n LOUDOUN
Pg. 4 | n LEESBURG
VOL. 6, NO. 14
Pg. 6 | n PUBLIC SAFETY
Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES
Pg. 17 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
We've got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always at LoudounNow.com
Pg. 22
MARCH 4, 2021
Supervisors Pass Public Building Gun Ban BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Ashburn-based Physical Therapist Tim Zelch works with a patient in a socially distant, masked- and shielded-up workspace. Patient visits at his office were down in spring 2020, but have since returned to normal.
COVID Changes Patient Visits BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounow.com
A year ago next week, the lives of residents and the fortunes of businesses were shaken by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Ralph Northam’s emergency declaration that closed schools and limited public gatherings. At the time, surgeons stopped performing non-emergency surgeries, doctors amended their of-
fice procedures and many patients in need of medical treatment forwent visits to the emergency room and the doctor’s office. Nearly a year later, doctors and dentists are reporting a rebound of sorts, but say many of the procedures put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will be here to stay—ensuring that medical spaces remain among the safest locations in the community. Tim Zelch, who has operated his Spine and Orthopedic Solutions physical therapy
COVID CARE continues on page 34
GUN BAN continues on page 35
PROPANE COSTS COSTS TOO MUCH! PROPANE TOO MUCH! PROPANE COSTS TOO MUCH! This Winter is theWinter Ideal Time Make the to Switch. This is thetoIdeal Time Make the Switch. ThisNow Winter is the Ideal Time Make Switch. 540-687-3608 is the Ideal Time to to Make thethe Switch
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“So very happy we switched to Hunt Country. My only regret is that wetodidn’t it sooner. How regret is“I that havewe been buying about a year now. from My Hunt Country for about a year now. My “So very happy we switched Hunt do Country. My only didn’t do itpropane sooner. from How Hunt Country “I have for been buying propane 540-687huntcountrypropane.com huntcountrypro “So very happy switched tosaved…However, Hunt Country. My only regret isprevious thatright wepropane didn’t it sooner. How “I have been propane from Country forThe about year rude now.and My much money we would have saved…However, we finallywewe made thehave right choice about our much higher priced. Thebuying staff was rude much money would wepropane. finally made the choicedoprovider about ourwas propane. previous propane provider wasand muchHunt higher priced. staffa was huntcountrypr much money we been would have low saved…However, finally the right propane. previous propane wasthem muchbusiness higher priced. staff wasshopping rude and For years I have been receiving offers from companies offering rates,from only other to we findcompanies out made didn’t seem to careabout if you gave them business orseem not. When I ifwas Forother years I have receiving offers offering lowchoice rates, only toour find out didn’t to careprovider youshopping gave or not.The When I was years Itohave been offers from other companies offering low rates, only to find out I found didn’tHunt seem to care if you or not. WhenThe I was shopping you have to enter a contract with them. ItFor never made sense toreceiving me that you could around for ayou new company, thankfully The staffgave is them business you have enter a contract with them. Itdrive never made sense around to me that could drive around around forCountry. a new company, thankfully I found Hunt Country. staff is you have enter contract with them. It never made sense tonice me to that could drive around around for a newthat company, thankfullyand I found Hunt cared Country. town and shop for fuel for your car, but not for yourtoshop home. nice seecar, that owner professional, knowledgeable genuinely cared you gave town and foraIt’s fuel for to your buta business not for your home. It’sfriendly, seeyou that a business owner andfriendly, professional, knowledgeable genuinely thatThe youstaff gaveis understands this and caters to the customer. We our Saturday business. Hunt Country are consistently lowerHunt than their prices town andreceived shopthis forand fuelfirst for delivery your butpast not for your home. our It’sthem niceyour to see that business ownerprices them friendly, knowledgeable and cared thatthan you gave understands caters to car, the this customer. We received first delivery thisapast Saturday yourprofessional, business. Country aregenuinely consistently lower their and the owner himself brought it out. Theunderstands service wasthis excellent. Of course, I’m not service surprised, recommend call Hunt if youthat and caters to the customer. We received ourcompetitors. first thisnot past Saturday that youcompetitors. them yourCountry business. Hunt Country prices than iftheir and the owner himself brought it out. The was excellent. Of delivery course,I highly I’m surprised, I highlyPropane, recommend you are call consistently Hunt Countrylower Propane, you as the initial account set-up was easy and lady in the officeset-up was so pleasant!” T. the don’t, making BIG($) mistake. Thanks Hunt Leesburg and the owner himself brought it easy out. The service excellent. Of you’re course, I’m nota—Caroline surprised, competitors. I highlya—Ed, recommend that Thanks you callHunt Hunt Country• Propane, if you asthe the initial account was and—Caroline the ladywas in office was so pleasant!” T. don’t, you’reCountry!” making BIG($) mistake. Country!” —Ed, Leesburg Less • Local Honest Less • Local 540-687-3608 “I have been buying propane from Hunt Country for about a year now. My as the initial account set-up was easy and the lady in the office was so pleasant!” —Caroline T. don’t, you’re making a BIG($) mistake. Thanks Hunt Country!” —Ed, Leesburg Less • Loca huntcountrypropane.com
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“So very happy we switched to Hunt Country. My only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner. How much money we would have saved…However, we finally made the right choice about our propane. For years I have been receiving offers from other companies offering low rates, only to find out you have to enter a contract with them. It never made sense to me that you could drive around town and shop for fuel for your car, but not for your home. It’s nice to see that a business owner understands this and caters to the customer. We received our first delivery this past Saturday and the owner himself brought it out. The service was excellent. Of course, I’m not surprised,
office in a second-story space in Ashburn’s Premier Plaza since 2019, said the volume of patient visits last spring dropped by 70% at the outset of the pandemic. Zelch said that overnight drop in patient visits led to a rapid increase by July. He attributed that increase to the nature of his profession; patients who stopped going to their physical therapy sessions or who were unable to get surgery during the height of
Loudoun supervisors late Tuesday night adopted a new ordinance banning guns in county buildings, offices and parks, directing the staff to set up screening stations at the Government Center and Shenandoah Building in Leesburg, and the Sterling Service Center on Ridgetop Circle. The new ordinance also provides exemptions for concealed carry permit holders visiting county parks, as well for private security personnel hired for a county-permitted event, active duty military personnel performing their official duties, historical reenactments and others. It passed on a party line vote, 6-3. The vote also came after attempts to push the law in both directions—both tightening it by doing without the exception for concealed carry permits, and, with it clear that some sort of ordinance would pass, loosening it by only applying it to buildings with screening stations. Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) led the push for the tighter rules, which failed on a 4-5 vote. She was joined by Vice Chairman Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) and Supervisors Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) and Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run). “We accepted the support of the gun safety advocacy groups and the voters put us here because they want us to enact such legislation,” Briskman said. “When given
previous propane provider was much higher priced. The staff was rude and didn’t seem to care if you gave them business or not. When I was shopping around for a new company, thankfully I found Hunt Country. The staff is friendly, professional, knowledgeable and genuinely cared that you gave them your business. Hunt Country prices are consistently lower than their competitors. I highly recommend that you call Hunt Country Propane, if you
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MARCH 4, 2021
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MARCH 4, 2021
PAGE 3
A GHOST STORY
How Local Restaurateurs Are Cashing In on Ghost Kitchen Phenomenon ghost kitchens are cropping up in all corners of Loudoun County. Hospitality leaders are optimistic that their creativity and new culinary offerings will make 2021 a successful business year, and offer them exposure to more hungry customers.
BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
The word “pivot” has become synonymous with business plans and models in the era of COVID-19, as entrepreneurs work for ways to increase their revenue in uncertain economic times. The hospitality industry, one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, is no exception. But in a time where many would subscribe to belt tightening, local restaurateurs are instead launching new concepts. You won’t see these restaurants on monument signs or plastered on building facades. These “ghost kitchens” are born out of the imagination and ingenuity of local chefs and restaurant owners, who produce their new menu items in the same grills and ovens of their brick-and-mortar restaurants, offering new cuisine in a largely delivery-only format to cash in on the growing online ordering phenomenon. Nationwide, more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed temporarily or permanently in 2020, including many in Loudoun County, according to the National Restaurant Association. While profits shrank dramatically, particularly in the early spring of 2020 when indoor dining was prohibited, one sector of the restaurant business reported massive increases—online ordering. With many people isolated by choice or necessity, online delivery orders, either through third-party services or directly from restaurants, accounted for $45 billion nationwide in 2020. That’s up from $30 billion in online sales in 2017 and ahead of the $41 billion pre-COVID prediction for 2020 from Alphawise. A year since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived stateside,
Ghost Kitchen LoCo Ghost kitchen of Kovi Kitchen GhostKitchenLoco.com
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Chef Stephon Washington, executive chef of the Holiday Inn Dulles, whips up his specialty Jamaican dishes in the kitchen of O’Malley’s Pub. Washington, with the support of B.F. Saul Company, recently launched Grandpa Hank’s, a ghost kitchen named in honor of his great grandfather, a Jamaican native.
Dean Boeving and Wes Guptill saw their restaurant profits drop 80% from one weekend to the next when COVID arrived last spring. So, they took to the streets. For someKara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now times six days a A steakhouse burger and kimchi fries can week through be ordered together with Ghost Kitchen the summer, they LoCo’s new menus. would load up the Kovi Kitchen food truck and schedule visits to local neighborhoods, offering pre-orders of Kovi cuisine, as well as walk-up orders. It was a business decision that was key to the business’ survival, Boeving acknowledged, but as the summer months marched on their exhaustion made them realize it may not be a sustainable business model. Once businesses began to reopen, food truck sales start-
Goodfriend Answers Vaccination Questions BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
Over the weekend, Loudoun County surpassed the 76,000-shot mark in its COVID-19 vaccination effort, with nearly 25,000 residents fully vaccinated. But there’s still confusion over when those still waiting for the shots will get their chance. During a recent Facebook Live forum, Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend tried to provide assurances to those eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine—and those frustrated or worried by the wait. Many of the questions came from people worried or confused by the changed system for registering to be vaccinated, and the state’s delay in getting that system fully functional. Local health departments like Loudoun which had already begun taking signups for the vaccine were in-
structed in early February to shut those sites down and send their lists to the state to add to a central, statewide system. Signups for vaccination appointments are now at vaccinate.virginia.gov. But that statewide system has been slow to catch up—some Loudouners report they still cannot find their information on the Virginia Department of Health site, prompting them to worry that their names were lost in the shuffle. Goodfriend assured participants in the Feb. 24 session that they were not. “If anyone is concerned thy can mail me at health@loudoun.gov with your name and we’ll look it up for you and let you know where you are on the list,” Goodfriend said. “If you’re fine with the understanding that we have your place in line, you don’t need to do that. But if you need that and want that reassurance, don’t
hesitate to email us.” Further confusing the issue, CVS pharmacy, which is offering shots at its Lansdowne store, is taking signups separately on its own site, with more pharmacies expected to begin enrolling soon. And in Northern Virginia, because the Fairfax County Health Department is administered differently—locally operated—that health department stayed with its local registration system while the rest of the state switched to the statewide system. Goodfriend explained Loudoun did not have that choice. Senate Bill 1221, introduced by Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-31), which would allow Loudoun to also locally operate its health department, has passed the General Assembly and is waiting on the governor’s signature. Goodfriend also said he expects the
GHOST KITCHENS continues on page 14 state’s website to improve over time. “There are privacy issues with the state system, just like we have privacy issues,” Goodfriend said. “The information you gave us when you signed up is private information. So there’s only so much that we want to be able to share with folks without some way of vetting who is asking for that information and if they have a right to it.” But the waits will continue. Goodfriend said even with the approval of a third vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, he expected it will be another two months before the state is ready to move on to the third phase of vaccines, Phase 1c, which includes many utility workers, food service workers, transportation and logistics workers, information technology employees, legal services employees, members of the media, and others. However, President Joe Biden on Tuesday offered a more optimistic outlook, predicting that all adults could be vaccinated by the end of May. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 4
MARCH 4, 2021
Affordable Housing Concerns Dominate Budget Public Hearings
Loudoun
BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun County
A map of the site of the proposed Goose Creek Overlook, across Goose Creek from the True North data center complex.
New Goose Creek Development Applications Spark Public Concerns BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
A proposal to build apartments and townhomes on the banks of Goose Creek has alarmed conservationists and nature lovers. Goose Creek Overlook is the name given to a proposal to build 251 units including 136 townhouses, 40 two-over-two condos, and 40 price-controlled apartments on 55
mostly untouched acres on the east bank of the Goose Creek, on both sides of Sycolin Road and across the creek from the True North data center project. It is also only one of three new development projects in the immediate area. Across the creek, the same developer, Compass Datacenters, is seeking to allow even further building on a project that only three years ago, divided supervisors, outraged the community, and so far has result-
ed in in clearing acres of land and but only one. There at True North, the developer is asking for permission to consolidate three of the nine planned buildings into one building, and to build 21 feet higher up to 56 feet. The original project was approved on a 5-4 vote in 2018 for up to 750,000 square feet of data center development. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue GOOSE CREEK continues on page 35
Collective Bargaining, Drug Court Stay in Budget BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
Supervisors largely stuck to County Administrator Tim Hemstreet’s draft Fiscal Year 2022 county budget, deciding on Monday, March 1 during their first budget work session to stick to plans for expanding the drug court, body-worn cameras program, and preparing for collective bargaining among county employees. The budget is proposed based on direction and priorities from the Board of Supervisors, and the first work session touched on several of those priorities. Citing a tight budget year, Republican
supervisors pushed to remove five positions and $966,263 from the budget that county staff members have said would be necessary to handle formally recognized unionization. Assistant County Attorney Milissa Spring said the office is working with a consultant on three possible ordinances—no collective bargaining, meet-and-confer, or full collective bargaining—as well as examining an ordinance suggested by the Service Employees International Union, which represents some county government employees. Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) pointed out that the board hasn’t yet decided what form collective bargain-
ing, if any, will pursue. “The concerns that I have are actually less about money and more about work rules and flexibility, and the ability for the board to be adaptable and maintain what I think is a core principle that we’ve had in Loudoun County since I’ve been on the board, that we established, which is a merit-based system of compensation,” Letourneau added. “We’ve given our staff lots of pay raises since I’ve been on this board, we’ve given them lots of benefit increases,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge). “I BUDGET continues on page 5
Speakers from all walks of life called on the county government to provide funding to tackle the Loudoun’s high housing costs during the public hearings on County Administrator Tim Himstreet’s proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget last Tuesday and Saturday. Voices ranging from nonprofit leadership, to the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, to people struggling to make ends meet called on county supervisors to create a dedicated stream of revenue to try to make housing available to more people. Many people, speaking through a New Virginia Majority community organizer and interpreter, asked that supervisors send money each year to the county’s Housing Trust Fund. “When we talk about and think of the housing crisis in Loudoun County and elsewhere, we tend to visualize graphs or Excel sheets, but often we forget that those who are most cost-burdened, who are also predominantly Black, Hispanic and immigrant communities, are the ones that maintain the foundation of what makes our county what it is,” said Zeina Hutchinson, through interpreter Hannah Recht. “They are the school bus drivers who welcome our children every morning and bid them farewell after school. They are the restaurant workers and custodians who serve wholeheartedly and with a smile. They are the teachers who help grow the bedrock of our society, and those who literally maintain the most basic infrastructure of our communities.” Former Leesburg Town Councilman Ron Campbell said the problem is bigger than real estate prices. “It is not an affordable housing problem. I think the study that this board commissioned in 2017 and the results reflect that we have a poverty issue in Loudoun County, where a pathway to homeownership is just not possible, based on wages, based on the available jobs, and based on the median price income of a house today,” Campbell said. He called on supervisors to go beyond the Housing Trust Fund, which helps finance affordable housing projects, HOUSING continues on page 5
MARCH 4, 2021
Budget continued from page 4 think the board and county leadership has taken good care of county staff, and right now at this moment I don’t think we have a need to implement collective bargaining in Loudoun County unless we want to spend more and do less.” But they were voted down along a 6-3 party-line vote, with every Democrat voting to keep that money in. “This is particularly important for our county, and it’s one of the best ways that we can honor the workers in our county who have stepped up in this pandemic and really have saved lives,” said Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian). County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said the debate is “literally just an issue of what you believe is important.” “Really the arguments for and against are literally the exact same arguments, that wages increase and benefits increase,” Randall said. Supervisors were more unanimously behind expanding the drug court program from 25 participants to 50, at a cost of $140,000 and hiring five new positions. Department of Community Corrections Director Jim Freeman pointed to the success of the program, and the need for more help. He said currently the county’s probation and parole program has 312 felony drug offenders under supervision, half of whom entered the program through probation
Housing continued from page 4 and make direct investments in housing. Juvenile probation officer and Loudoun Chair of SEIU Virginia 512 Julius Reynolds urged supervisors to include funding in their budget to allow county employees to organize for collective bargaining. “When essential workers like my co-workers and me have a seat at the table, we can better ensure that everyone is safe on the job and in the community. So, it’s no wonder that 68% of Virginians support collective bargaining rights,” Reynolds said. “Public employees in 47 other states have used collective bargaining to keep their communities strong. It’s time for Loudoun County to join them.” Others also applauded an increase in funding for nonprofits proposed for the county budget. Human services nonprofits have seen demand for their services surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the same time that fundraising has become even more difficult. “We’ve responded in our community with kindness, with respect and dignity to
LOUDOUNNOW.COM violations. In 2020, there were more than 400 visits to Loudoun emergency rooms for drug overdoses, and in the past three months, three probationers have died from overdosing on fentanyl, a powerful opioid. Meanwhile, only three people have been booted from the drug court program for repeated noncompliance, with one person already graduating from the program and several more planned in the next few months. “We have got to stop looking at mental health and substance abuse as something that should be incarcerated or something that should be stigmatized,” Randall said. “We’ve been doing it for years, and it has not worked. Treatment works, prevention works, drug court works.” And a proposal to phase in 365 more body-worn cameras in the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office over three years, bringing the total to 439, at a cost of $2.3 million in the next budget, $1.3 million more in the second year, and just under $1 million in the third year has support not only from supervisors but also from the Sheriff ’s Office. That would also involve four new positions at the Sheriff ’s Office and seven new positions for the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. Supervisors will continue their work on the $3.3 billion budget March 4, aiming to wrap up budget deliberations by March 18. Currently the budget is expected to be funded in part by a $1.005 real estate tax rate, a 3-cent cut from today’s tax rate. n many who have never needed human services before,” said Loudoun Hunger Relief President and CEO and Loudoun Human Services Network Chair Jennifer Montgomery. “We’ve pivoted with extraordinary effectives, efficiency and courage, frankly.” But, she said, even with the increase, there is still a gap to fill. “We know that additional funds beyond this increase are still needed to adequately support the nonprofit grant program and to ensure that our core service providers have sufficient funding to meet increased demand,” she said. And several people came to ask supervisors to support collective bargaining among county employees. “We are still catching up from the lean and mean years, when the budget was balanced on the back of Loudoun County employees,” said Patti Nelson, chair of the Loudoun chapter of Service Employees International Union Local 512. “There are still programs and departments that have two few people doing too many jobs. Please pass collective bargaining. Collective bargaining will allow your dedicated workforce to partner with you.” n
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MARCH 4, 2021
AROUND town
Leesburg
Outdoor Dining Resumes
Town of Leesburg
Renderings included in the draft Town Plan update provide examples of redevelopment opportunities in many areas of town.
Town Set to Begin Plan Review BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Members of the Leesburg Planning Commission and Town Council will convene Thursday evening to formally kick off review of the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan update. Last week, town staff and consultants hired to help guide the Legacy Leesburg project held two virtual public input sessions. Both drew low attendance, with only about half a dozen participants in each Feb. 24 event. Senior planner and project manager Rich Klusek pointed to the high amount of online impressions generated
by postings about the Legacy Leesburg project and other media publicity ahead of the virtual sessions. Klusek and Senior Planning Projects Manager Scott Parker have also worked on a series of videos highlighting different themes and areas of focus of the Town Plan. The low public participation, he said, “was not due to a lack of trying.” Planning and Zoning Department Director Susan Berry-Hill said at the commission’s Feb. 25 meeting she was not sure why the public had not been more engaged since the draft Town Plan became available early this year. On the flip side, the pre-COVID, interactive public work-
shops at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center had been very well attended. “You cannot say the effort has not been made to get public input,” she said. “Why haven’t we gotten more comments back? I’m not sure. Maybe people are happy with it. When you get to the public hearing you’re going to get some folks that come out of the woodwork and say they don’t like something about it.” Berry-Hill added that the commission would likely hear from the development community, which usually waits until the public hearing stage to share its input. PLAN REVIEW continues on page 7
Council Boosts Grant Funding; 150 Businesses to Benefit BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
A recent Town Council action will spread the wealth for town-based businesses seeking financial assistance. During their Feb. 23 meeting, council members unanimously voted to increase the amount of funding set aside for grants to town businesses from $500,000 to up to $1 million. The council had recently opened a new set
of grants for local businesses, as long as they met certain eligibility requirements. But, within 72 hours of the application going live last month, the requests had exceeded the $500,000 set aside by the council. Town-based businesses were eligible to apply for $5,000 or $10,000 grants, dependent on their gross annual receipts. According to Economic Development Director Russell Seymour, the total amount of approved grants came in
this week at $875,000. The council action ensures that all 150 businesses that applied for a grant and were deemed eligible will receive funding. As it did for the town’s previous business grant cycles in 2020, which used the town’s share of CARES Act funding, the Loudoun County Economic Development Authority will act as the fiscal agent. Seymour said the goal is to get the grants disbursed to businesses expeditiously. n
The Town of Leesburg will ramp up its popular sidewalk dining program on Friday, March 5. Last July, the town launched the temporary program to help downtown restaurants that were impacted by the indoor dining restrictions set forth by the Gov. Ralph Northam’s Executive Order responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Town Council recently set aside funding to extend the program through the rest of the calendar year. King Street, between Market and Loudoun streets, will close on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, to create an outdoor dining area for participating restaurants. Sidewalk dining hours will be Friday and Saturday from 4-10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The street closure will begin 30 minutes prior. Designated on-street parking spaces will be available for delivery and pickup on East and West Market Street, adjacent to the King Street intersection. Customers will not be allowed to congregate in the street and must maintain social distancing at all times. There will be no live performances or other outdoor entertainment; however, customers are encouraged to visit downtown shops while waiting to dine.
Town Again Named Tree City USA The Town of Leesburg has been recognized as a 2020 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The town was first accredited in 1989, and has continued to receive this recognition every year since. To qualify, the town had to meet the program’s four requirements: have a tree board or commission, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. In 2000, the town initiated a AROUND TOWN continues on page 7
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
Plan review continued from page 6 While the public will still have its chance to share its feedback on the comprehensive plan update, this week attention turns to the Planning Commission as it begins its review. Joining commissioners this Thursday evening, albeit virtually, will be members of the Town Council. The crux of the conversation during the March 4 joint meeting is expected to center on discussion of the character of Leesburg, Berry-Hill said, along with the tentative schedule for Town Plan review, which
AROUND town continued from page 6 goal to plant 2,000 trees. Over the past 20 years the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Public Works and Capital Projects have planted a combined 2,487 two-inch caliper trees on town-owned property. In addition, almost 11,000 live stakes and approximately 3,200 seedlings have been installed as part of the Tuscarora Creek Stream Restoration Project. “This significant accomplishment reaffirms the commitment to a healthy tree canopy in Leesburg,” stated Urban Forester and Landscape Specialist Tyler Wright. “Thank you to the residents and town staff for your efforts to keep Leesburg a greener, cleaner, and cooler town.” The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The Tree City USA program began in 1967 and, since then, more than 3,400 communities have been recognized in the program.
she acknowledged was “very aggressive.” The commission will add an additional meeting in the month of April to continue its review, and is tentatively set for an April 1 public hearing on the draft plan. The commission is expected to complete its review of the document and pass the baton to council members this summer. Expectations are that the council will begin its review by September, and a new Town Plan approved by the end of the calendar year. The council will also host a public hearing on the Town Plan. More information on the Legacy Leesburg project can be found at legacy.leesburg.gov. n
Watercolors Exhibit on Display at Town Hall The Commission on Public Art has announced a new art display that is available for viewing at Town Hall. Near and Far: Journeys in Watercolor features 16 pieces of art that depicts landscapes and animals from Loudoun County and beyond. The artist, Antonia Plazibat, has been painting watercolors exclusively for 20 years. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibits at The Art League at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, and The Artspace in Herndon. The exhibit will run through May 31. The public is encouraged to stop by and see the exhibit during normal business hours at Town Hall. Plazibat’s work can also be found on Instagram via @watercolorbytoni. The first-floor lobby and hallway of Town Hall features rotating exhibits by Leesburg and Loudoun artists. Those interested in having their work considered for a future exhibit should contact Leah Kosin, staff liaison to the Commission on Public Art, at lkosin@leesburgva.gov.
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PAGE 8
MARCH 4, 2021
Education
Back to the Classroom: In-person Learning Expands to Middle, High School Students BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
For the first time in 51 weeks, students on Wednesday walked through the doors of Loudoun’s middle and high schools for a full day of in-person classes. Loudoun’s schools were closed March 12, 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While special needs and elementary school students, along with some students at the Academies of Loudoun, returned to parttime in-person learning last year, second-
ary students remained all online until this week. For one school—the new Lightridge High School—students will be walking through the doors for the first time. Only about a third of the school division’s 81,000 students have opted to return to the classroom for two days of in-person learning per week during the second semester. Most will continue to learn from home—elementary students continuing in their distance learning classes and secondary students through a new concurrent instruction program where they’ll be logged into in-person classes.
Now school leaders will be assessing the next steps to expand in-person learning. On March 9, the School Board will hear recommendations on how to expand summer school offerings to help students who fell behind to catch up before classes resume next fall, when it is expected that students will return to a full time in-person schedule. On March 23, administrators will return to the School Board with a review of the hybrid model implementation and to explore options for expanding in-person learning to allow for more days in the classroom before the end of the school year.
School Board Joins Equity in Education Month The Loudoun County School Board last week adopted a resolution proclaiming March as Equity in Education Month, joining a statewide initiative led by the Virginia School Board Association. The vote wasn’t unanimous. John Beatty (Catoctin) objected to the measure, saying it supported the deployment of critical race theory, including focuses on themes of white privilege and institutional racism, in schools. “We can only find justice through seeing everyone as a whole human first and not sliced into many identities. The critical race theory that underpins this proclamation
John Beatty (Catoctin) objected to the Equity in Education Month resolution.
will only serve to continue to inflame the divisions in our county. LCPS can and should help every student. These recommended tools are not the solution,” he said. The proclamation, which was adopted on an 8-1 vote, does not advocate or mention critical race theory. Rather, it calls for the division to join the Virginia School Boards Association initiative with “the intention that educational equity, stronger equitable practices, and access and opportunity become an integral part of the local day-to-day dialogue with the goal of equitable change in LCPS’ communities and classrooms during that time.” n
Ruritan Grant Supports Lucketts ES Programs The Lucketts Ruritan Club this week presented the Lucketts Elementary School PTA with a $3,250 grant to support students’ emotional and mental well-being. The Youth Development Grant will help the PTA host a virtual event in April featuring Blake Brandes, a youth motivational speaker, hip-hop educator, music producer, and student leadership expert. “Investing in our children is the greatest investment our club can make,” said Ruritan President Al Menendez. “We established our Youth Development Grant Program in 2019 to help prepare our children for their futures.”
“During the pandemic, our students are facing uncertainty, disruption to routine, fear of falling ill, and many other stressful factors. Now more than ever, it’s important to keep our minds healthy, not to neglect practicing self-care, and to prioritize mental health,” said PTA President Lauren O’Laughlin. “Our hope is the assembly with Dr. Brandes will help our students develop the confidence to persevere even through challenging times. Our goal is for our students to have some tools at their disposal if they are beginning to feel anxious, worried, or alone so that they can keep their minds healthy.”
In addition to hosting the assembly, the grant will enable the PTA to provide teachers with additional books focused on social emotional learning for read aloud activities with students. Resources for the school’s professional library, including “The Mental Health and Well Being Handbook for Schools: Transforming Mental Health Support on a Budget” will help teachers prepare for critical checkins and support students in a time of hybrid/virtual learning. Learn more about the Lucketts Ruritan Club’s Youth Development Grant Program at luckettsruritan.org/scholarship. n
Although school leaders are planning for a return to normal classes when the new school year begins in August, virtual learning won’t be going away. The bill the passed by the General Assembly mandating that school divisions offer in-person learning to all students requires that virtual learning options be offered as well. The School Board’s adopted budget includes new funding to expand online classes, but the scale of that offering may be determined by another parent survey planned for May. It is then that families will be asked if they plan in-person or virtual classes during the 2021-22 school year. n
2021 Spelling Bee Goes Virtual Last March, Mercer Middle School sixth-grader Deveshwar Sudhaker joined nearly 100 of the county’s top student spellers on the stage at Stone Bridge High School, concluding the night as the 2020 spelling bee champion. A week later, schools closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spelling bee will be back next week for its 39th year, but in a very different format. The competition will be conducted in two phases this year. The first phase, scheduled for Thursday, March 4, will be an online test featuring all the school-based champions. From there, the top 20 spellers will advance to a final round conducted virtually via Google Meet on Thursday, March 18. When a student misspells a word, he or she will be removed from the virtual meeting until only one remains. The event will not be livestreamed. The winner of the spelling bee will participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3 at National Harbor, MD. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
Schools Respond to Dr. Seuss Controversy LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
In past years as Loudoun schools celebrated Read Across American, it was common to see a prominent guest reader—say the school division superintendent or a local mayor—sitting in front of a class donning the iconic red and white hat worn by Dr. Seuss’ most famous cat character. That’s unlikely to happen during Tuesday’s event. The school division leaders made global headlines over the weekend amid media reports stating that they had banned the author’s works. Under increased scrutiny in recent years for allegations of systemic racism and inequality—including a landmark finding of discrimination by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office—the district is distancing from the children’s author. But they are not alone. The action is part of a nationwide discussion led by the Read Across America sponsor, the National Education Association on the legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel following a 2017 report in which scholars identified racism in the
The National Education Association two years ago dropped Dr. Suess’ iconic Cat in the Hat from its promotion of the annual Read Across America Program.
illustrations and character development in his books and political cartoons. But school leaders say they aren’t banning the author or his works. They released a formal statement on the “media rumor.” “Dr. Seuss books have not been banned in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). LCPS believes this rumor started
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because March 2 is ‘Read Across America Day.’ Schools in LCPS, and across the country, have historically connected Read Across America Day with Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss. Examples include anti-Japanese American political cartoons and cartoons depicting African Americans for sale captioned with offensive language. “Given this research, and LCPS’ focus on equity and culturally responsive instruction, LCPS provided this guidance to schools during the past couple of years to not connect Read Across America Day exclusively with Dr. Seuss’ birthday. We continue to encourage our young readers to read all types of books that are inclusive, diverse and reflective of our student community, not simply celebrate Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss books have not been banned and are available to students in our libraries and classrooms, however, Dr. Seuss and his books are no longer the emphasis of Read Across America Day in Loudoun County Public Schools,” the statement read. n
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PAGE 10
MARCH 4, 2021
Public Safety
Jury Recommends 2 Life Sentences for 2018 Double Murder BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounnow.com
A unanimous 12-person jury recommended Brian Kuang-Ming Welsh spend the rest of his life in prison for the murders of an Aldie mother and son. The jury Feb. 16 convicted Welsh, 41, on two counts of first-degree murder and two
counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. The jury then recommended he be sentenced to the maximum punishment allowable under Virginia law for those convictions: life in prison for each mur-
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der count and three years in prison for each felony use of a firearm count. Welsh is scheduled for formal sentencing by Circuit Court Judge James P. Fisher on June 14. On Jan. 29, 2018, Welsh gunned down Mala Manwani, 65, and her adult son, Rishi Manwani, 32, in their Aldie home. Investigators found them both in the home two days later, Mala with five gunshot wounds in the back of her head and Rishi with seven in his head and one in his leg. According to prosecutors, the shooting was the product of Welsh’s drug addiction. Acting Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Barry Zweig and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Shara Krogh asserted through witness testimony during the month-long trial that Welsh had visited with Rishi that day to purchase prescription pills. Zweig painted the picture that Welsh, upon seeing Rishi with at least $3,000 in cash in his hand, shot and killed Rishi and then proceeded upstairs to kill Mala “because he had to.” Zweig argued that Mala was trying to escape through the front door when Welsh shot her in the back of the head. Welsh’s defense counsel, Thomas Walsh, denied that speculation. Zweig and Krogh leaned most heavily on evidence that the shell casings found at the
scene matched the firing pin on a .22-caliber Browning Buck Mark handgun found in Welsh’s father’s possession, and that the barrel on that gun had been changed out. Zweig said Welsh “orchestrated the disappearance, disposal and destruction of ” that barrel, which was never found. Walsh argued during the trial that investigators ignored certain pieces of evidence. He said they neglected to check for fingerprints on the video gaming controllers found in the basement where Rishi was found; neglected to interview the people involved in a 2000 James City County case, considering the DNA found on Rishi’s wallet on his chest matched a person in that case; and neglected to test the bloody fingerprint found on the French door next to Mala’s body. Walsh also asserted that investigators overlooked evidence that there was potentially a separate person involved in the murders, pointing to evidence showing that Rishi had scrapes and bruises on his face a few weeks prior to his death and testimony from a woman who said she saw a man who did not match Welsh’s description standing in the Manwani’s yard with Rishi’s Pitbull on Jan. 30, 2018. Zweig said each piece of evidence Walsh presented was a “red herring” used to distract from the key aspects of the case. n
Community Rallies Around Family of Student Who Died at VCU Frat Event
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More than 1,600 people have contributed to a c row d - f u n d i n g effort supporting the family of Adam Oakes, who died Saturday morning, reportOakes edly following fraternity hazing at Virginia Commonwealth University. The 19-year-old 2020 Potomac Falls High School graduate was found dead Saturday morning after a night spent at an off-campus residence with members of the Delta Chi fraternity, where he was a pledge. During the event, the college freshman had expected to be
paired with his “big brother” as part of fraternity life. According to reports, Oakes had consumed a large quantity of liquor during the event, and may have suffered a head injury in a fall before passing out on a couch where he was found dead in the morning. The Richmond Police Department and VCU Police Department are investigating the death. The Delta Chi fraternity has been suspended by its charter organization and the university, and its social media accounts have been closed. A Go Fund Me campaign to help the family with expenses has raised more than $37,000—more than double its $15,000 goal—as of Tuesday. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
School System, HOA Bring in Feds to Chase Out Vultures BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounnow.com
A federal agency is in Ashburn this week scaring off unwanted vultures. To do that, they’re firing off pyrotechnics and hanging dead birds from trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service this week began helping Loudoun County Public Schools and the Broadlands Association disperse groups of vultures that have been roosting in the neighborhood and at Hillside Elementary School and causing problems. According to a recent statement from the Broadlands Association, more than 150 black and turkey vultures have been roosting near residential areas. The birds have reportedly been damaging rooftops and vehicles by picking at rubber seals and defecating on rooftops, yards, vehicles and playgrounds. All week long, beginning March 1, the USDA will use non-visual pyrotechnics, lasers and other noise- and light-making
PAGE 11
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Dozens of vultures have occupied the rooftop of Hillside Elementary School in Ashburn, but should be gone by the end of the week if tactics implemented by the USDA have their intended impact.
dispersal tactics to scare the vultures away. The department will use pyrotechnics three hours before dark. More shocking of a scare tactic to some is the USDA’s use of dead vultures, hung from trees on Broadlands HOA, the Southern Walk at Broadlands Apartment complex and LCPS property. According to School System Public Information Officer Wayde Byard, the school system is paying the USDA $2,552 to implement this week’s dispersal tactics. Broadlands Association General Manager Sarah Gerstein said the HOA consulted with the USDA only after “numerous complaints” from residents and local businesses. “After consideration of the number of birds and the amount of time present, they recommend remediation to protect the health and safety of our residents,” Gerstein said. “The goal of the wildlife specialists at [the USDA] is to non-lethally deter the birds from roosting in residential areas where they can cause property damage and health con-
cerns, but also to drive them to uninhabited woodlands or open farmland where they can safely roost away from potential hazards in residential areas.” Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Director of Veterinary Services Jennifer Riley said the tactics are fairly common practices that could work in the short term but not the long term. She said the tactics also could have negative repercussions within the community even though they’re being done legally and with the federal government’s help. She said the hanging of dead vultures from trees encourages a disrespect for wildlife and is “horrifying for the community to see.” She noted that practice is sometimes done with other wildlife, like coyotes. Riley said the use of pyrotechnics will also scare other wildlife, including residents’ pets. Riley pointed out that vultures are helpful within the community, acting as “nature’s cleanup crew.” She said vultures are capable of ingesting dead animals with rabies, which helps to eradicate the disease. They also can
digest the bacteria that cause botulism and anthrax. “These guys are really important in public health,” Riley said. Gerstein said the HOA is aware of the advantages vultures provide the local ecosystem. Riley said the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center offered to bring in a turkey vulture to teach Hillside Elementary students about the bird, but the school system declined that offer. Byard said LCPS declined because of COVID-19 mitigation procedures. “We’re not allowing any outside guests into Hillside right now,” he said. Above all else, Riley emphasized that if residents want to keep vultures away, they should continue with the same prevention measures they’ve been using for years to keep other kinds of wildlife away, most notably by keeping food and garbage sealed up. Riley noted that vultures aren’t dangerous birds and don’t have large beaks or talons. n
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MARCH 4, 2021
Nonprofit
LAWS Warns Wexton of ‘Catastrophic’ Federal Funding Cuts BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
During a meeting at the Loudoun Abused Women Shelter’s administrative office in Leesburg, CEO Judy Hanley warned Rep. Jennifer T. Wexton (D-VA10) about a crisis in funding that victim services organizations across the country face if Congress does not act. About half of LAWS’ operating budget this year comes through the federal Victims of Crime Act, which channels money paid in fines by federal criminals into the Crime Victims Fund and then on to victim services agencies. And Hanley said that funding stands to take a huge hit. “There’s less money going into that fund because there isn’t the same level of federal prosecution,” Hanley said. “[…] There’s a possibility that we can lose half of it this year, but then two years from now, definitely there’s a possibility we could lose even more than that, and trying to make up those VOCA funds with donations from the community is going to be incredibly difficult.” National law enforcement and victim advocate organizations have sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking them to take action to direct more funding into the Crime Victims Fund and make that money more readily available to victim
AWS Donates $25K to Backpack Coalition Amazon Web Services has donated $25,000 to the Backpack Coalition program to purchase 6,250 weekend meal bags for Loudoun students and their families struggling with food insecurity. The Backpack Coalition is a weekend meal program designed to support students on weeekends when there is no access to meals at school. The donation will be used to purchase food for the families participating in the program, providing a critical component to the overall health and well being of Loudoun students. Backpack Coalition leaders say they depend on support from corporations like AWS. The donation was made through AWS’s InCommunities program, which
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Rep. Jennifer T. Wexton (D-VA-10) meets with Loudoun Abused Women Shelter CEO Judy Hanley on Feb. 10.
services organizations. “The rapidly diminishing balance in the Fund has created a desperate situation. Services and support to victims are being slashed in states across the country. Without immediate action by Congress, VOCA-funded programs and services will see catastrophic cuts, and in some cases close to a 100% cut, within two years,” the letter reads. The Crime Victims Fund is seeing historically low deposits, according to that
letter. The past three years have seen the smallest deposits into the fund since 2003. That is caused in party by increases in deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements over the past four years— those agreements are deposited into the General Treasury rather than the Crime Victims Fund. Unless Congress acts, Virginia is expected to lose out on nearly $69 million this year, a 79% cut in funding compared to Fiscal Year 2018.
GIVING back
supports the communities where its employees live and work and is dedicated to helping students thrive, especially during the current the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a former second grade teacher, I have experienced students coming to school hungry after the weekend, and I can tell you that they cannot learn if they have stomach pains from not eating enough on Saturday and Sunday,” foundation Executive Director Dawn Meyer stated. “LEF is very thankful for this donation from AWS InCommunities.”
Hanley Energy Sponsors Breakfast Cereal Drive Irish-headquartered Hanley Energy is sponsoring a breakfast cereal drive for Loudoun Hunger Relief over the next two
weeks, to deliver a bit of luck on St. Patrick’s Day. From March 1 to March 16, businesses will collect cereal donations to deliver to Loudoun Hunger Relief on March 17, which is also Hanley Energy’s 5-year anniversary since they opened their flagship United States division in Loudoun County. “Hanley Energy is whole-heartedly committed to supporting the communities where we do business,” stated Hanley Energy CEO Clive Gilmore. “We have been partnering with Loudoun Hunger Relief in many other ways, and sponsoring this drive is a natural extension of our work together.” The company, which operates a manufacturing center along Loudoun County Parkway in Ashburn, also promised an “added surprise” on
LAWS is among the more than 1,500 signatories on a companion letter. “Such cuts to programs that already struggle to serve every survivor who walks through their doors would mean that hundreds of thousands of Americans would be unable to access lifesaving services every year, programs would be forced to close, and tens of thousands of advocates could lose their jobs during a time of extremely high unemployment,” reads that letter. “This would also coincide with continued increased need, particularly for African-American communities that have been disproportionately impacted, for services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced state and local funding.” And time is precious, they note—each day that passes without a fix is another day missed on adding money to the Crime Victims Fund. The need for LAWS’ services has only become more acute in the COVID-19 pandemic. Barely a month into the year, as of Feb. 9, Hanley said, LAWS had already served 250 people. In a normal year, LAWS serves around 1,200 people all year. At the same time, during the COVID-19 the organization cannot use its shelter. LAWS is also preparing for a fundraising campaign to acquire efficiency apartments for clients. n
March 17. Drop off cereal through March 16 at Merritt Properties, 20116 Ashbrook Place, Suite 160 in Ashburn Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and at Sterling Restaurant Supply at One Loudoun, 20412 Bashan Drive in Ashburn, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Drop off March 3 and March 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at TechnoGuard, Inc., 103B Carpenter Drive in Sterling. Loudoun Hunger Relief is serving between 800 and 1,000 families each week directly, in addition to also providing food through partner organizations. Loudoun Hunger uses around 900 boxes of cereal each week through regular service. This drive will help LHR provide each family with cereal during March and April.
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
Giving Opens for Give Choose Campaign The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties will hold its annual Give Choose fundraising event Tuesday, March 16, but the donations to support more than 100 charities already are rolling in. Give Choose, an annual day of online giving, challenges area residents to donate to local nonprofit organizations at givechoose.org. In 2020, Give Choose raised $620,000 for local nonprofits. Since its inception in 2014, Give Choose has raised more than $1.8 million. The average gift made by donors during Give Choose is $125.
The 115 charities registered to participate in this year’s event is the most ever. They include organizations focused on animal welfare, the environment, health, human services, education, youth, and arts and culture. Donations of $10 or more can be made through the Give Choose site. Donations may be made up to two weeks in advance. Local businesses also participate in Give Choose through sponsorships, which provide a prize pool to be awarded to participating nonprofits throughout March 16. n
Nominations Sought for 4th Annual Outstanding Volunteer Awards Loudoun Cares is seeking nominations for its fourth annual Outstanding Volunteers Awards, to be held virtually on May 16. The event will stream live on the Loudoun Cares Facebook page and be emceed by Tony Howard, CEO, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and feature County Chair Phyllis Randall as the keynote speaker. The program recognizes residents who make a measurable difference in the lives of the people and nonprofits they serve in Loudoun County. This year, organizers are bringing back the Judy Hines Lifetime of Service Award for individuals who have served Loudoun County for 10 years are more and adding the RiseUP Award to recognize outstanding volunteer service during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Loudoun Cares ConnectLine volunteers have helped Loudoun Cares and Catholic Charities in their efforts to distribute over $1.16 million in utility and rental assistance for over 600 families in Loudoun County since the start of the pandemic. We’re proud that our Loudoun Cares volunteers have been a pivotal piece in helping
those in need during COVID-19,” Executive Director Valerie Pisierra said. Award nominations are open through March 12, 2021, and the awards are open to any individual county resident, team of residents, or business/community organization that has provided distinguished community service in 2020. Residents, organizations, and companies are encouraged to nominate individuals or teams for one of the following categories: Outstanding Public Safety Volunteer (adult, senior and youth categories); Outstanding Individual Volunteer (adult, senior and youth categories); Outstanding Volunteer Team (adult, senior and youth categories); Outstanding Community or Civic Organization; Outstanding Corporate Volunteer Team; Outstanding Volunteer Team (no age restriction); Outstanding Project (one-time event or project); Outstanding Project Leader; Outstanding Veteran Volunteer; and Outstanding Nonprofit Board. For more information and to fill out nomination forms go to loudouncares.org. n
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.
fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov • www.fairhousing.vipnet.org
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Ghost kitchens
Street in Leesburg. APC is expected to also launch this month, and Allred said he expects Balls of Glory to return in April. All ghost kitchen concepts will offer beer, wine and cocktail deliveries as well. “There’s no shortage of ideas,” Allred said. “We’ll see where the market goes with it.”
continued from page 3 ed to decline, so the duo knew it was time to think outside the box a little bit more. Pre-COVID, they had been looking to franchise Kovi, but put those plans on ice with the shift in the economy. But it was the franchising company they were working with that first gave them the idea for creating a ghost kitchen. Boeving looked to his existing staff, which included a chef with an Italian background and Latinx cooks, and realized he already had what he needed to launch several different culinary concepts. They relied on 30 locals in their foodies group to taste test different menu offerings, and, just as importantly, asked them what they would like to see offered. Ghost Kitchen LoCo was born. The idea of offering so many different menus, from Kovi’s Asian street food offerings, to Italian, to wings, to empanadas, to gastropub fare including 32-ounce tomahawk steaks, to bubble teas, shakes, sweets and even a keto menu, was to have something for everyone, Boeving said. As an example, he points to a family deciding what to order for dinner. One kid wants pizza, someone wants a burger, mom or dad wants steak. With Ghost Kitchen LoCo, customers can order from several different menus, all in one transaction. While Ghost Kitchen LoCo will use third-party delivery services, Boeving said he wants to “create revolution” by employing their own set of drivers to ensure the customer service the restaurant is known for carries over to its food order deliveries. He said it would be a “good problem to have,” to have to hire more employees to meet that need, but they will see how sales numbers come in for the ghost kitchen first. They are also looking to add a subscription service, which would waive delivery fees for subscribers, include an invite to a quarterly fan club party, and other perks. Ghost Kitchen LoCo is expected to launch soon. Follow the company’s website and Facebook page, facebook.com/ghostkitchenloco, to stay up to date.
DC Wings/James Dairy Bar Ghost kitchens of Delirium Cafe and Wild Wood Pizza DCWings.com, JamesDairyBar.com Launching new restaurant concepts is like breathing for serial restaurateur Curtis Allred. So launching multiple ghost kitchen concepts simultaneously is perhaps not as daunting for him as it would be for others. It’s about feeding that creative desire to make something, he said.
MARCH 4, 2021
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
A gelato stands ready to be enjoyed at Wild Wood Pizza, the production location of the James Dairy Bar ghost kitchen.
“It definitely allows you to do that without the amount of risk as far as cash to invest into brick-and-mortar facility improvements and those kinds of things,” he said. But Allred acknowledged it also comes with its own set of challenges. While he has the space and staffing to accommodate the new concepts, “it requires a significant amount of versatility,” he said. That means training staff to produce multiple concepts of food and different menus all in the same kitchen in a restaurant that also is offering table service for customers. Allred recently launched DC Wings out of his downtown Leesburg Delirium Cafe USA. He said the restaurant’s wing offerings had grown in popularity. He learned his recipe from former Kovi proprietor Vi Nguyen, and uses potato starch in the breading instead of flour to produce crispier, less oily wings. The wings come with sauces or rubbed in dry spices, and DC Wings also offers a keto wing with no breading or sauce for the lower carb crowd. Burgers, fries and brews, including more domestic brands, round out the menu. James Dairy Bar also is set for its debut. Run out of Wild Wood Pizza, the offering is named after Allred’s great uncle, a 104-yearold World War II veteran who opened up his own dairy bar in Raleigh, NC, shortly after returning from war. The ice cream and gelato are made in house, using all-natural ingredients. The kitchen has the ability to produce 70 gallons of ice cream a day, and Allred said he sees the potential for a brickand-mortar operation for James down the road. Allred also plans for the launch of two more ghost kitchen concepts—the Affordable Pizza Concept, or APC, which offers simple, inexpensive, classic pizzas all for under $10, and a return of his Balls of Glory meatball menu, which formerly had a brick-and-mortar presence on Loudoun
Caribbean favorites like oxtail and curried goat have been quite popular, Washington said. Stiers credits parent company B.F. Saul for being a forward-thinking group, amenable to running a ghost kitchen concept out of their already busy O’Malley’s kitchen. He said if Grandpa Hank’s continues its success, it’s a concept that may be replicated in other hotels, or even a brick-and-mortar establishment. “There are possibilities if this goes even better than right now, we have a potential of even doing other ghost kitchens with other hotels in our portfolio. If we get a brickand-mortar restaurant at one point that would be amazing. If we’re still showing the revenue numbers we are now there’s the potential to drive this to our Tysons Corner and Crystal City markets,” he said.
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
A Jamaican dish by Chef Stephon Washington of Grandpa Hank’s.
Grandpa Hanks Ghost kitchen of O’Malley’s Pub OmalleysSterling.com Matt Stiers, area director of food and beverage for the Holiday Inn Dulles, said a common request from guests on the hotel’s catering menu was Chef Stephon Washington’s Jamaican dishes. His red beans and rice, jerk chicken, and other staple dishes had caught a following, and Stiers and Washington had an idea. “Really for me it was a chance to really do something that kind of represented me in a sense. It was pretty much a shot for me to have my own influence, to have my own piece of me to give to the world,” Washington said. Grandpa Hank’s, named for Washington’s Jamaican great-grandfather, was recently launched out of the O’Malley’s Pub kitchen at the Holiday Inn Dulles, where Washington serves as executive chef. His great-grandfather always told him to cook from the heart, and that’s exactly what Washington has been doing with his new concept. “I’m having a ball,” he said. His great-grandfather referred to creating Jamaican cuisine as “loving cooking” that you have to watch over and babysit. He uses all natural ingredients, from star anise, cinnamon and citrus fruits to add to the flavor. While the duo thought the jerk chicken would be Grandpa Hank’s best seller, other
Contributed
An Italian specialty courtesy of Paulie’s Italian Kitchen.
Paulie’s Italian Kitchen Ghost kitchen of The Wine Kitchen PauliesItalian.com Jason Miller, owner of The Wine Kitchen, with locations in Leesburg and Frederick, MD, saw the news coverage of national chains opening up their kitchens to other restaurants to let them produce their own menus, so he got to thinking. “We tried to figure out another way we could cross-utilize the other stuff we were doing in our restaurants to create a new restaurant without creating a whole new restaurant,” he said. “I would make the analogy, if you have one line in the water you might only catch one fish at a time, but a ghost concept allows us to have two lines in the water. It’s the same restaurant, equipment, and people, but a different face and dishes.” Miller launched Paulie’s Italian Kitchen in November, and said early returns are it’s a success. GHOST KITCHENS continues on page 15
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Ghost kitchens continued from page 14 “We wanted it to help us through the winter. We knew we only had seven tables in the restaurant. We needed to have more capacity and the only way to do that was outside of the four walls,” he said. The Wine Kitchen was already producing its own pastas, so adding in sauces and custom-made Italian dishes was not such a leap. While The Wine Kitchen’s menu changes with the seasons, Paulie’s offers the Italian comfort food—spaghetti and meatballs, shrimp fra diavolo, three cheese ravioli and lasagna— throughout the year The menu is rounded out with a selection of salads, desserts and, of course, wines. Paulie’s fare can be ordered on its website and delivered via Doordash. Miller said he believes ghost kitchens are here to stay. “Restaurants just have to find novel ways to create revenue. That is going to be the key to our existence and success moving forward,” he said.
Burrito. “We had never done burritos, never offered them, but a lot of people would ask,” he said. “The positioning of our brand, being an upscale brand, burritos didn’t necessarily fit who we were trying to be. Little did we know that was just a big old softball sitting there for us. The burrito business is enormous.” As company executives began brainstorming what concept they could launch as the ghost kitchen phenomenon took hold last year, they soon realized that Uncle Julio’s staff had the capability and know-how to make completely unique and high-quality burritos, available via delivery only. While every item on the Savage Burrito menu can be modified, and create your own is always a popular choice, Tallungan lists off some of the popular items. There’s a Nashville hot chicken burrito, a spicy steakhouse burrito, and a burrito known as the OG, which boasts an “old school flava.” Tortillas are infused with a signature flavor portfolio, utilizing ingredients like jalapenos and chilula. Also offered are burrito bowls or salads, side items like chips and queso, desserts and the ideal beverages to wash down a burrito—margarita pops, beer, and soft drinks. While Savage Burrito has only been around seven weeks, the responses so far have been tremendous, Tallungan said.
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and his wife welcomed a grandson, Walker, and an idea was born. Walker’s Waffle House “really doesn’t change our menu a lot,” he said. “It’s just a different vessel to serve the food on.” Now, customers can enjoy a waffle sandwich featuring all of the meats that ResQ BBQ already had developed a fanbase for— smoked turkey and ham, pulled pork, and more. Walker’s also offers its own unique menu items, from a barbecue version of the Cuban sandwich to chicken and waffle sandwiches with options for spicy, buffalo bleu and maple bourbon. Breakfast sandwiches that include sausage, a pork roll, and bacon are also included.
“We probably could’ve put about 20 different sandwiches on there. The menu is a little bigger than we wanted to start with but it’s working out well,” he said. The waffles are all gluten free, homemade with their own flour and flavor, Meyer said, and will definitely fill up many a hungry belly. “We call them mighty sandwiches. Each sandwich comes with two 4”x6” waffles. That’s a pretty big waffle. It’s definitely a full meal,” he said. Customers can walk up to ResQ BBQ’s Evergreen Sportsplex space to order from Walker’s menu, or order on a third-party delivery site, or even Walker’s own site. n
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.
fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov • www.fairhousing.vipnet.org
We do the work. You get the credit. From memorial funds, to scholarship funds, to donor-advised funds, we can help you make a difference that never ends.
Contributed
The OG Burrito, courtesy of Savage Burrito.
Savage Burrito Ghost kitchen of Uncle Julio’s SavageBurrito.com Kevin Tallungan has been with Uncle Julio’s for 27 of its 35 years, and, unsurprisingly, past year was like no other. The director of operations for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, Tallungan drearily reports one of the hardest days of his hospitality life when he had to lay off dozens of employees across the franchise’s 10 restaurants when COVID’s economic impacts hit last spring. A proven hospitality concept, “we’ve never really had to reinvent ourselves,” but 2020 changed that. Now, Tallungan is ebullient about Uncle Julio’s new ghost kitchen concept, Savage
Contributed
Walker’s produces its own waffles made from gluten-free flour.
Walker’s Waffle House Ghost kitchen of ResQ BBQ facebook.com/walkerswaffles Chuck Meyer was fully prepared to launch a ghost kitchen last year when business dried up at Evergreen Sportsplex, where his ResQ BBQ is the official concessionaire. With his Italian background, he looked to launch an Italian concept, but decided to go in another direction with the launch of Paulie’s Italian Kitchen and his friendships with local pizza purveyors. He
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MARCH 4, 2021
TOWN notes
Our Towns
HILLSBORO Council Appoints Treasurer, Planning Commissioner
Contributed
The Lovettsville Cooperative Market will open a 7,000-square-foot grocery store in a newly built space on the Town Square as early as September 2022.
Lovettsville Co-op Details Grocery Plans; Begins Capital Campaign BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounnow.com
Lovettsville residents may be as little as 18 months away from shopping for groceries without leaving town. The Lovettsville Cooperative Market held its annual meeting virtually last Thursday night for its leaders, consultants
and contracted developers to discuss plans to build the co-op’s downtown community grocery store, which will open on the Town Square as early as September 2022. They also outlined the capital campaign planned to raise a portion of the $2.6 million necessary for the project. Detailing those plans was Gary Large, the president of Eco Developers—the
company that will build the 7,000-squarefoot grocery store on the empty parcel of land adjacent to the existing businesses on the Town Square. Large said his team plans to begin the 10-month construction project in September. The co-op plans for the grocery store CO-OP continues on page 18
Middleburg Eyes Nonprofit to Expend Charitable Funds BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com
The Middleburg Town Council last week discussed the creation of a nonprofit to give money from the town’s Health Center Fund to charitable purposes in town. The proposed Middleburg Charitable Foundation could consist of seven voting members: perhaps two Town Council members, three in-town residents and two residents from the community at-large, whether they live in town or outside the corporate limits. The goal of setting up a separate nonprofit would be to remove the Town Council from having direct control over the disbursements from the fund and to provide more flexibility. Among the elements being considered is that the nonprofit leaders could be limited in the amount of money they could vote to donate in a given year, such as 10%. A unanimous vote among the board members could be required for the nonprofit to
spend more than the maximum amount in a single year, and there could be a limit on that spending, perhaps at 33% or 55% of the funds. The nonprofit’s proposed articles of incorporation could also establish requirements surrounding budgeting and spending to keep its business transparent. According to a staff report, creating the nonprofit would allow for the group to invest funds in ways the town can’t. “This is going to be something really cool,” said Mayor Bridge Littleton. While the group could be named the Middleburg Charitable Foundation, Town Attorney Martin Crim expressed concern that the name “foundation” could give the group the wrong connotation and make it more difficult to solicit funds. Crim also had concern that using the name “foundation” could make the group seem like a private foundation, which it would not be for federal tax purposes. Eventually, the town would terminate the Health Center Fund to give the non-
profit full control of the town’s charitable donations. Presently, the Town Council makes those decisions. The town’s Health Center Fund was established decades ago by a provision in the Health Center property’s incorporation document requiring the property owner to donate all revenue generated from the property, such as lease payments, to charity. The town owned the property for years and was only able to disperse money from the Health Center Fund with Town Council approval. When the town sold the property to Old Ox Brewery in 2018 for $750,000, the money was deposited into the Health Center Fund. Two and a half years later and the fund is down to $682,000. But the town still owes a $200,000 reimbursement to the fund; it pulled that money to use for community support programs amid the pandemic in 2020. Town Manager Danny Davis said that money would be repaid from the General Fund over a three-year period. n
The Hillsboro Town Council has appointed Mike McCabe as town treasurer and Paul Hrebenak to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission. McCabe, a chartered financial analyst with a 40-year career in housing finance, is the vice president of Capital Markets at the Housing Partnership Network. Mayor Roger Vance said McCabe brings a “high level of expertise in financial analysis and management to the treasurer role.” Hrebenak is a 13-year veteran of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department. He is the assistant commander of the department’s 1st District. Vance said Hrebenak “has made a strong commitment to work on ensuring Hillsboro’s long-term sustainability.” The Planning Commission is nearing completion of a revision of the Town Zoning Ordinance, which will meet the aspirations of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan.
LOVETTSVILLE Public Invited to Give Input on Proposed FY22 Budget The Town Council will hold a public hearing Thursday, March 11 to solicit resident input on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which includes a proposed 5% increase to water and sewer rates. Town leaders have proposed to increase in-town water rates to $9.41 for every 1,000 gallons of use and in-town sewer rates to $14.94 per 1,000 gallons. According to Mayor Nate Fontaine, the proposed rate hikes would result in about $4 increases to residential bills each month. Although previous rate studies have indicated that the town should increase rates by 5% annually, the council has not implemented those increases in the past several years in light of new, and more accurate, water meters that allow the town to better monitor residents’ water usage. The upgrade has generally resulted in increased water bills since some older meters previously failed to read 100% TOWN NOTES continues on page 18
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Goose Creek Film Awarded Grand Prize A locally produced video about Goose Creek took the grand prize as this month’s Virginia Environmental Film Festival. Commissioned by the Goose Creek Association, the video “Goose Creek” (also called “Life’s Blood”) was produced by the Lincoln Studios in Paris. The partners are Sarah Huntington, producer and award-winning portrait photographer; Peter Buck, director and videographer, and Drew Babb, writer and adjunct professor at Shenandoah University. The video features interviews with area residents and environmentalists Nina Fout, Mike Morency, Richard T. Gillespie and Goose Creek Association board members. Two widely known pieces of music add dimension: “Riverside” by Agnes Obel and “Take Me to The River” covered by Eva Cassidy. Powerful aerial footage of the Goose Creek from the feature film “Crazy Like a Fox,” written and directed by Richard Squires, opens the film. Former CBS News correspondent Betina Gregory voices the piece.
Contributed
The Lincoln Studios team, Drew Babb, Peter Buck and Sarah Huntington
“Most people think of the Goose Creek as a charming little waterway that snakes through the countryside. In fact, it’s a river and a State Scenic River at that. It’s an essential part of our ecosystem. It needs to be protected. We’re delighted our video has received his recognition. We salute our friends at the Lincoln Studios,” said GCA Co-chairwoman Lori Keenan McGuinness. View the film at GooseCreek.org. n
Chad Harvey Chad Harvey entered this world on 10-27-1973 in Leesburg, VA. He left in peace on 2-26-2021 with his mother, Sue, and his significant other, Joelle Good, by his side. He graduated from LCHS in 1991. Chad is predeceased by his father, Lee Harvey, Aunt Carol, Uncle Bill and his cousins Mark Wilson and Scott Hague. Chad is survived by his mother, Sue Harvey; sister, Brooke McTigue; his neice
and nephew Molly and Jacob McTigue. His loving family also includes aunts, uncles, and cousins with whom he shared his life. His best friends from childhood, Robby, Leigh, and Brian, flew across the country to be by his side. There will be no service at this time. Please consider donations to Mercy House Endicott, NY or Loudoun County Animal Shelter in Waterford, VA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
Connie Edward Mallory
Connie Edward Mallory departed this life on February 23rd at Heritage Hall in Leesburg, Virginia. He was born January 20, 1935, the son of the late Floyd and Susie Mallory. Connie grew up in Leesburg, Virginia. In the early 60’s he moved to Hamilton, Virginia where he spent the remainder of his life. He worked extremely hard as a custodian during the day and Food service in the evenings. Connie was preceded in death by his wife the late Juanita Mallory. He is survived by his daughters and son Linda Mallory, Sandra Veney and Kenneth Lloyd; grandchildren, Ashley, Shannon, Yaw, Ode, Nicole, Lani and Carmen; great grandchildren, Edward, Shanya, Reginald and Ryan; two sisters, Laverne Parker and Francis Coleman; three brothers-in-law,
Kenneth Parker, Wilbert Luck, Sr. and Jimmy Coleman; nieces, Casilda Bryant, Mary Elizabeth Trammell; nephews; Connie Mallory, Bryan Parker, Steven Parker, Kenneth Parker Jr., Reverend Lawrence Bryant and grandniece Darselle Parker. A host of friends and other relatives. He was loved by his family and friends and will be missed by all. Private visitation and viewing will be held on Saturday March. 6, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. till time of service 11:00 a.m. at Lyles Funeral Chapel, 630 South 20th Street, Purcellville, VA 20132. Private Interment will be held at the Trough Hill Cemetery, Hume, VA Arrangements by Lyles Funeral Service, serving Northern Virginia and surrounding areas, Eric S. Lyles, Director, Lic. VA, MD, DC 1800-3881913
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Obituaries Gisela E. Burley
June 24, 1936 - February 6, 2021. many friendships. She also cared for senior The Reverend Gisela citizens with visits to their homes, the E. Burley 84 years of life transitioned from this life to sacraments from the church or just to keep them company. So many gifts she gave to eternal life on February 6th, 2021. Born in Nuremburg others. Her love for animals was also one of Germany in 1936, moved her passions. She cared about all creatures, to the United States in 1953 big and small. She adopted a dog named and her final home was in Leesburg Va. as Gracie that was the joy of her life for nearly of 1997. Cause of death was not COVID. 15 years. Beyond loving the Lord Gisela Gisela, was married in 1955 to Mr. Peter had many hobbies. She enjoyed traveling, Macher. They had two children, Beatrice cooking, baking (the world’s best Christ(Macher) Mleschnitza and Robert Macher. mas Cookies), reading, and many outdoor She was blessed again with 5 grandchildren, activities. Gisela’s beautiful life would tell a Philip, Ricky, Bobby, Betsy and Samantha. story of immigrating to the United States Further blessings were her 13 great-grandafter WWII and enjoying life to the fullest children. During her lifetime she worked even at times that you would consider difhard at all that she did. Her career was ficult. We are very proud of our mother. A working at Lufthansa German Airlines for service will be held for family prior to this 25 years as a Cargo Sales Agent. She retired obituary being published Sunday the 20th in 1992. She loved this job and the compaof February. With much of her family living ny. However, her passion for her faith in her in Germany, Alaska and are not able to fly religion was where she worked in her spare to Virginia at this time, we will be doing the time as hard. She also studied to become a family service via you tube with Father Tom Deacon in The Episcopal Church in the Di- Simmons of St Peters in Purcellville. More oceses of Minnesota where she and her then formal services will be held at St David’s of husband Aloysius Burley lived. The Rev Ashburn when we are able to assemble for Gisela Burley was ordained 10/23/78 as the an outside gathering with family friends first women deacon in the dioceses of Minand anyone that would care to worship with nesota. Other than family, Gisela’s service us. This date will be announced at a future to the church was a dream fulfilled and was time. In lieu of flowers, a donation in her most proud of. After moving to Virginia name to the Loudoun County Humane from St Louis MO. Gisela joined St David’s Animal Services, www.loudoun.gov › DonaEpiscopal Church in Ashburn. From 2000 tions would be appreciated by her and them until 2010 Gisela was a Deacon at St David’s as well. God Bless Gisela, for all the lives Episcopal Church in Ashburn VA. assisting she has touched will truly miss her. We love Father Stephen McWhorter who was the you Mom, Oma, Grandma as affectionately rector at that time. She loved working at known. Condolences may be left at www. St. David’s where she met and developed colonialfuneralhome.com
Albert C. Malacarne Albert “Mal” Malacarne, 90, of Ashburn, VA passed away peacefully on February 22, 2021 at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA. In passing, he joins his wife of 56 years, Rosemarie (Cavanaugh) Malacarne (predeceased), whom he very dearly loved. Albert was born in Wilkes Barre, PA to Alfonso and Mildred (Gaydos) Malacarne in 1931. He has two sisters: Alice Bonomo (predeceased) of Poughkeepsie, NY and Carol Wasilefski of Hummelstown, PA. He graduated from G.A.R. Memorial High School in Wilkes Barre as president of his class. He then went on to college on an athletic scholarship at The Citadel in Charleston, SC and graduated in 1952 at the top of his class. During the Korean War, he served two years in the Army. He spent his entire professional career of 38 years with AT&T (Bell System) where he participated in the support of NORAD, development of the first
telecommunications satellite (Telstar), and implementing the original 9-1-1 system. He is survived by his five children: Charles Malacarne (wife Heidi) of Leesburg, VA, Anthony Malacarne (wife Lauren) of Ashburn, VA, Elizabeth Castro (husband Thomas) of Houston, TX, Suzanne Iasiello (husband Anthony) of Knoxville, TN, and Arthur Malacarne (wife Melissa) of Round Hill, VA, and eleven of the finest grandchildren and six of the greatest great grandchildren you’ll ever find. A service will be held Friday, February 26, 2021 at 10:30AM at Saint Theresa Catholic Church 21370 St. Theresa Lane Ashburn, VA 20147. Final internment for Albert and Rosemarie Malacarne will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made as a Memorial Gift honoring Albert Malacarne to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org Online condolences may be expressed at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com.
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Co-op continued from page 16 to be open seven days a week and will feature a deli and grab-and-go lunch and dinner meals. It will also be stocked with local beer and wine. Co-op Chairman John DeSaix said 75% of the items the grocery store sells would be natural and/or organic. When the grocery store opens, the co-op will also have the opportunity to feature street-side dining out front. Large said the building would be energy efficient, would complement the town’s architecture and would be located
TOWN notes
in an “amazing and prominent” spot in the downtown area. He noted that his company is working out a deal with a composting company to allow for the eco-friendly disposal of refuse. He said that was “very rare on a commercial scale.” DeSaix said the co-op plans to eventually expand into the building’s full 14,000 square feet of space. Large said the Lovettsville co-op’s grocery store project was the highlight of his career. “I’m really excited about bringing this project online and making it a reality,” he said. To bring the project to fruition, the coop plans to raise $1.6 million via member
LUCKETTS
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Spelling Bee, Film Winners of customers’ water usage. The last rate in- to Move on to Next Levels crease was in Fiscal Year 2018. The proposed budget also includes a proposed 3.3% reduction in the real estate tax rate to equalize the average increase of values in town. The rate is proposed at $0.178 per $100 of assessed value. The council is expected to adopt the Fiscal Year 2022 budget on March 25.
American Legion Accepting Applications for Boys, Girls State American Legion Post 1836 is accepting applications for the 78th session of Virginia Boys State. The program will be held June 20-26 at Radford University. Eligibility is limited to boys who demonstrate leadership, character and honesty. At the time of the program, applicants must have successfully completed their junior year of high school and have at least one semester of high school remaining. To get an application and begin the interview process, email Commander Lizzy Fontaine at LizzyFontainePost1836@gmail.com. Learn more about the American Legion Boys State Program at vaboysstate.org. Lovettsville American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1836 is also accepting applications for delegates to the 2021 virtual Virginia Girls State session to be held virtually June 20-26. Candidates must be rising high school seniors. Female delegates will be selected through an interview focused on their leadership abilities, interest in government, service to others, character and academics. To request an application, email ala. va.unit1836@gmail.com. Include the applicant’s name, email address and phone number in the email. Applications must be received by March 12. Interviews will take place the following week. Learn more about the girls’ program at vagirlsstate.org.
investments to fund about 60% of construction. Ben Sandel, a consultant with the Columinate national consulting cooperative, outlined those plans last week. Sandel said the co-op would ask members for $2,000-minimum loans for a period of 15 years, for which they’ll accrue up-to 6% annual interest. The co-op will pay back the principal on those loans beginning in year 11. DeSaix said the co-op is not soliciting investments from people other than co-op member-owners. Sandel pointed out that Columinate helped the Fredericksburg Co-op raise $2 million, the Common Market Co-op raise $1 million and the River Valley Co-op raise
$5 million. The remaining $1 million to fund the project will come predominantly from a bank loan, followed by member-owner equity and landlord contributions. DeSaix said co-op membership has rapidly increased in the last year and a half, up from 500 to nearly 650. He noted that the co-op’s social media engagements in the last 30 days were also up by more than 1,000%. “Our membership is exploding,” he said. Learn more about the co-op, or sign up to become a member-owner, at lovettsville-grocery.com. n
Register at middleburgva.gov/ FormCenter/Art-in-the-Burg-Artists-Application-Form-14.
burg Plaza LC and Loudoun West Investments LLC proposed to build a three-story, mixed-use development with commercial uses at street level and two stories of residential units above. That would be located along Hatcher Avenue between Main Street and the W&OD Trail. To participate in, listen to or observe the public hearing, sign in on GoToMeeting by going to global.gotomeeting.com/ join/341850645. It’s also possible to dial in using a phone by calling 872-240-3311 and using access code 341-850-645.
Birds Exhibit Planned Cassia Price won the Lucketts Elemen- from March to April
tary School Spelling Bee and will move on to the regional competition this month. Meanwhile, Gavin Tribie won the school’s Reflections Contest with a film he made and will move on to the Hunt District Reflections National PTA art contest. In addition to announcing those winners, the elementary school is hosting a Read-a-Thon for three weeks in March. Students are asking for sponsorship money. Proceeds will help purchase kindergarten playground equipment. Donations can also be made directly to the school.
MIDDLEBURG Artists Called to Submit Work for Spring Art in the ‘Burg The Middleburg Arts Council is accepting applications for Art in the ‘Burg through March 12. This year’s event will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 15. Booths will be placed across town to allow for greater social distancing, instead of grouping them together on Madison Street as has been done in previous years. Selected artists will be notified in midApril. They will need to bring their own 10-by-10-foot tents, with white tops preferred. They will be assigned a location on a first-come, first-serve basis. Location and scheduling information will be provided to the artists prior to the event. A nonrefundable registration fee and the temporary business license fee must be paid by April 23 to participate. Participation fees are $50, which includes the Town of Middleburg temporary vendor license fee.
MARCH 4, 2021
Artists in Middleburg will host a juried exhibit called “Birds, Birds, Birds!” from March 13 to April 11. The exhibit will feature work from local artists that portrays birds of all kinds, from hummingbirds to flamingos. Artists participating in the exhibit should deliver their work to the studio between March 8 and 10 by appointment from 12-5 p.m. Robin Hill, an Australian artist known for his portrayal of all types of birds, will judge the artwork. There will be no opening reception, given the pandemic at hand. One artist will be awarded the Anita Baarns Award for Best in Show, which includes a $200 prize. Hill wrote and illustrated a book that provided the idea for an ABC nature television series called “Bush Quest with Robin Hill.” It was the first nature documentary series produced by ABC and spawned the series “Wild Australia.” The Artists in Middleburg studio is located at 102 W. Washington St. Contact the nonprofit at 540-687-6600 or go to theartistsinmiddleburg.org.
PURCELLVILLE Town Seeks Input on Building Heights The Town Council and Planning Commission will convene in a joint meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9 to receive comments on, consider and possibly vote to redefine building heights in the downtown area, Presently, the Zoning Ordinance allows for a maximum building height in the C-4 Zoning District of 45 feet, or three stories. Last year, Casey Chapman, Martins-
ROUND HILL Second Water Interruption Planned Next Wednesday Water service for 382 households in the Lake Point, Newberry Crossing and Falls Place neighborhoods will once again be interrupted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Wednesday, March 10 as crews install stormwater structures under Loudoun Street. The interruptions are part of the Main Street Enhancement and Franklin Park Trail projects, which are improving pedestrian safety along Main Street and building a trail from the Franklin Park Pool to Lakefield Road. About 352 households in Lake Point and Newberry Crossing should have experienced the first water interruption March 3. After March 10, there will be two more service interruptions, which will not impact residents in Lake Point or Newberry Crossing. The service interruptions will not produce debris or brown water. The town will provide bottled water to affected residents, via a utility truck at the entrance to Lake Point on Marbury Street. There will also be a lane closure on East Loudoun Street during the work. For updates, go to roundhillva.org or facebook.com/roundhillva or call 540-338-7878.
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Loco Living
THINGS to do LOCO LIVE
Save the Planet:
Live Music: Wim Tapley
Friday, March 5, 6-9 p.m. Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly Details: socialhousesouthriding.com 18-year-old Tapley is one of the region’s most ambitious young artists. He’ll serve up an acoustic set with a mix of covers and originals
Students Showcase Environmental Projects
Live Music: Rowdy Ace Duo with Pour Decisions Duo
BY JAN MERCKER
Saturday, March 6, 1-4 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Two local favorites join forces for a fun afternoon of country and rock tunes.
jmercker@loudounnow.com
Live Music: Nathaniel Davis
When Maria McDonald was a kid, she was a devoted fan of the beloved PBS documentary series “Nature.” “Every Sunday I’d get so excited to go down to the family room and watch all the animals,” said McDonald, now a junior at Independence High School and Loudoun’s Academy of Science. McDonald is working on a sophisticated project to genetically modify bacteria to eliminate toxic plastics. Her project and dozens of others from Loudoun students of all ages will be showcased during the second Loudoun Student Environmental Action Showcase, which takes place online April 19-25. This year’s showcase, organized by the Loudoun Environmental Education Alliance (LEEA), a nonprofit coalition made up of educational and environmental groups around the county, is a weeklong virtual event. Organizers are accepting video submissions through early April. Jennifer Venable, education specialist at the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District and the program chair for this year’s SEAS, underscores that the event spotlights projects large and small, sophisticated and simple. The goal is to tap into students’ appreciation for the environment and outdoor spaces—and the community’s hunger for getting outside during the COVID pandemic. While there will be high-level problem-solving projects like McDonald’s, there will also be plenty of room for simple projects that celebrate the wonders of nature. “We’re trying to broaden the topic this year to inspire people to get outside and look around and appreciate nature,” Venable said. “We want people to send us videos of what you’ve been doing this past year that inspired you in nature. Did you go for a walk and saw some trash and pick it up?” McDonald got into environmental science through her longtime interest in genetics.
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Independence High School and Academy of Science junior Maria McDonald and Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District education specialist Jennifer Venable are preparing for this year’s Student Environmental Action Showcase.
About the Showcase ... The 2021 LEEA Student Environmental Action Showcase runs April 19-25 online and is open to all K-12 students in Loudoun, including public, private and homeschool. Deadline for submissions is April 5. Registration is free. For information on how to submit a project, go to loudounnature.org. “I really wanted to do a project involving genetic modification. As I was doing some of my research, I came across these bacteria that basically eat plastic. I said, ‘Hold up— that is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!’” she said. “I really found inspiration for this project not only from my early years as somebody who loves to be outside and be in nature but as somebody who wanted to take an interdisciplinary approach to solve some of our world’s problems.” McDonald’s project with fellow AOS student Vishnu Alavala focuses on modifying a non-pathogenic strain of the E. coli bacteria, commonly found in rivers around the world. The idea is to use genetic code from another bacteria, Ideonella sakaiensis, which has been shown to digest certain plastics, to fight the buildup of PET plastics. “One of the biggest problems with this plastic is that it gets into animals that we eventually end up eating. ... These microplastics move up the food chain undigested,” McDonald said. “What we’re hoping to see with this project is that E. coli that
are modified with that gene from Ideonella sakaiensis allows it to digest those PET plastics. We can put that E. coli into a river, for example, and clean up the microplastics in that river.” After a successful inaugural event in 2019, last year’s SEAS event was canceled in the early weeks of the COVID pandemic. But organizers are enthusiastic about bringing it back this year in a virtual format. For Venable, 2021 is a perfect time to highlight the community’s newfound appreciation for nature, as Loudoun families found new ways to enjoy the natural world during the pandemic. And LEEA is hoping to catch young children with a passion for nature who may become future Maria McDonalds. “All these students who have these amazing projects. ... I really think they all have a story to tell of what inspired them. It goes back to somewhere in their life when they’ve gotten that sense of wonder and curiosity, and that evolved to that environmental stewardship,” Venable said. The showcase will accept submissions through April 5, and members of the public can check out the showcase later that month on a special YouTube channel. The showcase will also feature messages from LEEA members, including LSWCD, Morven Park, Claude Moore Park, Loudoun Water and Loudoun County Public Schools, along with community partners. “One of the things that I love about SEAS is that we’re really putting an emphasis on SHOWCASE continues on page 20
Saturday, March 6, 1-4 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: Brisk
Saturday, March 6, 1-5 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com It’s an afternoon of MTV Unplugged-style ’90s alt rock covers from Brisk.
Live Music: Josh Sowder
Saturday, March 6, 2-5 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Sowder plays tunes from a range of genres from the ’50s through the 2000s.
Live Music: Clark Peklo
Saturday, March 6, 2-5 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn Details: lostrhino.com Peklo returns to Lost Rhino with a repertoire of cool, unexpected covers with a strict No Eagles policy.
Live Music: Elemental Alibi
Saturday, March 6, 5 p.m. Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: spankyspub.com This genre-hopping acoustic duo flawlessly recreates the hits of today and classics of decades past.
Live Music: Acoustic Ayre
Saturday, March 6, 6 p.m. Bear Chase Brewing Company, 18294 Blue Ridge Mountain Road, Bluemont Details: bearchasebrew.com Frontman George Dacre plays a solo gig performing favorite tunes and some 12-string slide guitar pieces by Leo Kottke and others.
Live Music: Chris “Curly” Hennessy
Saturday, March 6, 7-10 p.m. Saigon Outcast, 44921 George Washington Blvd., Ashburn Details: saigonoutcastva.com From classic rock to reggae, country to psych rock, Fairfax-born Curly Hennessy can play it. Check him out at Loudoun’s newest live music spot.
THINGS TO DO continues on page 20
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Enjoy Spring Break with Local Adventures
BOTH NIGHTS SOLD OUT
COWBOY MOUTH
FEB 1
THE WAILERS
UFO FAREWELL TOUR
FEB 13
FEB 21
T U O D L O S
SOUL ASYLUM WITH LOCAL H
FEB 22
UNCLE KRACKER
FEB 28
CARBON LEAF
BROTHERS IN ARMS TOUR
FEB 29
THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND EXPERIENCE: www.TallyHoTheater.com 19 W Market St., Leesburg, VA For a full schedule please visit
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A TRIBUTE TO 70’S ROCK: FOREPLAY 03/13/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
DC IMPROV PRESENTS:
COMEDY NIGHT IN LEESBURG 03/19/21 DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
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03/20/21 DOORS: 2:30PM | SHOW: 3PM DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
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SUN DOGS:
A TRIBUTE TO RUSH 03/26 & 03/27/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
In mid-February, when ice and snow descended on Loudoun, Andy Stromberg of Dulles Golf Center & Sports Park in Sterling noted a strange thing. The carpark at his facility was half full and golfers in wooly hats were still on the range, smashing three woods into the snow. “We’ve been busy since lockdown,” said Stromberg. “Golf is so hot right now. It’s outdoors, it’s healthy, and it’s fun and safe for the whole family–even in the snow.” One can imagine how busy he is going to be when the weather warms up. March is here, and Spring Break is just around the corner. Instead of hitting the road this year, take the week to explore your Visit Loudoun own back yard and experience fun, family The Dulles Golf Center & Sports Park in Sterling adventures right here in Loudoun. offers a variety of family activities. Dulles Golf is more than a driving range. It has an 18-hole mini golf course, a pro Franklin Park Arts Center stages its “Music shop, pro golf lessons for parents and kids, for Dessert” concert series on Tuesdays and and baseball cages as well as beach volley- Saturdays, featuring an array of performers. Over in Leesburg, there is Dance King ball courts that are set to open later this Studios’ weekly Monday night “Learn to month when the weather gets warm. “We’re good for swingers—golf or base- Dance… Beginner’s Night,” where skilled pros teach Salsa and Dominican Bachata ball,” quipped Stromberg. If golf is not your thing, there’s always Swing. To celebrate their 9th anniversary, the adrenaline rush of paintball. Pev’s Paint- the owners are hosting an Open House ball Park off Route 15 near Aldie is set over March 13 and 14 with special “March Mad48 acres with 14 different themed fields in ness” membership deals for the first nine which to “capture the flag.” They include customers. Sign your children up so they a battle-scarred town built for urban war- can learn some moves to show off when fare and a fortress with prison-style guard they return to class. Of course, this being Loudoun, at some towers. With Pee Wee Paintball for kids as young as five, it’s a game the whole family point you will want to drink some wine. On March 12, 13 and 14, in honor of Pi Day can play. If you’re more inclined to enjoy the arts, (3/14…), 868 Estate Vineyards hosts Cutie Loudoun has that covered, too. Stagecoach Pies & Wine Tasting: pairings of four 868 Theatre Company in Sterling presents vintages with four mini pies from a local The Hamilton Murders over six nights in baker. Bring a picnic and let the children March, a play exploring conspiracy theo- enjoy some fresh air while you sip Chardries surrounding the death in a duel of the onel and snack Pecan Pie around a firepit. Now that’s what we call a spring break. n celebrated Founding Father. In Purcellville,
Showcase continued from page 19 just a general love of nature. Not necessarily saying you have to be doing this crazy complicated research project to change the world. That helps get everybody involved, everybody aware and everybody excited about conservation,” McDonald said. For McDonald, it’s an exciting opportunity to showcase the project she and Alavala have worked on this school year with support from teachers and mentors at AOS. The young scientists are also participating in a global research program that partners them with students in South Korea working on a similar project. “That’s been really exciting, a really unique experience,” McDonald said.
THINGS to do continued from page 19
BY VISIT LOUDOUN
TICKETS ON (703) 777-1665 SALE NOW! wwww.TallyHoTheater.com
MARCH 4, 2021
McDonald hopes to go into the emerging field of biotechnology with a focus on genetics. She plans to earn a PhD, work in a lab and possibly start her own company using nanotechnology. For McDonald, the collaborative nature of environmental science is a big part of the appeal, and one of the reasons Loudoun’s SEAS showcase has so much value. “It brings people together for a common positive goal. We’re looking to change the world. We’re looking to clean up plastic. We’re looking to save trees. We’re looking to save animals—whatever it might be,” she said. “It brings people of all ages of all backgrounds together, and in times like these, it’s just really refreshing to have that positive perspective. Let’s work together. Let’s work through differences. Let’s do this!” n
Live Music: Jim Steele
Sunday, March 7, 1-4 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Fun covers and originals from a longtime winery circuit favorite.
Live Music: Chris Bone
Sunday, March 7, 1:30 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards Great tunes from Western Loudoun singer/songwriter and one-man band Chris Bone.
Live Music: Tim Marcum
Sunday, March 7, 2-5 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of great country tunes from a LoCo cowboy.
Live Music: Stephanie Ball
Sunday, March 7, 2-5 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com This classically trained NOVA native is known for killer vocals and fun and engaging performances.
LOCO CULTURE ‘Julius Caesar’
Thursday, March 4-Sunday, March 7, 3 p.m. StageCoach Theatre Company, 20937 Ashburn Road, Suites 115 and 120, Ashburn Details: stagecoachtc.com Infinite Arts presents an intergalactic version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar--just in time for the Ides of March. Tickets are $20 per person for in-person performances or $20 for a livestream viewing.
Spring Bling Fine Arts and Crafts Show
Saturday, March 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Freedom Park, 101 Colonel Grenata Circle SE, Leesburg Details: leesburgva.gov Leesburg’s Department of Parks and Recreation hosts its annual craft show outside this year. Shop for oneof-a-kind items including art, home decor, bath and body items, jewelry, wood crafts, florals and gourmet foods. Admission and parking are free. Participants must wear a face covering and social distancing measures will be in place.
Tom Teasley: Drumming Through Cultures and Time
Saturday, March 6, 4 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Tom Teasley presents Drumming through Cultures and Time, a unique journey through the history and geography of percussion. From Italy to China and Africa to the Americas. Tickets are $15 for limited in-person seats and $8 for virtual tickets.
Live Music: Alma Ensemble
Tuesday, March 9, 7 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Franklin Park’s Tuesday music series continues with Alma Ensemble presenting a program of all-female composers of traditional and contemporary chamber music. The event includes a multimedia presentation, discussion of each composer and interactive elements. Tickets are $15 for limited in-person seats and $8 for virtual tickets.
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HELP WANTED AT FAMILY PRACTICE Experienced Lab Tech Or MA – Busy Family Practice office in Lansdowne, VA looking for an experienced lab tech or MA to collect and process Covid 19, Flu & Strep samples. Must be familiar with manual and automated methods. EMR experience preferred. We offer health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401k and many other benefits.
Please send your resume to lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804
HELP WANTED AT FAMILY PRACTICE Large family practice in Loudoun County with 6 locations and 28 providers looking for FT LPN’s or MA’s with a dedication to excellence. New LPN graduates welcome to apply. Pediatric and or family practice experience preferred. EHR experience highly recommended. We offer competitive pay rates, health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401K and many other benefits. Please send your resume to: lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804 attention Lisa 9/3/19
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 Position
Department
Salary Range
Closing Date
Assistant Town Attorney
Town Attorney’s Office
$75,000-$95,000 DOQ
Open until filled
Building Technician I or II
Public Works & Capital Projects
$41,353-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
Business Systems Integrator/Administrator
Town Manager’s Office
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled
Capital Projects Manager
Public Works & Capital Projects
$82,999-$141,929 DOQ
Open until filled
Controller
Finance
$79,227-$135,636 DOQ
Open until filled
Police Captain
Police
$83,559-$143,016 DOQ
3/26/2021
Police Officer
Police
$53,233-$89,590 DOQ
Open until filled
Senior Engineer (Capital Projects)
Public Works & Capital Projects
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled
Senior Systems Analyst
Information Technology
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled
Utilities Project Manager
Utilities
$76,941-$131,689 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior
Utilities
$41,353-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Supervisor
Utilities
$61,857-$105,896 DOQ
Open until filled
Flexible Part-Time Position Position
Department
Parking Enforcement Officer
Finance
Hourly Rate $16.86-$28.85 DOQ
Closing Date 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.
10:58 AM
HELP WANTED AT LOCAL CAFE
NOW HIRING FLAGGERS Full time, to provide traffic control & safety around construction sites. A valid driver license & clean driving record a must. Starting $13/hr & scheduled raises & bonuses. Company-paid medical & dental premiums. Please fill out an application at trafficplan.com or come to our office on Tuesdays or Thursdays (8am-10am) 7855 Progress Ct. Suite 103, Gainesville, VA
Maverick Cafe has an opening for a detail-oriented, aggressive, competent, well-spoken barista with an out-going personality, a firm grasp on using social media for promotion, and ability to run a PnL for a growing small business. Critical thinker and problem solver who will work directly with the CEO to take this growing business to the next level. Hourly salary plus ability to be bonused on reaching profit goals to grow your own nest egg as well as cafe profits! Contact us with your exceptional resume ASAP at:
cafe@foods.maverick-llc.com rjb@maverick-llc.com
See the full job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com
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MARCH 4, 2021
Legal Notices ATTENTION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY 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 25, 2021 for the following:
IFB No. 500640-FY21-28 HAULING AND DISPOSAL SERVICES OF NON STABLIZED SEWAGE SLUDGE WASTEWATER, AND GRIT, SCREENING AND SCUM The Town is soliciting bids to establish a term contract to provide sewage sludge hauling, and disposal services of sewage sludge including grit screening and scum material produced at the Town’s Water Pollution Control Facility. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at the Utility Maintenance Building at 1385 Russell Branch Parkway SE, Leesburg, VA 20175. 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 03/04/21
Nonprofit organizations seeking exemption from Loudoun County real and/or personal property taxes for the 2022 tax year may file an application with the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue by the April 1, 2021 deadline. Most charitable nonprofit organizations are not automatically exempt from local property taxes in the Commonwealth, even those that may be exempt from federal income taxes. The filing of an application with the Commissioner of the Revenue is the necessary first step to obtaining a local real estate or personal property tax exemption. Completed applications should be returned to the Commissioner of the Revenue with a postmark by April 1, 2021, for consideration this year. Any exemption, if granted, would be effective January 1, 2022. Applications are available online at www. loudoun.gov/cor. For information or assistance, please contact my office at trcor@loudoun.gov or 703-737-8557 weekdays 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor Sterling Office 21641 Ridgetop Circle Suite 100 Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804 Phone: 703-737-8557 Email: trcor@loudoun.gov 03/04, 03/11, 03/18 & 03/25/21
Don’t miss the show.
A message to elderly and disabled Loudoun County residents from Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Residents 65 and older or totally and permanently disabled who are required to complete a 2021 Renewal Application or Renewal Certification, must submit their renewal to my office by the April 1, 2021 filing deadline. Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance. Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor
GetOutLoudoun.com
NOW ON NEWSSTANDS GETOUTLOUDOUN.COM
Sterling Office 21641 Ridgetop Circle Suite 100 Internet: www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: 703-737-8557 Email: trcor@loudoun.gov Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804 03/04, 03/11, 03/18 & 03/25/21
School Board Seeks Name Suggestions for New High School The Loudoun County School Board is seeking name suggestions for a new alternative high school. The alternative high school is anticipated to open in fall 2021, with the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. The school, while located at Park View High School, will operate as a separate and distinct school. The high school will offer an alternative option to support Loudoun County Public Schools students whose formal education has been interrupted by external and life challenging circumstances. A School Board-appointed naming committee will consider geographic and historic names, as well as names of deceased individuals who significantly contributed to improving life in Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and/or the United States of America. The School Board will not consider naming a school facility for any individual unless the person has been deceased for at least five (5) years. School name suggestions should be sent to Loudoun County Public Schools Division of Planning Services, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn VA 20148 or emailed to lcpsplan@lcps.org by no later than March 19, 2021. Persons suggesting a school name are requested to provide background information to aid in the committee’s review process. Committee meeting dates are scheduled for March 22, 2021 (6:00 p.m.) and April 15, 2021 (6:00 p.m.). The meetings will be held virtually; persons may register for access to the meetings by emailing lcpsplan@lcps.org.
PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 5:00 p.m. on TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 in order to consider: PROPOSED ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE READOPTED ORDINANCE TO SUSPEND CERTAIN DEADLINES AND TO MODIFY PUBLIC MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC DISASTER In accordance with Virginia Code §15.2-1427(F), the Board of Supervisors (Board) gives notice of its intention to adopt an ordinance extending the effective date of the Readopted Ordinance to Suspend Certain Deadlines and to Modify Public Meeting and Public Hearing Practices and Procedures to Address Continuity of Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Disaster (“Readopted Continuity Ordinance”), which was adopted by the Board on October 14, 2020, pursuant to Virginia Code §15.21413. The Readopted Continuity Ordinance allows the Board of Supervisors, the School Board, and other public bodies and entities created by the Board of Supervisors or to which the Board of Supervisors appoints members (“Public Entities”) to conduct public meetings and public hearings without a quorum being physically present in one location, during the COVID-19 disaster. The current ordinance will expire on April 14, 2021, unless otherwise rescinded, extended or re-adopted by the Board. The proposed extension will allow Public Entities to continue to conduct electronic public meetings and public hearings for an additional six months from the date of Board action, without any change to the operative provisions of the ordinance. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance is on file and available for review and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). 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 12, 2021, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 16, 2021. 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. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@ loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some 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 03/04 & 03/11/21
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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, March 23, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
ZMAP-2019-0021 OAK GROVE
property is located on the east side of Sycolin Road (Route 625) and south of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:
(Zoning Map Amendment)
PIN
ADDRESS
Zeeland LLC of Leesburg, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 4.73 acres from the R-1 (Single Family Residential -1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 50 single family attached units at a density of 10.6 dwelling units per acre. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 4.73 acres in size and is located on the north side of Hall Road (Route 788), west of Davis Drive (Route 868) and east of Oakgrove Road (Route 824) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as:
193-26-8899
20226 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg, VA
193-26-8988
20244 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg, VA
193-26-9027
20280 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg, VA
193-26-9072
20254 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg, VA
193-46-2814
41087 Cochran Mill Rd., Leesburg, VA
193-36-8578
N/A
193-36-3375
N/A N/A
PIN 024-46-1074
PROPERTY ADDRESS 117 Dominion Lane, Sterling, Virginia
024-46-2062
N/A
193-36-9814
024-46-2653
N/A
193-36-4150
N/A
024-46-1245
N/A
193-36-6330
20210 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg, VA
024-45-9931
N/A
024-45-9931
N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Compact Neighborhood Place Type)), which designate this area for Residential uses at a recommended density between 8-12 dwelling units per acre.
ZRTD-2020-0007, SPEX-2020-0027 & ZMOD-2020-0036 ALBAN CAT FACILITY
(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District, Special Exception, and Zoning Modification) Alban Limited Partnership of Rosedale, Maryland, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 9.7 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.60 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception); and 2) a Special Exception to permit heavy equipment and specialty vehicle sales, rental, repair and accessory service in the PD-IP zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-504. The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance Modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
Table 5-1404(B), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix.
Eliminate the 25-foot Type C Buffer for a Heavy Industrial and Aviation use adjacent to a Commercial/ Retail use, along the southern property line.
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, aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 9.7 acres in size and is located on the east side of Sully Road (Route 28), south side of East Severn Way (Route 847) and west of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) at 1201 East Severn Way, Sterling, Virginia in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 042-10-7650. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designates this area for compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational amenities at a recommended FAR up to 1.0.
ZMAP-2019-0010 & SPEX-2019-0022 SYCOLIN ROAD DISTRIBUTION FACILITY (Zoning Map Amendment Petition & Special Exception)
Scannell Properties, LLC, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has submitted applications for the following: 1) To rezone approximately 44.87 acres from the TR-10 (Transitional Residential – 10) and JLMA-20 (Joint Land Management Area – 20) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the development of an approximately 210,000 square foot regional distribution facility at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.60; and 2) A Special Exception to permit land disturbance less than 5,000 square feet within very steep slope areas when associated with a permitted use in the PD-IP zoning district. in accordance with Section 5-1508(D)(1)(d)(vi). These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception under Section 5-1508(D)(1) (d)(vi). The subject property is located within 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 also partially within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District – Luck Note Area and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) – major floodplain. The subject property contains areas of Very Steep Slope and Moderately Steep Slope according to the standards of Section 5-1508(C)(1). The subject
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan. A portion of the subject property is within the Joint Land Management Area (Leesburg JLMA Employment Place Type), which designate this area for a range of light and general industry uses at a recommended FAR of up to 1.0. The remaining portion of the subject property is governed by the policies of the Transition Policy Area (Transitional Light Industrial Place Type) which designate this area for a range of low-traffic industrial and employment uses are a recommended FAR of up to 0.6.
ZMAP-2019-0013, ZMOD-2019-0036, ZMOD-2019-0055 ZMOD-2019-0057 & SPEX-2019-0051 CASCADES PARKWAY SUBDIVISION (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception & Zoning Modifications)
Metropolitan Development Group, of Vienna, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 7.6184 acres from the PD-CC(RC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center, Regional Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the R-1 (Single Family Residential) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential-24, ADU Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 219 Residential units, consisting of a maximum 135 stacked multifamily units and a maximum of 84 attached multifamily units, at a density of approximately 28.7 dwelling units per acre. The applicant is also requesting a Special Exception to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-24 ADU zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-24 ADU zoning district is listed as a Special Exception under Section 7-1003(C)(4). The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§3-702(A), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Size and Location.
Allow for direct access to a minor collector road (Potomac View Road) from private roads in lieu of a minor collector road.
§3-707(B), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.
Increase the permitted building height from 45 feet to 60 feet without providing an additional setback from street or lot lines in addition to the required minimum yard dimensions, a distance of not less than one foot for reach foot of height in excess of 45 feet.
§5-1403(B) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks, Road Corridor Buffer and Setbacks Matrix, Table Section 5-1403 (B).
Reduce the required building setback from 75 feet to 15 feet along Potomac View Road. And Reduce the required building setback from 100 feet to 21 feet along Cascades Parkway.
The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, and partially within the Steep Slopes Overlay District. The subject property is approximately 7.6184 acres in size and is located on the east side of Cascades Parkway (Route 1794), north of Potomac View Road (Route 637) and south of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 020-26-1776. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.
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Legal Notices 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 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 03/04 & 03/11/21
NOTICE
NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES
TOWN OF LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
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.
Remote Public Participation Available Members of the public who wish to speak during the petitioners’ section and Public Hearing of the March 9, 2021, Leesburg Town Council Meeting can do so remotely. Information on how to participate remotely can be found on the Town of Leesburg’s website www.leesburgva.gov/agendas or on the agenda that will be posted outside of the Clerk’s Office and in the lobby of Town Hall (25 West Market Street) by close of business on March 3, 2021. If you need more information, contact the Clerk of Council at eboeing@leesburgva.gov or 703-771-2733.
Description Green Kensington Free Spirit mountain bike 500 Huffy bike with Frozen characters Red and silver Raleigh Venture bike Blue Mt. Fury road master bike Burgundy Mongoose Crossway 250 bike Yellow Diamondback Wildwood bike BCA SC29” Model No. BCA72954
Case Number
Recovery Date
Recovery Location
Phone Number
SO200013199
08/15/2020
46164 Westlake Dr. Sterling, VA
703-777-0610
SO200016406 SO200016630 SO200019131 SO210002139 SO210002776 SO210002889
10/08/2020 10/12/2020 11/22/2020 02/08/2021 02/19/2021 02/22/2021
Charles Town Pike/Dry Mill Rd, VA Algonkian Pkwy/Middlefield Dr, VA 20403 Rosemallow Ct. Sterling, VA 43180 Edgewater St. Chantilly, VA 22031 Auction Barn Dr. Ashburn, VA 23392 Bymes Mill Terr. Ashburn, VA
703-777-0610 703-777-0610 703-777-0610 703-777-0610 703-777-0610 703-777-0610
03/04/2021
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR: JOB ORDER CONTRACT (JOC) FOR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION WORK, IFB No. 359782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, April 8, 2021. A Pre‑Bid Conference will be held virtually using GoTo Meeting software on March 10, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. for clarification of any questions on the drawings, specifications and site conditions. Until further notice bidders will not be able to participate in the Pre‑Bid Conference in person. You must pre‑register to participate in the Pre‑Bid Conference by sending an email to PROCUREMENT@loudoun.gov. The subject line of the email should state “Register for Pre‑Bid Conference for Job Order Contract for General Construction Work”, and the email should include the name of your firm and provide contact information to include phone number and address. Providing the email requesting participation in the Pre-Bid Conference was received prior to 1:00 p.m. the business day prior to the date of the Pre‑Bid Conference, the County will respond with the information to participate in the Pre‑Bid Conference. Emails received after 1:00 p.m. will not be responded to. LOUDOUN COUNTY METRO PARKING GARAGES FARE COLLECTION AND IMPROVEMENTS, IFB No. 372783 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, March 31, 2021. The plans and specifications can be obtained by sending an email to the Invitation for Bid point of contact. Until further notice, you will not be able to pick-up a plans and specifications in person. Bid forms can be downloaded from the Loudoun County website at www.loudoun.gov/procurement. 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. 03/04/2021
03/04 & 03/11/21
VIRGINIA
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Case No.: CL 21-359
DALJIT KAUR BEESLA, Plaintiff v. HARINDER SINGH SOHI, Defendant ORDER OF PUBLICATION The OBJECT of the above-styled suit is to obtain a divorce. IT APPEARING by affidavit filed according to law that the Defendant in the above titled cause does not reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia; it is therefore ORDERED that the said HARINDER SINGH SOHI, appear on or before the 23rd day of April, 2021 at 2 p.m. in the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, located at 18 E. Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 and do what is necessary to protect his interests; and it is further ORDERED that this order be published once a week for four successive weeks in LOUDOUN NOW, a newspaper of general circulation in the County of Loudoun; that a copy of this order be posted pursuant to Virginia Code § 1-211.1, and a copy mailed to the Defendant at his last known address as stated in the affidavit filed herein. 02/25, 03/04, 03/11, & 03/18/21
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.:
JJ038628-14-00
, Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Sanay Elliyoun-Yousefabad Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Shahnaz Zabihi Khodapasand, mother
The object of this suit is to hold a 7th permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Sanay Elliyoun-Yousefabad. It is ORDERED that Shahnaz Zabihi Khodapasand, mother, appear at the above-named Court and protect her interests on or before March 30, 2021 at 2:00 pm. 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11/21
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Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2021 in order to consider:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY (PHA) ANNUAL PLAN FOR LOUDOUN COUNTY HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM Pursuant to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations at 24 CFR Part 903, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice that it intends to conduct a public hearing for the purpose of considering and adopting the Public Housing Agency (PHA) Annual Plan (FY22). The PHA Annual Plan provides information on current programs and the resident population served. A copy of the full text of the above-referenced plans are available and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 209 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Revisions of Polling Places (Affects the Moorefield precinct in the Dulles District, and the Heritage Church precinct in the Ashburn District) Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427, 24.2-306 and 24.2-307, et seq., the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage amendments to Section 209, Voting Precincts and Polling Places, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County for the purpose of relocating polling places of certain existing precincts. The proposed revisions are described below. In the Dulles District: 1. The existing Moorefield precinct will be moved to Briar Woods High School. In the Ashburn District: 2. The existing Heritage Church precinct will be moved to Broad Run High School. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed amendments to Chapter 209 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County and maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are on file and available for public inspection 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) 777-0200. In addition this information is available for inspection at Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 825 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Changes to C-PACE Program
Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 15.2-958.3, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage amendments to Sections 825.01, Purpose; 825.02, Definitions; and 825.04, C-PACE Program; Eligible Improvements, of Chapter 825 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The proposed amendments to the County’s C-PACE Program include adding resiliency (flooding mitigation) and stormwater management improvements to the definition of Eligible Improvements and changing the definition of Eligible Property to include residential properties other than residential properties with fewer than five dwelling units. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed amendments to Chapter 825 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County is on file and available for public inspection 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 703-777-0200. Documents may also be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY RESIDENT CURATOR PROGRAM Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 15.2-2306(A)(4) the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage an ordinance to establish a new Chapter, Resident Curator Program, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The proposed new Chapter would provide the County a tool to preserve and maintain select County owned historic properties by establishing a Resident Curator Program through lease agreements with private entities. Lessee(s) will manage, preserve, maintain, and operate the historic properties or structures for the benefit of Loudoun County in accordance with established treatment standards that promote historic preservation best practices. Each property will be subject to tailored treatment standards suitable to the site, following federal guidelines and standards for preserving, restoring, and rehabilitating historic properties. Treatment standards for each property will promote historic preservation best practices that will help to protect historic properties. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance is on file and available for public inspection 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 703-777-0200. Documents may also be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www. loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
SIDP-2020-0005 CHICK-FIL-A RYAN PARK SIGN DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Sign Development Plan)
Chick-fil-a, Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, has submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to 1) modify the total aggregate sign area of two drive-through menu boards; 2) modify the total aggregate sign area for three window signs; 3) permit a total of three window display signs; and 4) modify the total aggregate area for three free-standing signs; and 5) permit three additional free-standing signs for a Chick-Fil-A. The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZCPA-2004-0012 and SPEX-2004-0023, Ryan Park Center Restaurants, located in the Planned Development – Office Park (PD-OP) 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 Airport Impact (AI) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 5.61 acres in size and is located on the south side of Ashburn Village Boulevard (Route 2020) and east of Shellhorn Road (Route 643), at 43520 Yukon Drive, Ashburn, Virginia, 20147, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 089-45-6487. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Urban Policy Area (Urban Transit Center Place Type)), which designate this area for a wide array of economic, entertainment, and community activities uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) between 1.4 and 2.0.
ZCPA-2020-0007 JOHNSON LANDSCAPE BUFFER - POOL (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)
Mark D. Johnson of Chantilly, Virginia, has submitted an application to amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) approved with ZMAP-1991-0005 and ZCPA-1995-0006, South Riding, in order to modify an existing 25-foot landscape buffer to allow for the construction of an in-ground swimming pool, deck, and patio, with no resulting change in density, in the PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4) zoning district. The subject property is located within the (AI) Airport Impact Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 0.36 acres in size and is located on the north side of Priesters Pond Drive (Route 2239) and the west side of Flintonbridge Drive (Route 2238) at 25815 Priesters Pond Drive, Chantilly, Virginia, in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 129-30-1413. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)), which designate this area for predominantly Residential uses at a recommended density of four dwelling units per acre.
ZCPA-2020-0003 TRUE NORTH DATA
(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment) Compass Data Centers IAD I LLC of Dallas, Texas has submitted an application to amend the existing proffers and Concept Development Plan (“CDP”) approved with ZMAP-2017-0003, True North Data in order to: 1) allow for the option to consolidate three buildings into one building footprint; and 2) increase the maximum building height from 35 feet to 56 feet with no resulting change in density. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance The subject property is partially located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour, partially within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District - Luck Note Area, and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District). The subject property is approximately 97.12 acres in size and is located on the north side of Sycolin Road (Route 625), on the south side of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), and on the west side of the Goose Creek, on the northwest side Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659), in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 194-10-2562. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan (Transition Policy Area (Transition Light Industrial Place Type)), which designate this area for lowtraffic Industrial and Employment uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 0.6.
ZMAP-2018-0014, ZCPA-2018-0013, SPEX-2020-0013, ZRTD-2020-0005, ZMOD-2018-0035, ZMOD-2020-0029 & ZMOD-2020-0032 KINCORA VILLAGE CENTER
(Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District, Special Exception & Zoning Modifications)
NA Dulles Real Estate Investor LLC of East Setauket, New York, have submitted applications for the following: (1) to rezone approximately 13.14 acre portion of a larger 296.92 parcel from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (1972 Zoning Ordinance) to the PD-MUB (Planned Development – Mixed Use Business) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance) in order to permit a 10,000 square foot (SF) civic building and a 100,000 SF central plaza to be located in Land Bay K and to permit additional employment, commercial, and/or residential uses to be located in Land Bays K and L.; (2) an application to amend the existing Proffers and Concept Development Plan (CDP) approved with ZMAP-2008-0021, ZCPA-2012-0014 and ZCPA-2017-0008, Kincora Village Center, in order to a) shift location of the central plaza from Land Bay J to Land Bay K; b) relocate the minimum 55,000 SF Science Museum from Land Bay J to Land Bay A; c) align Roads 8 and 9 to create a street, and
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
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add Roads 14 and 17 in Land Bays F and L, and rename Roads A, B, and C with numerical labels; d) shift the location of a monument sign/entry feature in Land Bay J; e) revise locations and clarify the number of Public/Civic/Institutional Uses to be provided; f) increase the number of multifamily (MF) dwelling units permitted from 1,400 to 2,600 in the PD-MUB zoning district; g) adding Land Bays B, K, L, and/or R to the list of land bays where residential uses are permitted; h) delete the commitment to provide a center for the performing arts; i) delete the commitment to provide a 35,000 SF plaza in Land Bay F; j) revise language to clarify which buildings along Pacific Boulevard will be a minimum of four stories; k) reduce the percentage of buildings in the PD-MUB zoning district that are to have a vertical mix of two or more uses; l) remove the commitment that would require any newly constructed Affordable Dwelling Units (ADUs) and/or Unmet Housing Needs Units (UHNUs) to be in compliance with the EarthCraft program and universal design principles; m) exclude data center square footage from the trigger for providing shuttle service; n) clarify that the road fund contributions will not apply to the New Residential Units or to non-residential uses beyond the non-residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) originally committed with prior approvals; o) reduce the width of non-asphalt trails from 8 feet to 6 feet; p) allow recently approved sign commitments (ZMOD2017-0017 & ZMOD-2017-0018) to be applied to the entire Kincora Village Center application area;; and q) allow the Owners to use on-site, non-potable wells for irrigation purposes with a resulting increase in density from 0.43 Floor to Area Ratio (FAR) to 0.57 FAR; (3) an application to rezone approximately 70.16 acres portion of a larger 296.92 parcel from the PD-MUB (Planned Development – Mixed Use Business) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance as it existed on July 12, 2010, to the PD-MUB (Planned Development – Mixed Use Business) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance as amended from time to time; and (4) a Special Exception to permit impervious surface in the form of raised boardwalk crossings not to exceed 9,150 linear feet in the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District), Major Floodplain. The Special Exception application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-1506(E). The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§1-205(A), Interpretation of Ordinance, Limitations and Methods for Measurements of Lots, Yards and Related Terms; Lot Access Requirements.
Allow structures requiring a building permit in the PDMUB Zoning District to be erected upon any lot which has frontage on a Class I, Class II, Class III road, or private access easement.
§4-1354(B) PD-MUB Planned Development-Mixed Use Business District, Development Standards, Public Plaza, Table 4-1354(B), PD-MUB Planned Development Mixed-Use Business Public Plaza, Requirements Table.
Reduce the minimum area of the required public plaza for a PD-MUB district greater than 100 acres in size from 1% of the total land area of the district, or 3.55 acres (154,638 SF) to a minimum of 100,000 SF.
§4-1354(B)(3) PD-MUB Planned Development-Mixed Use Business District, Development Standards, Public Plaza.
Modify the requirement that buildings that adjoin the public plaza shall be a minimum of two stories and have a vertical mix of at least two uses so that buildings adjoining the public plaza may be one story and have one use.
§4-1354(C) PD-MUB Planned Development-Mixed Use Business District, Development Standards, Vertical Mix.
Revise the method to calculate the requirement that at least 50% of the buildings within the Kincora PD-MUB District contain a vertical mix of at least 2 different use classifications by excluding stacked multifamily dwelling unit buildings and other certain buildings from this calculation.
§4-1355(C), PD-MUB Planned Development-Mixed Use Business District, Lot and Building Requirements, Building Height.
Increase the permitted maximum building height from 100 feet to 160 feet in Land Bays B, F, J, and R.
§4-1358(C), PD-MUB Planned Development-Mixed Use Business District, Use Limitations, Street Trees.
Reduce the tree density requirement from one tree per 25 feet along all areas dedicated for vehicular travel, excluding alleys, to one tree per 44 linear feet of block length for streets with on-street parking and to one tree per 35 liner feet of block length for trees with no on-street parking requirement
§5-1303(A)(1), Tree Planting and Replacement, Canopy Requirements, Site Planning.
Allow for site plans for individual buildings not be required to meet 10% canopy coverage for their respective site area, as long as the canopy coverage for the overall Kincora project meets the 10% requirement.
MARCH 4, 2021
The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour, and is also located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District). The subject property is approximately 312 acres in size and is located in the southwest quadrant of the Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) and Sully Road (Route 28) interchange, on the west side of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1036) and north of West Severn Way (Route 1748), in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
041-19-4573
21391 Pacific Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia
040-19-0276
N/A
040-19-3991
N/A
040-18-8480-001 040-18-8480-002
45170 Kincora Drive, Ashburn, Virginia
040-18-3514
N/A
040-10-2389
N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed-Use Place Type)) and Route 28 Corridor Plan, which designate this area for compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational amenities uses, at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0. 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 703-7770246 (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. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed 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). 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/meetings. 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 26, 2021, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 10, 2021. 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. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some 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
02/18, 02/25, & 03/04/21
NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES ABC LICENSE
Lost Barrel Brewing LLC, trading as Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Hwy, Middleburg, Loudoun, Virginia 20117-3508 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer On and Off premises and Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
ABC LICENSE
First Watch Restaurants, Inc., trading as First Watch #468, 603 Potomac Station Drive, NE, Leesburg, Loudoun, Virginia 20176-1816 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine & Beer On Premises; Mixed Beverage On Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
Patrick Steffens, member
Jay Wolszczak, Secretary, Chief Legal Officer
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.
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.
03/04 & 03/11/21
03/04 & 03/11/21
This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction. This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned”, as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice. YR.
MAKE
MODEL
VIN
STORAGE
PHONE#
2009 2001 2002 2008 2004 1989
CHEVROLET MAZDA MERCEDES BENDRON LEXUS JEEP
SILVERADO B300 E320 DIAMOND SC430 WRANGLER
1GCEC14XX9Z227277 4F4YR16U91TM07749 WDBJF82J22X062824 5UZBE10178D006719 JTHFN48Y740059855 2J4FY59T1KJ129928
BLAIR’S TOWING BLAIR’S TOWING ASHBURN TOWING ASHBURN TOWING ASHBURN TOWING AL’S TOWING
703-661-8200 703-661-8200 703-585-8770 703-585-8770 703-585-8770 703-435-8888
03/04 & 03/11/21
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
PAGE 27
Legal Notices LOVETTSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET SUMMARY OF FY21 ADOPTED AND FY22 DRAFT BUDGETS FY 21 ADOPTED BUDGET
FY 22 DRAFT BUDGET
GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS REVENUE TOTAL GENERAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS REVENUE
1,463,990
1,354,847
TOTALTRANSFER & GRANTS GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS REV
1,150,336
668,000
TOTAL GENERAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS REVENUE
2,614,326
2,022,847
4210 (PERSONNEL SERVICES):
$684,614.0
$598,438.0
4220 (CONTRACTUAL SERVICES):
$323,500.0
$325,500.0
4225 (TECHNOLOGY SERVICES):
$53,000.0
$46,870.0
4230 (REPAIR & MAINTENANCE):
$36,200.0
$25,100.0
4240 (PUBLIC WORKS):
$27,700.0
$27,700.0
4245 (PARKS):
$75,100.0
$39,900.0
$9,050.0
$9,100.0
4260 ( INSURANCE):
$13,250.0
$13,250.0
4270 (SUPPLIES & ADVERTISING):
$22,000.0
$17,000.0
4271 (ACTIVITY SUPPORT):
$26,700.0
$29,700.0
$4,200.0
$4,200.0
$14,325.0
$12,600.0
4272 (DUES): 4273 (TRAVEL & TRAINING): 4274 ( REFUNDS):
$6,000.0
$3,000.0
$153,406.0
$167,080.0
$-
$35,409.0
TOTAL GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS EXPEND (SUBTOTAL)
$1,449,044.0
$1,354,847.0
TOTAL GENERAL FND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
$1,165,282.0
$668,000.0
TOTAL GENERAL FND. EXPENDITURES & CAPITAL
$2,614,326.0
$ 2,022,847.0
4280 (DEBT PAYMENTS): GENERA FUND TRANSFER
UTILITY FUND OPERATIONS REVENUE TOTAL UTILITY FUND OPERATIONS REVENUE TOTAL TRANSFER & GRANT UTILITY FND OPERATIONS REV
$1,537,833.0
$1,519,512.0
$170,000.0
$455,000.0
$1,707,833.0
$1,974,512.0
$424,683.0
$446,550.0
$95,250.0
$112,482.0
6230 (SEWER REPAIR/MAINTENANCE)
$175,750.0
$216,250.0
6235 (WATER REPAIR/MAINTENANCE)
$67,900.0
$62,300.0
6240 (UTILITIES)
$66,750.0
$66,750.0
$7,455.0
$8,800.0
6260 (INSURANCE)
$22,600.0
6270 (VEHICLE AND MISC.) 6280 (SEWER SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT) 6285 (WATER SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT)
TOTAL UTILITY FUND REVENUE
FY 21 ADOPTED BUDGET
6220 (CONTRACTUAL SERVICES)
6250 (COMMUNICATIONS)
6390 (TRANSFERS AND MISC. EXPENSES) TOTAL UTILITY FD OPERATIONAL EXPEND. (SUBTOTAL) TOTAL UTILITY FND. TRANSFER TOTAL UTILITY FUND EXPENDITURES TOTAL UTILITY FUND CAPITAL BUDGET TOTAL UTILITY FUND OPERATION FND. EXPENDITURES & CAPITAL
$500.0
$1,250.0
8100 ( LOVE SUMMER REVENUE
$7,500.0
$7,500.0
8200 ( OKTOBERFEST REVENUE)
$232,500.0
$211,333.0
8300 ( LOVE WINTER REVENUE) 8400 ( MAYFEST REVENUE) TOTAL EVENT FUND REVENUE
$2,500.0
$2,500.0
$25,000.0
$25,000.0
$268,000.0
$247,583.0
$500.0
$1,250.0
EVENT FUND EXPENSES 8010 ( LOVE AMERICA EXPENSES) 8120 ( LOVE SUMMER EXPENSES)
$7,500.0
$7,500.0
8230 ( OKTOBERFEST EXPENSES)
$232,500.0
$211,333.0
8340 ( LOVE WINTER EXPENSES)
$2,500.0
$2,500.0
8450 ( MAYFEST EXPENSES)
$25,000.0
$25,000.0
$268,000.0
$247,583.0
$4,590,159.0
$4,244,942.0
TOTAL EVENT FUND EXPENSES GRAND TOTAL GENERAL FUND & UTILITY FUND BUDGET Total Outstanding Loans July 1, 2021
FY 22 Debt Service Payment
General Fund Debt
$1,431,327
Utility Fund Debt
$2,111,380
Total Debt
$3,542,707
Debt Ratio Percent
FISCAL POLICY (not to exceed) Percent
$168,385
8.32%
15%
$321,350
16.27%
15%
$489,735
12.25%
15%
TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED FY 22 BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED SCHEDULE OF FEES
UTITILITY FUND EXPENSES 6210 (PERSONNEL SERVICES)
FY 22 DRAFT BUDGET
EVENT FUND OPERATIONS REVENUE 8000 ( LOVE AMERICA REVENUE)
GENERAL FUND EXPENSES
4250 (COMMUNICATIONS):
A PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed Operating and Capital Budget for FY22 will be held on Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m., at which time all interested citizens will be heard. Copies of the Proposed FY22 Budget may be reviewed on the Town’s website at www.lovettsvilleva.gov. Pursuant to and in compliance with Town of Lovettsville Ordinance 2020-03-0006 (adopted by the Lovettsville Town Council on March 26, 2020) this meeting will be held electronically. The Town Council and staff will be participating remotely. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically.
GENERAL FUND Taxes: Real Estate Tax
$0.178/$100 assessment was $0.184/$100 (a decrease of 3.3 %) Elderly/Disabled Real Estate Tax discount is 100% for qualifying residents
Meals Tax
3% on gross receipts
$22,600.0
Cigarette Tax
$34,600.0
$31,600.0
$0.46 per pack was $.40 per pack (15% increase in cigarette tax)
$32,500.0
$33,500.0
Transient Occupancy Tax
5% of gross receipts
$27,330.0
$27,230.0
Vehicle License Tax
$25.00 per car/truck/motorcycle
$593,015.0
$441,350.0
Town Facilities Use Permit
$25.00 In Town Rates $50.00 Out of Town Rates
$1,547,833.0
$1,469,412.0
$-
$50,100.0
$1,547,833.0
$1,519,512.0
$160,000.0
$455,000.0
$1,707,833.0
$1,974,512.0
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 28
MARCH 4, 2021
Legal Notices FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUESTS
Business Licenses: Type
Fee/Tax
All Businesses Except gross receipts over $20,000.00
Fee of $30.00 for gross receipts up to $20,000.00 and a Tax of $0.17/$100 for Contractors
In-Town Contractors
Fee of $30.00 for gross receipts up to $20,000.00 and a Tax of $0.16/$100 for gross receipts over $20,000.00
Out-of-Town Contractors
No charge for work valued under $25,000.00 annually; Fee of $30.00 plus a Tax of $0.16/$100 for gross receipts over $25,000.00
Other surcharges may include: Photocopies
$0.25 per page (8 ½ x 11)
Documents Printed In-House
$2.00 per page (Black/White 24” x 36”) $3.00 per page (Color 24” x 36”) Documents Sent to Printer Due to Volume or Size Actual Cost
Audio CDs and Flash Drives
$5.00 per copy
For more information, see the Town of Lovettsville Freedom of Information Act Policy, Request Form, and Schedule of Fees.
Application Fees: Type:
Fee:
UTILITY FUND
Zoning Permit – Minor
$75
Zoning Permit – Major
$150
Pool Permit (Fence Included)
$75
Zoning Determination Letter
$75
Demolition Permit
$0
Rezoning/Zoning Map Amend.
$750
Proffer Amendment
$500
Ordinance Amendment
$150
Home Occupancy Permit
$75
Zoning Certificate
$75
Sign Permit – Permanent (UP TO 3 SIGNS)
$75
Sign Permit – Temporary (PER SIGN)
$25
Preliminary Plat
$300
Preliminary Plat Amendment
$250
Final Plat
$500
Final Plat Amendment
$250
Boundary Line Adjustment
$250
Minor Subdivision Plan/Plat
$300
+ $15 PER LOT
Preliminary Site Plan
$1,000
+$50 PER ACRE
Final Site Plan
$1,000
FOR THE FIRST ACRE + $50 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ACRE
Preliminary/Final Site Plan
$1,000
FOR THE FIRST ACRE + $50 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ACRE
Conditional Use Permit
$350
*
Subdivision/Site Plan Exception
$100
*PER SECTION VARIED
Comprehensive Plan Amendment
$2,500
Occupancy Permit
$75
Bond Reduction (PER REDUCTION)
$100
Bond Release
$150
VDOT Street Acceptance
$150
Variance/Appeal
$100
Subdivision/Site Plan Engineering & Legal
$3,000
Consultant Review Deposit Fee Comprehensive Plan (Document)
Fees & Charges
* FOR FIRST ACRE + $250 *FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ACRE *
+ $15 PER LOT + $25 PER LOT
In-Town Water User Rate:
$9.41 / 1,000 gal. from $8.96 / 1,000 gallons
In-Town Sewer User Rate:
$14.94 / 1,000 gal. from $14.23 / 1,000 gallons
In-Town Sewer Only Customers:
Fixed rate of $43.68 from $39.53 Monthly
Out-of-Town Water/Sewer Customers Charged:
150% of In-Town rate
Penalty for Late Payment:
$10 or 10% (whichever is greater)
Bulk Water Sales:
$25 / 1,000 gallons, plus $75 transaction fee
Virginia Department of Health Waterworks Technical Assistance Fund:
Set by VDH
Water Cutoff Charge or Turn On Charge:
$30
Fire Sprinkler Fee for facilities with a fire sprinkler system connected to Town Water:
$6.67 / Month
Availability Tap refund processing charge:
$50.00
Fats, Oils and Grease Permit Fee:
$25
Flushing Hydrant Maintenance Fee:
$500 per year
*Town water and sewer user fees have been increased by 5% RATE TABLE A minimum rate applies to all water and sewer accounts after the minimum billed usage and an additional dollar amount is applied per 1000 gallons, and includes a 5% increase in commercial and other size water meter connections. Meter Size (inches)
Minimum Billed $ (Month)
5/8 & 3/4
$48.74 from 46.42 residential $59.24 commercial
1
$69.74
1.5
$80.24
2
$90.74
3
$101.24
4
$111.74
Billed Usage (gallons)
Water-Per 1,000 gallons Over Min.
Sewer Per 1,000 gallons Over Min.
2,000
$9.41 from 8.96
$14.94 from $14.23
*Town water and sewer user fees have been increased by 5% * **
$40
Notes: * Additional charges for advertising and/or adjacent property owner notification will be billed to the applicant. (Applicants are responsible for all base fees as well as any engineering or Town Attorney Review Costs) ** As required by Section 30-37 of the Town Code for subdivision construction drawings and development site plans. If actual costs differ from amount deposited, the excess shall be paid by the applicant to the Town or difference refunded to the applicant, as applicable. • All civic, charitable, and religious organizations having non-profit status are exempt from application fees. •
Cost for staff time to research and respond to FOIA requests will be based on the hourly rate of the appropriate staff member(s) responding to the request and range from approximately $20/hour to $50/hour.
Taxes are authorized by VA Code Title 58.1. Fees are authorized by Code of Virginia §15.22241 and §15.2-2286.
Water and Sewer Inspection Fees Type
Fees
Main Inspection Fee
$1.90 x linear foot of Water Main + $2.15 x linear foot of Sewer Main + $300 for Beneficial Use Inspection + $300 Final Inspection
Lateral Inspection Fee
$150 per connection- charged with Zoning Permit for the building
Line Record Drawing Fee
$1,350 + $1.25/linear foot of Water Main + $1.50/linear foot of Sewer Main
Water Modeling Fee
Engineering Reimbursable- cost to update water model to include new water lines and provide required information to VDH for their review and approval; component of Engineering Deposit.
Hydrant Flow Test Fee
$100 + provide needed testing equipment
Lateral Upgrade Fee
$100 + Cost of meter (when existing connection upgrades to a larger size meter)
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
PAGE 29
Legal Notices Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission
Deposit for New Water and Sewer Accounts Type of Connection
Water
Sewer
Residential (within Town limits)
$50
$50
Residential (outside Town limits)
$100
$100
Non-Residential
$100
$100
Water and Sewer Connection Fees
$2,205 from $2,100
$2,205 from $2,100
*Water and Sewer connection fees increased by 5%
The Lovettsville Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 7:30 pm on March 17, 2021. Pursuant to and in compliance with Town of Lovettsville Ordinance 2020-03-0006 (adopted by the Lovettsville Town Council on March 26, 2020) this meeting will be held electronically. The Planning Commission and staff will be participating remotely. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically. Written comments regarding this item can be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting.
Amendment to the 2011 Comprehensive Plan Adoption of the 2021 Transportation Master Plan
Availability Fees, Maximum Allowable Usage and Meter Fee Meter Size
Max. Allowable Usage (GPD)
Water Availability Fee*
Wastewater Avail. Fee*
Meter Fee
5/8”
500
$11,721 from $11,163
$17,220 from $16,400
$250
3/4”
750
$17,581 from $16,744
$25,830 from $24,600
$250
1”
1,250
$29,303 from $27,908
$43,049 from $40,999
Cost of meter + $20
1-1/2”
2,500
$58,605 from $55,814
$86,099 from $81,999
Cost of meter + $20
2”
4,000
$93,768 from $89,303
$137,758 from $131,198
Cost of meter + $20
3”
8,000
$187,535 from $178,605
$275,515 from $262,395
Cost of meter + $20
Chapter 1, Introduction: Establishes a new overreaching vision of developing safe walking, biking and vehicular travel throughout the Town. Introduces goals related to increasing mobility choices, improving safety, preserving infrastructure expanding network sustainability, expand parking options, and cooperating with other governments and agencies.
4”
12,500
$293,024 from $279,070
$430,492 from $409,992
Cost of meter + $20
Chapter 2, Regional Context and Demographic Trends: Describes the role of Lovettsville in the larger community. Outlines characteristics of the community and local traffic conditions.
*Upgrades from a smaller meter size will equal the difference between the new availability fee and the current availability worth of the existing meter size. All fees have been increase by 5% over prior year. Failure to Upgrade Meter Fines First Offense
$100
Second Offense
$200
Third Offense
$300
Water Theft Fines First Offense Fine
$500
Second Offense Fine
$1,000
Third/Subsequent Offense Fine
$2,000
Reward for Successful Notification and Capture of Water Theft in Progress Town Water and Sewer Account Holders
$100 Credit
Non-account Holders
$50 Check
Notes:
• Fine for Failure to Follow Water Emergency Rules and Regulations: $500.00 each offense • Frye Court Service District Tax (per VA Code §15.2-2400 et seq.): $0.275 per $100 of assessed value for taxable real estate (exclusive of improvements)
Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204, 15.2-2225, and 15.2-2229, the Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission hereby gives notice of its intention to consider the adoption of a new Transportation Master Plan to be referred to as the 2021 Lovettsville Transportation Master Plan. The Transportation Master Plan will replace the current transportation policies of the 2011 Comprehensive Plan and establish new goals, objectives, implementation projects, and maps. The Planning Commission is required to prepare a transportation plan as part of the Town’s comprehensive plan for the physical development of the Town. The plan is then recommended to the Town Council for its consideration and adoption. The purpose of this change is to establish new, and update and revise existing, transportation objectives and strategies based on current information and issues. The proposed plan identifies a system of transportation infrastructure needs and planning-level recommendations that support Lovettsville’s land use and development policies and goals. Among other matters, the Plan is intended to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety, improve street infrastructure, and reduce vehicle speeding. The following is a general descriptive summary of each proposed chapter.
Chapter 3, Public Engagement: Outlines the process of public input that contributed to the Plan. Identifies specific community concerns. Traffic speed on certain streets, dangerous intersections at Berlin Turnpike and Broad Way and S. Loudoun Streets, and missing sidewalk connections are among the concerns raised. Chapter 4, Increasing Mobility Choices: Establishes new policies regarding sidewalks, multi-use paths and bicycle facilities. Proposes a path and sidewalk network to connect neighborhoods. Outlines specific improvement projects. Chapter 5, Increasing Safety: Summarizes safety issues and proposes reduced speed limits, traffic calming strategies and managing truck traffic in residential areas. Outlines improvement projects related to pedestrian crosswalks, lighting, and intersection improvements. Chapter 6, Preserving Infrastructure: Addresses improvements to existing substandard streets to improve drainage, replace or upgrade public utilities, and enhance traffic flow and access to adjacent properties. Upgrading the Town’s older streets to meet current street design standards is a central goal for the Town. Chapter 7, Expanding the Transportation Network Sustainably: Work with developers to see that new developments enhance the existing network and that impacts to the network are mitigated. Chapter 8, Providing Parking Options: Provide adequate parking options throughout the Town. Chapter 9, Continued Cooperation: Proposes working with VDOT, Loudoun County and other agencies to secure funding for Town projects and to ensure projects surrounding the Town support Town goals. Outlines the agencies and known projects in the area. Chapter 10, Project List and Implementation: Provides planning-level project descriptions, cost estimates, and funding sources. Projects are prioritized based on feedback from the Planning Commission. The proposed plan amendment is available for review on the Town website www.lovettsvilleva.gov. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by calling the Town Office at (540) 822-5788 or contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place. 02/25 & 03/04/21
• These actions are authorized by the Code of Virginia §15.2-2111 - §15.2-2143 & §15.2-2111 - 15.2-2119 •
$30.00 bank charge for all returned checks 02/25 & 03/04/21
LoudounNow.com
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PAGE 30
MARCH 4, 2021
Legal Notices
TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLES 3, 7, AND 15
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS BY THE TOWN OF LEESBURG, VIRGINIA
Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, March 18, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg VA 20176 to consider the following amendments to the Zoning Ordinance:
MARCH 23, 2021 AT 7:00 P.M.
1.
Amendments to various subsections of Zoning Ordinance Section 7.10 Crescent Design (CD) District to permit modifications to allow for development and redevelopment of land consistent with principles of traditional urban design in accordance with the guidelines provided in the Crescent District Element of the Town Plan. Proposed modifications include, but not limited to: a. Sec. 7.10.4.C.1 and Sec. 7.10.12 Modifications to permit variations in the Required Build-to Line and Parking Setback Line greater than five feet (5’) as part of a rezoning or special exception application approved by Town Council. b. Sec. 7.10.4.A [Siting Table] and Sec. 7.10.12 Modifications to permit the Building Frontage Requirement to be reduced to less than 50% as part of a rezoning or special exception application approved by Town Council. c. Sec. 7.10.9.A.2 [4] and TLZO Sec. 7.10.9.B.2.3 [Minimum Rear Yard Setback] to permit townhouse and 2-over-2 lot rear yards to be zero (0) feet if required parking for the unit is required on the lot.
2.
Add a new section to Article 15 Signs to be known as TLZO Sec. 15.10.11 Signs in the Gateway District (Overlay) with appropriate subsections to explain how signs in the Gateway District (Overlay) are processed.
3.
Article 3 Review and Approval Procedures to update time and advertising requirements for Comprehensive Plan adoption and amendments thereto as specified by the Virginia General Assembly.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia (the “Town”) will hold a public hearing in accordance with Section 15.2-2606 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, on the proposed issuance of one or more series of general obligation bonds in an estimated maximum principal amount of $13,450,000. The Town proposes to issue the bonds and use the bond proceeds to finance the costs of various capital improvement projects in the Town’s Capital Improvements Program and other approved capital projects. The proposed uses of the bond proceeds for which the Town expects that more than ten percent of the total bond proceeds will be used include financing the costs of the Town’s Capital Asset Replacement Program as identified in the Town’s Capital Improvements Program. The public hearing, which may be continued or adjourned, will be held at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, before the Town Council in the Council Chambers, Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, in Leesburg, Virginia. A resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds will be considered by the Town Council at its meeting on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, following the public hearing on the issuance of the bonds. The resolution also authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds of the Town to refund outstanding bonds or other obligations of the Town. A copy of the proposed resolution is available for public examination prior to the public hearing in the office of the Clerk of the Council at Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours. Additional information regarding the bond financing is available in the Department of Finance, located on the first floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact Eileen Boeing, the Clerk of Council, at 703771-2733, no later than three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 03/04 & 3/11/21
Copies and additional information regarding each of these proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments are available at the Department of Planning & Zoning located on the 2nd floor of Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg VA 20176 during normal business hours (Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by contacting Brian Boucher, Deputy Director, via email at bboucher@leesburgva.gov, or via telephone at 703-771-2774. This zoning ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2021-0001. At this hearing all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of the Commission at (703) 771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 03/04 & 03/11/21
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Hillsboro, Virginia (the “Town Council”) will hold a public hearing to receive public comment and to consider the adoption of a proposed Resolution (the “Resolution”) authorizing the issuance by the Town of Hillsboro, Virginia (the “Town”) of (i) a not to exceed $800,000 Tax-Exempt General Obligation Revenue Bond (“Bank-Qualified”), Series 2021A (the “2021A Bond”) and (ii) a not to exceed $350,000 Taxable General Obligation Bond, Series 2021B (the “2021B Bond, and together with the 2021A Bond, the “Bonds”). The Town shall use the proceeds of the 2021A Bond, together with other moneys lawfully available to the Town, to provide funds to pay the capital costs to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, and equip various improvements to the Town’s wastewater system and facilities related thereto, including but not limited to installing a wastewater treatment package plant, and pay costs of issuance related to the financing. The Town shall use the proceeds of the 2021B Bond, together with other moneys lawfully available to the Town to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, and equip various improvements to the Town’s Lawson-Goodrich property, and pay costs of issuance related to the financing (the foregoing purposes are referenced together as the “Project”). The payment of the principal of and the interest on the 2021A Bond will be a general obligation of the Town, secured by a pledge of the Town’s full faith and credit and a pledge of net revenues of the Town’s water and wastewater systems. The payment of the principal of and the interest on the 2021B Bond will be a general obligation of the Town secured by a pledge of the Town’s full faith and credit. The public hearing, which may be continued or adjourned, will be held before the Town Council on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, via Zoom at the link listed on the Town’s website. Any person interested in the Town’s issuance of the Bonds or the Project may appear electronically via Zoom at the public hearing and present his or her views. The Town Council may set time limits on speakers and other rules and procedures for the conduct of this public hearing. Written comments regarding the Bonds or the Project may be delivered either to the Town Council prior to the public hearing in care of the Mayor at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia 20132, or e-mailed to cmaple@hillsborova.gov. All comments received will be presented to the Town Council during the public hearing. TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA Roger L. Vance, Mayor
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PAGE 32
MARCH 4, 2021
Opinion What is the Why? There’s something new in the county budget this year. Tucked in among the pay raises, health care costs and retirement benefits are millions of dollars to launch collective bargaining with unions representing county government and school division employees. Following action by the General Assembly last year, unions and localities may begin those programs this May. There is no requirement to do so, yet both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board have moved forward with the assumption that labor talks rapidly are approaching. They are both planning to hire teams of negotiators to administer the process. However, it remains unclear how this investment will provide a benefit to the general public or improve the service levels and efficiency of government operations. It’s not even evident that such a program is needed to improve the working environment or the compensation of the thousands of county employees. Yet the two programs would add almost a penny to the real estate tax rate. Especially during a time when businesses are in peril, the commercial tax base is spiraling downward and families have suffered income losses, county leaders have an obligation to hold a tight rein on spending. This isn’t the year for pet projects or wish list items. As with any new government project, before we get to the “how” and the “how much,” county leaders need to first answer the “why.” Treating the move to public sector unionization as a foregone conclusion isn’t the same as providing adequate justification for the costly new commitment. n Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com
Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723
EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Patrick Szabo, Reporter pszabo@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.
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LETTERS to the Editor The Year-round Option Editor: Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in, let’s say a group of educators, results in ineffectual decision making, especially when the education and safety of students are at risk. This may have explained how in Loudoun, as well as the entire metro area, came to similar decisions without serious critical evaluation of alternatives to what they were all doing. Because everybody is doing the same thing these educators have an inflated certainty that they have made the right decision. But as you have seen, dates for implementation have gone back and forth, frustrating parents and students and teachers and school boards are struggling. Although educators know about yearround education, it is not a typical way to deliver the curriculum. However, 20202021 with COVID-19 is also not a typical year. Given the shortage of vaccines and the variant strains of the virus, the future is still uncertain when it comes to the method of education for our students for 2021-22. Having a year-round school year, using a multitrack system should produce the space needed in classrooms for safety reasons, by reducing the number of students in each class by about 25%, and couple that, with the parents who prefer distance learning regardless of an alternative de-
livery of instruction, thus providing even more space. A school on a multitrack yeararound calendar divides the entire student body and staff into different tracks, usually four tracks. Consequently, at any one time, three of the four tracks are attending class while the fourth is on vacation. In the 45/15 calendar, one track returns from vacation and one track leaves every 15 days. (60/20 is another option). LCPS’ grading periods are about 45 days currently. It is important to note you still have only 180 days of instruction, which is the requirement by the state. I especially like the obvious fact that the loss of retention of information that occurs during the threemonth summer vacation is minimized by the shorter, more frequent vacations. It is time, at the very least, to study this alternative as a back-up plan if the predictions for 2021-22 are bleak or uncertain. It is a lot of planning and a lot of work, but we all want our students back in school. Don’t allow “groupthink” to win the day, at the expense of our children’s educational experience. — Tom Marshall, Leesburg [Editor’s Note: The writer served two terms representing the Leesburg District on the Loudoun County School Board]
Fix the DMV Editor: On Feb. 7, I sent in a title transfer and registration for a new car purchase. I paid LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 33
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
MARCH 4, 2021
Readers’ Poll
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:
Is it time to roll back on COVID-19 restrictions?
Aside from a return to full-time inclass education, what should be the top priority of the next schools superintendent?
LETTERS to the Editor continued from page 32 a premium to send it next day mail to the address listed on the DMV website, thinking this would increase the time to process and return. I checked online first and the next appointment in a 50-mile radius was two months away. It has now been almost a month, and my title and registration have not been processed. I have called the main customer service line for several weeks to get an automated message telling me to go online for over 50 services. I was not able to even speak to someone. It is impossible to transfer a title to a car online. Finally, last week I heard a regular ring and then through to a human after a 30-minute wait. She put me on a five-minute hold to find out if they had my paperwork. She came back and said they had the paperwork. I asked how long it would be before it was processed. The answer was alarming—a few more weeks, but no guarantee! How much backlog is there at the DMV right now? How could someone who just purchased a car for the first time wait five to eight weeks to drive that car? Or someone ready to obtain their license? Right now, there is an unemployment rate of 5% in Virginia. My suggestion to the governor is to hire those unemployed to empty the backlog of DMV processing. This move is a win for both the unemployed and the state. The DMV requires significant reform if a typical transaction takes eight weeks to process. If you decide to buy a car tomorrow, it’s going to be a few months before you can drive it. All over their website there are warnings about post office delays. This is not a Postal Service issue, this is a DMV issue.
PAGE 33
Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls
First, open the DMV to better hours for those working various shifts. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. is not feasible. Every DMV should be open until 9 p.m. Saturday should be a full day, not 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Some locations are only available until 5 p.m. and never on Saturday. Not every person can take off work to go to the DMV during those hours. Secondly, work to get rid of any backlog in processing. Not one person should be waiting for more than a two-week turnaround for documents. We are one year into the pandemic, and someone should have figured out this issue already. When someone calls the customer service line, they should be able to talk to someone anytime. Third, bring in an experienced business-minded person to revamp the way the DMV operates. If this kind of service existed in the private sector, the DMV would be put out of business. No one should wait so long for a government service that is mandated but necessary. — Todd Cimino-Johnson, Leesburg
False Statements Editor: Regardless of one’s stance on the legalization of marijuana, correct information can only help the final decision, and incorrect information should be avoided. When the people in charge are misinformed or uninformed it’s the citizens’ duty to call them out. I’m writing this letter because of the statements that Phyllis Randall, an elected official, has made about cannabis. I urge people to read her comments (Feb. 18 issue of Loudoun Now) and judge for themselves. Her statements reveal an unfamiliarity with, and general ignorance about, the substance. It would be unwise to include her voice in the decision-making process.
Ms. Randall maintains that marijuana is “addictive,” says it can be fatal, and has made other demonstrably false statements. I’m not advocating for legality; I’m advocating for informed people to make the final assessment. — James Sivard, Leesburg
Contradictory Laws Editor: Virginia legislators are contradictory, to word things objectively. Subjectively, they’re downright appalling. They passed legislation in February allowing women greater access to abortions. The same day, they passed legislation banning the death penalty. In passing those bills, the majority of Virginia’s legislators have said, “women need the right to kill their unborn children but it’s immoral to put convicted murderers to death.” The Senate and House bills regarding abortion coverage are identical. They remove the ban on abortion coverage for health insurance plans offered through the health exchange. Their passage makes Virginia the first state in the south to end those types of restrictions on abortion access. The legislators also passed legislation to abolish the death penalty in Virginia. Brian Welsh, the man convicted of brutally gunning down a mother and son in 2018 who was sentenced to two life terms in prison last week, is one of many criminals who have committed heinous crimes who will live the rest of his days knowing he will never face death from the state. In the decades to come, dozens of other murders (many of whom will undoubtedly commit murders even more brutal than Welsh’s) will be convicted and sentenced to life in prison. But they will head to the penitentiary knowing the state will never kill them.
In the coming decades, unborn babies growing safely their mothers’ wombs will be brutally killed at all stages of life. One of the arguments for greater abortion access is this: “the state should not be allowed to restrict a woman’s right to end something that could inhibit her ability to continue living a comfortable life.” But that “something” is the woman’s unborn child. It is the murder of an innocent life. Meanwhile, let’s never put another convicted murderer to death again in Virginia, because their lives are much too important. We preach that all lives matter and all lives are important … except for the unborn. — Jorge Rivera, Purcellville
Very Sad Editor: From all the children in America who have delighted in his books, learned lessons about kindness and diversity, and, most importantly, learned to read and to love reading, I wish Dr. Seuss a happy birthday March 2. The word on the street is that there are some (NEA and LEA) who, like the Grinch, are aimed at destroying the wonder and fun of young children by claiming that his books are “racist.” One would think that it would be enough that these organizations have deprived children of a year’s worth of in-person schooling and subjected them to a poor substitute for education in online learning, but they won’t stop there. Now they aim to take the fun out of early reading by searching for evidence that these books are inherently racist. How very sad. One can only hope that, like the Grinch, these people’s hearts will grow three sizes today. — Ann Mulhall, Ashburn
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COVID care continued from page 1 the COVID-19 outbreak were aching to go back to therapy for pain relief. StoneSprings Hospital Center CEO Nathan Vooys said the hospital stopped offering non-emergent surgeries, such as knee replacements, for three weeks in late-March and early-April 2020. He said the only surgeries being performed were for emergency situations necessary to save lives, protect limbs and relieve major pain. Babies were also still delivered during that time. Inova Chief Medical Officer Christopher Chiantella said Inova also halted non-emergency surgeries around that time. Aside from a shift in the scheduling of surgeries, Zelch said he’s aware of another reason for the uptick in patient visits he saw last July: a change in peoples’ work habits. As more people began working from home, many were doing so from bed or the living room couch, neither of which are conducive of proper posture. “I think we saw a big jump in volume because of that,” he said. Zelch now sees more patients than he did at the beginning of 2020. “By July it was like it never happened,” he said about the pandemic’s effects on his office. On the first floor of Zelch’s building is Dr. Fuad Alykhan, who has operated the Loudoun Walk In Medical Center there since 2010. Alykhan said he saw a 5075% drop in patient visits last spring. Like Zelch, Alykhan saw patients begin returning by the summer. But it didn’t last. He said the number of patients he’s seeing now is at the same level it was when he opened 11 years ago, still down by about 50% over the level it was in early 2020. “It’s pretty concerning,” Alykhan said. Vogtle Ninh opened Dental 32 Fresh Smiles in Ashbrook Commons Plaza in March 2020. Because he opened his practice at the beginning of the pandemic, Ninh never saw a real drop in patient visits, but did note that “people were terrified” to come into the dentist. He said some patients with tooth issues have been waiting longer to come in than they should. “They know that have problem and they know they need help and they’re putting it off,” he said. At Inova, daily patient visits to the ER were halved by March 29 last year, down from 9,000 to 4,500. Inova Loudoun Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Marissa Ja-
marik said ER visits were back up to 5,000 by April, then into the 6,000s by July but are now back down by 15-20% over numbers seen at the beginning of 2020. At StoneSprings, Vooys said, “it’s hard to remember what life was like” before the pandemic led to the heightened cleaning and protective measures doctors, nurses and patients have become so accustomed to by now. “Absolutely there was a drop,” he said of patient visits to the ER, noting that those visits are still “significantly down.” But Vooys attributed the decline in emergency room visits not only to people opting to deal with their injuries and pain rather than risk infection of COVID-19, but also to a shift in lifestyles. He noted that there are fewer people injured in traffic accidents because more people are working from home and there are fewer cars on the roads. He also pointed out that there are fewer sports injuries because fewer people are playing sports. Jamarik said telemedicine appointments have also kept more people out of the ER in the past year. Because patients are more frequently opting for the convenience of visiting with their doctors over the web, they’re perhaps more willing to talk with a doctor about their conditions and are thus avoiding emergency situations down the line.
Many COVID Protocols Are Here to Stay At the outset of the COVID outbreak, many medical professionals were forced to change their safety measures, and amend their business models. Zelch furloughed his front-desk receptionist and second full-time therapist and began wearing a face mask, a face shield and gloves. He also got rid of the magazines he had in the front waiting area, removed chairs and spaced out scheduling to keep the numbers of patients in the office at one time to a minimum. He has since been able to bring his receptionist and second therapist back on board, and has even hired another parttime therapist. All of them have already received the full dose of the COVID vaccination. Zelch’s team also continues to make it a point to show patients that the office is sanitary and safe against COVID-19, since some patients still call to ask about the cleaning regimen and scheduling. He said he uses 10 times the amount of cleaner he used to use and plans to tear down a wall in the office to allow for greater social distancing. Alykhan transitioned his practice from
MARCH 4, 2021
It’s best to “stick to the basics” when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. — Christopher Chiantella Inova Chief Medical Officer a walk-in office to appointment-based, in part to keep patients from sitting together in the waiting room. Because of the initial shortage of personal protective equipment, Alykhan’s team early last year had to practice a little ingenuity, by using plastic tablecloths and shower caps as protective equipment. On the dentistry end of the medical world, not much needed change to protect against COVID-19, since dentistry equipment has always been designed to protect against all types of diseases. Ninh said he installed an air filter and started wearing a face shield, but continued to practice the safety measures he and other dentists always have, such as wearing a mask and protective eyewear and cleaning instruments frequently. “COVID is just one of the many diseases we as practitioners try to fight,” Ninh said. At the hospital, the Inova staff activated a surge plan that saw medical teams transform 37 beds in the west wing of the Lansdowne hospital into negative-pressure, critical-care beds for COVID-19 patients. “We moved very quickly,” Jamarik said. Chiantella said the Inova medical team also worked to treat and discharge patients who had “minimal need” to be kept in the hospital any longer than necessary and set aside three units for critical care. He said medical professionals also were “lining up to help” amid the pandemic. “Luckily for us the human resource piece was not a limiting factor,” he said. StoneSprings began limiting visitors, established only two entrances to the hospital and implemented temperature screens and a symptom/travel questionnaire. Everyone in the hospital also began wearing the appropriate PPE, which was inventoried, moved to a secure location and controlled by a “PPE czar.” “There isn’t a whole lot that we have unwound,” Vooys said about those proto-
cols. “… Some of these things are here to stay.” And it’s because of those new, more self-aware protocols that society in the future, Vooys said, should be able to limit case numbers of certain illnesses. For instance, Alykhan and his team plan to always mask up when treating patients suffering from upper respiratory symptoms. Vooys said it’s protocols like those that are keeping cases of respiratory diseases other than COVID-19 “way down.” “When we try to protect ourselves against COVID we’re also protecting ourselves against the flu,” Vooys said. Chiantella said Inova has admitted nobody with the flu as a main diagnosis this season. It’s the first time that’s ever happened. Alykhan said he’s hopeful COVID-19 will work its way through society as quickly as the Spanish Flu did, having begun in the spring of 1918 and largely subsiding by the summer of 1919, albeit only after Infecting one-third of the world’s population and killing about 50 million people worldwide. “I think that’s the pretense that we’re working with,” he said. Overall, the new safety protocols, along with recent vaccinations, have helped to curb the cases of COVID-19 and symptoms thereof. Vooys said the number of daily COVID-positive cases StoneSprings doctors have treated was around five each day in November and closer to 10 in December. Now, Vooys said, the numbers are in the low single digits, if not zero on any given day. At Inova, Jamarik said the number of patients coming in with COVID-related symptoms, or testing positive for the virus, is down by more than 50% compared with January, the deadliest time of the pandemic since the outset in spring 2020. Chiantella said that while he’s not hearing about patients being scared to visit the hospital as much anymore, he emphasized that the hospital “still remains one of the safest places” to be amid the pandemic. He said Inova would continue to heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and not proceed toward a state of normalcy any faster or slower than what’s recommended. “Inova will just continue to follow what those guidelines are,” he said, noting that it’s best to “stick to the basics” when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. n
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Gun ban
County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) put forth the version of the ordinance that passed. “You don’t wait for the thing to hap-
pen. You do something in advance of it happening,” Randall said. “The moment someone comes in here and starts shooting—we’ve done a lot of things after the
fact, but that’s after the fact. So I’ll go back to saying what I said before: I think this is common sense.” “I keep hearing, you know, Loudoun is safest place to live. But it seems like a lot of people obviously don’t think that it’s the safest place to live, if you have to have a gun with you everywhere you go,” Glass said. “You know, it sounds like that person that’s carrying their weapon everywhere they go, they’re the one that’s fearful, they’re the one that’s afraid.” I just want to point out at a macro level, we’re not debating the literature of gun violence and all of the issues that go into that here,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “We’re debating accounting ordinance and we’re deciding what’s practical and makes sense for us to enforce as a locality.” The debate has been a long and controversial one, with dozens of people showing up to Board of Supervisors meetings to argue for or against new gun restrictions. That included Tuesday night, when the signups for public input sessions spilled over into a waitlist, with most coming to speak on the gun ordinance. n
cluding two trailhead parking locations, pedestrian access to the water and canoe and kayak launches. And while they also offer road improvements and multi-use trails on either side of Sycolin Road, those trails are cut off on either side of the development by bridges over the Goose Creek and the Dulles Greenway. The applicant would actually be reducing the amount of disturbed land inside the 300-foot buffer, removing an existing concrete pad, which Buffington called “a lesser violation” than what is there now. The project’s open space and density calculations are also thrown off by a proposal to include a parcel that is currently county-owned and under a conservation easement. Asked by County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) if the applicants felt there is any more work to do on the proposal, representative Packie Crown of Bowman Consulting said “at this point, no, we don’t.” Speakers at the Feb. 11 public hearing on the proposal—when they waited until after midnight to participate—overwhelmingly expressed opposition. Many were concerned about the impacts on the Goose Creek, such as oil from the parking spaces finding its way down the steep banks of creek into the water upstream of a public water supply. “We have responsibilities as humans to take care and appreciate the world we live on, not destroy it,” said Olivia Lewis. “The location of the banks of Goose Creek, a Virginia-designated state scenic river, is
not the place for this development. There is so much at stake here. Please vote for more thoughtful and sustainable planning, and don’t turn it into another cookie cutter neighborhood.” “We can all get behind smart growth. We all talk about it a lot, we campaign on it, we put it on our websites, but ‘smart growth’ is the right development in the right places that benefit the residents and taxpayers of Loudoun County,” said Carl Kelly. “But smart growth doesn’t mean anything unless you vote that way. And I have to ask, if Goose Creek Overlook represents ‘smart growth,’ then what would a development have to look like not to qualify?” “Most of you probably have never been down on the Goose Creek in a boat, but if you float through this area, you will be amazed at how beautiful it remains and how pristine, and it’s a rare treasure that we have laying right between Leesburg and Ashburn,” said Carl Lawrence. Local conservation organizations including the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy also spoke up in opposition. “Loudoun County should do more and do better to protect the natural assets of Loudoun, and the Goose Creek scenic river is one of the most valuable natural assets we have,” said Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Michael Myers. “But what I’m rally failing to understand is why 9.2 acres of land currently owned by Loudoun County and protected from future
development via conservation easement is being reassigned to be used as part of the open space calculation for this application.” The developer is negotiating with the holder of that easement, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, to amend it. It is a holdover from a previous rezoning that included more than the minimum of open space. Myers said it is “actually a great example of a developer going beyond the minimum requirement in regards to county standards.” “That should be applauded, and it should not be an excuse for a future development to be able to offer less than what it is required,” Myers said. Those environmental concerns mostly fell on deaf ears among county supervisors, who said their concerns about the application centered on issues like sufficient parking, school crowding and traffic impact. But Randall said she would likely oppose the application. “As much as I want and talk about [Affordable Dwelling Units] for purchase and for rental, you know, when you start destroying the environment, all the ADUs in the world don’t mean a whole lot, to be honest,” Randall said. “And I think the Goose Creek is such a unique and special asset that we have in Loudoun. And I always wonder, when people say—when applicants say— ’we’re going to make it better by building this trail or that trial,’ I always think, ‘you’re going to make it better than God made it already?’ I just don’t see that happening.” n
continued from page 1 the authority, these constituents want to be able to attend public meetings, pay their taxes, file their county paperwork vote and visit our public parks, rec centers and libraries without the presence of firearms, and they certainly don’t want a concealed carry permit holder there with a gun who is neither trained nor experienced in firearms use or safety.” Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner’s (R-Catoctin) proposal to only apply that rule to buildings with screening stations failed on a party line 3-6 vote. “I still don’t agree with that, but I think that is a huge step to making up for what you’re taking from folks, a fundamental right under our Constitution,” Kershner said. “I’ll support the motion, because if you’re going to take away somebody’s ability to lawfully carry within the building, you’ve got to provide a way to keep them safe,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge).
Goose Creek continued from page 4 Ridge), who voted against the data center project, predicted at the time “it’ll set a bad precedent for building data centers in the Transition Policy Area west of the Greenway.” And across Sycolin Road from True North, another application working its way through the early stages of county review proposes to rezone 74 acres for another three data centers. On Tuesday, March 2, supervisors were expected to vote on Goose Creek Overlook, the first of those to come to a vote. Currently the land is zoned R-1, which caps development at approximately one house per acre. The developer proposes to provide less than half of the civic space that county policy would normally require, less parking that would normally be required in a section designated for price-controlled housing, active recreation in the floodplain around Goose Creek, parking within the 300-foot no-build buffer around Goose Creek, and a sewer pumping station. The apartment building with price-controlled units is proposed at 55 feet high, with four stories over a parking garage. There are also nine archaeological sites on the property, including the remains of a dwelling from the early 1800s. The developer is offering approximately 5,500 feet of trails along Goose Creek, in-
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
A speaker carries a gun to the Board of Supervisors public input session Tuesday, March 2—the last time that will be legal under a new ordinance passed later that night.
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MARCH 4, 2021
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