Loudoun Now for March 28 2024

Flip-Flop

Board Reconsiders Data Center, Ashburn Development Denials

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A week after handing down rare votes of denial for a density increase on what would be the county’s largest data center campus, and an Ashburn home development, the Board of Supervisors voted to reconsider both items during its March 19 meeting.

The motions to reconsider were made by Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) for the data center project and Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) for the Tillett’s view rezoning in Ashburn.

Both said they had been approached by the applicants with offers to amend the plans.

Turner said Loudoun GC LLC, the company applying for a rezoning to build an expanded data center campus had approached him with a commitment to limit the data center size to that permitted by-right under the current zoning, but also to include all the environmental proffers proposed in the original application.

The 112-acre Belmont Innovation Campus, located between

BOARD

RECONSIDERS

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Begins at Hidden Lane Landfill

BY TIM FARMER

Sixteen years after Hidden Lane Landfill was named a federal Superfund site, the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning work to remove contaminated soil and address tainted groundwater at the former dump that sits between Broad Run Farms and CountrySide in eastern Loudoun.

The roughly 30-acre private landfill operated without a county permit from 1971 until it was forced to close under a 1983 court order. The unregulated dump accepted the suburban detritus from the rapidly developing region, including construction and land-clearing waste, but after its closure county officials acknowledged they could not be certain what had been buried at the uncontrolled site.

In 1989, two residential wells in nearby Broad Run Farms tested positive for trichloroethylene (TCE), a chemical degreaser used to clean metal parts. Long-term exposure to TCE can damage the kidneys and liver, impair the immune system and cause birth defects.

Photo by Bob Babcock

An aerial view of the excavation work underway at the former Hidden Lane Landfill in Sterling. Permission Lane is in the foreground with the Broad Run Farms neighborhood to the left and CountrySide on the right.

HIDDEN LANE continues on page 39

‘God Got Me Out’ Firefighter Diamond Heads Home

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Volunteer firefighter Brian Diamond was released from the hospital last week following a month-long stay in the MedStar burn unit in Washington, DC, after he was injured in a Sterling home explosion that killed one firefighter and injured 13 other people. He is the last of the injured firefighters to come home.

Firefighters responded to Silver Ridge Drive after receiving a call about a gas odor from a home. They evacuated two people from the home before it exploded from a still unknown ignition source.

Diamond was one of four firefighters that became trapped under debris from the explosion. He was treated for second and third-degree burns.

“I was down in that basement and I said a prayer and God got me out of that. It was crazy down there and terrifying,” he recalled.

He said his stay in the hospital had a lot of “ups and downs” but credited his wife Lisa with staying with him every step of the way.

“She’s crazy steady and I love her so much,” he said.

During the past month, Diamond underwent five surgeries to treat his injuries and now he said his main goal is to be able to play basketball with his four kids again and hopefully continue volunteering at the department.

Sterling Volunteer Fire Company chief

Loudoun First Responders Foundation Raises $250K

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After the Feb. 16 home explosion that killed volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown and injured 13 other people, Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue pointed a community eager to help toward the Loudoun First Responders Foundation. Five weeks later the organization has raised over $250,000 to support firefighters impacted by the incident.

“We’ve had an enormous amount of outpouring support,” LFRF President Tina Johnson said.

David Short said the first time he saw Diamond after the accident he said Diamond wanted to get right back on the firetruck.

Being home with his kids is what he most looks forward to.

“We told them last night that I was coming home and they just jumped up, jumping jacks and flipping around the room. It was just so good,” he said.

Lisa Diamond said she supported her husband’s decision to continue volunteer-

ing when he is able.

“The fire department has been so amazing. They keep on talking about the brotherhood and the sisterhood and they’ve been such an amazing support system. I can’t imagine not being part of the fire family so I think we’ll get there when we get there, but I’m ready to support him in

FIREFIGHTER HEADS HOME

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Feds Earmark $4.1M for Loudoun’s Crisis Center

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Sen. Mark Warner and U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton met Monday with those on the front lines of mental health treatment to tout plans for construction of a Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center near Leesburg.

The meeting came two days after the Senate approved a budget to keep the federal government open. The spending plan includes a $4.1 million earmark to help build the $16.3 million treatment center.

The project is viewed as a game-changer for early treatment of those facing mental health emergencies. The facility will be built at the county’s government service

center on Meadowview Court and provide urgent psychiatric care, 16 “recliners” providing up to 23 hours of treatment, and 10 short-term stay inpatient beds for stays up to 14 days. Patients could be walk-ins or brought in by ambulances or law enforcement.

Dr. Ramia Gupta, medical director for the county’s Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Developmental Services, said the center would be better equipped to handle the needs of those in crisis than hospital emergency rooms.

“This enables us to start treatment in a timely manner, because as we know, timely intervention is a critical factor in stabilizing any patient,” she said. “This mitigates stress and focuses on the patient safety as

well as the safety of others around them. The center will include a multidisciplinary team, so we will have nurse practitioners, nurses, psychiatrists, clinicians, and peer specialists.”

In a roundtable discussion at Inova Loudoun Hospital, medical and mental health providers said the crisis center was a critical community need but would address only part of the challenge they face in providing treatment. Other concerns included training more providers, improving insurance coverage for mental health services, expanding tele-health services, removing stigmas that discourage

CRISIS CENTER continues on page 36

But she said firefighters, like a Brian Diamond, a school teacher who was the last injured firefighter to be released from the hospital, still have a long road of recovery ahead of them.

“He was a volunteer and he’s not able to go back to work,” she said adding that another firefighter had broken her leg, and a third was healing from internal injuries.

“We are a 100% volunteer organization. We get zero dollars from the government or county. Every penny we bring in is off of the effort of our volunteers … and community,” Johnson said.

While generally any donations that come into the organization are put into a general fund, she said since Feb. 16, they have organized a few restricted funds to direct donations to those specifically injured in the incident. After March 30, donations will begin being added back into the general fund, Johnson said.

ResQ BBQ and the Real Husbands of Loudoun County Foundation are hosting a fundraiser for Diamond this Saturday at the Leesburg restaurant from 12 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 and include two drinks and a BBQ Buffet. To purchase tickets or donate directly to the LFRF go to lfrf.org. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Volunteer firefighter Brian Diamond is greeted by fellow first responders at the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company station after being released from a month long stay at the hospital where he received treatment for second and third-degree burns.

Loudoun

Ashburn Residents Oppose Waxpool Road Closure in Rezoning Battle

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Last week, Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) successfully pushed for reconsideration of the Board of Supervisors’ denial of plans for a 397-home Ashburn development that she originally opposed. This week, she met with area residents who still oppose the plans.

The Pulte Home Company was seeking to rezone 50 acres adjacent to Waxpool Elementary School to permit the construction of 103 single family detached homes, 184 townhouses and 110 multifamily stacked units.

Glass said company representatives reached out after the denial of the Tillett’s View application to say they would reduce the density by 40 units, eliminating all of the two-over-two stacked townhouses from the plans.

Public Comment Opens on Housing, Community Development Needs

The county Department of Housing and Community Development has opened public comment on a draft plan that identifies and addresses housing and community development needs.

The public comment period for the draft fiscal year 2025 Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program Annual Action Plan is open through April 10. Residents may attend or view the Board of Supervisors public hearing on April 10 to learn more about the plan and provide feedback.

During the March 19 meeting, she also said she may propose an amendment to the Countywide Transportation Plan to close the Waxpool Road/Belmont Ridge Road intersection in attempt to address concerns about cut through traffic.

But during a community meeting that she hosted Tuesday night, neighboring residents said that would not solve their

WAXPOOL CLOSURE

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Letourneau, Turner Propose Phasing Development Cost Updates

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

As Loudoun supervisors work through updating the county’s Capital Intensity Factors—the formula that determines how much developers should pay to offset the cost of new government facilities generated by their project—there is a new proposal to phase in planning increases over the next three years instead of all at once.

The idea is a collaboration between Supervisors Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) and Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) and had not yet been evaluated by county staff.

The CIF is used when planners are negotiating proffers associated with residential rezonings. The current CIF was adopt-

ed in 2018, and the county’s Fiscal Impact Committee has been working with county staff since 2020 to update it.

A presentation by staff to the board a month ago showed the updated formula would result in the county collecting much more. Currently, a single-family detached suburban unit in the eastern planning region has a CIF of $47,554, derived from a population per housing unit of 3.78 people, county cost per capita of $4,702, child per unit of 1.07 and a school cost per child of $29,782. Under the proposed update, that same unit would have a CIF of $106,900, derived from a population per housing unit of 3.84, county cost per capita of $7,139, a child per unit of 1.13 and a school cost per child of $70,500.

During the February meeting, some supervisors expressed concern over the

steep increase, and the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce expressed similar concerns in a white paper sent to the board.

The proposal by Letourneau and Turner would phase those increases in—with 60% of the total cost going into effect July 1, 2024, 80% July 1, 2025 and 100% July 1, 2026. Letourneau said while the work that the Fiscal Impact Committee had done over the past four years to create a new formula is important, he had concerns about implementing it all at once.

“In this particular case, I think it’s fair to say we don’t really know what that’s going to do to the market other than probably encourage a lot of by-right development, and potentially shrink the amount

DEVELOPMENT COSTS

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To submit comments email CDBG Program Manager Johnette Powell at johnette.powell@ loudoun.gov or mail to Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia 20177, Attn: CDBG Program Manager - Johnette Powell.

The Annual Action Plan outlines the county’s housing and community development needs, priorities and objectives and proposed uses of federal funds for the upcoming program year.

Loudoun County is required to submit the Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by May 16 to receive funds for CDBG and HOME.

The draft Annual Action Plan is available online at  loudoun.gov/cdbg.

‘My Favorite Tree’ Contest Begins

The annual Loudoun County Arbor Day tree photo contest is accepting entries through Monday, April 15.

Winning photos and honorable mentions will be announced at the in-person Loudoun County Arbor Day Celebration scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at 11:00 a.m. at the Middleburg Agricultural Research

continues on page 6

Glass

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now The intersection of Waxpool Road and Belmont Ridge Road. Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) may seek a comprehensive plan amendment that would close off the connection to address traffic safety concerns.

Waxpool closure

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traffic and pedestrian safety concerns, just shift them to other neighborhood streets.

Twenty-one residents gathered at Eagle Ridge Middle School to urge Glass to oppose the application, not seek a road closure, and add more traffic calming measures and traffic lights in the area.

“It’s not a good idea because then Cochrans Lock will get completely immersed,” one resident said of the closure proposal.

Cochrans Lock Drive is a nearby street.

Instead, he suggested closing the connection between Black Angus Drive and Waxpool Road.

Another resident said that if Glass did not oppose the application, she should at least request fewer townhouse-style homes and replace them with single family detached homes.

“Single family homes are also needed in Broadlands. Many people and several friends are moving back into the area and there might be two single family detached houses in Broadlands on sale at a given time. There are just not that many that are available for sale. So, if anything I’d like to see increase in single family homes to help address those issues,” she said.

Other community members said they were concerned about the pressure adding new homes would put on the surrounding schools.

According to Loudoun County Public

Development costs

continued from page 4

Schools’ unofficial Sept. 29 enrollment update, Eagle Ridge Middle School is 44 students over its base capacity, Belmont Ridge Middle School is 180 students under base capacity, and Waxpool Elementary is 295 students under base capacity.

Resident Shariq Mirza told Loudoun Now he would like to see a traffic light put in at the intersection instead and a new

cost taxpayers.

Budget Director Megan Bourke agreed.

“The CIF is meant to address the impacts of residential rezoning beyond base density. So, alternatively, yes, the tax rate would absorb the costs of additional residential development,” she said.

traffic study conducted. He said the last time a traffic study was done the community was still recovering from COVID-19era lows in commuter traffic.

Mirza said he is not against building more houses, but he’s concerned about the extra traffic 357 more homes would bring to a place where his daughter walks with her friends every day.

oftentimes, we can get proffers that help offset those impacts which we are not going to see with by-right development,” he said. “… It makes sense to phase it in over a couple of years.”

“We don’t have a problem with high density, but you need to think about safety,” he said.

During Tuesday’s meeting neighbors also said they were concerned about County Chair Phyllis J. Randall’s (D-At Large) comments at the March 13 meeting in which she called the residents’ remarks opposing the development “shameful,” “insulting,” and “hypocritical.” They said other board members were “unsympathetic” to their concerns about the project.

“It made me wonder, ‘what investment do they have in that?’ I don’t mean a monetary investment, but why are they so emotional?” one resident asked.

Glass defended her fellow board members saying they were “passionate about housing.”

“Nothing is more important than safety,” the final speaker told Glass. “And for us, it’s not just about us, it’s about our kids. If you go to that intersection where the schools are, you see the kids crossing the road, all I can imagine is these cars coming out and my kids being in the center, and nothing can ever replace that. They’re so precious for us and one single accident would make all of this a waste. And so just please keep that in your heart that you’re speaking for us for all the kids in this area, and we’re really depending on you to really vote for your conscience and you to be our champion.”

The board will hold a public hearing on the item May 10. n

ON THE Agenda

continued from page 4 of land available because landowners are going to have to adjust to the fact that costs are suddenly double or triple in this category.”

He said phasing in the costs would allow time to watch how the market reacts. He noted that even at the 60% stage, the amount collected will be more than what the county is getting now.

Supervisor Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) said the Fiscal Impact Committee included members of the development community and they recommended 100% of the formula.

“Unless you can propose maybe phasing in a little faster, then I might be able to support but what’s being presented, I can’t support it,” he said.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) said delaying implementation of the full formula would

Supervisors Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River), Saines and County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said that by the time the full formula is being applied, it would be time to start the process of updating the CIF again, but Bourke said that work was going to start again as soon as next month.

“This takes about two years to update,” she said.

Letourneau reiterated that the new numbers would be “a shock” to the system and said it could affect affordable housing as well.

“It’s generally to our benefit to get somebody in for a rezoning because we have the ability to control the pace of growth. We have the ability to create better communities. Yes, higher density, but

Turner agreed and said the motion was not intended to question staff’s logic in creating the formula and the numbers it produced.

“The industry has said this is a huge impact on the industry and we would like a couple years to kind of figure out, first of all, absorb this and build this into our performance but secondly to see what the unintended market consequences are going to be from this kind of increase. And I thought that was a reasonable compromise,” Turner said.

An initial vote directing the staff to prepare for the phasing passed 5-3-1 with Saines, Umstattd and TeKrony opposed and Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) absent. The board is schedule make a final vote on implementing the CIF during its April 16 meeting. n

and Extension Center.

Entries must be a photo of a single tree or group of trees located in Loudoun County, original photos taken by the entrant and digital can be submitted through an online form at loudoun.gov.

High resolution photos are encouraged.  Only two entries allowed per person or group and entrants are asked to provide a brief explanation of why the tree is a favorite.

Awards will be distributed to the top three photos. Only the winning and honorable mention entrants will be notified.

The photos will not be returned and will become the property of the Loudoun County Arbor Day Committee.

For more information about the photo contest or the in-person Arbor Day Celebration, go to loudoun.gov/trees. n

Pulte Homes

A depiction of The Pulte Home Company’s proposed plans for a 397-home development in Ashburn.

Google Cites $1B+ Annual Impact on Loudoun’s Economy

An economic impact report released today by Google found its data center activity added an average of $1.1 billion annually to Loudoun County’s gross domestic product over the past five years. In 2022 alone, the report calculated the company’s local economic impact at approximately $2 billion.

The report assessed the company’s impact on the local employment market at $330 million during that period, with Google operations supported 3,500 direct, indirect, and induced jobs.

The analysis was conducted by Google’s Economic Center of Expertise and Deloitte Consulting.

Google began construction on the first of its two Loudoun County data center campuses, in 2018. The first phase opened in 2019 with an investment valued at $1.2 billion. Further expansions brought the total investment in the county to $1.8 billion, according to the report.

“Loudoun County is a strategic investment location for Google because of its relatively low-carbon energy infrastructure, developable land, and business friendly climate,” the report states. “The industry’s concentration in Northern Virginia has significant advantages, as Google is able to access the combined power of a skilled local workforce, businesses that specialize in addressing data center needs, and a well-developed optical fiber infrastructure.”

In addition to its campuses near Leesburg and Arcola, Google last year established a third Northern Virginia data center campus in Prince William

County. There are more than 275 data centers in the region, handling nearly three fourths of the world’s internet traffic.

In calculating Google’s average $800 million annual direct impact on Loudoun’s economy, the report includes the headcounts of its employees and contractors, including their payroll and benefits, and its spending on its suppliers. Indirect impacts of $180 million include headcounts of Google’s suppliers’ employees and contractors, the suppliers’ payroll and benefits attributable to Google orders, and spending by suppliers. An additional $100 million is attributed to induced economic impacts generated by the household spending of Google’s employees and their suppliers in their local economies.

Between 2017 and 2022, the report states Google’s Loudoun operations have supported the creation of an average of approximately 150 direct jobs annually, along with 2,730 indirect jobs and 630 induced jobs—resulting in $330 million annual labor income. In 2022, Google had approximately 400 direct jobs supported, including fulltime, temporary, and vendor positions to run its data centers, according to the report.

The report also examines the highlights the company’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and its broader impact on the wellbeing of the surrounding community, including investments in STEM education and job training and work supporting community nonprofits. n

Leesburg

State Commission Hears Testimony on Annexation Bid

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County representatives on Thursday presented a united front to the members of the Virginia Commission on Local Government who are reviewing the town’s plans to annex the 400-acre Compass Creek development.

During its March 21 visit, the commission took a tour of the property, conducted a two-hour evidentiary hearing at Leesburg’s Town Hall, and held a short public hearing on the proposal.

Commissioners heard unanimous support for the boundary change, with town and county representatives saying it was in the best interest of both jurisdictions.

The property includes the Super Walmart, At Home store, and two data center properties, including Microsoft’s 300-acre campus.

The issue came under the purview of the commission when talks for a cooperative boundary line adjustment stalled and

the town filed a formal annexation suit. However, before that case moved to trial, the town and county entered into mediation and developed a voluntary settlement agreement.

The commission now has the responsibility to review the merits of that agreement and make a recommendation to a three-judge panel that will be appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia.

In their presentations Thursday, Leesburg representatives, including Mayor Kelly Burk and Town Manager Kaj Dentler, highlighted on the decades-old planning policies under which annexation of the area was envisioned, the town’s investment in building the roads and utilities that serve businesses on the property, a lack of undeveloped land inside the town boundaries, and agreements from the property owners to be annexed.

Key among the benefits to the town will be increased tax revenue. According to forecasts presented to the commission, if the boundary change is completed before Jan. 1, the town expects to collect $2.6 million from property, business,

AROUND town

Rec Center Workers Cited for Life-Saving Actions

and meals taxes in fiscal year 2025. That revenue would grow to $4.3 million in FY2026, with a full year of collections. By 2035, the town expects the annexation area to generate nearly $16 million annually—with $14 million attributable to personal property taxes primarily on data center equipment.

County representatives highlighted the importance of keeping the town strong and a provision of the settlement agreement that would reduce bills for the town’s 3,200 utility customers outside the town boundaries by 40%. Also, commitments limiting the town’s ability to seek city status or pursue adverse annexations in the future were important considerations, they said.

The commission will close public input on April 4. Executive Director Legrand Northcutt said the staff would provide a draft report to the commission by April 17. The commission scheduled a special meeting April 30 for final action on that document. Town leaders are hoping to complete the process before the end of the year. n

Brandon Playground Replacement on Hold

Plans to replace the 16-year-old playground at Brandon Park are on hold in the face of community objection to the change.

The town’s Parks and Recreation Department this week was poised to dismantle the playground and install new equipment. But after images of the new playground were shared on social media, town leaders heard objections and delayed

the work until more public feedback is collected.

While the new equipment meets modern ADA standards and is designed for the same 2 to 12 age group, concerns centered on worries that the new, taller structure would not be as safe for toddler-sized users.

“We have heard the concerns raised by the public about the design of the new play

structure at Brandon Park,” stated Parks and Recreation Department Director Rich Williams. “The Town endeavors in all of its recreational amenities to be accommodating and inclusive. Moving forward, we want to ensure that public feedback on the development or replacement of recreational amenities is a key component of the design process.” n

The Town Council last week adopted a proclamation highlighting the quick work of three Ida Lee Recreation Center employees and a citizen who aided a patron in medical distress.

The man was playing basketball Feb. 29 when he suffered an apparent heart attack. According to the resolution, staff member Amie Cox called 911, Bryce Ober started CPR and Sam Roesler retrieved the automatic external defibrillator and assisted with CPR, as did citizen Howard Belle.

The availability of the AED, and mandated staff safety certifications were credited, along with the swift actions of the individuals, as resulting in a positive outcome for the patron.

Yard Waste Collection

Resumes Monday

Beginning April 1, Patriot Disposal Services will collect yard waste each Monday for those living within the town limits.

A maximum of 10 biodegradable paper bags (or 10 marked trash cans) will be picked up per week. Yard waste is limited to grass clippings, leaves, weeds and small twigs and must be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on the day of collection.

For more information, go to leesburgva.gov/yardwaste

Police Department Promotes 2 Lieutenants

Bradley Schultz and Robert Spano are the Leesburg Police Department’s newest lieutenants. They were promoted last week.

Schultz joined the department in 2013 after working in a nearby police department. He previously served as sergeant in the Patrol Division, Traffic Unit, and Criminal Investigations Section.

Spano has over 23 years of law enforcement service and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. His previous assignments include serving as sergeant of Support Services, commander of the Special Victims Unit and captain of the Patrol Operations Division. He joined the Leesburg department this year.

They will both be assigned to the Field Operations Division. n

The town’s parks department plans to replace the playground equipment at Brandon Park, left, with a new structure, shown at right.

School Board to Debate Public Participation Policy After Shutting off Cameras

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

After voting March 12 to turn cameras off during public comment at School Board meetings, a committee decided Thursday to discuss broader changes to the division’s policy governing public participation in meetings.

In a 6-3 vote last week, the board voted to shut off cameras during the public comment portion of its meetings, with its video broadcast and recordings only including audio and closed captioning.

Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) at the time said she did not intend for the public comment period to be used for political grandstanding.

The policy set for review lays out the procedures for public comment, including decorum, who may address the board, registration requirements for speakers, distribution of materials to the board, length of time for each speaker, and translation services.

During Thursday’s Legislative Audit and Policy Committee meeting, committee Chair April Chandler (Algonkian) asked members Anne Donohue (At-large) and Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) if they

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now April Chandler (Algonkian) addresses the crowd at the March 21 Legislative Audit and Policy Committee meeting. The committee decided to discuss possible changes to the board’s policy that deals with public participation.

would be interested in having a discussion about changing the policy.

“I’m happy to share my intentions not only with the committee but with the room. I want to say first and foremost there are currently no specific plans to change the procedures around public comment,” Chandler said.

She said the board has to balance the need to hear from the public as well as get its work done.

She gave examples of public comment policies from different Virginia school

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CB Committee Meets for First Time With Third Party Facilitator

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

The joint committee on collective bargaining met for the first time last week in what will likely be the first of several as it works to resolve eight issues the Loudoun Education Association wants addressed in the division’s collective bargaining resolution.

The nine-person joint committee also learned a third party facilitator would not be regularly participating in its meetings.

At the Jan. 25 Legislative Audit and Policy committee meeting chair April Chandler directed Chief of Staff Daniel Smith and Division Counsel Wesley Allen to find an independent third-party facilitator to oversee the joint committee’s discussions. At its February meeting, Smith told the committee that they had found a free service based on recommendations

from other school divisions but did not give the name at the time.

At the March 20 meeting the joint committee learned the facilitator, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service would only participate in meetings under two circumstances; when all parties are in agreement or when there are disagreements where both parties have “solidified or crystalized positions.” And that FMCS representatives do not guide groups through issues.

“If those two criteria are met than FMCS provides services free of charge to help stakeholders move forward toward a consensus,” Allen said.

Allen said there were two tentative dates in April—April 8 and 18— a FMCS representative had on reserve if the division needed them.

He also said if the committee felt it needed a third-party facilitator to keep

The five students advancing to the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May. From Left Chetana Gunawardhana, Abhigya Goel, Diya Ghosh, Reyhan Haider, and Jagadeepram Maddipatla.

Five Students Advance to International Science Fair

Over 300 high school students participated in the 42nd annual Loudoun County Public Schools Regional Science and Engineering Fair on March 20, with five finalists advancing to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May.

the discussion going, the division could hire one.

The group also established its purpose, protocols and frequency of meetings, scheduling two half days April 15 and May 2 to discuss the eight items.

Committee members were eager to get started and the issues resolved with LEA representative and teacher Charles Hansen pointing out they’ve been trying to get collective bargaining in the division for three years.

“We’ve got a very limited scope of things to discuss, and I can tell you I’ve got a lot of colleagues that will be very disappointed if we are still talking about this in August,” he said.

The joint committee consists of Neelum Chaudhry, principal of Freedom

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

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The five students are Freedom High School junior Reyhan Haider, who examined a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s to gain better insights into the molecular impact over time; Riverside High School and Academies of Loudoun senior Diya Ghosh, who studied the effects of a chemotherapy drug used for ovarian cancer on an eye cancer to reduce the likelihood of vision loss; Riverside High School and Academies of Loudoun senior Abhigya Goel; who looked at drone technology to expedite the search and mapping process of natural disasters; Broad Run High School senior Chetana Gunawardhana, who created a design for a craft that can travel three ways; airborne, surface sea and under the sea; and Rock Ridge High School senior Jagadeepram Maddipatla, who used a silicon photonics chip to process Fast Fourier Transform algorithms, which allowed for increased scalability and efficiency.

In addition to the five finalists, Woodgrove High School senior Prescott Noll received the annual Willowcroft Science Scholarship. The $7,000 scholarship, sponsored by Willowcroft Farm Vineyards since 1991, was awarded to Noll, who tested a room-temperature alternative method of

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CAMERA DEBATE

Cheer Team to Perform in Macy’s 2024 Thanksgiving Parade

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

Coming off the heels of winning its first ever cheer district championship title, followed by the first ever state championship in Loudoun County High School’s 70-year history, the varsity girls cheer team has been chosen to perform in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Coach Samantha Mancini, a former cheerleader herself, quietly submitted the team’s application to perform in the parade after it won state in November.

“I didn’t tell anyone I entered just in case we didn’t get selected. I didn’t want anyone to be disappointed,” Mancini said.

She said on a random Sunday in January she opened an email that said the team had been selected.

“I never look at my email on Sunday and I just randomly did, and I got the email that said we had been invited to join the parade this year,” Mancini said.

She said she told her husband “Thanksgiving is going to be a little bit different this year,” before texting coaches Maddie Hertel, Katie Hall and Rachel Gates the news.

“I feel like every coach tells their kids

‘you can do this,’ but I have never felt so confident coaching a group of kids,” Mancini said. “I’m very proud of them and all they accomplished because they believed they could.”

She said she wanted to tell the parents first to make sure they were all on board. Participation requires each girl to commit to being in New York City for six days and to pay $3,000. The cost includes special pricing for meals, a uniform, sweatshirt

and jacket, lodging and activities around the city.

She said she expected a few of the families to commit, but ended up getting commitments from the entire team, minus five seniors graduating this year.

“I didn’t even know having cheer teams in the parade was even a possibility,” ju-

CHEER TEAM

continues on page 12

SCHOOL notebook

continued from page 10

dehydrogenation by using a catalyst enhanced by an electromagnetic field.

Willowcroft Farm Vineyards also recognized Woodgrove High School science teacher, Matthew Young, with a $7,000 award for his work in science with students.

Amalraj Repeats as Spelling Bee Champ

South Riding resident and J. Michael Lunsford seventh grader Oviya Amalraj won the 42nd Annual LCPS Regional Spelling Bee March 21. This is the second year in a row she has won the competition.

The bee lasted 14 rounds, before Amalraj beat out Mercer Middle School sixth grader Arnav Bharath Kumar by correctly spelling the word “Sufi,” a noun that means an ascetic Muslim mystic.

Amalraj now moves on to the 97th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee where spellers form across the country and the world will compete on national television. The National Spelling Bee takes place May 26-30 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. n

Donna Rosberg

The Loudoun County High School Varsity cheer team.

Cheer team

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Phone: (301) 325-8565

continued from page 11

nior Emily Pyle said. “When my parents told me we were going I was so excited. To have this opportunity to be in the parade is so amazing.”

“We watch the parade every Thanksgiving and I have always wanted to go to New York City just to watch it in person but getting to perform in it is just crazy! It’s something that never crossed my mind,” junior Sammy DeBolt said.

The team will join over 500 other cheerleaders from across the country to march down two and a half miles of New York City streets on their way to Macy’s Herald Square on Thanksgiving. Once they reach the square the group will perform a dance routine. One team will be chosen to be the stunt team, meaning they will get to perform cheer stunts during the live TV broadcast, according to Mancini.

Selected cheer teams rehearse for several hours a day to learn the routine. It’s a mix of hard work and fun, according to Mancini.

Both girls said they were looking forward to making their coach and families proud by participating in this once-in-alifetime opportunity.

“For me personally, this is really an opportunity to make my coach proud of me and proud of the team,” Pyle said. “We did go to state last year and ended up winning and seeing the look on our coaches’ faces was the best feeling in the entire world. I want to get that look back and do a good job for my family.”

DeBolt said the team is very confident in stunting.

“It would be so cool to show of our crazy stunting skills on TV,” she said.

Cheer mom Sarah Sesin said the team

Collective bargaining

continued from page 10

High School and Holly Jermyn, thirdgrade teacher at Mill Run Elementary School both appointed by Superintendent Aaron Spence; LEA President Sandy Sullivan and Vice President Cory Brunet, LEA representative and teacher Charles Hansen, all selected by Sullivan; Chief Financial Officer Sharon Willoughby and Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Boland; and School Board members Anne Donohue (At-Large) and Sumera Rashid (Little River).

Donohue is chairing the committee and will serve as the board liaison.

is working to raise funds for the trip by sending letters to the community, planning fundraisers, and trying to get the word out to garner as much community support as possible.

Mancini said the families decided everything they raise will go into one big pot for the entire team.

“The girls are super excited, and we are excited for them. It will be one of those things they will remember forever. They are already talking about who is rooming with who and what needs to be done,” Sesin said.

She said they want the girls to be involved in the fundraising as much as possible so that they have a sense of ownership knowing they helped get themselves there.

DeBolt makes dog toys in her spare time and has decided to make and sell them to raise money for the team. The price varies depending on the size and what is used to make them but cost about $15-$20 a toy. She said she will gladly take anyone’s extra fabric to make the toys and said orders can be emailed to her mom at vanessa.debolt@gmail.com.

Mancini said as the reigning state champions, she’s going to work to keep the girls focused the next few months as they begin their pre-season then cheer season in August. She said their goal is to get back to states this November before heading off to New York City for their parade performance.

“They are a group of hard working, smart, sweet girls. They are the kind of kids you want representing your community,” Sesin said.

Last year, the Liberty High School cheer team from Fauquier County performed in the parade and was chosen as the stunt team. n

The previous School Board voted 4-3-2 to approve collective bargaining in March 2023. During the final meeting of its term, the previous board punted the adoption of a collective bargaining agreement, instead voting to recommend the incoming board form a committee of School Board members, administrators, Loudoun Education Association board members and schoolbased staff to discuss eight items of concern raised by the LEA in a Dec. 7 letter to the board.

The LA&P Committee on Jan. 25 voted to move forward with that plan. The LA&P Committee announced the nine-member joint committee and gave more details at its February meeting. n

Camera debate

continued from page 10

divisions, pointing out some that don’t allow signs or demonstrations while meetings are being held, divisions that only allow a block of 20 minutes for public comment, ones that limit the number of speakers, require speakers to submit comments before the meeting to then be selected by the chair, and board’s that turn off the microphone if there is too much emotion. Chandler said Loudoun’s policy was very transparent and “permissive” when compared to others.

She did not include the names of divisions in her examples.

“I think we should be willing to look at other [policies] in the commonwealth to see what is the most effective,” she said. “My only reason to bring this forward is to gauge whether or not there is interest in the committee to have the conversation.”

“While on the one hand I’m glad we encourage a more fulsome participation of the community before our board … I agree we need to figure out how to balance the community’s entitlement and right to present their views to us with how we balance the rest of our work,” Donohue said.

Shernoff said the discussion was illtimed after the board’s decision last week and that she couldn’t support having a discussion.

“I am deeply concerned about the message we are sending,” Shernoff said, adding that even with a less strict policy she said the public wasn’t feeling valued or heard.

“This is how we hear their voices. This is how they tell us how our decisions might impact them. I cannot find a reasonable argument to suppress that. It’s too important to the work that we do,” she said.

Chandler argued March 12, that even though she felt public comment was important, it can hinder the board’s work and the public’s access to it when it lasts for hours and leads to late meetings.

Shernoff disagreed with Chandler’s statement and said there were other ways to share with the community what happens in board meetings other than watching it live, including recaps on social media and local news.

“I have discussed with [Superintendent Aaron Spence] and staff and recently Chair Mansfield to cut down on presentation times and allow for more work to happen so we can offer more transparency

and discussion on the topics,” she said.

Board meetings start at 4:30 p.m. and have been ending just after 10 p.m. under Chair Mansfield, leaving about five hours for the board to get work done. The afternoon session includes adoption of the board’s consent agenda, advisory committee updates, followed by a work session where board members are given presentations on various topics. The board takes a dinner break and reconvenes at 6:30 p.m. The evening session includes ceremonial actions, comments from student School Board representatives, the superintendent’s report, public comment, action items and information items. Some meetings include a closed session. The meetings are supposed to end with board member’s comments and an opportunity for members to bring up new business.

In the past, School Board meetings have gone to midnight or later.

“This is what I signed up for: to do the work for the people of Loudoun County no matter how long it takes. And if that means two very late nights a month so be it,” Shernoff said.

Shernoff said limiting public participating and turning off the cameras was not the way to increase transparency.

“We are a broken community. Our

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community put their faith in us this past November by saying no more to the past and electing a brand new board. We have spent the last 10 weeks talking about building bridges, restoring trust and working in good faith for the good of our schools and our community. I meant what I said in my campaign, I want a new way forward for us and I do not see how changing public comment in any way, especially at this time can help us do those things,” she said.

The committee will discuss the policy at an upcoming meeting.

The policy was last updated May 2023 with a sentence that said committee chairs may limit the number of speakers at their meetings if they felt it would take up too much time.

Policies are typically updated every five years.

The division has not shown the faces of speakers in its meeting videos since June 2021, instead opting to show the School Board while speakers addressed them. The decision to turn the cameras away from speakers was not an official board action. Previous board members said they felt speakers, usually critics of the board, were using the cameras to create attention getting videos and detracting from the purpose of public comment. n

Sterling Man Pleads Guilty in 2022 Arson

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A Sterling man on Thursday pleaded guilty to two counts of arson in a 2022 fire that damaged two vehicles and a home with two residents inside.

Julian D. Karapetkov faces one of two potential penalties, according to the plea agreement he signed.

The first is a Class 4 felony, which could result in him spending up to 10 years in prison and being fined up to $100,000; the second is an unclassified felony with the potential for life in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

The arson came after nearly two years of stalking behavior involving a girl he met in middle school and attended the same online class with in high school.

Karapetkov began to message her incessantly via texts and social media as many as 35 times a day, despite her attempts to block him, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office’s proffer of the facts in the case.

The girl graduated high school in 2021 and moved to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. Karapetkov also attended VCU and continued messaging her. She obtained a temporary restraining order against him. He was arrested in February 2022 and charged with stalking by the Richmond City General District Court.

As part of his bail that he was granted in April that same year, Karapetkov was required to return to Sterling and have no contact with the victim, but in August 2022, he began messaging her again.

On Sept. 4, 2022, at 12:39 a.m. a video was posted to social media by a friend of Karapetkov which showed the girl attending a party at a fraternity house. At 4:02 a.m. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue re-

sponded to a call for a structure fire at her parents’ Sterling home.

The Fire Marshal’s office determined that gasoline was present on the vehicles and after executing a search warrant at Karapetkov’s home an accelerant detection K9 alerted to a pair of shoes owned by Karapetkov. Further tests confirmed there was gasoline on the shoes and Karapetkov was arrested. He admitted to being upset by the video and to lighting the tires of the vehicles on fire. While detained he also called his mother and admitted to starting the fire to her in their native language of Bulgarian. Data from his phone also confirms he was at the Sterling home at the time of the incident.

As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will not prosecute Karapetkov on additional charges of attempted murder, personal property arson and stalking.

Karapetkov is scheduled to appear in Loudoun Circuit Court on July 8 for a sentencing hearing. n

Emergency Training

Scheduled Next Week

The Sheriff ’s Office and the Combined Fire and Rescue System will conduct a training exercise on the campuses of Newton-Lee Elementary school and Stone Bridge High School on April 5.

The exercise, known as reunification training, is the first of its kind in the Northern Virginia region and will take place on a student holiday when no students will be in school.

The training simulates the aftermath of a school shooting and includes the extraction and transportation of students to a nearby school for reunification with their parents or guardians.

The half-day training exercise will be closed to the public and the media.

“No school in our nation is immune from violence, and we must do everything possible to protect our children and those who work to educate and support them,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said in the announcement. “The LCSO has been at the forefront of active shooter incident training, and part of that is the extraction and reunification of those impacted with their loved ones. I am proud that Loudoun is leading the way on reunification training as part of the essential partnership of law enforcement, fire and rescue, and public schools.”

“We are proud for LCPS to be at the forefront of efforts such as these. We take the safety and security of our students and staff very seriously. This training is an invaluable opportunity to engage in and learn from a scenario we hope we never have to face,” Superintendent Aaron Spence in the announcement. n

Karapetkov

Pizza Box Recycling Project Takes Top Step Up Prize

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

For the third consecutive year, a student-led effort to promote better recycling behavior took the top prize at Loudoun Youth’s Step Up competition March 21.

The program, in its 14th year, challenges students to research community concerns and propose solutions to address them.

This year’s contest began with 519 students working on 216 teams that submitted videos explaining their projects. Eighty-four judges narrowed the field to the top 20 teams, with 53 students then making in-person presentations.

The top 10 finalists—23 students from five high schools and five middle schools— gathered at Morven Park on March 21 to make their final pitch. The projects included efforts to reduce stress and anxiety, limit the negative community impacts of data centers, promote STEM to underrepresented groups of students, use more sustainable construction materials, and building more inclusive playgrounds.

Once again it was an effort to improve residents’ recycling conduct that took the top prize.

In 2022, the P.A.W. Patrol (Protecting Against Wastefulness) won with its effort to better educate residents about what should—and should not—go into the recycling bin. Last year, Samantha Jackson won with her program to take batteries out of the refuse stream and have them properly recycled.

This year, Pranamya Jindal, a seventh grader at Mercer Middle School, took home the $1,000 cash prize for her solution to pizza box recycling. Through her Echo Slice project, she tackled one of the little-known challenges of recycling. Because of the grease that is absorbed by the cardboard, the boxes are viewed as too contaminated to be recycled and instead should be put in the trash.

She noted that only the bottoms of the boxes are contaminated. If residents separate the box, the tops can be recycled and the bottoms trashed. Through her research, she calculated that Loudouners go through some 150,000 pizza boxes a month. She hopes to promote the new recycling guidance through the county’s

policies, working with pizza businesses, using an educational video to reach students in their schools, and development stickers that can be placed on pizza boxes. She also noted that some jurisdictions do recycle greasy boxes, but it would take an equipment upgrade to do that at Loudoun’s main materials recovery facility.

If half of county residents recycled the clean half of pizza boxes, another 270,000 pounds of cardboard would be recycled, she said.

This year’s competition featured a tie for second place, with both teams winning $750 to support their projects.

Bio Bench is a team from Belmont Ridge Middle School that uses mycelium, a portion of mushroom roots, to make household items. Their project featured a bench they built and installed in front of their school.

Four Seasons of STEM is operated by students from different schools who joined in the effort to provide fun, handson activities to better engage students in the field. The program started in 2021 providing 94 hours of programming at the Sterling-based INMED Partnerships for Children. This year, the group expects to provide 500 hours of programming through the nonprofit Educando learning center.

Other projects in the top 10, going home with $100 in prize money, were:

Power Rangers, a team from Independence High School that is taking an in-depth look at data center impacts and regulations,

Illuminated, a proposal from a Lunsford Middle School seventh-grader to promote resources to help students wrestling with eating disorders,

Play 4 All, a team of Willard Middle School sixth graders that is raising money and working with the county’s parks department to install a wheelchair swing at Bles Park in Ashburn.

InstaOrgan, a nonprofit formed by a student whose father underwent a kidney transplant. She is working to build support groups for organ donors and recipients and raise awareness of the need and process for donations through community forums.

Stress Relief Buddy, an AI-driven platform developed by Pranav Kalidindi of

Thomas Jefferson High School, that works with smart watches to track and predict instances of increased stress and provides suggestions to reduce stress levels.

Creative Coping, an outreach by a pair of artists who developed hour-long workshops featuring activities including painting, drawing and music to help students

reduce their anxiety. They have a goal of reaching 500 students per year.

Papers for Pets, an initiative to divert paper from traditional recycling bins at their school to keep the material free of contamination. They then remove staples, sheds the sheets and deliver the shredded material for use in animal shelters. n

DATE: 03/30/2024

TIME:

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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.”

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General Assembly

Legislators Talk Data Centers, Education Funding, Housing

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce las week hosted its annual Policy Makers General Assembly Wrap Up where legislators touted bills they passed in session and addressed challenges still facing the county.

The meeting was attended by Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-32), Del. David Reid (D28), Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D-26), Del. Atoosa Reaser (D-27) and Del. Geary Higgins (R-30).

The discussion focused on data centers, affordable housing, metro funding, and school funding.

During the legislative session, most bills relating to data centers, including ones that would restrict growth, reallocate infrastructure costs to high volume users, and allow for the burying of some power lines, were continued to 2025 pending a Joint Legislative Audit Review and Commission study on data centers and energy usage.

Higgins said he thought several of the bills took a “heavy handed” approach towards data centers but also that he understood residents’ push back against them and plans for new transmission lines. He said, while data centers were contributing to the need for new lines, so is the decommissioning of power plants.

“We’ve closed down five fossil fuel plants, producing 11,000 megawatts of power in the area. … 11,000 megawatts has enough power to power every single home in Virginia, and that’s how many power plants

and the kind of power was shut down. Now, data centers require 7,500 megawatts in the area. So, they’re not the main issue that’s driving these power lines,” he said.

Higgins encouraged data centers to be “good neighbors” and not push into places that are not suitable for them.

Reid said he did not think it was the state’s responsibility to address the data center zoning, rather it was a local one.

“We also need to recognize that there are certain things at the state level, where it’s like we have given tax incentives for data centers to come to and locate in Virginia,” Reid said. “… We’ve got to allow our localities to be able to do what they need to do, but we’ve got to be sure that we’re doing the right tax incentives. And then at the federal level, we’ve got to be sensitive to the fact that the grid is part of our critical infrastructure.”

Srinivasan introduced a bill that would have required data centers to send quarterly energy usage reports to the Department of Energy and form a work group to estimate future energy demands, which was continued to 2025.

“We need to make sure that we are proactive in making sure that we know this industry, we support this industry, but also be smart about that we put them in collaboration with the local governments and also how we give them energy and infrastructure,” he said.

CHAMBER

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Del. David Reid (D-28) speaks on a panel during a Loudoun Chamber of Commerce event while Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D-26) listens March 19, 2024.

Chamber hosts legislators

continued from page 16

Delegation members also were asked by Chamber Vice Chair Dorri O’Brien if they thought the budget being considered by Gov. Glenn Younkgin addressed the findings of a recent JLARC report that concluded the commonwealth was underfunding public schools by $1,900 per student.

Reaser said she thought the budget, which if adopted would allocate an additional $19 million to Loudoun County Public Schools, was progress.

“There are many unfunded mandates that the state passes and in being responsible legislators, I think it’s important that we continue to support funding to go along with those [Standards of Quality] that we’re requiring our education systems to provide and this is one of the biggest investments that we can make in our future is to make sure that our children and our teachers have what they need,” she said.

Srinivasan said the budget “prioritizes education” and that he hopes it will continue to be a priority and expand to include benefits for trade schools as well.

Higgins said he was watching to see how the budget turned out. He noted that

Loudoun is positioned to make up for shortfalls in funding for its school system, but most counties in the state are not able to.

Reid said paying teachers well was an important aspect of education funding.

“If you don’t pay your staff well enough they will leave and then you have to find new staff. And when you have high turnover, like what we have experienced in some instances with public school teachers, then that just drives up your cost of doing business because then you have to recruit. You’ve got to get them in. You got to get them trained. And if you have somebody who’s had 10 years of experience, and now you’ve got someone that has one year of experience, of course that’s going to adversely affect everything else,” he said.

Legislators also addressed affordable housing, agreeing it is an ongoing critical issue.

Subramanyam said the delegation had pushed bills that would give localities the ability to address housing from different angles.

“I think that the combination of it being a priority locally as well as priorities statewide, it’s going to be helpful long term but there’s a lot more to do,” he said.

Reid agreed housing was an issue that needs to be addressed at both the state and local level.

Higgins said housing is a problem across the region, and what is driving the price is the cost of land, not construction costs.

“I think that we need to be advancing policies that can allow affordable housing to be built more affordably. Some of the things that we did this time in Richmond, drive the cost of housing up,” he said.

Reaser referenced a bill that she introduced, which is awaiting the governor’s signature, that would allow localities that have adopted an affordable housing program to require that in an application for a special exception or special use permit affordable rental units be included for any proposed development of an assisted living facility. She said she hopes it will be a part of the attainable housing solution.

Srinivasan also referenced a bill that he patroned to require localities to include accessory dwelling units in their zoning ordinances’ single-family residential districts. That bill was continued to 2025. He said he learned a lot while working through the bill and that affordable housing is a “complex issue.”

Subramanyam said going into the session in January, his main concern had been a lack of funding for the Metro in the initial budget.

“After several interventions with myself and the rest of the Northern Virginia delegation, we were able to put that robust

Metro funding that will make sure that, assuming this version of the budget moves forward, will make sure Metro is taken care of for the next few years,” he said.

He said the Metro was “a huge economic driver of our businesses here” and a key part of the transportation infrastructure for the county.

Reid expressed concerns about the sustainability of the Metro citing the $149 million included in the budget to support its operation over the next two years.

“Metro’s expenses are going up faster than we can actually keep track of with any type of increase in taxes,” he said. “And so, that means that there is something structurally that has to be addressed, and we’ve now basically given them two years to come up with a plan and be able to address that.”

Higgins agreed that something needed to change if the Metro was going to be sustainable and said the problem facing both it and the Dulles Toll Road is low usage.

“There needs to be some discussion at the federal level about the federal government following through with the commitments that they made on ridership from federal workers because those commitments have not been fulfilled. And until they are, we’re going to continue to have a problem we need to work on,” he said. n

AROUND towns Towns

Purcellville Utility Bills to Nearly Double Over Next 5 Years

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

During last week’s budget work session, the Purcellville Town Council continued to grapple with the need for double-digit utility rate increases for fiscal year 2025 and the next several years to begin reversing the system’s deficits.

To meet mounting debt service obligations through FY 2029, David Hyder, a principal with Purcellville’s utility advisor Stantec Consulting, said the town is looking at 16% increases in the water rate for the next three years, followed by a 14% increase in FY 2028 and a 12% increase in FY 2029. If the average monthly water bill for a home is currently $45.54, that same household would pay $52.81 in FY 2025 and $61.25 in FY 2027. By FY 2029, that monthly bill will have nearly doubled to $90.72, under the rate forecast.

Rate increases for sewer service are even higher over the next three fiscal years, proposed at 18% in FY 2025, 22% in FY 2026 and 2027 and 5% in FY 2028 and 2029. If the average household wastewater bill is currently $81.59, the same bill will be $96.30 in FY 2025, $117.48 in FY 2026,

and reach $158.01 by FY 2029.

The annual debt service payments for the town’s Water Fund will increase from approximately $530,000 next fiscal year to approximately $760,000 the following four years. The Sewer Fund debt service payment will be $2.25 million next year growing to $2.44 million in FY 2027.

“We’re trying to get the revenues on the system up to meet the expenditures,” Hyder said.

Without increasing the rates, the town’s Water Fund reserves will be depleted by FY2028, Hyder said. Even with the recommended changes, the reserves drop below the target balance by nearly 50% in FY 2028.

Without increases in wastewater rates, the Sewer Fund would deplete its reserves by FY 2027. Even with the recommended rates increases the reserve would be cut to nearly half by FY 2026.

Director of Finance Liz Krens said the steep increases could have been avoided if action had been taken years ago.

The town’s fiscal advisors had warned previous Town Councils about the need to set higher rates to prepare for the higher debt payments, but that advice was not

followed.

“Our rate increases have not been high enough to maintain structural balance. Therefore, we’ve been drawing down on cash because we had an operating deficit. What we’re saying now because we missed those opportunities, we’re going to have a pretty steep climb in getting our rates where they need to be,” she said. “What we would have preferred was years ago to be able to do more moderated increases to get to structural balance. But we didn’t do that so those were the missed opportunities.”

Town Manager Rick Bremseth who began working for the town last summer agreed and said it was time to take the “painful” but necessary steps.

HILLSBORO

Restoration Begins on FireDamaged Former Church

Fifteen months after the former Methodist Episcopal Church (South) was gutted by fire, crews this week began restoration of the historic building in downtown Hillsboro.

PURCELLVILLE UTILITIES continues on page 36

Lovettsville Adopts $6.2M FY 2025 Budget

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Lovettsville Town Council unanimously adopted a $6.2 million fiscal year 2025 budget and a five-year Capital Improvement Plan during a meeting March 20.

Town Manager Jason Cournoyer’s proposed fiscal year budget was based on a real estate tax rate of 15.25 cents per $100 of assessed value, nearly a 10% decrease from FY 2024. During budget work sessions over the past month, the council reduced budget expenditures to lower the rate a half penny to the equalized tax rate of 14.75 cents which will collect the same amount of revenue as the previous year from the same parcel.

A single penny of the tax is worth

approximately $52,700. The town’s 977 residential units make up 97% of the 1,012 taxable parcels in the town.

The council also voted to lower the Frye Court Service Tax District from 24 cents to 23.3 cents. The special tax district was established in 2009 to fund maintenance, repairs and replacements of the pump station at Frye Court.

The adopted schedule of fees includes a 3% utility rate increase which will result in the average user’s monthly bill increasing by $2.93 from $97.60 to $100.53. Utility connection fees will also increase by 3% and water and sewer availability fees will increase bt 2.1%.

The budget includes a 2% cost-of-living raise and a 3.5% merit raise for town staff, as well as adjustments to retirements and healthcare benefits.

In anticipation of the retirement of the

town’s part-time public works coordinator, the budget also includes funding to increase that to a full-time position.

The adopted CIP includes 26 projects with 10 focusing on the town’s utility system and another 16 including streetscape improvements, sidewalks and shared use paths, path lighting, intersection improvements, a clock tower rehabilitation and improvements to the town green and town square.

“Last fall it was very clear when we began preparing and looking for the fiscal plan for the next five years and focused on the budget for 2025, the consistent theme I heard constantly was ‘2025 was going to be the year of hard decisions,’” Bremseth said. “And I said, ‘why? What was the rationale? What was magical about 2025?’ AROUND

Ten of the General Fund Projects are planned to begin or continue in fiscal year 2025. The largest portion of those funds is going to the South Locust and Loudoun Street improvements with 36.2% of the proposed allocated funds. The second most expensive project is the South Church Street and East Pennsylvania Avenue improvements at 14.4% of the proposed allocated funds. n

The building, used as a private residence, was damaged in a December 2022 fire caused when a spark from a saw ignited insulation inside the wall during renovations.

The building sat empty and open to the elements until earlier this year when Hillsboro residents Mike and Kristin McLaughlin purchased the property. After the roof is repaired, they plan a methodical restoration of the interior over time.

The church was built in 1854 and remained in service until 1971, after which it became first an antique shop and then a private residence.

LOVETTSVILLE

Eggstravaganza Pushed to Saturday

Because of the rainy weather last weekend, the town’s annual Eggstravaganza was postponed to this Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will include egg hunts, games, Easter basket raffles, pony rides, baby goats and a visit by the Easter Bunny.

Egg hunts will begin at noon with three-year-olds and younger starting

continues on page 19

Photo by Chip Beck Crews work to rebuild fire-damaged roof on the former Methodist Episcopal Church in Hillsboro.

Museum of Hounds and Hunting Expands to Middleburg with More Artifacts

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Museum of Hounds and Hunting North America celebrated a big step in the organization’s growth with a ribbon cutting at its newest location in downtown Middleburg March 14.

The museum opened in 1985 and has been operating from the Morven Park mansion near Leesburg ever since with the goal of preserving art and artifacts from the sporting tradition.

Director of Operations Katrina Ryan said opening a second location in Middleburg made sense because of the town’s long history as a fox hunting destination.

“Now, we’re in the middle of horse country,” she said.

Co-founder and board member Donna Rogers said the museum had been looking for the perfect location for nearly five years before a friend suggested the four-story brick building on Washington Street. She said the building was a “good fit” and that the town has given the organization a warm welcome.

The expansion will allow the museum to showcase more of its artifacts and fox hunting memorabilia.

“We have so much more than we’re able to [show at once] so we’re going to be able to rotate more now,” Rogers said.

Ryan said having both locations is great because they offer different experiences for visitors.

“These two sides, they complement

AROUND towns

continued from page 18

off, followed by four to five-year-olds at 12:20 p.m., six to eight-year-olds at 12:40 p.m. and nine to 12-years-olds at 1 p.m.

The egg toss will begin at 1:30 p.m. and costs $5 to enter. There is a 20-team cap and the event is limited to community members aged 13 and older.

PURCELLVILLE

PD Corporal Starkey Promoted to Sergeant Police Department Corporal Raymond Starkey last week was promoted to sergeant following nearly five years of service to the town.

“With two of our senior sergeants

foxhunting in the area.

“George Washington learned how to foxhunt from Lord Fairfax while he was surveying his property,” Rogers said, adding that having the new location on a street named after the first president felt right.

The photos by Allen include snapshots of the Kennedy family who frequented Middleburg during their summers away from Washington, DC.

“We gather everything we can that we think will add to [the museum,]” Rogers said.

Ryan said the new location also will allow for more community activities including tea, children’s programs, educational lectures, and fireside chats.

“Throughout the summertime, in our lovely garden, we plan to have receptions for members. … We plan to be a very active museum with happenings throughout the year,” she said.

each other,” she said. “At Morven Park, we have large exhibition space on the walls with high ceilings with which we can exhibit very large paintings. We can exhibit many paintings both as exhibits and for sale. … So, it’s a different feel.”

Rogers said the museum has curated pieces of artwork and memorabilia through estate sales, auctions and donations.

“This one,” Rogers said pointing to a

painting on the museum’s second floor, “was donated by Paul Mellon when we first opened. This was part of his famous art collection.”

The displays include artwork by Ben Marshall and Jean Bowman, photography by Howard Allen, newspaper clippings, antique fox hunting items including horns, riding gear, letters, books, dishes and a life-size George Washington who stands next to a painting depicting him

But Ryan said the expansion doesn’t mean that things will slow down at their Morven Park location either with the upcoming annual painting exhibition and sale and member benefit over Memorial Day weekend and plans to host the Old Dominion Hounds for their 100th anniversary.

“In terms of legacy, in terms of artifacts, memorabilia and artwork, we have been able to collect or amass for almost 40 years,” Ryan said.

To learn more or become a member, go to mhhna.org. n

recently retiring, we welcome the depth of community knowledge and superior supervising skills exemplified by Sergeant Starkey. While he has big shoes to fill, I am confident Sergeant Starkey will excel in this new role by his proven track record of commitment to the community, his fellow officers, and our department,” Police Chief Cynthia McAlister stated.

During his time at the PPD, Starkey received the 2020 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Law Enforcement Officer Award for the highest number of DUI arrests in 2019 for the department. In 2021, he was awarded a Certificate of Valor from the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce for assisting in evacuating residents of an apart-

ment complex, which was on fire because of a vehicle crash into the building.

Starkey serves as a Field Training Officer, mentoring and training newly hired officers during their three-month field training program before being released for solo patrol.

ROUND HILL

Broadband Ready to Roll Through Town

As part of its role in the rural broadband expansion project, Dominion Energy is seeking a new franchise agreement with the town.

The agreement is needed for the company to run fiber-optic lines through town as part of the network backbone that will permit All Points Broadband to provide access to more than 8,600 underserved homes in western Loudoun.

Dominion’s lines will cross through the town on Loudoun and Main streets. Seven utility poles will be replaced as part of the work.

The power company had a franchise agreement with the town starting in 1972, but it lapsed in 2012.

While the Town Council plans to move ahead quickly with a new agreement members noted that homes and businesses inside the town limits are serviced only by one provider, Comcast, and that the cable company’s service level does not meet the modern speed standards. Verizon’s Fios service is available to Round Hill-area residents, but does not cross into the town.

Mayor Scott Ramsey said it would be in the town’s interest to ensure the fiber lines provide capacity for residents to hook in if the service can be made available to them—with the goal of improving service and increasing price competition. n

Starkey

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Museum of Hounds and Hunting North America co-founder and board member Donna Rogers stands in the organization’s new Middleburg location on Washington Street next to a cutout of George Washington and a painting depicting him fox hunting in the area.

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

SCOTT KURT

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28

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

ONE BLUE NIGHT DUO,

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 28

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

HOLLY MONTGOMERY SOLO

ACOUSTIC

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, March 28

Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant, 1608 Village Market Blvd. Leesburg. plazaazteca.com/leesburg

GEOFF TATE’S BIG ROCK SHOW HITS

7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, March 28

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $35 to $85. tallyhotheater.com

CHUCK DARDEN DUO

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 29

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

ZACH JONES

5 to 8 p.m.

Friday, March 29

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

NATHANIEL DAVIS

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 29

Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 Little River Turnpike, Aldie. quatrrogoombas.com

HILARY VELTRI

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 29

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

Best Bets

DUELING PIANOS

Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m.

Lu’s Bar and Grill, Ion Arena ionarena.com

From Billy Joel to Aretha Franklin, from Sinatra to Metallica, from Johnny Cash to Katy Perry, The Flying Ivories has got it covered. You control the set list, so no two shows are ever the same.

THE BRUNO SOUND

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 29

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

JOHN BURTON

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 29

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

MICHELLE SWAN & CHERITH YULY

5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 29 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, 38906 Mount Gilead Road, Leesburg. willowcroftwine.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 29

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

SHANE CLICK

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 29

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

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 29

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

JOJO BAYLISS

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 29

The Dell, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. atthedell.com

JUMPTOWN

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 29

Lovettsville Game Protective Assn., 16 S. Berlin Pike, Lovettsville. lovettsvillegameclub.com

Top Riders Compete at Morven Park This Weekend

Morven Park will host more than 250 riders March 30-31 during its annual Spring Horse Trials.

The weekend features an equestrian discipline known as “eventing,” in which each horse and rider combination must compete in dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.

The event takes place Saturday and Sunday—both over Morven Park’s cross-country course, known as one of the best in the world— and show arenas.

VAN HALEN NATION

Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Based in south New Jersey, VHN performs Van Halen classics from the David Lee Roth era of the band.

The event is open free to spectators who will get an up-close look at some of the sport’s top riders.

This year’s competition will feature 16 divisions, from Beginner Novice through Intermediate. Competition begins at 8 a.m. and will end at approximately 5 p.m. each day. Sturdy walking shoes are recommended.

Enter the competition center via Tutt Lane off Rt. 15 just north of Leesburg.

Learn more at movernpark.org. n

BEST OF FOO: TRIBUTE TO FOO FIGHTERS

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 29, Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $15 to $35. tallyhotheater.com

PANIC FOR THE VIBE

8 to midnight Friday, March 29

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

RIKI J & BLUE RHYTHM

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 29

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

ROOK RICHARDS

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 30

Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 Little River Turnpike, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

On the Hunt

Despite the cold March weather, community members still turned out for Leesburg’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Ida Lee Park on Sunday afternoon. Children hunted for eggs, hopped along the rabbit trail, and had the chance to take a photo with the Easter Bunny before receiving a gift bag at the end of the hunt.

GET OUT

continued from page 20

CLARK PEKLO

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com

FORK IN THE ROAD

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts.

vanishbeer.com

BRUCE EWAN

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

AGAINST THE GRAIN

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase

Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

VNG DUO

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro harvestgap.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

DAVE MININBERG

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 Little River Turnpike, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 21

DAVID GOODRUM

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

BRIAN FRANKE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

DEANE KERN & ERIC SELBY

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

ZAC QUINTANA

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Bluemont Station Brewery & Winery, 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont. facebook.com/BluemontStationBreweryandWinery

DAVID ANDREW SMITH

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Twin Oaks Tavern Winery, 18035 Raven Rocks Road, Bluemont. twinoakstavern.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX TRIO

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts.

vanishbeer.com

JOHN “JP” JONES

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville.

flyingacefarm.com

SCOTT KURT & MEMPHIS 59

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

TODD BROOKS DUO

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

LEROY BANKS BAND DUO

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

NOT THE FATHERS ROCK

6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

GABE MATTHEWS

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

THE DEAD QUEENS

7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 30

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

VAN HALEN NATION

8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $20 to $50. tallyhotheater.com

ANOTHER FINE MESS

8 to midnight Saturday, March 30

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

WAYNE LEE RAY

8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

DUELING PIANOS WITH THE FLYING IVORIES

8 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30

Ion Arena, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $20.

ionarena.com

MEISHA HERRON

11 to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

PATTY REESE

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 31

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

DAVID GOODRUM

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 31

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

STANLEY WHITAKER

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 31

Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 Little River Turnpike, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

BRITTON JAMES

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 31

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

SKYTONES

7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 3

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

SELA CAMPBELL

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4

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

JUSTIN SUEDE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 4

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

HAPPENINGS

SPRINGTIME IN THE PARK

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 30, The Davis Mansion at Morven Park, 17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. $5 to $10. morvenpark.org

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4

Smart’s Mill Middle School, 850 N. King St., Leesburg. Free to $10. mill-house-productions.ticketleap.com

Cloud Run 4.9K Set for 1 Month After Data Center Day

Organizers of the second annual Cloud Run 4.99999K and 1-mile run/walk race through Data Center Alley are hosting the event one month after the official International Data Center Day March 20. The race will take place April 20 at Quantum Park in Ashburn.

The 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter and Data Center Coalition are working with Loudoun Economic Development and industry partners to host the event, which is family-friendly and open to the whole community.

Race registration includes swag, food, drinks, and entertainment, as well as the Data Center Discovery Zone experience hosted by the Data Center Coalition. Live music and food trucks will be present during the event, with diverse cuisine options, as well as dessert and beer trucks.

7x24 Chapter President Karen Petersburg said the event is designed to showcase more than just the buildings and servers that power the world’s largest data center hub.

“Cloud Run participants will race alongside some of the thousands of data center professionals who support the IT backbone of the Internet. These are your friends and neighbors, who support countless end users and generously give back to this community,” Petersburg said. “Data centers also support a lot more jobs than people realize, so there’s a tremendous opportunity for students and career-switchers to consider future opportunities.”

Proceeds from race registrations and event sponsors will be donated to the Dulles South Soup Kitchen, which supplements local food pantries to provide Northern Virginia families with hot meals.

A portion of the proceeds will also support the DC Chapter’s College

Legal Notices

ABC LICENSE

Virginia Winery Distribution Company trading as VWDC, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville, VA 20132.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for Wholesale Wine (30,000 gallons or less annually) license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Stanley Joynes, Chairman

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.

3/28 & 4/4/24

ABC LICENSE

Stone Gables LLC, trading as Stone Gables Bed and Breakfast, 19077 Loudoun Orchard Rd., Leesburg, Virginia 20175.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Retail Wine and Beer On and Off Premises; Limited Hotel license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Stone Gables, LLC

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.

3/28 & 4/4/24

Scholarship Fund, which helps students interested in an IT career. Applications for this scholarship will open later this spring.

“We’re very proud to provide our charitable partners with meaningful impact,” Petersburg stated. “This is our second year supporting the Dulles South Soup Kitchen, which uplifts our community’s most vulnerable members. We’re committed to growing our gift of $20,000 from last year, but we need the community to join us in that effort.”

The Data Center Discovery Zone, which is free to the public, offers hands on experiences to learn everything about data centers.

The event will also include an industry trade show, with opportunities for businesses supporting data centers to showcase their offerings and opportunities. According to the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s 2022 economic impact report, every job inside a Virginia data center creates 4.1 additional jobs in the rest of the Virginia economy.

“Data centers provide the infrastructure that drives today’s economy and empowers education, health care, entertainment and employment. We’re proud to have that economic engine right here in Northern Virginia,” Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer stated. “This event promises to be a celebration of the wonderful people who work in the industry, and the opportunity to reinvest in our community.”

Online registration will close on Thursday, April 18 at 8 p.m., however, late registrations will be available during packet pickup and on race morning. Sponsorship opportunities are still open for the 2024 Cloud Run.

Registration can be found at  sqr.co/cloudrun24. n

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

32ND STREET AND MAIN STREET INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS

UPC 122887

The Town of Purcellville is in the process of designing planned improvements at the 32nd Street and Main Street Intersection. The Town will be holding a Design Public Hearing to gain additional input on design elements from the community at the following date and time:

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

6:00 p.m.

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

Project Description: Improvements will include installing a sidewalk, improved storm sewer system and minor roadway improvements to address vehicular safety. Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliant sidewalks will provide safe pedestrian access along the corridor. The project will also include the addition of a dedicated left-turn lane from westbound Main Street onto 32nd Street. The Town of Purcellville received project funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA). The Town received $674,980 in NVTA funds and $585,342 in Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Revenue Sharing funds that will go towards the anticipated total project cost of $1,260,322.

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

All comments must be submitted to Jessica Keller by Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Consistent with Memorandum of Agreement pursuant to Code of Virginia § 10.1-1188-B., VDOT has determined the ROW acquisition will not have significant impacts to the environment and is exempt from the State Environmental Review Process. In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, information concerning the potential effects of the proposed project on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places is also available.

The Town of Purcellville ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All Town government offices can be contacted by dialing 540-338-7421.

3/28/24

Contributed

The second annual Cloud Run 4.99999K and 1-mile run/walk race through Data Center Alley is scheduled for April 20 at Quantum Park in Ashburn.

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, April 10, 2024, in order to consider:

PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY

Conveyance of Easement near Belmont Ridge Road to Verizon

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1800 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider conveying to Verizon a ten-foot-wide easement across County owned property in the Little River Election District, near the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621) at the Brambleton Public Safety Center, Fire Station No. 9., for the purpose of installing, laying, constructing, operating, repairing, altering, and maintaining underground conduit and communication lines to the telecommunication monopole. The property on which the easement will be located is at 23675 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, Virginia, and is more particularly described as PIN: 202-40-8283-000, Tax Map # 92/D32///B-1/.

Copies of the draft deed of easement and plat showing the location of the above-listed conveyance, and associated documents are 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 may also be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments

PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY

Conveyance of Easement near Route 15 and Lucketts Road to QLoop, LLC

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1800 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider conveying to QLoop, LLC a twelve-foot-wide easement across County owned property in the Catoctin Election District, near the intersection of Route 15 and Lucketts Road (Route 662) at the Lucketts Community Center, for the purpose of installing, laying, constructing, operating, repairing, altering, and maintaining underground fiber optic lines. The property on which the easement will be located is 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg, VA 20176, PIN: 179-4072-30-000, Tax Map # /20////////39/ and PIN: 179-4053-49-000, Tax Map # /20////////38/.

Copies of the draft deed of easement and plat showing the location of the above-listed conveyance, and associated documents, are 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 may also be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

2024-2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development has prepared the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual Action Plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by May 15, 2024.

HUD has designated Loudoun County as qualified for Urban County participation in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and entitled to receive CDBG funding and as a Participating Jurisdiction to receive HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds directly from HUD. HUD regulations require the adoption of the above referenced Plan, which outlines the County’s housing and community development needs, priorities and objectives, and proposed use of the federal funds for the ensuing program year.

Components of the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan include, without limitation, descriptions of:

§ Federal and other resources expected to be available.

§ Leveraging of resources and how match obligations will be met.

§ The activities to be undertaken.

§ The geographic distribution of investment; and

§ Planned homeless and other special needs activities.

Copies of the proposed Annual Action Plan are available and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, and the Department of Housing and Community Development at 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Virginia from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. The Plan is also available online at www.loudoun.gov/cdbg. Written comments on the proposed Annual Action Plan may be submitted to the attention of the CDBG Program Manager, Johnette Powell, at the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia 20177 or by email: johnette. powell@loudoun.gov. Comments must be received by April 10, 2024.

THE ADOPTION OF A STREAMLINED PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY ANNUAL PLAN AND REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025) FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM

Pursuant to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations at 24 CFR § 903.17, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice that it intends to conduct a public hearing for the purpose of considering and adopting the Streamlined PHA Annual Plan and Revised Administrative Plan (effective January 1, 2025) for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The Streamlined PHA Annual Plan provides information on current programs and the resident population served. The Administrative Plan establishes policies for Loudoun County to implement the HCV Program in a manner consistent with HUD requirements, local goals, and objectives contained in the Administrative Plan.

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

ESTABLISHMENT OF TEMPORARY POLLING PLACE

(To be Effective for the June 18, 2024, Primary Election)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 24.2-305 et seq., the Board of Supervisors gives notice of intent to propose for passage an ordinance providing for temporary polling place during the June 18, 2024, primary election. The purpose of the ordinance is to provide for a temporary polling place for use in one precinct during the June 18, 2024, primary election.

The proposed ordinance is described below, by reference to the affected election precinct.

In the Leesburg District:

1. Due to graduation activities scheduled at Loudoun County High School, the polling place for the Dry Mill precinct will be moved from the Loudoun County High School located at 415 Dry Mill Road, SW, Leesburg, VA 20175 to the Catoctin Elementary School located at 311 Catoctin Circle, SW, Leesburg, VA 20175.

A complete copy of the full text of the above referenced ordinance and a map showing the precinct boundary and polling place are on file and may be examined at the Office of the County Administrator, Loudoun

Legal Notices

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. In addition, this information is available at the Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote

ZOAM-2020-0002

PRIME AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND CLUSTER SUBDIVISIONS (

Zoning Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-2204, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on June 21, 2022, the Board of Supervisors hereby give notice of proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to amend the regulations governing the Cluster Subdivision Option in the AR – 1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) and AR – 2 (Agricultural Rural – 2) zoning districts. The proposed amendments will establish new and clarify, revise and/or delete existing regulations and definitions in regard to the preservation of prime farmland soils, rural cluster development design, and uses for the Cluster Subdivision Option. A complete copy of the text of the proposed amendments may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, as described below.

A complete copy of the full text of the above referenced ordinance and a map showing the precinct boundary and polling place are on file and may be examined at the Office of the County Administrator, Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments

LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS

LEGI-2023-0044, 3 DOG FARM: SPEX-2022-0039 (Special Exception)

Gina Schaefer has submitted an application for a special exception for approximately 23.02 acres of land located north of Shannondale Road (Route 714), and west of Edgegrove Road (Route 716), in the Catoctin Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: 15268 Shannondale Road, Purcellville, Virginia, PIN 550-46-7353-000, Tax Map # /24///2/////1/. The applicant seeks a special exception to permit a dog kennel use in the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) zoning district. The proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Table 2-102 in Section 2-102 of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance). The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

LEGI-2023-0058, BAYS DULLES INDUSTRIAL PARK:

ZRTD-2022-0008

(Zoning Map Amendment)

Superior Investments LLC has submitted an application for a Zoning Map Amendment (ZRTD) for approximately 1.5 acres of land south of Moran Road (Route 635) between Powers Court (Route 875) and Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036), in the Sterling Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: PIN 044-18-1028-000, Tax Map # /94///5/////2/. The applicant seeks to rezone approximately 1.5 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the IP (Industrial Park) zoning district under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the IP zoning district at a maximum Floor Area Ratio of 0.6.

LEGI-2023-0069, PHILOMONT FIRE AND RESCUE:

SPEX-2023-0014

(Special Exception)

Philomont Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) has submitted an application for a special exception for approximately 7.03 acres of land located east of Snickersville Turnpike and south of Philomont Road in the Catoctin Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: 37180 Snickersville Turnpike, PIN 530-17-5737-000, Tax Map # /56////////22/. The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023. For SPEX-2023-0014, the Applicant seeks to allow a fire and rescue station use, pursuant to Section 2-504(H) on property zoned CR-1 (Countryside Residential-1).

LEGI-2023-0017, VILLAGE AT CLEAR SPRINGS: ZMAP-2021-0008, SPEX-2021-0028, SPEX-2021-0029, SPEX-2021-0030, SPEX-2022-0044, ZMOD-2021-0035, ZMOD-2021-0036, ZMOD-2021-0091, ZMOD-2022-0036 & ZMOD-2022-0037

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Ordinance Modifications)

Clear Springs Development, LLC, has submitted applications for the following: a zoning map amendment, special exceptions, and zoning modifications for approximately 245.95 acres of land located east of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), west of Dulles Greenway (Route 267), and south of the Town of

Leesburg town limits in the Catoctin Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

234-17-2596-000

235-46-0954-000

Virginia /60///3/////8C

234-16-2147-000 19680 Evergreen Mills Rd Leesburg, Virginia /60///3/////9/

234-16-3996-000 41415 Springfield Ln Leesburg, Virginia /60///3////10/

234-26-4049-000 41383 Springfield Ln Leesburg, Virginia /60///3////11/

234-36-2207-000 41309 Springfield Ln Leesburg, Virginia /60///3////12A

235-26-2866-000 19928 Evergreen Mills Rd Leesburg, Virginia /60///1/////4/

235-26-8067-000 19862 Evergreen Mills Rd Leesburg, Virginia /60///1/////5/

235-37-7793-000 19874 Evergreen Mills Rd Leesburg, Virginia /60///1/////8/

235-37-8420-000 19874 Evergreen Mills Rd Leesburg, Virginia /60///1////13/

235-47-5463-000

235-16-4213-000 41335 Shreve Mill Rd

235-46-0891-000

235-16-3062-000

235-46-7000-000

234-16-9543-000

234-17-4554-000

235-46-5737-000

234-36-3057-000

234-15-8988-000

234-17-7032-000

/60///1/////9/

The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023. For ZMAP-2021-0008, the applicant seeks to rezone approximately 245.95 acres from the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural) zoning district to the PD-H6 (Planned Development – Housing), administered as R-1 (Residential), R-8 and R-16)) zoning district in order to de-

Legal Notices

velop 1,180 dwelling units consisting of 242 single-family detached (SFD) dwelling units (including one existing SFD dwelling unit and 131 age-restricted SFD dwelling units), 578 single family attached (SFA) dwelling units (including 157 SFA age-restricted dwelling units), and 360 multi-family attached (MFA) dwelling units (including 180 MFA age-restricted dwelling units). For SPEX-2021-0028, SPEX-20210029, SPEX-2021-0030, and SPEX-2022-0044 the applicant seeks special exceptions to permit playing fields and courts with lights, a private club or lodge, and to modify the required yards within the portion of the property administered as R-8 and R-1. For ZMOD-2021-0035, ZMOD-2021-0036, ZMOD-20210091, ZMOD-2022-0036, and ZMOD-2022-0037, the applicant seeks zoning modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including but not limited to: allow single family detached dwellings to front and access from a private road, reduce lot width from 24 feet to 20 feet for single family attached residential, to reduce lot width from 24 feet to 20 feet for the townhouse/multi-family district, to eliminate the street tree requirement, to permit the calculation of minimum tree canopy to be tabulated overall for the entire development area, and to eliminate buffer yards.

LEGI-2023-0048, BELMONT INNOVATION CAMPUS:

ZMAP-2022-0021, SPEX-2022-0042, SPMI-2023-0013 & ZMOD-2022-0077 (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception, Minor Special Exception & Zoning Ordinance Modification)

Loudoun GC, LLC, has submitted applications for a zoning map amendment, a special exception, a minor special exception, and a zoning modification for approximately 111.7 acres of land located south of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 7), west of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659), east of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653), and north of Route 267 in the Ashburn Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

cludes approximately 41.7 acres of land that is currently zoned PD-IP, for a total application area of 111.7 acres. For SPEX-2022-0042, the applicant seeks to increase the Floor Area Ratio in the PD-IP zoning district to 1.0. For SPMI-2023-0013, the applicant seeks to modify the buffer yard requirements of Table 5-1404 by eliminating required buffer yards between uses and to reduce plantings and buffer yard widths. For ZMOD-2022-0077, the applicant seeks to reduce parking setbacks from 35 feet to 25 feet and building setbacks from 75 feet to 35 feet along Gloucester Parkway (Route 2150) and Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061). The applications are being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, and amendments for each land use application listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-777-0246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

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

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on March 29, 2024, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 10, 2024. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun. gov/landapplications

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

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

For ZMAP-2022-0021, the applicant seeks to rezone approximately 70 acres from the PD-GI (Planned Development-General Industry) and A-3 (Agricultural Residential) zoning districts to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district to develop data center uses. The application area also in-

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR:

CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOOREFIELD BOULEVARD/OLD RYAN ROAD EMERGENCY VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND VINEGAR HILL DRIVE BARRIER GATES, IFB No. 646810 until prior to 4:00 p.m., April 24, 2024.

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 3/28/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § §1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Case No. 22-1446

LOUDOUN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176

Sharron E. Brent Corley v.

DeMarcus D. Corley

The object of this suit is to divorce.

It is ORDERED that DeMarcus D. Corley appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before May 24th, 2024 9:00 AM.

3/28, 4/4, 4/11 & 4/25/24

3/28 & 4/4

PUBLIC NOTICE

Sterling Boulevard - W&OD Trail to Shaw Road Notice of Willingness

Find out about proposed construction of sidewalk and shared use path related to the Sterling Boulevard - W&OD Trail to Shaw Road Project.

The project proposes constructing approximately 1,000 linear feet of new 6-foot wide sidewalk and approximately 2,000 linear feet of new 10-foot wide shared use path along the northern side of Sterling Boulevard between Shaw Road and W&OD Trail, as well as provide new curb ramps and sidewalk elements related to intersection improvements at Shaw Road and Sterling Boulevard, and at Davis Drive and Sterling Boulevard.

Review the project information at Loudoun County’s Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, located at 101 Blue Seal Drive, Suite 102, Leesburg VA, 20177.

For more information on this project, visit: loudoun.gov/sidewalkandtrail.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, Loudoun County is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Mr. Kenneth Williams, Project Manager, Loudoun County, P.O. Box 7500, Leesburg, Virginia 20177-7500 or by email to dtci@ loudoun.gov on or prior to April 30, 2024. Please reference “Sterling Boulevard - W&OD Trail to Shaw Road” in the subject line.

The comments must be received in writing at dtci@loudoun.gov or by mail to P.O. Box 7500, Leesburg, Virginia 20177-7500, ATTN: Kenneth Williams by April 30, 2024.

Loudoun County ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you require accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance, please call 703-737-8624 (TTY/TDD 711).

County Project: CRCP-2023-0006

State Project: EN22-053-266, UPC 121558

Federal ID Number – TAP-5B01(543)

Legal Notices

2024-2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

AMENDED March 13, 2024

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development has prepared the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual Action Plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by May 16, 2024.

HUD has designated Loudoun County as qualified for Urban County participation in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and entitled to receive CDBG funding and as a Participating Jurisdiction to receive HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds directly from HUD. The HUD regulations require adoption of the above referenced Plan, which outlines the County’s housing and community development needs, priorities, and objectives, and proposed uses of federal funds for the ensuing program year.

Components of the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan include, without limitation, descriptions of:

§ Federal and other resources expected to be available.

§ Leveraging of resources and how match obligations will be met.

§ The activities to be undertaken.

§ The geographic distribution of investment; and

§ Planned homeless and other special needs activities.

Note:

This ad is an amendment to the 2024-2025 Annual Action Plan ad that was published March 7, 2024.

Copies of the proposed Annual Action Plan are available and may be examined at the Department of Housing and Community Development at 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Virginia from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 737-8755. The Plan is also available online at www. loudoun.gov/cdbg. Written comments on the Plan may be submitted to the attention of the CDBG Program Manager, Johnette Powell, at the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia 20177 or by email: johnette.powell@loudoun.gov. Comments will be received through April 10, 2024. The Board of Supervisors Public Meeting to approve the Plan will be held on April 10, 2024, at the Loudoun County Government Center, Board Room, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia at 6:00 pm.

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

3/21

ATTENTION NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY

Nonprofit charitable organizations seeking exemption from Loudoun County real and/ or personal property taxes for the 2025 tax year may file an application with the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue by the April 1, 2024, 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, 2024. Any exemption, if granted, would become effective January 1, 2025.

Applications are available online at 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

Loudoun Tech Center

46000 Center Oak Plaza

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32

Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

Phone: (703)737-8557

Email: trcor@loudoun.gov

3/7, 3/14, 3/21 & 3/28/24

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

The Town Council of the Town of Purcellville will hold a public hearing in the Town Council Chambers located at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following item:

Town Code Amendment: The Town hereby gives its intent to modify Article IV, Division 3. Economic Development Advisory Committee as follows:

1. Section 2-342 - Established; membership; meetings.

a. Allow up to four (4) Town business owners who may not be citizens of the Town to serve on the committee. The new text will appear as follows: In the event there are not enough residents to fill vacant positions, the town council may appoint individuals who own businesses in town, or may appoint up to four citizens who reside outside of the incorporated limits of the town to serve.

2. Section 2-342, Sec. 2-343 Powers and Duties

b. a. Change all references of “board” to “committee” throughout the Section.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is available from the Town Clerk, located at Town Hall, 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm), or by calling Kimberly Bandy, Town Clerk, at 540-751-2333.

At this public hearing, all persons desiring to present their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Town Clerk, at kbandy@purcellvilleva. gov, three days in advance of the meeting.

Stanley J. Milan, Sr., Mayor

3/21 & 3/28/24

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS MANUAL (DCSM) an incorporated portion of the SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-2204, 15.2-2240 et seq., 15.2-2251 and 15.2-2253 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.

in the Town Council Chambers

25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176

to consider amendments to the following provisions of the Town’s Design and Construction Standards Manual (DCSM):

× Article 4 (Sewage and Solid Waste Disposal), Section 4-130 (Design Criteria)

× Article 2 (Fire and Water Regulation Details), Drawings:

× Article 4 (Sewage and Solid Waste Disposal Details), Drawings SD-5 (Conduit Bedding –Sewer Lines)

× Appendix A (Construction Standards), Article 2 (Water and Fire Regulation (GN-WS Details)), Drawings:

WN-1 Water General Notes (to be created; replaces GN-1)

TOWN OF HAMILTON, VIRGINIA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended § 58.1-3703, the Hamilton Town Council will hold a public hearing at the Hamilton Town Office, 53 East Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia, on April 8, 2024, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to receive comment and act on an amendment to Hamilton Town Code Chapter 8, Businesses and Business Regulation, Article III Peddlers, to allow vendors to participate in Town and non-profit sponsored events for a $15 license fee per event. Interested persons may appear and provide comment; send written comments to treasurer@hamiltonva.gov; or speak at the meeting via telephone at 1 312 626 6799, Meeting ID: 995 0086 4279, Passcode: 2070. Copies of the proposed amendment and related documents are available at the Town Office from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday, or on the Town website: hamiltonva.gov. 3/28/24

WS-24 Permanent 2” Blow Off (Unpaved Areas)

Double Meter Installation

Temporary 2” Blow Off

WS-30 Combined Fire Line and Domestic (1”, 1.5” or 2”) Service Connection WS-31 Combined Fire Line and Domestic (3” and Larger) Service Connection

WS-32 Notes for Combined Fire Line and Domestic Service Connection

× Appendix A (Construction Standards), Article 4 (Sewage and Solid Waste Disposal (SS Details)), Drawings:

SN-1 Sewer General Notes (to be created; replaces GN-2)

SS-1

The amendments to Section 4-130 will add a DCSM modification procedure, allowing application for a low-pressure force main for individual residences. The amendments to the water and sanitary sewer details will: ensure quality construction that complies with the latest industry standards; provide clarification; simplify administration & enforcement of field construction; conform the DCSM to current Town and industry standards; and delete detail sheets for facilities no longer needed or required by the Town.

This Design and Construction Standards Manual ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLENOA-2024-0001. Copies of these proposed amendments to the DCSM are available at the Department of Utilities, 1385 Russell Branch Parkway, Leesburg, VA during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by emailing your inquiry to utilityengineering@leesburgva. gov

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

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

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.

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

Effective July 1, 2024

The Purcellville Town Council will hold a public hearing in the Council Chambers at 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on the ordinance setting (1) Zoning Permits - Accessory Structures and Sign Permit Waiver, (2) Pavilion Rental Fees, (3) increasing water user rates, (4) increasing water service fees, (5) increasing water meter fees, (6) increasing bulk water fee usage Rate, and (7) increasing sewer user rates and service fees. Rates and fees are effective July 1, 2024.

will be heard. Town Hall is open to to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.

The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the Town Council Chambers of the Purcellville Town Hall, located at 221 South Nursery Avenue. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views will be heard. Town Hall is open to to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.

1) Zoning Ordinances: includes permitted provisions in zoning ordinances; amendments; applicant to pay delinquent taxes; penalties. (Va. Code § 15.2-2286)

2)Parks & Recreation Fees: Fees for special events items.

3)Utility

an overall 16% water revenue increase for In and Out of Town. Out of Town customer usage rates are double the in Town rates for water. No change in Tiers (Virginia Code § 15.2-2119).

residential home.

Water and/or sewer service provided to a master-metered multi-unit/multi-family dwelling or non-residential (commercial, industrial, and institional).

4)Water Administrative Service Fee Rates: proposed 16% increase in Administrative Fee Rates (Va. Code § 15.2-2119)

5)Water Meter Fee: proposed 16% increase in fee for new water meters. Out of Town customer rates are double the in Town rates. (Virginia Code § 15.2-2119) Water

Legal Notices

Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-2506, the Town of Purcellville, Virginia hereby gives notice of a public hearing to receive comments on the Town Manager's proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025 ("FY25"). The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the Town Council Chambers of the Purcellville Town Hall, located at 221 South Nursery Avenue. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning the budget will be heard. Town Hall is open to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.

The budget contains a plan for all contemplated expenditures and all estimated revenues and borrowings. The budget is prepared and published for informative and fiscal planning purposes only.

The following is a brief synopsis of the budget proposed for FY25, relative to the Town's appropriations in FY24:

REVENUES

EXPENDITURES

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will conduct a public hearing during its work session on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia. The items proposed for public hearing during this work session are as follows:

LEGI-2023-0078, DULLES NORTH HS & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

CMPT-2023-0006 (Commission Permit)

The Loudoun County School Board has submitted an application for a Commission Permit to permit construction of a 350,000 square foot high school and 120,000 square foot elementary school on approximately 172.91 acres located on the south side of Red Hill Road (Route 617) and the west side of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621) in the Little River Election District and more particularly described as: 41480 Steeplechase Loop Dr, Leesburg, Virginia, PIN# 242-18-1260-000, Tax Map No. /91/////////8/. The subject property is zoned Agricultural Residential -3 (A-3) and Transitional Residential – 3 (TR-3) under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance

LEGI-2023-0012, FLEETWOOD NORTH:

ZMAP-2020-0008, ZMOD-2023-0009, ZMOD-2023-0010, ZMOD-2023-0048, ZMOD-2023-0049, and ZMOD-2023-0050 (Zoning Map Amendment and Zoning Modifications)

Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company, Inc., submitted applications for: a zoning map amendment and zoning ordinance modifications for approximately 70.92 acres of land located south of Sleeping Woods Court (Route 616), east of Fleetwood Road (Route 616), and west of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621) in the Little River Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

CT., ALDIE, VA /91////////28/ 244-40-0641-000 23184

For ZMAP-2020-0008, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the Transitional Residential – 3 Upper Broad Run Upper Foley (TR3-UBF) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the Single Family Residential – 4 (R-4) zoning district utilizing Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations in order to develop 244 single family detached residential units at a proposed maximum density of 3.44 dwelling units per acre. For ZMOD-2023-0009, ZMOD-2023-0010, ZMOD-2023-0048, ZMOD-2023-0049, and ZMOD-2023-0050, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including but not limited to: to permit single family detached units to front on a private road rather than a public road; to reduce the front yard for single family detached units from 25 feet to 20 feet; to reduce the side yard for single family detached

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LVZA 2023-0005, AMEND ZONING ORDINANCE

ARTICLE 42-I, IN GENERAL, TO MODIFY DEFINITIONS

ARTICLE 42-V, ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS; ZONING MAP, TO ADD SECTION 42-151, TABLE 1. PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES BY ZONING DISTRICT

ARTICLE 42-VI, RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

ARTICLE 42-VII, COMMERCIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS

ARTICLE 42-VIII, GENERAL REGULATIONS

units from nine feet to five feet; to reduce the rear yard for single family detached units from 25 feet to 20 feet; to permit a 50 percent reduction of the parking requirement for public assembly (community/ recreation center) use; reduce the required lot width for single family detached, suburban, from 50 feet to 36 feet minimum; increase maximum lot coverage for single-family detached units from 35 percent to 46 percent maximum; and to permit single family detached units to front on a private road rather than a public road. The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of County Administrator, Information Desk, First Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-777-0246 (option 5), to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications and land use ordinances may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www. loudoun.gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5).

Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Public hearings and work sessions are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views during the public hearing portion of the work session. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5) prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the work session; however, speakers may also sign-up at the work session. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and for the Clerk’s records. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications. 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 work session to request additional time to speak on behalf of such organization.

Regularly scheduled Planning Commission work sessions are held on the second Thursday of each month. In the event the work session cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the work session, the work session may be continued to the third Tuesday of the month. In the event the work session may not be held on the third Tuesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the work session, the work session may be continued to the Thursday following the third Tuesday.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. 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 (option 5). Three business days advance notice is requested.

BY ORDER OF: MICHELLE FRANK, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 3/28 & 4/4/24

TO MODIFY SECTION 42-286, MINIMUM OFF STREET PARKING AND ADD SECTION 42-311, TEMPORARY RETAIL SALES

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1117, 15.2-2253, 15.2-2204 and 15.2-2286 of the Code of Virginia, 1950 as amended, the LOVETTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing at its meeting on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 7:00PM in the Town Council Chambers, 6 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia. The purpose of the amendment is to consider changes to commercial uses and development standards including modifying, deleting, and adding uses and definitions, modifying the review criteria for conditional use permits, modifying standards for outdoor display, making building and lot standards modifiable by conditional use permit, allowing existing residences as a permitted use in the C-1, Community Commercial zoning district, allowing multiple uses on a lot in the C-1 district, setting maximum commercial building sizes in the Lovettsville Historic District, and adding Section 42-311, which adds standards for temporary retail sales uses such as food trucks and seasonal sales. The proposed amendment adds Section 42-151, Table

1. Permitted And Conditional Uses By District, which consolidates permitted and conditional uses in a table showing uses by district and removes the individual list of uses from each zoning district.

All persons wishing to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting. Written copies of statements are requested but not required.

Written comments regarding this item can be submitted to clerk@ lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically. The proposed ordinance amendment and meeting links are available for review on the Town website at: www.lovettsvilleva.gov/ government/planning-commission You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm weekdays, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be readvertised and convened at the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

3/21, 3/28/24

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF ROUND HILL JOINT PUBLIC HEARING TOWN COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION AND PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING

Pursuant to Virginia Code, Sections 15.2-2204,-2223 and -2229, The Round Hill Town Council and the Round Hill Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing on Wednesday April 3, 2024, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia for the purpose of receiving comments and taking action on a proposed amendment to the Town of Round Hill Comprehensive Plan.

CPAM 2023-01 proposes to add the Western Planning Area to the Town of Round Hill Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2017. The Western Planning Area encompasses 17 parcels incorporated into the Town of Round Hill on January 31, 2023, through a Boundary Line Adjustment with Loudoun County. The Western Planning Area document will be a tool for decision makers (elected officials and planning commissioners) to guide growth and development in Round Hill, for residents and others to make known their desire for growth and change in the future, and for developers as they pursue new projects.

CPAM 2023-01: Western Planning Area includes the following parcels (those without address are followed by their Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number):

8 Mystic Lane Vacant lot north of 7 Mystic Lane (584180299000)

20 High Street Vacant lot west of 20 High Street (584285994000)

1 Heroes Lane Vacant lot south of Broken Arrow (584382015000)

44 West Loudoun Street Vacant lot north of 20 High Street (584386516000)

20 Walraven Way Walraven Way and land to the north (584279883000)

47 West Loudoun Vacant lot north of 41 West Loudoun (584285220000)

41 West Loudoun Vacant lot west of 41 West Loudoun (584182378000)

35246 Leesburg Pike #110 Vacant lot on Leesburg Pike (610306565000)

10 North Locust

The Planning Commission will hold a special meeting following the public hearing. The Town Council will then conduct its regularly scheduled meeting. All interested persons should appear and present their views at the above time and place. If a member of the public cannot attend, comments may be submitted by mail to PO Box 36, Round Hill, VA 20142; by fax to (540) 338-1680; or by email to hwest@roundhillva.org. Comments received by Noon on the day of the hearing will be distributed to Commission and Council members and made a part of the public record. Copies of relevant documents may be viewed on the Town website at www.roundhillva.org. Anyone needing assistance or accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should call the Town Office at (540) 338-7878.

Scott Ramsey, Mayor

Manny Mirabal, Chairperson Round Hill Town Council Round Hill Planning Commission

3/21 & 3/28/24

Auctions

VEHICLE AUCTION

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

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

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION

TLZM-2022-0007

WESTPARK TECH AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION

TLSE2022-0009 WESTPARK FLEX INDUSTRIAL

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, APRIL 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application (Proffer and Concept Plan Amendment) TLZM-2022-0007, Westpark Tech and Special Exception application TLSE-2022-0009, Westpark Flex Industrial.

The Subject Property is located at 59 Clubhouse Drive SE and totals approximately 7.58 acres (Loudoun County Property Identification Number (PIN) 272-30-2501. The Subject Property is currently zoned B-3 (Community Retail/Commercial District).

Rezoning Application TLZM-2022-0007 is a request by Clubhouse DR, LLC to amend the existing proffers and concept plan of TLZM-1985-0071 to rezone the property to the PEC, Planned Employment Center District to allow one 86,400 square foot flex industrial/business park building or one 202,600 square foot data center building.

Special Exception Application TLSE-2022-0009 is a request by Clubhouse DR, LLC to permit a 86,400 Flex Industrial/Business Park within the PEC District, pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Sec. 9.8.

The Subject Property is located in what the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (LLTP) describes as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (LLTP pg. 72). The property is further designated within LLTP as “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for commercial uses associated with an Innovation Center within LLTP. If developed as a Flex Industrial/Business Park, the building would have an F.A.R. of 0.26. If developed as a Data Center, the building would have an F.A.R. of 0.61.

The application includes requested modifications to several requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) regulations which include landscape buffer requirements, parking standards, access through a residential zoned district, data center and accessory building setback requirements, and setback requirements for ground mounted equipment.

Additional information and copies of these applications are available at the Department of Community Development located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Richard Klusek, at 703-771-2758 or rklusek@leesburgva.gov.

At these hearings, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting 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.

03/21 & 03/28/24

Loco Service Providers

VEHICLE AUCTION

ADESA WASHINGTON DC 44475 OLD OX ROAD

DULLES, VA 20166 705-996-1100

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale (monthly) on Wednesdays (4/24/24, 5/22/24, 6/19/24, 7/17/24, 8/14/24, 9/11/24, 10/9/24, 11/6/24, 12/4/24). Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may preview/inspect vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops. All results will be final by 5:00 p.m. Terms: Cash or Certified Check.

Construction Construction

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

Flexible Part-Time Positions

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

We’re Hiring.

Loudoun Now is growing. Join the team.

Reporters

Full-time and part-time positions available for experienced journalists with a passion for community journalism. Accuracy, integrity, curiosity required. Talent with photography, video, social media preferred.

Sales

Full-time and part-time advertising sales positions are available for candidates who can help businesses meet their marketing goals in print and online. There is an opportunity to specialize in Loudoun’s growing hospitality/entertainment industries.

Production Manager

An experienced and creative graphics designer is needed to lead all aspects of the newspaper’s ad creation and page design. The position will also oversee aspects of the online operations.

The Loudoun Now team is driven by a mission to make our community stronger through committed journalism. Can you help?

MAIDS NEEDED

Crisis center

continued from page 3

individuals from seeking treatment, and decreasing access to harmful substances.

Concerns about a growing mental health crisis heightened during the pandemic.

“I know we’ve had a lot of discussion about COVID, but the truth is I think COVID didn’t cause a mental health crisis. I think COVID revealed a mental health crisis,” County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said. “I think there’s a lot of other factors that play into what we’re going through right now and there’s so many things for us to address.”

Part of that challenge, she said, was to destigmatize mental health and substance dependence.

“If we do not figure out how to talk about this at every level and all the time that … mental health is just health; if we do not realize the substance use disorder is not a character flaw, it is a disease; if we do not start talking about these things on a daily basis, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing,” she said.

“I don’t know any family, probably even pre-COVID, or household that doesn’t have some mental health issues in their family,” Warner said. “So this is something that touches all of us in ways. COVID may have brought it to the forefront of what it is.”

A core concern is the lack of trained service providers available to meet the growing need. While Linda Long,

Purcellville utilities

continued from page 18

Well, because everything kept getting pushed and pushed. Well, I’ve been in leadership long enough to know that people respond to two things, fear and pain, and sometimes it’s painful to make hard decisions. Okay? So, 2025 was the magical year where hard decisions were going to have to be made and we’re there now.”

As part of the town’s fiscal policies, reserves are targeted to equal 100% of the year’s operating expenses and debt payments, according to Krens.

“It allows you to ride out fiscal storms or anything that’s unanticipated,” she said. “… If something happens and a major pump goes down or we have a major problem here in town or natural disaster, you’re going to want to have that cushion.”

Currently, the town holds triple-A

ing pipeline. And, he said, those who are pursuing medical careers start out with massive student loan debts.

For those working with substance use patients, the “disastrous access” to drugs was a central concern, especially for youth. Randall noted that concern would grow if state leaders move forward with the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Dr. Carol Currier, of the Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery in Leesburg, said students feeling depressed or anxious are offered drugs like THC with the belief that it is safe.

president of Inova Behavioral Health Services, said the organization is working to create psychiatry residencies to train more providers, the shortage is felt throughout the community.

“It is not a surprise that mental health is notoriously difficult to obtain,” Gupta said. “There is a running joke through psychiatry residents that it is easier to get into the gates of heaven than it is to get in to see someone. It’s kind of sad. That is why the Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center, from our perspective, is going to be a viable and alternative solution for patients with acquiring … treatment, which will include substance use disorders, de-

credit ratings, but failing to comply with the reserves policy could jeopardize those assessments, according to Kyle Laux, senior vice president of the town’s financial advisor Davenport and Company.

“What those credit ratings are really doing is they’re looking at our wherewithal, our flexibility and strength as a town from a financial standpoint. And so, as we look at these projections and we think about what the rating agencies’ reaction to those will be, obviously when David is showing projections whereby there is no rate increases and the funds basically become insolvent within a few years, that’s going to be a problem in terms of demonstrating financial wherewithal to rate increases,” Laux said.

He said maintaining strong credit ratings are important because the town will need to borrow more money to build projects in its Capital Improvement Program. He said the good news is that the

pression, anxiety, psychosis—a whole gamut of mental health treatment.”

Dr. Anthony Crowley, a family practitioner in Loudoun County for nearly 40 years, put it another way. “I think it is easier to get a military-style, high-capacity weapon than it is to get a psychiatrist.”

He said psychiatry is huge part of many of his patient’s health care visits. “What we do in the absence of a psychiatrist, sometimes we are, we have to go beyond our credentials, but it’s better than nothing,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the future of healthcare, with a wave of doctors nearing retirement and fewer in the train-

proposed rate increases show that there is a path back toward structural balance.

“Even with the plan, we’re still going to be showing that we’re using reserves. So, we’re going to have a discussion with the rating agencies. It’s going to be very, very important that we can demonstrate to them that we’ve got a multi-year plan that the town is committed to because they will pick out the fact that even with the numbers as they’re laid out right now, we’re drawing reserves down,” Laux said.

Council Member Christopher Bertaut asked why the consultants had not presented rate scenarios that excluded the cost of the utility system’s Capital Improvements Plan—a tactic used by the council last year to temper rate increases.

Laux said that approach wouldn’t adequately fund the system.

“Realistically, councilman, while those may have been run in the past, to have a water and sewer system where you’re not

“THC is very, very potent. It still remains a gateway drug. And the adolescent thinks: well, if it’s legal anywhere, it’s safe. That’s not true. There are a number of adolescents that will, in fact, have a psychotic breach with their first use of marijuana. And marijuana is a lot stronger than people understand. If it kills dogs and cats, maybe it’s not that good for kids,” Currier said.

She said drug use can quickly derail a child’s future.

“We see adolescents that are using THC vapor as a way to get through the stresses of school,” she said. “We see kids who were all A’s who come down to barely scraping through—kids who had a dream for the future.”

“When I was in school more than 50 years ago, the bad kids in my high school smoked cigarettes and drank beer in their senior year. So really, what it boils down to where my passion is about this is access to care to combat the disastrous access to substances,” Currier said. n

factoring in reinvestment into the capital,” Laux said. “The nature of the business is to have pipes and pumps and tons of environmental regulations and things of that variety. That’s just part and parcel of having and running that business that we’re talking about. And so, while you can run the numbers any variety of different ways, it just isn’t really realistic to go run the scenarios that don’t take into account the need to do reinvestments in the system.”

Echoing a strategy promoted by past town councils, Bertaut said he wanted to use revenue sources other than utility rates, such as grants, for capital projects.

Laux said, while seeking grants is encouraged, the town’s budget should not depend on them.

“The problem with that is you don’t know when you’re going to get it,” Laux said.

The council will next meet for its regularly scheduled meeting March 26. n

Norman Styer/Loudoun Now

Sen. Mark Warner, right, listens to Dr. Ramia Gupta, medical director for the county’s Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Developmental Services, talk about plans for the Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center during a March 25 mental health treatment roundtable at Inova Loudoun Hospital.

Board reconsiders

continued from page 1

Belmont Ridge Road and Goose Creek just west of the Belmont Country Club neighborhood, was originally envisioned to have 4.8 million square feet of data center space. The size was then reduced to 2.9 million square feet prior to the board’s March 13 public hearing. The by-right allowance is 1.3 million square feet.

The proffers include buffering the project from Goose Creek and dedicating that area as a park to the county, a walking trail along the creek and building a public access walkway and roadway to the park. The company will also install a measure to filter water flowing into the creek which will result in cleaner water, according to Turner.

Turner said the by-right data center would be built regardless of whether the board voted to support it. However, if supervisors approve the proposed package of land use applications, they could get significant environmental protections.

“It is worth a reconsideration to look at this application with the much-reduced footprint with the environmental package,” he said during the meeting.

Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said she did not understand why the applicant would agree to add the proffers when it could move ahead with the smaller data center campus.

Turner said going through the by-right permitting process would take another six months, but if the board approved it, construction could be started immediately.

“I think that it’s not a good look for us to deny something and then come back and reconsider and approve it,” Briskman said.

Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner

Firefighter heads home

continued from page 3

what he wants to do,” she said.

The journey to recovery will be long, but Diamond said his doctors are reassuring him he will be able to meet his goals.

“It was just a lot of unknowns but once we got to the Step Down everything moved so rapidly,” he said.

Diamond also spoke fondly of Trevor Brown, who was killed from the explosion and said they were just beginning to bond

(R-Catoctin) said, who opposed the previous denial motion, supported reconsideration.

“I think Supervisor Turner has seen what this is, and I appreciate him bringing this back and hopefully we can get a lot of these things that they’ve asked for obviously the will of the board is that it will not be larger than the by right,” he said.

The motion to reconsider passed 4-32 with County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), Briskman and Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) opposed and Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) and Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) absent. Saines and Letourneau opposed the original denial motion.

Turner told Loudoun Now that after the vote he learned that if Loudoun GC LLC resubmitted the plans for a by-right project, it would be subject to the county’s new zoning ordinance, adopted in December. If the board approves the amended application, it would be grandfathered into the previous zoning ordinance regulations.

“[The new zoning ordinance] has much stricter noise mitigation rules, setbacks and that sort of thing. If we vote yes, we get the environmental package but it’s yes under the revised ’93 ordinance which has looser noise rules and looser setback requirements,” he said.

Turner said he was working with the developer to see if it would commit to compliance with the stricter noise standards as well.

“I said, ‘this could be a showstopper. I cannot allow you to build a data center that is noisier than the current ordinance applies. I think it’s an easy fix,’” Turner said.

He said he was hopeful that the company would agree to that stipulation.

“If they do that, now, I’m getting a better data center with the environmental stuff attached to it and that’s a slam dunk,”

and their families had even had dinner together at the fire station just a few weeks before the incident.

“I’m very sad about everything that happened with Trevor,” he said.

During the day, Diamond works as a Loudoun County Public Schools teacher and said he has received cards and notes from his students during his hospital stay.

“I’m here. I made it and I’m looking forward to seeing them soon,” he said.

Diamond began volunteering for the fire company in 2021 after he stopped coaching track and field to spend more time with his family, but decided he still wanted to give back to his community.

he said.

He and his staff are working to see which set of standards would result in the best option for residents, since the data center will likely be built either way.

“My overarching obligation is the welfare of my constituents. Period. Everything else takes a back seat to that,” he said.

Loudoun Now reached out to Loudoun GC for comment but has not received a response.

The item will come before the board for another public hearing at its April 10 meeting.

Glass’ motion to reconsider the Tillet’s View project in Ashburn that originally envisioned 397 homes by rezoning 50 acres adjacent to Waxpool Elementary School passed 5-2-2 with TeKrony and Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) opposed and Saines and Letourneau absent.

The Pulte Home Company was seeking to rezone 50 acres adjacent to Waxpool Elementary School to permit the construction of 103 single family detached homes, 184 townhouses and 110 multifamily stacked units and told Glass they would reduce the housing footprint by 40 units.

She also said she may propose an amendment to the Countywide Transportation Plan to close Waxpool Road/Belmont Ridge Road intersection.

“When I was listening to the community, they had concerns on a couple of streets that had become drive throughs to get to certain areas and they were concerned about the speed of the neighborhoods and so that’s what I was looking to do to see if there was a possibility to close off Waxpool to deter people from doing that,” she said.

The item will come before the board for another public hearing at its May 15 meeting. n

Short said the welcoming back process and procession home is meaningful for everyone at the station.

“This is a big milestone in his physical healing and in everyone’s emotional healing,” he said.

He said the journey to wellness for the whole department is still a process but a day like today encourages everyone.

“He’s a really strong guy, really strong character and really strong physically which I think both contributed significantly to the rapidness of his physical recovery,” Short said. n

Obituaries

David Waller Chamberlin

David Waller Chamberlin, age 79, passed away, his wife of 56 years by his side, on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Kendal in Lexington, VA, after a struggle with Alzheimer’s. A native of Waterford, VA, he was the beloved husband of Carolee, dear father of Justin, Rebecca, and Marion; father-in-law to Wendy, Keith, and Sephora; and grandfather to Claire and Cal. He is also survived by his brothers Robert and John. He was predeceased by his father Wellman and his mother Anne Carter.

David graduated from Loudoun Valley High School in Purcellville, VA, and received a BA in Political Science from Earlham College in Richmond, IN. He and his wife served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Brazil from 1968–1970, and he was the Administrative Officer for Peace Corps/ Afghanistan from 1972–1975. After the family’s return to the US, he worked with the federal government’s volunteer agency, ACTION, then spent his remaining career with the Environmental Protection Agency.

As a Quaker and a member of Goose Creek Meeting, his life reflected his strong belief in working toward peaceful solutions to conflict. David was an avid outdoorsman, and he enjoyed hiking, and traveling with his wife. He was also creative, expressed via tenderly caring for his vineyard, native rewilding both his own garden and areas in the towns he lived, and working with wood to make beautiful custom furniture for family members. A memorial will be held later. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boxerwood Nature Center 963 Ross Rd Lexington, VA 24450, or Doctors Without Borders 40 Rector St. 16th Floor New York, NY 10006.

Lives are like rivers: Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to.

To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email sstyer@loudounnow.com

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Shifting the Burden

County Supervisors have encountered a bit of sticker shock with the latest update to the capital intensity factors.

Those are the calculations used to assess the fiscal impact of new development projects before they are approved. The idea is that county leaders will use the information to ensure taxpayers don’t foot the bill—or at least not most of the bill—for the public services that will be required to serve the additional residents when housing densities are increased through rezonings. It’s a management strategy rooted in the 1990s-era Zurn Initiative, when a pro-growth, Republican-led county board wrestled with the budget strains associated with rapid growth.

Today, the tool is in the hands of a self-described pro-housing, Democrat-led board that has yet to encounter a whiff of fiscal stress and may underestimate its value.

The capital intensity factors were last updated in 2018, when a typical suburban home was expected to have a $47,000 impact. At that time, the cost of adding a child to

Out of Luck

Editor:

the school system in eastern Loudoun was about $27,000. Today, it tops $60,000. And that puts the impact of a new suburban home at more than $106,000. That’s the real-world level of public investment required, based on the board’s level of service standards.

Some supervisors are looking for ways to soften the blow developers—and potentially homebuyers—will feel if the updated impact numbers were fully implemented in the county’s proffer expectations. One plan is to phase in the increase over a period of years. A more impactful approach may be to constrain the county’s capital spending practices to a level new homeowners might find reasonable.

It is important to recognize that the central finding of the capital intensity factors update study is that taxpayers already have been subsidizing new development to a far greater extent than intended. Why should they endure—or tolerate—a continuation of that shifted burden? n

LETTERS to the Editor

Are you aware that Loudoun Regional Transit only operates Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.? That’s unlike Alexandria, Arlington or Fairfax where their companies are operational seven days a week from 6 or 7 a.m. to midnight.

So if you want to go anywhere in Loudoun County after 7 p.m. or during the weekend you are out of luck using public transportation.

Why should the richest county have the worst public transportation to offer its residents? People with no transportation on the weekends cannot go anywhere if they do not have a vehicle of their own to use.

So why can’t Loudoun County expand its Regional Transit for more hours and days so the citizens can use public transportation at a nominal cost?

— Ellen Nagel-Paris, Leesburg

Close It Down

Editor:

The recent election for the Loudoun County Republican Committee chair had issues—not with the process mind you, though I believe security will be needed for future party elections.

The current chair inflated his accomplishments yet failed to explain his 80% losing streak since he took over in 2022. If you fact check the flyer being handed out, it included many exaggerations and falsehoods.

There was a man from Fairfax representing the America First Caucus supporting the current chair. It is my intention to bring a boycott of this group who interfered in Loudoun’s election never having spoken with the current chair’s opponent.

Our Treasurer and Sheriff were yelled at by out of control clapping seals who support Pio. These people yelled sporadically for four hours yet no admonishment from the chair who was front and center the whole time.

Women who supported Paul Lott were called names and cursed at by Pio supporters whose parents did a poor job raising their children.

The announcement of the winner was reported at the back door of the 10th District office then the juvenile behavior, swear words and cussing by the supporters of Pio increased. Paul Lott was referred to with many F-bombs used.  This display by Pio supporters is a stain on the Republican Party and the only solution is to close down the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

— Jonathan Erickson, Sterling

READERS’ poll CHIPshots

Where are you most feeling the household budget pinch?

• 42.0% Everywhere

• 33.5% Groceries

• 17.9% Not feeling stressed

• 1.9% Gas

• 1.9% Medicine/healthcare

• 1.4% Utilities

• 1.4% House payment

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

What’s the best thing about spring break?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

Hidden Lane

continued from page 1

Homes in Broad Run Farms are not connected to a public water system, and instead rely on individual private wells. Some of those wells were potentially exposing residents to the carcinogen in their daily lives until filtration systems were installed. Additional testing revealed more affected wells, raising additional concerns about the extent of the groundwater contamination.

In 2008, the EPA added Hidden Lane Landfill to the litany of the most concerning sites in the nation, the National Priorities List, dubbed Superfund sites. Further tests revealed the leaking landfill caused a groundwater contamination plume nearly a mile long and covering more than 200 acres, according to the EPA.

The Superfund designation made the old landfill eligible for federal funds to pay for the cleanup, but also meant years more testing, research, and planning.

“It’s not a quick process,” Shaun Eagan, public affairs specialist for the EPA’s mid-Atlantic region said. “Every site is different and has its own challenges, but the Superfund process ensures the mission to protect human health and the environment is fulfilled to the highest standards.”

Now, with funding from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, cleanup work is beginning, and expected to last much of

— By Chip Beck

the rest of the year. The cost is estimated at $8 million.

Tests have identified the likely location of the TCE source, an area about 100 feet by 50 feet, and soil there will be excavated to bedrock—about 35 feet below.

The EPA developed a plan to remove the contaminated soil and transport it to a facility that meets federal and state requirements. Exactly where it ends up depends on further testing, Eagan said, and whether the contaminated soil is considered hazardous according to EPA guidelines.

Trucks will take Persimmon Lane through CountrySide to Algonkian Parkway to Rt. 7. The route beyond that point is unclear and will depend on the site selected to accept the hazardous waste.

The EPA will also pay for a new water line to more than 100 affected homes or in a buffer zone where homes could face future contamination. Loudoun Water will run lines to the rest of the community, allowing residents to connect to a public water system if they wish.

Jonathan Erickson, past president of the Broad Run Farms Civic Association, hailed the beginning of the cleanup as an important milestone. Erickson worked closely with EPA officials over the years in his role with the community group.

“I have nothing but good things to say about the EPA folks,” he said. “They’ve come to meetings and taken time to explain things.”

But he won’t be connecting to the new

Give Choose Raises Record $891K, Surpasses $5M Donation Mark

This year’s Give Choose fundraising campaign for Loudoun nonprofits raised more than $891,000, a record amount for the event.

Launched by the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties in 2014, the program has raised more than $5 million for local charities.

This year more than 3,300 donations were made to nearly 150 nonprofits. While the program is billed as a single day of giving, on Tuesday, March 19, the donation portal remains open to accept addition contributions.

“We’re incredibly grateful for every donor who stepped up to support our local nonprofits in such a big way this year,” said Foundation Executive Director Nicole Acosta. “That’s what Give Choose is all about; all of us com-

water line. His well tested negative for TCE, and his home is outside the buffer zone where the EPA will cover the nearly $8,000 connection fee.

“I’m 70 years old, my wife Gina is 68, and she grew up drinking this water,” he said. “We’re gonna keep drinking it.”

For more information, go to the Hidden Lane Landfill page on the EPA’s web-

ing together to lift up the community and celebrate the impact our charitable organizations make in our own backyard.”

In addition to donations, the participating organizations also competed for a share of $40,000 in prizes offered by the foundation’s supporters.  “Our sponsors truly care about their community and are a big part of the day’s magic,” Acosta said.

Once again, Loudoun Hunger Relief topped the donation leaderboard with nearly $70,000 in donations and prizes as of Wednesday morning. A Farm Less Ordinary, Tree of Life Ministries, A Place to Be and Morven Park rounded out the top five.

Learn more, and donate, at givechoose.org n

site at tinyurl.com/epa-hiddenlane. n

[Tim Farmer is a writer, photographer and former newspaper editor, recently retired from the State Arboretum of Virginia who lives near Round Hill. Contact him at tim@timfarmerphoto.com.]