Town Council Changes Parking Regs for Downtown Hotels

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Efforts to bring a hotel to the downtown historic district advanced March 14 when the Leesburg Town Council adopted new parking requirements.

Under the new rules, hotels in the B-1 downtown business district will be required to provide one parking space for each room. That’s a reduction from requirements for hotels in other areas of town that additionally must provide one parking space per every two employees and more spaces if the operation includes a restaurant.

According to the town staff, the reduction better conforms to requirements in other similar jurisdictions while maintaining adequate onsite parking to meet the majority of peak demand hours for hotels in suburban/urban areas.

While the Town Council has initiated reviews of a number of downtown parking policies, the hotel changes were spurred by the request of Kevin Ash. The Leesburg-based developer is planning a hotel or inn as part of the redevelopment clude co-working facilities, a 1,000-squarefoot meeting and events space, a restaurant, a private social club, and an inn. All uses are permitted by-right, without requiring additional Town Council or Planning Commission review. The town’s Board of Architectural Board last month approved Ash’s plans to alter the existing building on the lot and to build additions to the side and rear. Ash said he’s planning

Under the town’s Zoning Ordinance, a by-right inn is permitted to have up to 15 rooms, while a larger hotel use would require special exception review and a final vote by the Town Council.

Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning Brian Boucher said the parking requirements have been in place since 1986, and the town requires more parking for hotels than other nearby jurisdictions.

Youth Career Expo Planned Sunday at Tuscarora HS

Local businesses will be recruiting employees at the annual Leesburg Youth Career Expo on Sunday, March 26. The event will be held at Tuscarora High School from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hosted by the Town of Leesburg’s Department of Economic Development, the expo offers job seekers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with prospective employers from a variety of industry sectors including retail, sales, hospitality, technology, trades, recreation, and more. Available positions include, part-time, full-time, and seasonal, as well as entry-level positions and internships. For a full list of participating employers and positions, go to leesburgva.gov/careerexpo.

For more information, contact Business Development and Retention Manager Melanie Scoggins at mscoggins@leesburgva.gov or 571-271-1206.

The town hasn’t had a downtown hotel since the Leesburg Inn, located next to the courthouse on North King Street, closed in the 1960s. The town has five hotels outside the historic district and two more in the works.

Speaking during the March 14 public hearing on the parking ordinance change, Ash noted that hotels typically have a 70% occupancy rate, with fewer rooms rented on weekdays than on weekends. He also said that increasingly visitors arrive without vehicles and rely on ridesharing apps like Uber.

Suzanne Larkins, a Royal Street resident near Ash’s proposed hotel, also addressed the council, raising concerns about reducing parking requirements without conducting a more comprehensive review of the parking needs. She said priority must be given to the existing residents and businesses downtown before providing incentives for new development.

The reduced parking standard was approved on a 5-2 vote. Mayor Kelly Burk and Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg opposed the change citing concerns about the potential impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. n