Date
Administrative Associate
Thomas Balch Library
$20.51-$33.42 DOQ
Open until filled
Senior Engineer
Plan Review
$55.00-$70.00 DOQ
Open until filled
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. NHLEmployerCard2.pdf
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DRIVERS NEEDED Regular & CDL Call 703-737-3011
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PAGE 16
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Business
Flagship Opens Massive Ashburn Car Wash LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
Ashburn is now home to the largest indoor car wash facility in the United States with last week’s opening of the newest Flagship Carwash location along Loudoun County Parkway. The 65,000-square-foot building features a state-of-the-art facility operation offering side-by-side double wash tunnels, 22 free vacuum stations, 10 detailing bays, and three dry-belt conveyors for full-service interior cleaning. A full-service car wash will average only 13 minutes, according to the company. Flagship Carwash operates 15 locations in the region, with plans to add more. The expansion plan envisions a “hub and spoke” model, with full service centers offering interior and exterior washes serving as hubs surrounded by express service centers offering only exterior washes. The new Ashburn location, across from One Loudoun will be a hub for several nearby express locations opening this month. “Flagship Carwash Centers has been a family owned and operated business since 1986,’’ owner Guy Paolozzi stated. “We are committed to providing customers with the absolute best-in-class car wash product and customer service. We have state-of-the-art technology, products, and chemicals as well as a dedicated work-
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Flagship has opened its new 65,000-square-foot indoor car wash at 20395 Broad Overlook Drive.
force to serve our communities. Our mission is to produce an experience of unmatched speed, shine and service.”
Flagship Carwash Ashburn is offering free car washes via text-in code through Feb. 28. Customers may text the key-
word FLAGSHIP to text code 30400 to receive their barcode to redeem at the Ashburn location. n
Chamber Offers Business Guidance on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce today launched its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Toolkit, which offer area businesses and nonprofits access to the latest information and best practices on a wide variety of DEIA policies and procedures. The program is the product of the Chamber’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Initiative, launched in 2019 to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive business environment in Loudoun County and to become a model for the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies that advance education, innovation, and
Angela Mitchell, DEIA Initiative Chair, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce
economic growth in Northern Virginia. “Drawn from a wide variety of re-
spected resources on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, this toolkit is a valuable resource for all business and nonprofits who are looking to incorporate DEIA practices into their organization, attract and retain talent as well as increase business opportunities,” stated DEIA Initiative Chairwoman Angela Mitchell. The toolkit offers three sections: Awareness, Action & Spotlights. Each section provides resources, articles, tools, upcoming featured webinars, and spotlight businesses implementing DEIA. “I am very proud of the work the DEIA Committee has done to research, vet and compile the vast array
of resources contained in the Loudoun Chamber’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Toolkit. I hope that every Loudoun business takes advantage of this free resource to improve every facet of their operations,” said Loudoun Chamber Chairman Shawn Mitchell. To learn more about the Loudoun Chamber’s DEIA Committee at LoudounChamber.org/initiatives. The 2022 Sponsors for the DEIA Initiative are Diversity Sponsors Northwest Federal Credit Union and You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia; Inclusion Sponsor, The Community Foundation for Loudoun & Northern Fauquier Counties; and Accessibility Sponsor, The Arc of Loudoun. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
The Johnson Center at Falcons Landing is home to an Assisted Living
settle for
community, a beautiful Memory Care neighborhood and a five-star Skilled Nursing unit, which was named in the U.S. News World Report as a Best Nursing Home, receiving a Five-Star High Performance rating in both Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. Falcons Landing also offers assisted living in our West Falls Center. Experience exceptional care in a modern and luxurious community designed to deliver residents with an unmatched level of service.
CALL (703) 854-9349 TO SCHEDULE A SAFE & PRIVATE TOUR TODAY! www.FalconsLanding.org | 20535 Earhart Place, Potomac Falls, VA 20165 Falcons Landing is proud to be a non-profit Life Plan Community.
PAGE 17
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 18
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Towns
AROUND towns LOVETTSVILLE Council Caps Tax Rate at 17.27 Cents
LandDesign
A layout concept for a mixed-use development on the eastern edge of Round Hill.
Study Continues of Round Hill’s Commercial Center Options BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The contract purchasers of the 13-acre commercially zoned property on Round Hill’s eastern boundary are hoping to win community support for a mixed-use development on the land. The land was part of the 1,200-home Intergate rezoning approved three decades ago, but has remained vacant. Investors led by Ted Britt, a co-founder of Tri-Tek Engineering, have had the property under contract for several years and have been examining potential uses for the tract at the northeast quadrant of the Evening Star Drive/Loudoun Street intersection. Appearing at last week’s Town Council meeting, Britt again made a pitch for town leaders to support a mixed-use concept for the property after finding that there isn’t demand for a 150,000-squarefoot commercial center. Instead, they have been working with planners on a layout with a smaller retail and office component along with residential uses that would both support the commercial uses and provide a buffer to nearby homes. Last year, the purchasers hired the Al-
exandria planning firm LandDesign to examine options for the land. LandDesign partner Stephanie Pankiewicz said the planning team met with the town staff last fall to present the mixed-use concept that was developed after looking at the town’s demographics of young families and the 2017 retail market analysis conducted by Arnett Muldrow to come up with a vision of a live-work community that would be designed as an extension of the downtown. Britt said the proposal is not a finished plan, but something they want to work with town leaders to flesh out and create “a really successful project for all involved.” He said the contract purchasers have been looking commercial users for years but haven’t found a good fit. A hotel, senior living community and restaurants are among the uses under consideration along with retail and office uses. “We keep coming back to this as what we think is the best alternative for the property,” he said. Attorney Randy Minchew also is working on the project and laid out two options for the town to allow a mixedused option for the property, either adding residential uses as a special exception within the town’s commercial zoning
district or creating a new mixed used zoning district to which the property could be rezoned. Under either path, Minchew noted there would be public hearings before the Planning Commission and Town Council and the town could imposes conditions on the development. Mayor Scott Ramsey noted the town’s comprehensive plan does not rule out mixed-use development on the land, but recognizes that it is the last undeveloped commercial site in town and preserving opportunities for commercial development is the priority. “We’re not looking for residential,” she said. “Our aim is to have a commercial component in town.” But he also said town leaders recognized that the economic environment is different than when the rezoning was approved in 1990 and wouldn’t shut the door on other opportunities. However, a smaller commercial center of 30,000 square feet and adding 100 homes, probably isn’t the balance they are looking for, he said. Councilman Michael Hummel, who serves on the Planning Commission, suggested a charette-type work session with the commission and town residents to take the planning concepts to the next step. n
The Town Council voted last week to advertise a real estate tax rate of 17.27 cents per $100 of assessed value. That is a reduction from the current 17.8-cent rate, but above the 15.2-rate it would take to hold tax bills level for the average homeowner. The council may still work to get closer to the equalized tax rate, but the intent of the Feb. 3 vote was to establish a cap for its deliberations. Setting that limit was proposed by Vice Mayor Chris Hornbaker and unanimously approved, with two members absent. Under state law the town can levy a tax rate up to the rate they advertise in public notices, but no higher without issuing a new public notice. As part of his proposed $5.5 million fiscal year 2023 budget, Town Manager Jason Cournoyer set out the 17.27-cent figure as an alterative tax rate that would cover the town’s pay-as-you-go contributions to the capital budget without tapping into the town’s reserve fund. That subsidy would be required at the lower equalized tax rate. The town experienced a 16.7% increase in assessed residential property values this year.
PURCELLVILLE Town-County Land Swap Enters Final Stage The Town Council on Tuesday night was expected to sign off on a land swap with the county government that will provide space for a new police station and 500,000-gallon water tower. The deal has been 14 years in the making, dating back to the settlement of litigation involving the construction of Woodgrove High School over the town’s objections. The settlement required the county to provide the town with five acres for water resources. Through AROUND TOWNS continues on page 19
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
AROUND towns continued from page 18
years of negotiations, the commitment has evolved into two parcels—one 3 acres and one 2 acres—to better accommodate the county government’s efforts to build ballfields and a commuter parking lot on its 220-acre Woodgrove property. The 3-acre site is planned for the construction of a town police station and the 2-acre lot for the water tower. Once the property conveyance contract is executed, the town will have 120 days to study the properties to determine whether the sites are suitable those uses.
Bike Park Plans Take Shape The Town Council on Tuesday night was expected to advance plans to build a bike park at Dillon’s Woods in the Fireman’s Field complex. The project is proposed by a team of volunteers, led by Michelle Caudill, in the memory of her son Adam who was an avid cyclist. The Town Council in December endorsed the concept.
The town staff has been working with Caudill to flesh out the design of the park with special attention given to the protecting the mature trees in that area of the town-owned complex. The latest plan envisions a 0.8-acre footprint containing only four trees. The team is working with arborists to ensure protection of the trees. Another hurdle will be winning permission from the Department of Historic Resources, which holds a conservation easement covering Dillon’s Woods. The department must find that the project complies with the easement terms. Providing information needed for that evaluation will require money, costs the volunteer group doesn’t want to incur until the town has signed off on the location. Because the park is expected to be given to the town following its completion, the town staff also is seeking authority to be involved with the design and construction to protect the town’s future interest in the park’s operation and maintenance. If endorsed by the council and approved by DHR, the volunteers next would seek permits and temporary construction easements from the town. n
PAGE 19
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PAGE 20
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
Death Notices
Obituaries
ROBERT BRIAN ELLENA, 64, of Purcellville, died Feb. 1. He was born Jan. 11, 1958, to Patricia Ann Crooks and Robert Francis Ellena in Detroit, MI. He grew up in Medfield, MA. He moved to Kansas, earned degrees in civil engineering, and met his future wife of 30 years, Jenny Duffy. After living in Maine, the couple moved to Purcellville and he worked as a bridge structural engineer for the Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Division in Sterling. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his siblings Jeffrey Ellena, Gregory Ellena, and Elizabeth Grybko. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles at sheprescue.org/donate.htm. [Hall Funeral Home]
Middleburg Civic Leader Eura Lewis, 92 Eura Lee Hudgins Lewis, 92, of Middleburg, died Jan. 25. She was the first Black woman elected to the Middleburg Town Council and was a champion of efforts to preserve the town’s history. She was the founder of the Middleburg Museum Foundation, which went on to acquire the Pink Box that serves as a town museum and visitors center. She was born March 27, 1929, and was preceded in death by her husband Carl E. Lewis and daughter Carla L. Gregory. She is survived by her daughter Merley L. Lewis; three granddaughters; three great-grandchildren; and sister Julia Marie Brown. A public viewing and reflections will be held on Saturday, Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with private services 11 a.m., at Faith Christian Church in Warrenton. Services will be streamed at 11 a.m. at gotfaithnow.org/watch-live. Interment will be at Mt. Morris Community Cemetery in Hume.
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
SHARON ELAINE “TAMMY” HILL HOPKINS, 61, of Leesburg, died Feb. 1 at Inova Loudoun Hospital. She was born June 24, 1960, at the Middleburg Health Center to James M. Washington and Shirley E. Hill. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, James Eric Hill. She is survived by her brother Kevin A. Hill of Middleburg, sons Steven F. Stewart of Middleburg, Brian D. Stewart of Front Royal, Adrian Butler and Shaun, daughter Maria Bush of Fredericksburg, seven grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. [Royston Funeral Home] LEENA JOSEPH, 54, of Ashburn, died Feb 4 at the Hospice Center. She had cancer. Born in India, she was a nurse and came to the United States to work at the Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, in 1992. She met and married Gerald Joseph in 1995 and had two children, Nathan and Samantha. In 2001, she moved to Virginia and worked at the Washington Adventist Hospital before moving to Inova Loudoun Hospital. She worked as the administrative supervisor for 14 years before retiring because of her illness. She volunteered at the Twice is Nice thrift stores. She was predeceased by her father Anthony Amalraj and brothers Leo Churchill and Leevin Johnson. In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her mother Sucila Amalraj. Services were held at the Adams Green Funeral home. Interment was at Chestnut
Lives are like rivers.
Grove Cemetery in Herndon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. [Adams Green Funeral Home] BILLY RAY LAWSON, 85, of Sterling and Lewes, DE, died Feb. 1. He was born Dec. 25, 1936, to Buford and Anna Lawson in Sweet Chalybeate. He grew up in Sterling and became a master craftsman building many homes throughout Loudoun County. He later owned Sterling Construction Company with his business partner Hubert Goode. He was a lead singer in a band called the Silvertones. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sisters Muriel Tippett and BJ Lawson, and his brother Jimmy Lawson. He is survived by his daughter Donna Lawson and son Scott Lawson, two grandsons, and three great-grandchildren. Services were held Feb. 7 at Loudoun Funeral Chapel. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel] GABINO P. MACHADO, 52, of Sterling, died Jan 31. He was born in El Salvador in 1969 and moved to the United States in 1988. He worked in construction and moved to Sterling in 1997. He is survived by his wife Ana Morales, daughters Leslie and Cynthia Machado, and brother Yonis A. Machado. Services will be held Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 at Adams Green Funeral Home. [Adams Green Funeral Home] MARY A. SMITH, 90, of Ashburn, died Feb. 4. She was born on April 3, 1931, in New York city to Denis and Elizabeth O’Shea. She graduated in 1949 from Julia Richmond High School in New York City. In 1959, she married Hugh A. Smith. The family moved from New York to Rhode Island and settled in Burke in 1977. Most recently, she lived in Ashburn and was a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son Hugh T. Smith of Leesburg; daughters Ellen A. Anderson of St. Petersburg, FL, and Nancy E. Larson of Fort Worth, TX; nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A Funeral Mass was held Feb. 9 at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg. Interment was at Cool Spring Cemetery, Berryville. Memorial Contributions may be made to Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]
Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to. LoudounNow To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email: sstyer@loudounnow.com
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
2022 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE
PAGE 21
Get a Jump on Summer Camp There’s little sign of it outside, but summer is quickly approaching—and the best camps to keep the kids busy will fill up quickly as well. Now is the time to start making those plans. Youth recreational programs and summer camps can do more than bridge the gap in care between the end of school and the day when classes resume. Summer camps can pull together children from different neighborhoods, social classes and backgrounds. They also provide a variety of activities that can help students try new things and move beyond their comfort zones. Perhaps most importantly, they get kids off the couch and out of the house while providing a safe, supervised environment.
How do you select a summer camp program? Here are some suggestions.
Ask for recommendations
Speak to other parents and friends about where they send their children. Schedule appointments to visit camps that fall within your budget.
Take a Visit
Take your child along to get a sense of what camp will be like. Find out the philosophy of the camp. Ask about the camper-to-counselor ratio and what kind of medical care is provided. Ask about the experience of the staff members and their training.
Explore all options
The variety of camp programs available has never been greater. Businesses, churches, schools and community organizations have programs to offer—from traditional general-interest programs to sports and band camps to highly specialized STEM activities. Parents may need to choose between a sleepaway camp or day camps. Also consider how many people will be in the camp.
Determine your budget
As varied as program offerings may be, camps also can vary greatly with regard to cost. Government-run camps may be less expensive than those offered by private companies. Day camps typically cost less than those that provide
room and board. Often grants or discounts are available to address special financial circumstances.
Ask about camp schedules
While many camps are flexible, day camps do not have the same level of flexibility as after-school programs. Arrangements will need to be made if care is required after regular camp hours. Speak with the camp staff to see which types of after-hours programs, if any, are available. While camps can be a great experience and creating life-long memories, remember to allow for some free days for family activities—and even a bit of couch time for the kids. n
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2022 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE
summer camp
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Legos, Superheroes, and the Great Outdoors:
Parks and Recreation Plans a Summer of Fun LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
Sign up by the week for camp filled with arts, music, sports, plus weekly field trips to parks and waterparks around the local area! Choose from exciting adventures for ages 6-13: Imagination Stage, Local Waterparks, Potomac Nationals Games, National Museums and more! Ashburn Campus
Westfields Campus
43629 Greenway Corporate Drive
5003 Westone Plaza Chantilly, VA
571.223.3110
Loudoun’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Community Services will be rolling out its full list of offerings in March, which will include its most popular Daze and Fest summer camps for campers in grades K-8. Campers get a taste of science and nature, arts and crafts, sports, group games, music and drama, and cooking. Camp runs from 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. from June 23 to Aug. 10. “These camps are a commodity. They’re needed for parents in Loudoun County,” Parks and Recreation communications specialist Ben Curtis said. While the full summer camp schedule isn’t set yet, Curtis said programmers are cooking up tons of other fun options for campers across the county. He said that locations in eastern Loudoun tend to offer STEM and engineering camps while in western Loudoun, community members want more dance and theater programming. “That’s what’s so fun. It’s so varied between western and eastern Loudoun, so the program offering is very different from center to center,” Curtis said.
Summer Camps Most for ages 10 - 18
July 5 - 8 Improv Camp (4 days) July 11 - 15 Acting Camp July 18 - 22 Young Kids Cabaret Camp (ages 6 - 9) August 8 - 12 Acting Camp August 15 - 29 Improv Camp
703.961.8222 June 20 - July 8 Summer Camp Intensive
www.BeanTreeLearning.com
One offering in particular that caught Curtis’ eye: a D.C. versus Marvel superhero hip hop dance camp. “The programmers come up with these really fun, interesting courses,” he said. But, for campers who’d rather explore than perform, there’s no shortage of options. Lego, computer, and other STEM camps will be back this summer by popular demand. While the department is finalizing its camp schedule before it opens registration, Curtis said he expects interest in summer fun to be high. “It’s so important. It’s so wonderful to give kids resources to get outside and have community and be with each other and enjoy nature without fear,” he said. And, of course, summertime calls for some splashing around. Curtis said that the department is looking for lifeguards to staff swimming pools across the county. Anyone interested in lifeguarding should go to: loudounnow.com/LCcampjobs. For more information on Daze Camp and Fest Camp, go to loudoun.gov/1202/ Summer-Camps. For a full list of summer programming, check the Parks and Rec website, loudoun.gov/prcs in mid-March. n
Registration open soon. Save the dates! Scholarships available.
Theatre for Young Audiences www.StageCoachTC.com 571-477-9444
July 25 - August 4 Summer Camp Intensive
20937 Ashburn Road Suites 115 & 120 Ashburn, VA 20147
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
2022 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE
PAGE 23
Three Blue Ridge Middle School Students Win Registration Scholarships to Nature Camp Open for LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The Leesburg Garden Club awarded three Blue Ridge Middle School students scholarships to nature camp this summer. Kam Woodall, Gabriel Davis, and Ella Stephenson each were awarded $975 scholarships to nature camp in Vesuvius in Rockbridge County. To compete for the scholarships, the students were recommended by science teachers, and wrote essays about their desire to attend the camp. “To me, the natural world is so inspiring, everything we have to this day comes from nature like computers, rocket ships, and even cell phones.” Woodall wrote in her essay. “The knowledge that I can get from going to the LGC Nature Camp will help me be able to care about and protect nature better,” Stephenson wrote. “I know from
LGC Nature Camp occupies about six acres leased from the U.S. Forest Service in the Washington Jefferson National Forest in Rockbridge County, Vesuvius, VA and is located about 10 miles off of I-64, and 30 miles from Lexiginton, VA.
experience that the more I know about nature the more I appreciate it and want to protect it. This nature camp is a perfect opportunity for me to start thinking about my future career.” Davis wrote, “I hope to share what I will learn with others.” The students were encouraged to apply for the scholarships by their science teacher Jackie Robertson. “I am so proud of these students for taking the time to apply for this scholarship opportunity and I›m extremely excited that they will be extending their knowledge about the world around them,” she said. The Leesburg Garden Club awards scholarships to the camp annually. It describes the camp as a “unique, academic, hands-on, residential camp for young people with a genuine interest in conservation, the out-of-doors, and the natural world.” n
YMCA Camps The YMCA of Loudoun County already is filling up slots for its roster of popular summer camps. While it aquatic and outdoor camp offerings won’t return until 2023, the Y is offering a wide range of choices. Its traditional camps include cartooning, hula dancing, dinosaurs, superheroes, and STEM offerings. Specialty camps on this year’s scheduled include LEGO robotics, Mindcrafting and coding, cooking, drawing and chess. There also are basketball and soccer camps, along with a sports festival week for those seeking an assortment. Available spots generally range from 25 to 60 per camp. Learn more and reserve your week at ymcadc. org/locations/ymca-loudoun -county-program-center. n
Ida Lee Camps Weekly from June 20-August 12
camps g n i b climoor + outdoor ind
Camp Hours: 9am-4pm Extended Care: 7am-9am, 4pm-6pm Ages: entering Kindergarten through 9th Grade
check o the we ut for inf bsite o!
Registration
Summer Academies startin june 13 g th
Town Residents: February 15 Open Reg: February 22
Half day programs from 9:00 - Noon Flag Football Volleyball Gymnastics
www.idalee.org
Art & Nature Soccer Tennis
703-777-1368
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 24
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
THINGS to do
Loco Living
Pickleball Popularity Growing at Community Centers, Schools
LOCO LIVE Live Music: Chris Bowen
Friday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Kick back with great tunes from western Loudoun singer/songwriter and one-man band Chris Bowen.
BY TIM FARMER
Special to Loudoun Now
A triumphant smile spreads across Bud Klein’s face. At 91, he’d just landed a shot along the edge of the court that his decades-younger pickleball opponent had no chance of returning. It was a Saturday morning at the Carver Senior Center in Purcellville, and Klein was right where he likes to be—on the court. “Nice shot,” said his opponent, and a few spectators waiting their turn to play break into applause. After a moment the chatter resumes, underlining the social aspect of one of the fastest growing sports in America. Pickleball is particularly popular with the over-55 set, in part because it’s not as stressful on the body as tennis. But it also affords exercise and a chance to interact for the players, many of whom are retired and sometimes isolated. “It’s a great sport,” said Klein, a retired merchandising manager for a line of department stores, and entrepreneur who launched his own stores. “It gets me out of the house.” He and fellow Carver Center regulars Denise Amonson and Matthew Gallelli helped bring indoor pickleball to Purcellville, even though Klein had never played before. “I’d watched people playing in Leesburg, and it looked like fun,” he said. With the determination you might expect from a man who was an Air Force drill sergeant during the Korean War, he convinced the Carver Center to allow players to place tape on the floor of the building’s multipurpose room to mark court boundaries until permanent lines were painted. One of the players bought and donated a portable net, and after the first game Klein was bitten by the pickleball bug. “I was hooked,” he said. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, with players—usually two per side like doubles tennis—using paddles to whack a perforated plastic whiffle ball over a net. The sport was inadvertently invented in 1965 when two fathers in Washington state, their kids bored on a nice day, cobbled together ping pong paddles, a badminton net, and a whiffle ball for an improvised
Live Music: The ELO Tribute Show
Friday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com This stellar tribute to ELO and Jeff Lynne is a full-length sight and sound production by top Philadelphia-based musicians. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $35 for VIP seats.
Live Music: Shannon Bielski a nd Moonlight Drive
Friday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Bielski is back with acoustic renditions of bluegrass, country, and pop favorites.
Live Music: No Laughing Matter
Friday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: spankyspub.com Regional favorite NLM is back at Spanky’s with fun covers to shake the winter blues.
Live Music: Nathaniel Davis
Saturday, Feb. 12, 1 p.m. Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: twotwistedposts.com With his top-notch vocal and guitar work and inventive approaches to both classic and popular music, Davis is a Loudoun favorite.
Live Music: Scott Clark
Saturday. Feb. 12, 1 p.m. Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg Details: fabbioliwines.com Clark is a classically trained bass-baritone who brings out his repertoire of jazz standards and pop tunes for fun local shows. Tim Farmer
At age 91, Bud Klein is one of the driving forces behind the growth of pickleball in Loudoun.
game. Today, more than 4 million people play the sport, according to USA Pickleball, the sport’s governing body. That popularity comes at a price, though. Demand for court space is growing fast, especially indoor courts during cold or wet weather. The Carver Center is one of five senior centers in Loudoun that offer indoor pickleball for members, who must be at least 55 to join. A number of the county’s parks, community and recreation centers also offer the sport for all ages, though most of these are outdoors. A recent agreement between Loudoun Parks and Recreation and Loudoun Public Schools will see two existing tennis courts at four of the county’s high schools painted this summer to add lines for 16
pickleball courts, which occupy about half the space of a standard tennis court. Portable nets that can be rolled into place are included in the approved plan, which will be absorbed into existing budgets. Supervisor Juli Briskman (D-Algonkian) brought the matter before the joint Board of Supervisors/School Board Committee, and the proposal was approved late last year. “In future years, we would continue to paint pickleball courts on two tennis courts at each high school when the tennis courts were scheduled for renovation,” according to Don Treanor V, the school division’s facilities manager. PICKLEBALL continues on page 27
Live Music: Famous Last Words
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Guitarist Josh Burgess and vocalist Maria Price bring an eclectic mix of hits from The Beatles to Whitney Houston.
Live Music: Deane Kern and Eric Selby
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2-5 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Check out modern acoustic roots music from one of Loudoun’s most dynamic duos.
Live Music: Lonesome Ryder
Saturday. Feb. 12, 5 p.m. Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com Modern country, classic rock, southern rock, oldies, Motown and beyond from a NOVA favorite.
THINGS TO DO continues on page 25
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
PAGE 25
THINGS to do
BEST BETS
continued from page 24
Live Music: Freddie Long
Saturday, Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Long is part introspective singer/songwriter, part bluesy classic rocker for a perfect brewery evening.
Live Music: Melissa Quinn Fox
Saturday, Feb. 12, 6 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com Fox returns to Vanish with her signature high-energy blend of rock and country.
GARY SMALLWOOD Saturday, Feb. 12, 2-5 p.m. Doukénie Winery doukeniewinery.com
This Ol’ Country Girl: The Music of Patsy Cline
Saturday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. Bush Tabernacle, 250 S. Nursery Ave., Purcellville Details: piedmontheritage.org This fundraiser for Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area features local favorites Bess Putnam, Amy Potter and the Virginia Pickers Collective serving up Patsy Cline tunes. Tickets are $35 per person, $60 per couple and include sweets, soft drinks, beer and wine.
Live Music: All Jammed Up
Saturday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com All Jammed up serves up fresh yet familiar rock and pop hits–fun, upbeat and full of energy.
Live Music: Shot Thru The Heart Bon Jovi Experience Saturday, Feb 12, 8 p.m.
Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com STTH pays homage to the music and showmanship of Bon Jovi, offering a high-energy concert experience and staying true to the original recordings. Tickets are $15 general admission.
Live Music: Jake Phillips
Saturday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Jake Phillips is a singer/songwriter who has traveled the world. With a powerful voice and dynamic guitar
SHOT THRU THE HEART Saturday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
THIS OL’ COUNTRY GIRL: THE MUSIC OF PATSY CLINE Saturday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. Bush Tabernacle piedmontheritage.org
skills, Phillips’s repertoire includes original music and an eclectic set of classic folk and alternative covers.
Live Music: Yoko Says No
Saturday, Feb. 12, 8 p..m Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: spankyspub.com Regional favorites Yoko Says No are back with rock, country, blues, pop and ’80s hits.
Live Music: Cory Campbell
Sunday, Feb. 13, 1 p.m. 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg
Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards Catch up-and-coming singer/songwriter Cory Campbell for an afternoon of great tunes.
Live Music: Anthony Semiao
Sunday, Feb. 13, 1 p.m. Maggie Malick Wine Caves, 12138 Harpers Ferry Road, Neersville Details: maggiemalickwinecaves.com Semiao grew up on 80’s metal and glam rock but just can’t get enough of the acoustic guitar sound.
THINGS TO DO continues on page 27
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Tarara Concert Series Gears up for 2022 What began with two guitar players entertaining on the back deck at Tarara Vineyards in 1999 has turned into one of the most popular—and longest running— live music festivals in the region. This year marks the 23rd season of the Tarara Summer Concert Series. Promoter Rusty Foster plans an 18-week season featuring some of the most popular bands in the history of the award-winning music festival—kicking off with The Reflex on Saturday, May 28, Memorial Day weekend. “We’re very excited for the 23rd year of the Tarara Summer Concert Series. This is the first year we’ve been able to host a full and normal concert season since 2019, and this year’s lineup of bands is by far the most talented and diverse we’ve ever scheduled,” Foster said, president of Events by Bow Tie, which produces the Series. “Make sure you purchase those tickets and Concert Club Passes to ensure you have a ticket—and dust off those dancin’ shoes, you won’t want to miss this season’s lineup.” Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and chairs, or they may partake of one of the food trucks on site. No outside alcohol is permitted per ABC
2022 TARARA CONCERT SCHEDULE MAY 28 – The Reflex – 80s JUNE 4 – Chicago Rewired – Chicago JUNE 11 – The Fabulous Hubcaps – Rock ‘n Roll Oldies JUNE 18 – 7 Bridges with Elizabeth’s Furnace – Eagles JUNE 25 – Turnstiles – Billy Joel JULY 2 – The Legwarmers – 80s JULY 9 – Odyssey Road – Journey JULY 16 – Groovalicious – 70s Disco JULY 23 – Delta Spur – Country JULY 30 – JunkFood – Rock AUGUST 6 – Double Vision – Foreigner AUGUST 13 – Last Child – Aerosmith AUGUST 20 – Slippery When Wet with Hijynx – Bon Jovi
Loudoun Now File Photo
The Legwarmers will return to the Tarara Summer Concert Series stage July 2.
regulations, but there is plenty of wine to purchase, and beer from Loudoun Brewing Company is available. In addition, families and businesses may rent the private tents for birthday parties, reunions, girls/guys nights out, and/or company picnics or celebrations.
Tarara Vineyards is located about 10 minutes north of Leesburg on Lucketts Road. Tickets range from $10 to $25, with Concert Club Passes for the entire season available for $135. For more information and tickets, go tararaconcerts.com. n
AUGUST 27 – Gonzo’s Nose – All Major Hits SEPTEMBER 3 – Bad Animals – Heart SEPTEMBER 10 – High Noon – Southern Rock
SEPTEMBER 17 – New Romance – 80s SEPTEMBER 24 – White Ford Bronco – 90s
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Pickleball continued from page 24 Park View, Potomac Falls, Tuscarora, and Woodgrove high schools will be the first schools to see the new courts beginning this summer. The courts will be available to the public when not in use by the schools or approved organizations. “People were determined to play,” Claire Smith, communications manager for Loudoun County Parks, Recreation, and Community Services, said in an email. “We don’t see the trend slowing down. The sport has gained fans of all ages.” Popularity among younger players is driven at least in part by pickleball clubs
forming at some county high schools, according to Phil Baldwin, USA Pickleball ambassador for western Loudoun, and a certified coach and instructor. “It’s a great sport where students can find an alternative to traditional sports,” he said. The need for more indoor courts remains strong, though. “Just last year, during the pandemic, the number of pickleball players in the U.S. increased 23 percent,” he said, quoting statistics from USA Pickleball. As a volunteer pickleball ambassador, one of Baldwin’s jobs is to push for more opportunities to play the sport. “Western Loudoun desperately needs a year-round, climate-controlled, dedicated indoor pickleball facility.” n
PAGE 27
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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
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Pursuant to Section 58.1-3321 of the Code of Virginia, the LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 1st Floor, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 at 5:00 P.M. on March 15, 2022, in order to consider a proposed increase to real property tax levies. The County of Loudoun proposes to increase real property tax levies as follows: 1.
Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 16.04 percent.
2.
Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.845 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate.”
3.
Effective Rate Increase: The County of Loudoun proposes to adopt a tax rate not to exceed $0.915 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the maximum proposed rate would be $0.070 per $100, or 8.3 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase.”
Tim Farmer
Bud Klein serves during a recent Sunday morning pickleball match at the Carver Center in Purcellville.
THINGS to do continued from page 25
Live Music: Adriel Genet
Sunday, Feb. 13, 1:30 p.m. Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville Details: sunsethillsvineyard.com Genet’s live acoustic repertoire consists of unique arrangements of vintage jazz and pop standards with a contemporary dramatic edge.
Live Music: Pete Lapp
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2-5 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Lapp returns to the Barns with his acoustic interpretations of classic and alternative rock songs from Bon Jovi to Mumford and Sons.
Live Music: Jim Steele
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Join local favorite Jim Steele for an afternoon of fun covers and originals.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Bluemont Valentine’s Chef’s Table
Friday, Feb. 11, 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12 or Monday, Feb. 14, 5-8 p.m. Bluemont Vineyard, 18755 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: bluemontvineyard.com Celebrate Valentine’s Day Friday, Saturday or Monday with a gourmet dinner and libations in a gorgeous setting. Tickets are $125 per person.
Valentine’s Barn Dance
Saturday, Feb. 12, 6 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Flying Ace’s inaugural Valentine’s Barn Dance features dinner, dessert and live music from the Short Hill Mountain Boys. Tickets are $34.50.
Galentine’s Day Floral Arrangement Workshop
Sunday, Feb. 13, noon-1:30 p.m. Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com Bring your bestie to sip and get creative. Blooms2u provides fresh seasonal flowers and shares tips and tricks of pro floral arranging to create a Valentineinspired floral arrangement. $50 ticket price includes a glass of wine or beer.
Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage. 4.
Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the maximum proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the County of Loudoun will exceed last year’s by 8.3 percent.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on March 11, 2022, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 15, 2022. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up at the public hearing. All speakers will be limited to two minutes and 30 seconds so that all in attendance may have the opportunity to speak. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Board of Supervisors, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia, 20177 or by e-mail to loudounbudget@loudoun.gov. If submitting written comments, information or materials at the hearing, 10 copies should be provided for distribution to the Board members and for the Clerk’s records. 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 accommodations 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
2/10 & 2/17/22
DDS, MS
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 28
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Legal Notices NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COUNTY OF LOUDOUN, VIRGINIA
The Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room is located in the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg, Virginia. The Loudoun County Public Schools’ Administration Building is located at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia. Copies of the FY 2023 Proposed Budget may be examined by request 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. The FY 2023 Proposed Budget is also available online at www.loudoun.gov/budget.
Pursuant to Section 15.2-2506 and Section 58.1-3007 of the Code of Virginia, the County of Loudoun, Virginia (the “County”), gives notice of its proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023 (the FY 2023 Proposed Budget); and the proposed tax rates on real and personal property for Tax Year 2022, beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022. The budget is prepared and published for informative and fiscal planning purposes only. The inclusion in the budget of any item or items does not constitute any obligation or commitment on the part of the Board of Supervisors of the County to appropriate any funds for that item or purpose. There is no allocation or designation of any funds of the County for any purpose until there has been an appropriation for that purpose by the Board of Supervisors.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on February 11, 2022. Advanced sign-ups will close at 12:00 p.m. on February 24, 2022 for the two sessions held on February 24, 2022; advanced sign-ups will close at 5:30 p.m. on February 25, 2022 for the session held on February 26, 2022. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. All speakers will be limited to two minutes and 30 seconds so that all in attendance may have the opportunity to speak. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Board of Supervisors, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia 20177 or by e-mail to loudounbudget@loudoun.gov. If submitting written comments, information or materials at the hearing, 10 copies should be provided for distribution to the Board members and for the Clerk’s records.
Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 Proposed Tax Rates for Tax Year 2022
The estimated local contribution for the school budget is $1,089,274,768. This is the local tax revenue proposed for the Loudoun County Public Schools to fund its Fiscal Year 2023 budget for public schools, as compared to the estimated minimum contribution required by state law in the amount of $412,020,709. Two public hearings on the proposed budget and the proposed tax rates will be held by the Board of Supervisors in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. An additional session of the public hearing will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in the School Board Meeting Room, Loudoun County Public Schools’ Administration Building. Any member of the public may address the Board of Supervisors on these matters; however, each member of the public wishing to address the Board may speak at only one of the sessions.
Proposed Appropriations Category OPERATING County General Fund School Operating Fund School Grant Fund School Lease Purchase Fund School Nutrition Fund Children’s Services Act Fund Disposable Plastic Bag Tax Fund Dulles Town Center CDA Fund EMS Transport Program Fund Housing Fund Legal Resource Center Fund Metro Garages Fund Other Special Revenue Funds Rental Assistance Program Fund Restricted Use Transient Occupancy Tax Self-Insurance Fund State and Federal Grant Fund Operating Subtotal DEBT SERVICE County Government School System Greenlea Tax District Fund Route 28 Special Improvements Fund Tall Oaks Water and Sewer Special Revenue Fund Debt Service Subtotal CAPITAL County Government Capital Projects Fund County Asset Preservation Program Fund School System Capital Projects Fund School System Asset Preservation Fund Capital Projects Financing Fund Major Equipment Replacement Fund Public Facilities Fund Transportation District Fund Capital Subtotal Unallocated Balance TOTAL PROPOSED APPROPRIATIONS
FY 2023 Proposed Expenditures
FY 2023 Proposed Revenue
The following is a brief synopsis of the budget: FY 2023 Proposed Local Tax Funding
FY 2022 Adopted Local Tax Funding
Local Tax Funding Variance
$794,033,496.11 1,568,372,471.00 56,415,746.00 10,002,000.00 45,815,771.00 9,678,734.00 275,000.00 3,500,000.00 5,225,000.00 10,905,510.00 128,428.00 2,251,178.00 91,000.00 9,797,953.00 3,456,969.00 5,455,700.00 4,252,425.00 $2,529,657,381.11
$257,509,043.04 478,713,135.00 56,415,746.00 10,002,000.00 45,815,771.00 5,993,734.00 275,000.00 3,500,000.00 5,225,000.00 5,000,000.00 44,980.00 2,251,178.00 91,000.00 9,525,563.00 3,456,969.00 0 4,252,425.00 $888,071,544.04
$536,913,134.07 1,090,992,655.00 0 0 0 3,685,000.00 0 0 0 5,905,510.00 83,448.00 0 0 272,390.00 0 5,455,700.00 0 $1,643,307,837.07
$482,088,241.30 1,014,059,336.00 0 0 0 3,685,000.00 0 0 0 0 75,867.00 0 0 242,390.00 0 5,455,700.00 0 $1,505,606,534.30
$54,824,892.77 76,933,319.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,905,510.00 7,581.00 0 0 30,000.00 0 0 0 $137,701,302.77
$97,870,162.00 138,808,388.00 44,038.00 14,224,000.00 60,572.00 $251,007,160.00
$29,390,621.00 7,825,000.00 44,038.00 14,224,000.00 60,572.00 $51,544,231.00
$68,479,541.00 130,983,388.00 0 0 0 $199,462,929.00
$61,611,002.00 137,059,830.00 0 0 0 $198,670,832.00
$6,868,539.00 (6,076,442.00) 0 0 0 $792,097.00
$337,825,404.00 16,965,860.00 85,490,000.00 27,904,300.00 203,104,776.27 4,000,000.00 12,410,246.80 100,418,168.73 $788,118,755.80
$232,317,195.53 100,000.00 68,640,000.00 0 203,104,776.27 0 12,410,246.80 65,947,803.27 $582,520,021.87
$105,508,208.47 16,865,860.00 16,850,000.00 27,904,300.00 0 4,000,000.00 0 34,470,365.46 $205,598,733.93
90,053,597.70 11,620,000.00 14,364,000.00 24,543,000.00 0 4,000,000.00 0 23,716,000.00 $168,296,597.70
$15,454,610.77 5,245,860.00 2,486,000.00 3,361,300.00 0 0 0 10,754,365.46 $37,302,136.23
$0 $3,568,783,296.91
$0 $1,522,135,796.91
$0 $2,048,369,500.00
$1,716,236 $1,874,290,200.00
($1,716,236) $174,079,300.00
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
PAGE 29
Legal Notices SUMMARY OF PROPERTY TAX RATES Pursuant to Va. Code § 58.1-3007, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of the proposed increase or other change in certain local property tax rates for Tax Year 2022 as indicated below: Adopted Tax Year 2021
Maximum Proposed Tax Year 2022
All Real Estate (including mobile homes used as residences); and Public Service Corporation Real Estate & Tangible Personal Property (except automobiles, trucks & aircraft) (Va. Code § 58.1-2606)
$0.980
$0.915
Commercial and Industrial Real Estate in Route 28 Highway Transportation Improvement District (Va. Code § 15.2-4607); and Public Service Corporation Real Estate &Tangible Personal Property in the district, except automobiles, trucks & aircraft, (in addition to the general rate applicable to all real estate in the County and the rate for any other service district where the property is located, if applicable)
$0.170
$0.170
Real Estate in the Hamilton Sewer Service District (in addition to the general rate applicable to all real estate in the County and the rate for any other tax district where the real estate is located, if applicable)
$0.000
$0.000
Real Estate in the Metrorail Service District; and Public Service Corporation Real Estate & Tangible Personal Property in the district, except automobiles, trucks & aircraft (in addition to the general rate applicable to all real estate in the County and the rate for any other service district where the property is located, if applicable)
$0.200
$0.200
Real Estate in the Loudoun Gateway-Airport Station Service District; and Public Service Corporation Real Estate & Tangible Personal Property in the district, except automobiles, trucks & aircraft (in addition to the general rate applicable to all real estate in the County and the rate for any other service district where the property is located, if applicable)
$0.000
$0.000
Real Estate in the Ashburn Station Service District; and Public Service Corporation Real Estate & Tangible Personal Property in the district, except automobiles, trucks & aircraft (in addition to the general rate applicable to all real estate in the County and the rate for any other service district where the property is located, if applicable)
$0.000
$0.000
Tangible Personal Property (to include all categories of tangible personal property unless the category and rate is set out separately in this notice), including automobiles and trucks of Public Service Corporations (Va. Code § 58.1-2606 (B))
$4.200
$4.200
Type of Taxable Property
Tangible Personal Property Used in a Research and Development Business (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(7)); and Machinery and Tools (Va. Code §§ 58.1-3507 et seq.)
$2.750
$2.750
Tangible Personal Property – Motor Vehicles of Eligible Elderly and Disabled (Va. Code § 58.1-3506.1; Chapter 873 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County)
$2.100
$2.100
Tangible Personal Property – Eligible Motor Vehicle of a Qualified Permanently Disabled Veteran (Va. Code § 58.1-3506(A)(19))
$0.000
$0.000
Tangible Personal Property – Aircraft and Flight Simulators (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A) (5)), including aircraft of Public Service Corporations (Va. Code § 58.1-2606 (B))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Heavy Construction Machinery (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(8))
$4.000
$4.000
Tangible Personal Property – Motor Vehicles specially equipped to provide transportation for physically handicapped individuals (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(14))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Eligible Motor Vehicles of Fire and Rescue Volunteers and Auxiliary Members and Auxiliary Deputy Sheriffs (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(15), (16) & (32))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Satellite Manufacturing, Testing and Operating Equipment within Route 28 Highway Transportation Improvement District (Va. Code § 58.13506 (A) (21))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Furniture, Office and Maintenance Equipment (except motor vehicles) owned and used by Homeowners Associations (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(24))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Semi-trailers of Interstate Motor Carriers (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(25))
$2.750
$2.750
Tangible Personal Property – Qualifying Wireless Broadband Equipment (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(37))
$2.100
$2.100
Tangible Personal Property – Four-wheeled, low-speed vehicles (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(38))
$0.010
$0.010
Tangible Personal Property – Motor Vehicles Powered Solely by Electricity (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(40))
$4.200
$4.200
Tangible Personal Property – Motor Vehicles of Uniformed Members of the Virginia Defense Force (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(44))
$0.010
$0.010
Wild or Exotic Animals kept for public exhibition and properly licensed by the federal government and/or the Commonwealth (Va. Code § 58.1-3506 (A)(23))
$0.010
$0.010
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 accommodations 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
2/10 & 2/17/22
LoudounNow.com
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
ZMAP-2021-0004 & SPEX-2021-0007 COLONNADE (Zoning Map Amendment and Special Exception)
DTC Partners, LLC of Rockville, Maryland has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 4.15 acres from the PD-CC(NC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Neighborhood Center)) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential – 16, Affordable Dwelling Unit Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop up to 61 single-family attached dwelling units at a density of 14.7 dwelling units per acre; and 2) a Special Exception to reduce the front yard setback from 15 to 10 feet for rear-loaded single-family attached dwelling units in the R-16 ADU zoning district. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 4.15 acres in size and located in the northeast corner of the intersection of City Center Boulevard (Route 1345) and Stefanie Drive (Route 2879). The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 029-28-5117. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational uses at up to 1.0 floor area ratio (FAR).
SIDP-2021-0003 XCAL SHOOTING SPORTS & FITNESS SIGN DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Sign Development Plan)
Caliber Club Sports Inc. of Frederick, Maryland, has submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to modify: 1) the total aggregate sign area; 2) the maximum number of signs; and 3) the maximum area for any one sign for signs for Commercial Office and Industrial uses. The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZRTD-20140006, Commonwealth Center, in the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and pursuant to Section 5-1202(E) alternative sign regulations for permitted signs may be requested with the submission of a Sign Development Plan. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 noise contours. The subject property is approximately 5.4 acres in size and is located on the south side of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) and on the north side of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061) at 44950 Russel Branch Parkway, Ashburn, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 039-16-7892. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designate this area for a compact, pedestrian-oriented environment consisting of a vertical mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational uses.
CMPT-2021-0002 & SPMI-2021-0001 GLOBAL PLAZA SUBSTATION (Commission Permit & Minor Special Exception)
Virginia Electric and Power Company of Glen Allen, Virginia, has submitted an application for Commission approval to permit development of an Electric Utility Substation, Distribution in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, and requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101. The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed Electric Utility Substation use is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses (the Minor Special Exception application is not subject to consideration by the Planning Commission and requires approval only by the Board of Supervisors), pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION §5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations
PROPOSED MODIFICATION Modify the Type C Buffer Yard requirements along the southern and eastern perimeters to reduce the ultimate buffer widths, allow a portion of the buffering to occur on a separate parcel, create interim buffer widths, and create interim buffer landscaping.
The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 and outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is an approximately 4.6-acre portion of a larger parcel that is located in the east quadrant of the intersection of Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036) and Relocation Drive (Route 775) and on the west side of Fitness Court (Route 1700) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as:
PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
045-39-6350
N/A
045-39-9350 (portion)
N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)), which designate this area for a Mix of Office, Production, Research and Development, and Flex space as Core uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.
ZMAP-2020-0012 & SPEX-2021-0020 MOUNTAIN VIEW RESIDENTIAL (Zoning Map Amendment & Special Exception)
43500 Mountain View Dr LLC, of Brambleton, Virginia, and 43474Mountainviewdr LLC, of Chantilly, Virginia, have submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 6.33 acres from the CR-1 (Countryside Residential - 1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-8 ADU (Single Family Residential - 8, ADU Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 41 Single Family Attached residential units, at a density of approximately 6.5 dwelling units per acre; and 2) A Special Exception to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-8 ADU zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-8 ADU zoning district is authorized by Special Exception under Section 7-803(C)(4). The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours and is also located within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District, Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area. The subject property is approximately 6.33 acres in size and is located on the north side of Mountain View Drive (Route 834), west of Poland Road (Route 742) and south of Savoy Woods Court (Route 2290) in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as: PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
128-39-9805
43500 Mountain View Drive, Chantilly, Virginia
128-39-6515
43474 and 43494 Mountain View Drive, Chantilly, Virginia
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the Suburban Neighborhood Place Type which designate this area for predominately Residential uses on medium-to-large lots with a residential density up to four dwelling units per acres, or up to six units per acre for infill development, and a total non-residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.
SPEX-2021-0003 QUARLES PETROLEUM FUEL STATION (Special Exception)
Quarles Petroleum, Inc. of Fredericksburg, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit an Automobile Service Station use in the PD-GI (Planned Development - General Industrial) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-604(X). The subject property is located outside of but within one (1) mile of the LDN 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 4.9 acres in size and is located north of Overland Drive (Route 2962) on the east side of Pebble Run Place (Route 2963) at 23560 Pebble Run Place, Sterling, Virginia, in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 123-19-1239. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area Suburban Industrial/Mineral Extraction)) which designate this area for large manufacturing, contractor with outdoor storage, and other productive uses. Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request 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 703-777-0246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. To arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email dpz@loudoun. gov or call 703-777-0246, or you may view the file electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. For detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Legal Notices to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Planning Commission public hearings are available for viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing if special arrangements for additional speaking time and/or audio-visual equipment will be requested. Such an organization representative will be
allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chairman may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the hearing and the need for additional time is reasonably justified. Citizens are encouraged to call the Department of Planning and Zoning on the day of the public hearing to confirm that an item is on the agenda, or, the most current agenda may be viewed on the Planning Commission’s website at www.loudoun.gov/pc. In the event that the second Thursday is a holiday or the meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be moved to the third Tuesday of the month. In the event that Tuesday is a holiday or the Tuesday meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be held on the following Thursday. The meeting will be held at a place determined by the Chairman. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings at all other locations. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246. Please provide three days’ notice. BY ORDER OF: FOREST HAYES, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 2/3 & 2/10/22
VIRGINIA FAIRFAX CIRCUIT COURT
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN (Civil Division)
CL No. 2020-18072 IN THE MATTER OF THE CHANGE OF NAME OF:
Petitioners:
Haritha Medapati to Meghana Medapati
Respondent:
FINAL ORDER OF NAME CHANGE
Wendy Isabella Robinson Alaric Daniel Robinson Jay Clayton Stroup
In the Matter of the Proposed Adoption of Sophie Elaina Stroup
This day came the Petitioner, seeking a name change, pursuant to Virginia Code §8.01-217.
Case No.: CA 22-5
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
IT APPEARING to the Court that: The current address of the Petitioner (Street Address, City, State & Zip Code) is: 23404 gardenwalk drive, ashburn, va 20148
THE OBJECT of the above-styled case is to obtain an Order of Adoption. IT APPEARING TO THE COURT by Affidavit filed according to law that the whereabouts of Jay Clayton Stroup, the above-named Respondent, are unknown, that Complainant has exercised due diligence to ascertain his current address and has been unsuccessful, and that Jay Clayton Stroup’s last known physical address is: 747 Alder Circle, Virginia Beach, VA 23462; it is therefore
The Petitioner Haritha Medapati has not previously changed name.
Trust Local Expertise. Shop Loco.
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
VIRGINIA:
ADJUDGED, ORDERED and DECREED that the name of the Petitioner is hereby changed from Haritha Medapati to Meghana Medapati. and it is further ADJUDGED, ORDERED, and DECREED that the Clerk of this Court, pursuant to the provisions of Virginia Code §8.01-217, shall spread this Order upoh the current deed book, index it in both the old and new names, and transmit a certified copy to both the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and the Criminal Records Exchange. 2/10/22
Case No.:
JJ040959-26-00
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Madison Bartlett Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Unknown Father The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Madison Bartlett, and; hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Madison Bartlett. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before Adjudication on February 23, 2022 at 3:00 pm, and Dispositional on March 23, 2022 at 3:00 pm. 2/3, 2/10, 2/17 & 2/24
ORDERED, pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 8.01-316 (Michie 2000), as amended that said Respondent is to appear on or before the 18 day of March 2022 at 2:00 PM, in the Clerk’s Office of this Court and to do what is necessary to protect his interests. 2/3, 2/10, 2/17 & 2/24/22
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.
Description
Case Number
Recovery Date
Recovery Location
Phone Number
Huffy Trail Runner mountain bike
SO220000735
1/14/2022
705 N Belfort St. Sterling, VA
703-777-0610 2/3 & 2/10/22
LoudounNow.com
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
ABC LICENSE
The Compass Creek Gas Inc., trading as Compass Creek Sunoco, 595 Compass Point Plz SE, Leesburg, Virginia 20175-5449 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine & Beer Off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. James Schmitz 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. 2/10 & 2/17/22
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Legal Notices ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.:
JJ045837-01-00; JJ045838-01-00; JJ045839-01-00; JJ045840-01-00; JJ045841-01-00; JJ045842-01-00;
The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Unknown Father(s) The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Zubayer Rafik Ekren, Sumeyyah Nadiya Ekren, Asiyeh Hanan Ekren, Khadija Ulka Ekren, Fatima Zahra Ekren and Osama Othman Ekren, and; hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Zubayer Rafik Ekren, Sumeyyah Nadiya Ekren, Asiyeh Hanan Ekren, Khadija Ulka Ekren, Fatima Zahra Ekren and Osama Othman Ekren. It is ORDERED that the defendant, Unknown Father(s) appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before March 2, 2022 at 3:00 pm (Adjudicatory) and March 30, 2022 at 3:00 pm (Dispositional) 2/10, 2/17, 2/24 & 3/3/22
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR LOUDOUN COUNTY MEIERGARD, David Plaintiff, v. PINTO, Roland, d/b/a “Fleetshares Inc.”, et at. Defendant, Case No. CL-21005550 ORDER OF PUBLICATION THE OBJECT of the above-styled case is to proceed on a foreign judgment against the defendant that has been docketed with this Court. IT APPEARING TO THE COURT by Affidavit filed according to law that the whereabouts of Roland Pinto, the above-named Respondent, are unknown, that Complainant has exercised due diligence to ascertain his current address and has been unsuccessful, and that Roland Pinto’s last known physical address is: 3303 Horseman Lane, Falls Church, VA 22042; it is therefore ORDERED, pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 8.01-316 (Michie 2000), as amended that that said Respondent is to appear on or before the 18th day of March, 2022, at 2 PM in the Clerk’s Office of this Court and to do what is necessary to protect his interests. 2/10, 2/17, 2/24 & 3/3/22
Jorge Garcia of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted an application for a variance to permit a reasonable deviation from the following provisions of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the construction of a two-story storage structure accessory to an existing single-family detached dwelling on the subject Property located approximately 2.8 feet from the rear property line and 3.4 feet from the side property line: 1) Section 3-404(C)(2) – Lot Requirements for Suburban Design Option, Yards, Side, which requires a nine (9) foot side yard, and 2) Section 3-404(C)(3) – Lot Requirements for Suburban Design Option, Yards, Rear, which requires a twenty-five (25) foot rear yard. The subject property is zoned PDH-3 (Planned Development – Housing 3), administered as R-4 (Single Family Residential) under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is approximately 0.24 acre in size and is located on the east side of North Croydon Court (Route 1448), approximately 0.7 mile east of the intersection of East Kingsley Avenue (Route 1450) and North Argonne Avenue (Route 1446), at 902 North Croydon Court in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 021-20-1168. Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application(s) and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0246. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view and/or participate in the public hearing electronically. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Board of Zoning Appeals, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to stephanie.capps@loudoun.gov. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public 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. Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.:
JJ038626-09-00
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zachary William Wells
VARI-2021-0002 Storage Shed - Garcia
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zubayer Rafik Ekren, Sumeyyah Nadiya Ekren, Asiyeh Hanan Ekren, Khadija Ulka Ekren, Fatima Zahra Ekren and Osama Othman Ekren
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
2/10 & 2/17/22
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/PROPOSALS FOR: ELECTRICAL SERVICES, IFB No. 481786 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, March 15, 2022. FINANCIAL ADVISOR SERVICES, RFP No. 464782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, March 1, 2022. ON-DEMAND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, RFP No. 482782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, February 25, 2022. Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun.gov/procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT. 2/10/22
LoudounNow.com
Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Tina Lynn Klinedinst, mother 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 Zachary William Wells. It is ORDERED that Tina Lynn Klinedinst, mother appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before March 8, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. 2/10, 2/17, 2/24 & 3/3/22
PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) The Town of Leesburg will accept bids electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on March 3, 2022 for the following:
IFB No. 500630-FY22-18 WFP FILTERS 1 & 2 REHABILITATION PROJECT The Town is soliciting bids from qualified contractors for the rehabilitation of two filter undrain systems at the Water Treatment Plant. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at the Water Treatment Plant located at 43234 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, Virginia 20176. It is strongly recommended that all bidders attend this meeting to gain a thorough understanding of the project. For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 2/10/22
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Legal Notices TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
HILLSBORO TOWN HALL • 37098 HISTORIC CHARLES TOWN PIKE • HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA
The Lovettsville Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, VA 20180, to solicit public comment of the following zoning map amendment application:
LVRZ 2021-0002 Fields Office Park, 53 South Loudoun Street The Lovettsville Planning Commission will consider a zoning map amendment application filed by Alice Fields to rezone property located at 53 South Loudoun Street from R-1 Residential District to C-1 Community Commercial District. The application also proposes to reduce the landscape buffer width required pursuant to Lovettsville Zoning Ordinance Section 42-364, Buffering and Screening, from 17 feet to 9 feet; and reduce the parking required by Lovettsville Zoning Ordinance Section 42-286, Minimum Off-Street Parking, from 10 spaces to 7 spaces. The property is particularly described as Parcel Identification Number 370-20-0508. The property is 12,196.8 square feet in size and is occupied by a residence with a gross floor area of 2,316 square feet. The application proposes to use the existing residential building to establish the applicant’s medical office and offer additional office space for rent. The application also proposes to construct a 728-square foot building on the property to provide additional meeting space and a vehicle garage. The Lovettsville Comprehensive Plan designates this property for Office Commercial use. All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting. The application is available for review online at www.lovettsvilleva.gov/government/planning-commission or at the Lovettsville Administrative Complex between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened at the next regular scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission at the same time and place. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact John Merrithew, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Lovettsville at (540) 755-3004 or by email at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov. 2/3/2022 & 2/10/2022
2022 TAX EXEMPTION INFORMATION
PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on March 8, 2022, for the following:
RFP No. 500620-FY22-25 ODOR & GREASE ELIMINATOR The Town of Leesburg is soliciting proposals from firms to furnish and deliver a product to contract hydrogen sulfide odor and grease. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on Thursday, February 17, 2022, at 9:00 A.M. at the Town’s Utility Maintenance Building located at 1385 Russell Branch Parkway, Leesburg, VA 20175. For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 2/10/22
Pursuant to §58.1-3604 of the Code of Virginia, the Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue has determined that the 2022 aggregate assessed value of all real property exempted from taxation under §§58.1-3607 and 58.1-3608, and Articles 3, 4 and 5 of Chapter 36 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia is $8,394,869,980. This aggregate assessed value represents 6.9 percent of all real property assessed in the County. The total reduction in tax revenues resulting from such exemptions is $76,813,060 based on the maximum proposed tax rate of $0.915 per $100 of assessed value. Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County Government Center Office 1 Harrison St. SE, 1st Floor, Leesburg Loudoun Tech Center Office 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Ste 100, Sterling
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NUMBER 2022-HBT BY THE TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA, FOR
Multi-Use Trail Construction Projects Stony Point Trail, Gaver Mill Trail and GapWay Trail Federal Project CN No.: TAP-5B01(184); TAP-5B01(185); TAP-236(002) VDOT Project: EN18-236-201, EN18-236-002 and EN17-236-116 UPC 113606; UPC 113635 and UPC 111405 The Town of Hillsboro, Virginia, will publicly open sealed bids beginning at 1 p.m., local time, on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at the Town offices located at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Second Floor, Hillsboro, VA, 20132, for the following projects: Stony Point Trail, Gaver Mill Trail, GapWay Trail. The Town offices are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (Excluding Town Holidays), to receive delivery of sealed bids. Plans and Specifications may be viewed and downloaded at the Town website: www.HillsboroVa.gov/capitalbid and eVA at: https://mvendor.cgieva.comNendor/public/ADVSODetails.jsp?Details Page=ADVSODetails.jsp&DOC CD=IFB&DEPT CD=L524&BID INTRNL NO=6341&BID NO=6341&BID VERS NO=1 Bidders are responsible to check the Town website for updates. Plans and Specifications may also be examined at the following location: Hillsboro Town Hall 37098 Charles Town Pike Hillsboro, VA 20132 540-486-8001 A non-mandatory pre-bidders conference will be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022, beginning at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of Hillsboro Town Hall, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia, 20132. Town of Hillsboro COVID protocols, including masks and social distancing, will be in effect. Each bidder must show evidence that it is licensed to do business in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each bidder must be preapproved by VDOT. The Town of Hillsboro reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. MBE/WBE firms are encouraged to bid. Bidders must comply with the following: the President’s Executive Order #11246 prohibiting discrimination in employment regarding race, color, creed, sex, or national origin; the President’s Executive Orders #12138 and 11625 regarding utilization of MBE/WBE firms; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Davis Bacon Act; Section 436 of P. L. 113-76 American Iron and Steel; and confirm that they do not or will not maintain or provide for their employees any facilities that are segregated on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin. Unless canceled or rejected, a responsive bid from the lowest responsible bidder shall be accepted as submitted, except that if the bid from the lowest responsible bidder exceeds available funds, the public body may negotiate with the apparent low bidder to obtain a contract price within available funds. However, the negotiation may be undertaken only under conditions and procedures described in writing and approved by the public body prior to issuance of the Invitation to Bid and summarized therein. The bidder shall give notice in writing of his claim of right to withdraw his bid within two business days after the conclusion of the bid opening procedure and shall submit original work papers with such notice. Hard copies of contract documents may be requested for purchase from the Town. Invitation for Bids #2022-HBT
MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 8000, Leesburg, VA 20177-9804 Phone: 703-777-0260 E-mail: realestate@loudoun.gov Website: www.loudoun.gov/cor 2/10 & 2/17/22
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Legal Notices ATTENTION LOUDOUN COUNTY VEHICLE OWNERS FILING DUE FEBRUARY 15 Notification of 2022 Personal Property filing requirements has recently been mailed to all owners of record in order to establish accurate assessment information for the 2022 tax year. Automobile, truck, motorcycle, camper, trailer, boat, motorhome, aircraft, or mobile homeowners should report changes online at: www.loudoun.gov/efile A filing notification with instructions about online filing has been mailed to each household of record. The notification will indicate whether a filing is required or is optional for any vehicle owned in Loudoun County based on the vehicle type, the date the vehicle was located in Loudoun, and whether a filing was previously made on the vehicle.
MIDDLEBURG TOWN COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On Thursday, the 24th day of February, 2022, the Council of the Town of Middleburg, Virginia (the “Town”), will hold a public hearing on the proposed issuance of bonds of the Town in the estimated maximum principal amount of $2,500,000 to finance the costs of various capital improvement projects for governmental purposes, including but not limited to the additional costs of completing the design, acquisition, construction and equipping of a new Town Hall. Such bonds shall be general obligations of the Town to the payment of which the Town’s full faith and credit shall be irrevocably pledged. The public hearing, which may be continued or adjourned, will be held at 6:00 P.M., local time, or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in the Town Hall Council Chambers at 10 West Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia 20118. Interested persons may appear at such time and place and present their views.
Unless otherwise instructed, please report corrections, unusually high mileage, unrepaired body damage, serious mechanical defect, address changes or the sale, move or disposal of any vehicle by February 15, 2022, online at:
Rhonda S. North, MMC Town Clerk Town of Middleburg, Virginia
www.loudoun.gov/efile
2/3 & 2/10/22
Newly acquired vehicles or vehicles recently entering Loudoun County must be reported to my office within 60 days of purchase or move to Loudoun County or one of its incorporated towns to avoid a 10% late filing penalty. Owners of vehicles in the County are subject to taxes beginning on the date the vehicle came to Loudoun, even if the vehicle displays out of state license plates.
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Owners of vehicles displaying out-of-state license plates not otherwise exempt from obtaining Virginia license plates will be charged an additional annual license fee of $100. A $250 penalty may also be imposed on owners of vehicles that are not registered with DMV within 60 days of the owner’s having established residency in Virginia. Military service members residing in Loudoun County who have separated from military service and were receiving a tax exemption due to claiming a domicile outside of Virginia should contact the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office to report their change in status so their exemption can be removed. Loudoun County now bills for and collects personal property taxes and vehicle license fees for vehicle owners in all of Loudoun’s incorporated towns, including Hamilton, Hillsboro, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill. Owners of vehicles within an incorporated town will receive a consolidated tax bill that includes both County and town taxes. We encourage you to connect with us virtually since most transactions with our office can be completed online. For more information or filing assistance, please visit www.loudoun.gov/cor or contact the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue at cartax@loudoun.gov or 703-777-0260. Regular office hours are weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County
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FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Opinion Beyond the Rate As we kick of the county government’s budget season there’s no doubt
Loudoun’s leaders will be touting their efforts to continue rolling back the real estate tax rate. And we can soon expect to see campaign flyers from
incumbents bragging about shaving a nickel—perhaps even a dime—off the $1.045 rate they inherited at the start of their term.
Those accolades likely will ring hollow when homeowners open their
tax bills next year to once again find a higher bill to pay and to continue to be charged significantly more than most other Virginians for the services their local government provides.
Most of our local governments are reporting healthy budget surpluses
coming off a couple of years when they lowered expectations for
consumer-based tax revenue. A fairly rapid rebound in many industry sectors and the influx of federal recovery dollars largely offset those expected losses.
Taxpayers won’t be getting a refund from that windfall. The surplus
money squirrelled away in reserve funds is likely to be depleted by
inflationary spikes. The slowing pace of construction makes homeowners’
LETTERS to the Editor
wallets the chief target for fueling the government’s budgetary expansion. Nowhere is that more inequitable than in the county’s school division
where, for decades, leaders have pushed for funding to keep pace with the number of new students showing up at its doors. Nonsensically, this year
the requested spending increase is outpaced by the decline in enrollment. After decades of looking to homeowners to pick up the tab for the
county’s population increases, it’s time for county leaders to look to their
own spending habits and make the changes needed to adjust to the slowing trends. It is not a successful strategy to look to higher tax bills as solution to the challenges of coping with both rapid growth and slowing growth; it’s an arrogant one. n
Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com
Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC
EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com
15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176
Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com
PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723
Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Hayley Milon Bour, Reporter hbour@loudounnow.com ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com
Loudoun Now is delivered by mail to more than 44,000 Loudoun homes and businesses, with a total weekly distribution of 47,000.
Tonya Harding, Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com Vicky Mashaw, Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.com
Support Them Editor: Regarding the article “Council Clamping Down on Donation Boxes,” an issue highlighted by this newspaper once before over the past year, I believe it is shortsighted for the Leesburg Town Council members and town zoning staff to potentially eliminate or penalize through fees this method of making donations for others in an already financially stressed environment. The bins depicted in this article— the green Better World Books bin for books and the yellow Planet Aid bins for clothes and shoes—are avenues to help others in need. For years, I have visited this very area three or four times a week to monitor whether either one had overflow and then immediately called the posted telephone number so that they may respond in a timely manner to retrieve donations left there. The photograph showed a lamp and vacuum cleaner, an obvious prohibited dumping situation, not the fault of Planet Aid, but time and time again they retrieve all arti-
cles left, even cleaning up the excessive dumping of computers, monitors, an excessive amount of household goods, and, today, a child’s bike and games left outside the bins. We should be paying Planet Aid $250 each month for the cleanup of dumped materials that have nothing to do with clothes or shoes. And, yes, there are other bin organizations that are not so responsive in Leesburg, such as the red box bins and perhaps others that may require attention. As a resident for many decades, these bins have been most helpful to me to be able to deliver almost new books (yes, I love to read) 24/7 while other potential donation organizations have restricted times and days of acceptance although are equally helpful overall. The potential exists that without these bins people are going to do their unauthorized dumping elsewhere or in other public trash containers, which eventually land in the dump. What is the cost of saving then? I ask that we make every effort to aid these organizations in their service to us. — Rebecca Reeder, Leesburg
Share Your Views Loudoun Now welcomes readers’ comments on issues affecting our community. Letters may be emailed to letters@loudounnow.com or mailed to the newspaper office. Letters should be no more than 500 words and must include the writer’s name, address and contact information for confirmation purposes.
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
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Readers’ Poll
PAGE 37
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the top priority for this year’s county budget?
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: What are your public park priorities?
Share your views at loudounnow.com/ polls
The Battle Over Rt. 15: Harbinger of Things to Come BY JOHN ELLIS Save Rural Loudoun
Angry interventions at the Feb. 1 Board of Supervisors meeting demonstrate why the county must act soon to reduce projected residential growth in Loudoun’s rural areas. In that meeting, a dozen or so residents of the recently built rural subdivisions surrounding Lucketts bitterly protested the traffic congestion and dangerous driving conditions on Rt. 15 north of Leesburg and demanded that the county move forward immediately with the proposed $400 million expansion project on that road. Any further delays, they said, would make county supervisors responsible for future traffic injuries or deaths. They condemned “special interests” that continue to raise concerns about the potential impacts of the project on the environment, local historic sites, and Lucketts’ small businesses. This is just the first of many such conflicts that are set to emerge in rural Loudoun in the coming years. The source of the trouble is clear: county zoning regulations allow too many new residences to be built in areas with narrow, low-capacity rural roads and other limited public infrastructure and services. The county estimates that each new rural residence generates an average of ten more vehicle trips per day on the local road system. Between 2000 and 2015, the area around Lucketts experienced the most rapid residential growth of all Loudoun’s rural areas, more than doubling its population. Rt. 15 and connecting rural roads did not have the capacity to provide the same level of service to so many new residents, especially when the high volume of traffic
This “zoning re-write” provides the Board of Supervisors with a last chance opportunity to fix the problem of over-development of rural areas and avoid future conflicts like the current battle over Rt. 15. from Maryland was also increasing. This problem is rapidly expanding. In zthe past decade, residential growth has shifted to other parts of rural Loudoun. Between 2010 and 2015, northwest Loudoun accounted for 35% of all residential growth in rural Loudoun. Between 2015 and 2020, that share rose to 70%. As a result, similar conflicts have begun to emerge around Waterford, Hillsboro, Lincoln, Bluemont, Philomont, and other small towns and historic villages. The narrow rural roads around and through these communities are already heavily congested. Continued rapid residential growth, combined with large volumes of interstate traffic with Maryland and West Virginia, will make them even worse. Based on current zoning densities, the county staff projects that “by right” residential development could add another 10,000 houses and generate 100,000
additional vehicle trips per day from Loudoun’s rural areas alone. This does not include the anticipated growth within the incorporated towns of Hamilton, Purcellville, Round Hill, Lovettsville, and Middleburg. Everywhere in western Loudoun, the rural road system does not have enough capacity to maintain expected levels of service for the projected increases in new residences and traffic volumes. The county government has two options. One option, the current status quo, is to do nothing more to slow residential growth in rural areas. If it stays on this path, the county will be forced to continually scramble to catch up with the inevitable demand for bigger roads and other public services, as it is currently doing in the Lucketts area. The fiscal cost to county taxpayers of sticking with this option would dwarf the Rt. 15 project, amounting to billions of dollars. It would also spell the end of local farming, rural tourism, sources of clean water, carbon-absorbing woodlands, wildlife habitat, historic sites, and scenery, and all the other benefits of Loudoun’s remaining rural areas. But it is not too late to take a different path. Loudoun’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan states that the county’s policy is to “limit residential development” in rural areas in order, among other things, “to minimize traffic impacts and reduce the demand for additional public facilities and services.” The county government is currently in the process of reviewing and revising its entire Zoning Ordinance with the aim of bringing it into alignment with the county’s policy vision. This “zoning re-write” provides the
Board of Supervisors with a last chance opportunity to fix the problem of over-development of rural areas and avoid future conflicts like the current battle over Rt. 15. As part of this process, the county can and should reduce the maximum residential densities permitted in new rural subdivisions to ensure that the rural population does not out-grow the available public infrastructure. Of course, pro-growth interests will lobby intensely against this second option, arguing that it would deny large landowners’ “right” to high-density rural development. They will continue to insist, in other words, on their right to impose huge new administrative and fiscal burdens on the county government and its taxpayers so that they can reap more profits from the destruction of Loudoun’s remaining rural areas. Under this powerful political pressure, county supervisors would undoubtedly face a major challenge if they chose to decisively implement the rural policy adopted in the Comprehensive Plan. It would certainly be easier to avoid short-term controversy and pass along the inevitable costs to future supervisors and citizens. For the sake of the county’s taxpayers, of every citizen who values our farms, natural environment, history, scenery, and other rural assets, and of future generations, we hope they will stand up to the task of fixing the problem while it is still fixable. n Submitted by John Ellis on behalf of the board of directors of Save Rural Loudoun. Save Rural Loudoun is a non-partisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization that advocates for preservation of Loudoun County’s rural heritage.
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Agriculture in classrooms continued from page 3 I’ve been to have been a part of the chick growing, and the kids absolutely love it,” said Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run), who co-chairs the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee and is an elementary school special education teacher’s assistant. “Every time they go by they’re quiet. They want to make sure once the chicks have hatched that they are careful around them. They want to hold them and touch them, and are really excited about them.” School Board member Denise Corbo (At Large), a former elementary teacher, agreed. But elected leaders now want to know how they can do more, all across the county. “We’ve traditionally focused on production agriculture that looks like broad acre agriculture, but as the population of Loudoun changes and our learning needs change, so do we, and we adapt, and so a lot of our work involves hydroponic systems and aquaponic systema and container gardening for balconies,” said
“When we can integrate more locally, truly locallygrown produce, meats, whatever it is, kids have this understanding where their food comes from, and it’s not from Food Lion.” — Stuart Vermaak Director, Department of Extension Services Department of Extension Services Director Stuart Vermaak. “We have programs where students can learn about growing things and then take a container home and grow something on their balcony, something that is culturally specific that they might be interested in. We have the ability to tailor these things to the school and the
School masking continued from page 3 violation of Senate Bill 1303 because their children are not permitted in school without wearing masks. The plaintiffs claim that the school division has caused irreparable harm to their children with the mask mandate, which they claim the board does not have authority to impose. “Interpreting the School Board’s powers broadly enough to authorize the Universal Mask Mandate would put those powers in conflict with parents’ ‘fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education and care’ of their children,” the filing says. The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction against the division’s masking policy. They are represented by the D.C. law firm Jones Day. A hearing for that case is set for Feb. 18. While some parents have called for an end to the division’s masking requirement, parents of students with disabilities worry that ending the requirement will force them to decide between their child’s safety and getting an education and special needs services.
“I truly hope that the people who don’t want masks just aren’t understanding the facts. I would really hate to believe that these people don’t want to protect kids in the community.” — Kim Gould Loudoun teacher and mother of two Two Loudoun families have joined nine other families with children with disabilities in the federal lawsuit in the Western District of Virginia against Youngkin’s executive order. The suit claims that Youngkin’s order is in violation of federal law and could create an environment where children are at higher risk of COVID-19. Without universal masking, the filing says, students would be excluded from receiving an education, which would be barred under the
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
environment, and make that education applicable.” And although the schools already buy some food from local farmers, Vermaak said one way to get the lesson to kids is through their stomachs. “When we can integrate more locally, truly locally-grown produce, meats, whatever it is, kids have this understanding where their food comes from, and it’s not from Food Lion,” he said. “It is a food literacy effort.” Agricultural education also can face hurdles in the county, especially around staffing. There is a specific teaching endorsement for agricultural education, and unlike classes, farmers don’t get a summer break. That can be reflected in school garden programs that can falter over the summer. “We had very good intentions and beautiful gardens going, but once the summer months come by, we might have like one person that’s in charge of it, so it’s pretty hard,” Glass said. Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) suggested a funding a partnership with the county Parks and Recreation department to take care of the gardens over the summer.
“A lot of people just don’t have the time to volunteer for something like that consistently over the summer,” she said. Similarly, some School Board members discussed a stipend or incentives for teachers to get certified for and more involved in agriculture education. “Every elementary school received hydroponic systems, and they are incredible, but most of them are sitting in a closet because no one at the school is responsible for them,” Corbo said. “… They were a great gift to many of our elementary schools, but they’re not being utilized because of that lack, again, of that manpower.” And School Board Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles) said those kinds of lessons can be part of students’ broader education. “I don’t think it has to happen in a specific course necessarily. It can happen in specific lessons,” Morse said. School Board members and supervisors plan to talk more about how to bring agriculture into the classroom at their next joint committee meeting in April, where they will be joined by the county’s Rural Economic Development Council. n
Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The parties are represented by the ACLU. Kim Gould, a teacher and a mother of two Loudoun students, joined the suit to protect her son’s access to his critical services. She said Youngkin’s executive order scared her to death. Her son Isaac, now 13 years-old and in sixth grade, is severely immunocompromised. When Isaac was six years old, the Goulds experienced the horrors of severe respiratory illness. “A lot of kids get RSV, and it’s a cold and they recover. Isaac got RSV and ended up on a vent in the hospital. It’s the unexpected for us,” she said. At school, Isaac gets speech therapy and other services. He still can’t quite talk due to problems with his vocal cords, but Gould said that he socializes and whispers to his friends. She worries that the family will have to keep both Isaac and his brother home from school if the masking requirement ends, and that Isaac would lose access to his therapies. “Issacs’s right lung is half the size of his left lung, he is severely compromised, and he wears a mask all day and has absolutely no problem doing it. Hasn’t complained once. I know it’s doable. I wear a
mask all day because I’m a teacher. It’s fine,” Gould said. “I believe the science that my mask protects you and your mask protects me. And being a resident of Loudoun County I truly hope that the people who don’t want masks just aren’t understanding the facts. I would really hate to believe that these people don’t want to protect kids in the community,” she said. Attorney Eve Hill said that the ADA and section 504 requires schools to accommodate their students with disabilities. “Ensuring that they’re safe in school is an accommodation. … The order has to give way to federal law. We’re certain that we’re correct on the law, we’re just hopeful we can get that decided quickly before children are hurt by the executive order. There is not yet a hearing date for that case. Some students have been disciplined for not wearing masks. One Stone Bridge High School family this week shared a letter notifying them that their student was suspended for 10 days for flouting the school mask requirement. As of press time, the school division reported that 21 students had been suspended for not complying with the masking requirement. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
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Home values continued from page 1 per $100 of assessed value. The Dulles Area Association of Realtors saw Loudoun’s hot housing market getting even tighter during 2021, with fewer homes going on the market, staying on the market for less time, and selling for ever-climbing, above-list prices. County supervisors on Wednesday were scheduled to hear County Administrator Tim Hemstreet’s proposal for the next annual county budget, including his proposal for new real estate tax rate. Of the $17.5 billion—18.3% increase—single year in the value of the county’s real estate, $15.3 billion is from increasing property values. Only $1.7 billion is attributable to new construction, which increases the value of the real estate where it stands. This is also the year when the total real property value in Loudoun crossed a hundred billion dollars, growing to $113 billion, for the first time. Last year, the county’s total taxable real estate was valued at $95.1 billion, an overall increase of 5.8%. The typical existing single family detached home property saw the largest average year-overyear increase in value, at 7.2%, and the average townhome was up 6.4%. Data centers also continue to play an outsized role in the county government’s
“It’s hard to believe that our values have gone up so much, yet we still are going to have to consider a tax increase on our residents.” — Supervisor Tony Buffington
(R-Blue Ridge)
Loudoun Commissioner of the Revenue
A graph charting the steady rise in home prices in Loudoun over the past 10 years.
tax revenues; they account for almost half the value of all commercial real estate in Loudoun. Data center real estate is valued at about $11.8 billion in Loudoun, of a total $27.7 billion of commercial real estate. The growth in that land’s value also continues to far outpace other categories of commercial real estate, posting a 53.8% growth in assessments over the past year compared to a 23.8% growth overall. That also means as supervisors begin their annual budget deliberations, more of the tax burden could fall on homeowners. In Loudoun, typically much of the increase in the county’s expenses, attributable to price inflation and increasing the county’s services to serve a growing
Budget request continued from page 1 Serotkin said an IB program is a necessity for a school division, and Loudoun County Public Schools appears to be the last to have gotten that memo. “I do see it as a need. We have provided ample STEM opportunities and now arts and theater have been bolstered,” Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) said, adding students with an interest in social sciences need similar advanced opportunities. The next step will be training staff in the program. The program will be rolled out at two unnamed schools during the 2023-2024 school year. The program will be open to primarily to students at the host schools, but will have spaces for students across the division. “There is no reason that our sole opportunity for marquee learning is at the Academies of Loudoun. We need to have more opportunities for our students to pursue their interests, pursue their career goals, and to participate in a course of
“We need to have more opportunities for our students to pursue their interests, pursue their career goals, and to participate in a course of study that matches their interest and prepares them for post-secondary life.”
—
Loudoun County Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler
study that matches their interest and prepares them for post-secondary life… it is something that should be an expectation of our community,” Superintendent Scott Ziegler said. The additional stipends for the performing arts are represented in the bud-
population, is offset by the increase in the total value of real estate in the county because of new construction. With new construction slower during the pandemic, most of the growth in the county’s real estate portfolio is the increasing value of the existing development. “We’re looking at, from what we’ve been told so far, having to possibly increase property taxes on residents in order to just maintain current service levels and fund the board priorities that we’ve already voted to fund, and so that’s just shocking to me,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge). “… It’s hard to believe that our values have gone up so much, yet we still are going to have to
consider a tax increase on our residents.” Hemstreet was scheduled to present his proposed annual budget to the county Board of Supervisors on Feb. 9, launching Fiscal Year 2023 budget deliberations. Real estate assessments for tax year 2022 are now available online at loudoun.gov/parceldatabase. Printed assessment notices will be mailed to property owners the week of Feb. 7, according to Wertz’s office. Property owners who believe their assessments are incorrect may file an Application for Review with the Commissioner online at loudoun.gov/ reaa by March 7. Thereafter, appeals may be made to the Board of Equalization until June 1. n
get by a $2.4 million placeholder, pending a review by staff of what stipends in a community-presented proposal calling for $1.9 million are duplicative of current stipends. The funding is a salve for the performing arts community, which has turned out in droves to address the board during public comment portions of meetings over the past six months. Teachers will receive stipends reflective of their year-round involvement with the programs, as opposed to a single season stipend. Morse made the motion to award $1,000 stipends to all special education staff, including teachers, behavioral assistants, teaching assistants, which passed unanimously. “We cannot find enough special education staffers and special education teachers…The teachers can be subject to hitting, biting, cursing, physical violence,” Morse said. Harris Mahedavi’s (Ashburn) motion to establish an Internal Auditing General office with three employees for a cost of $610,143 passed with unanimous support.
Ziegler’s recommended budget included the elimination of parking fees and student athletics fees. The board voted to eliminate parking fees for students which is a reduction of $650,000 in revenues, but to keep athletics fees which generate $810,000. Hoyler proposed a million-dollar savings by using current Chromebooks for incoming kindergarteners to use as a class set. His motion passed 7-2. Several times throughout the meeting, Sheridan emphasized using caution. She said the board needed to be conservative in what it is asking to fund in one year, concerned that the Board of Supervisors might take issue with individual items on the budget. The Fiscal Year 2023 budget request will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. Supervisors will determine how much money to send to schools when they pass their budget in early April. n
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
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