Loudoun Now for Nov. 21, 2024

Special Elections Could Swing Assembly Control

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

When Suhas Subramanyam was elected to the 10th District seat in the House of Representatives set on Nov. 5, it kicked off a series of special elections that provide state Republicans an opportunity to split control of the House of Delegates and take control the Senate.

Subramanyam’s election prompted his resignation from the state’s 32nd Senate District. Democratic and Republican firehouse primaries were held Nov. 16, resulting in the nominations of Democrat Kannan Srinivasan and Republican Tumay Harding.

Srinivasan represents the 26th House District. He announced his resignation from the seat Monday, setting the stage for a plan to hold special elections for both the Senate and House seats on Jan. 7 and to allow the new representatives to be seated in time for the start of the General Assembly session.

The Democrats currently hold two seat leads in both the Senate, 21-19, and the House, 51-49. In the case of a tied vote in the Senate, Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Sears holds the tie-breaking vote.

If Republican candidates win both the 32nd District Senate race and the 26th House race, they will even the number of representatives from each

Space Crunch Supervisors Consider Moving Government Operations from Leesburg

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

One year ago, Loudoun County’s new General District Courthouse opened, relieving space pressure felt by the Circuit

GOVERNMENT SPACE continues on page 46

Court, Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and Office of Community Corrections operating out of a single building. But a year later, county managers say the new building that was a decade in the making will not provide enough space in the coming years. The 92,000-square-foot building serves the general District Court, the

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

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Wexton Celebrated as Dedicated Community Advocate

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The impact of Jennifer Wexton’s quarter century of public service was celebrated Sunday during a retirement party attended by more than 250 supporters at Stone Tower Winery.

Wexton, 56, will leave her 10th District seat in the House of Representatives next month as she continues to wrestle with the debilitating effects, including the loss of her speech, from incurable progressive supra-nuclear palsy that was first diagnosed last year.

She was lauded for all aspects of her public career—as a prosecutor, substitute judge, state senator and congresswoman— and recognized as a champion of her constituents at every level.

The retirement program, emceed by Pastor Michelle Thomas, included remarks from a roster of people who she helped to make lasting impacts in their communities.

For Sharon and Connor Cummings, she helped to change the state law to allow judges to order child support for children over the age of 18 who are severely and permanently mentally or physically disabled.

Wexton worked with Ginny Atwood Lovitt, who found her brother dead from an opioid overdose, to establish state law to increase access to life-saving naloxone.

Rizwan Jaka and his family praised her outreach to the Muslim community and her broader support for religious freedom and human rights.

She helped Tasha Nelson fight for provisions in the Affordable Care Act that

wealth’s attorney in Loudoun County, narrowly losing to Jim Plowman in an election that featured a Republican sweep of local offices.

But she said that loss set the stage for her legislative career.

When fellow Leesburg resident Mark Herring was elected attorney general in 2013, Wexton won the Democratic nomination and then the special election to fill his state senate seat. She was elected to a full term in 2015.

provides access to the medications her son, and children across the country, needed to survive with Cystic Fibrosis.

David Broder, executive director of the SEIU Virginia State Council, praised her support for labor and for working class concerns including healthcare access and better pay.

When Capitol Police officer Howie Liebengood died by suicide in the days after the Jan. 6 riot, Wexton worked ensure his widow, Serena, would receive the survivor benefits due in a line-of-duty death and to provide wellness support for others in the Capitol Police service.

Former law partner Rhonda Paice highlighted Wexton’s compassion and dedication to justice.

Former Del. Randy Minchew put the spotlight on Wexton’s willingness to cross the aisle to push legislation down a bipartisan path.

Fellow congresswomen Jennifer Mc-

Clellan (D-VA-4) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7) cited her value as mentor and a model of integrity and tenaciousness. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said she was among his favorite campaign trail partners but also a fierce advocate of those who are threatened, endangered and disrespected.

Wexton, speaking to the crowd using an AI-assisted voice program, said much of that work was inspired by a walk to Ida Lee Park on a chilly October day in 2008. There, Senator Barack Obama was addressing a crowd of thousands in the closing days of his first presidential campaign.

“That was the first time that I stopped thinking that can’t be me, and I started thinking, Yes, I can,” Wexton said. “I believed him. I believe that we can come together around what unites us as Americans that do the hard work of making lives better for our families and our neighbors. And so my political career began.”

In 2011, she ran to be the common-

‘On the Shoulders of Giants’

“The General Assembly that I was sworn into was under Republican control, and I was one of just a few women with school-aged kids there, but that’s what shaped me into the public servant I am today,” she said. “If I wanted to get any work done for my district, I was going to have to reach across the aisle, and I did. I passed over 40 bipartisan bills while serving in the minority. I also confronted what it meant to be a woman in politics on the cusp of what soon would be a transformational few years where the makeup of our legislature would become much more reflective of the people it represents.”

Her prosecutorial experience proved valuable as she created laws to make it easier to charge pedophiles, protect children from abuse in childcare centers and help victims fight back against revenge porn.

“I could go on and on with stories like that, but I will say my proudest vote in the General Assembly was to expand Medicaid, enabling hundreds of thousands of Virginians access to affordable health care,” she said.

In 2018 another opportunity emerged.

WEXTON continues on page 46

Watson Mountain Middle School Honors Its Origins at Dedication Ceremony

BY HANNA PAMPALONI

hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Near land that houses a Baptist church that was once used as a one-room schoolhouse for Black students from 1896 to 1945, now sits Loudoun County’s 100th school.

Watson Mountain Middle School opened this fall as the county’s first four-story school, but during a dedication ceremony Wednesday morning, education leaders said the feat was only possible because of the generations who came before.

Through the years, the community of Watson had a general store, a post office and both the Baptist Church for Black congregants and a Presbyterian Church for

white congregants.

Wednesday’s ceremony included 25 of Samual and Emily Thornton’s descendants including their longest living relative Sarah Ann Brooks, who turned 100 years old on Thursday. The Thornton’s donated land included in the school campus.

School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) said it is because of the Watson community and others who came before, that today’s students can experience excellent education.

“This day is more than just the opening of a new school, it’s a testament to the generations of people who have dedicated themselves to public education in Loudoun County, and it’s a celebration of the rich history and tradition that continues to shape our community,” she said.

It’s not the brick and mortar that make the school, it’s the students, teachers, parents, administrators and community that do, she said.

“Today’s celebration is made all the more meaningful by the legacy behind us,” Mansfield said. “The Watson community has been an integral part of Loudoun’s history for generations. Their contributions to this community, to the advancement of education and to the cultural fabric of Loudoun County are profound and enduring. … This school, Watson Mountain Middle, is a celebration of all of those generations, of all the students who have passed through LCPS and of the many more who will walk through these doors in the years to come. We stand on the shoulders of giants like the Watson community

who have paved the way for the future of education in our county.”

Lillie Jeffries, who spoke on behalf of the Watson community, said they had lived in the area for decades and seeing the advancements in education over the years is special.

“I grew up in the ’60s here, and the growth has changed tremendously,” she said. “When I was in middle school, I went to J. Lupton Simpson Middle School. We didn’t have a mascot. We didn’t even have a song. It just says a whole lot that you can come together as a community and change how things may have been in the past. Let’s move forward. Let’s come

WATSON MOUNTAIN continues on page 13

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton shown voting on bills during a session of the House Committee on Financial Services alongside U.S. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2019.

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Planning Commission Balks at Data Center Location Restrictions

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A conflicted county Planning Commission is continuing to grapple over a proposal sent to them by the Board of Supervisors to remove data centers as a by-right use in the county.

In July the board expressed support for Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments that would remove data centers as by-right and core uses in various places throughout the county and would require all new proposal to go through a legislative application process, allowing the projects to be reviewed by both the commission and county supervisors before a final decision is made.

While supervisors initially expected a quicker action by the commission, the panel in September said it wanted more time to review the proposal.

Commissioners still see merit in allowing by-right data centers, requiring only staff review, in some areas of the county.

During a Nov. 14 meeting, the commission via straw poll expressed support to enact the change in the Arcola area.

Director of Planning and Zoning Daniel Galindo said his team does not think data centers are appropriate there because of nearby neighborhoods.

The commission voted 6-2-1 with

Madhava Reddy Madireddy (Dulles) and Ad Barnes (Leesburg) opposed and Robin-Eve Jasper (Little River) absent, in an unofficial poll to say they were likely to support the change in that area.

Commissioners also said they were likely not to support the change in Ashburn near Loudoun County Parkway and Shellhorn Road in a 7-1-1 straw poll with Madireddy opposed and Jasper abstaining.

Commissioner Dale Polen Myers (At Large) said much of that area was already developed or planned to be developed with data centers.

For a third location in Leesburg along Crosstrail Boulevard, commissioners said they were not yet ready to make a decision.

Members asked to bring in experts from other fields to advise them as they continue their review. That would include input from the Department of Economic Development, the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, Loudoun Water and the county attorney’s office.

These are changes are only the first phase of what is expected to be comprehensive a review of data center standards including land use, compatibility, aesthetics, infrastructure and natural and environmental resources.

The commission is expected to take a final vote on the amendments during its Dec. 12 meeting. n

Supervisors Weigh Changes for Teen Center, Library Planning

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

County leaders will likely abandon plans to establish stand-alone teen centers but maintain standards that guide the construction of new libraries under the recommended updates of the Capital Facilities Standards.

Each year the Board of Supervisors updates the document that outlines the number, type and size of facilities planned in the county.

The CFS is used to guide the development of new facilities during budget talks and inform proffer discussions with developers. It includes four main components – the types of facilities the county wants to develop, the typical square footage of each type of facility, the acreage required for each type and the demographic and geographic factors that would trigger the development of a new facility.

Last week, the board’s finance committee endorsed a largely unchanged CFS for 2025 with the only adjustments affecting the way teen recreational facilities are developed.

The recommendation came from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services and would remove the stand-alone teen center CFS, instead increasing the typical square footage of teen space in recreation centers from 83,000 to 90,000 square feet. It would also add language to the definition for new community centers to include a dedicated teen area.

“The justification for these changes is based on trends in the Parks, Recreation and Community Services field that based on teen preferences, the idea is to incorporate teen programming into these other facilities rather than having the standalone facility, where they can be among other groups and be interacting with various other age groups,” Assistant Director of Management and Budget Nikki Speight told the committee during its Nov. 12 meeting.

Speight said her team supported that recommendation.

County Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said she would support the proposal but was concerned it would take longer to develop new teen areas if they needed to wait for new recreation centers to be built.

“Could we still build a stand-alone teen center while we wait for all these renovations at the rec centers?” she asked.

A teen center was previously planned

in the board’s future capital projects list and was estimated to cost up to $17.7 million. The board later voted to remove that from the CIP.

Speight said the CFS change would not result in renovations to existing facilities, but it would change the standard for when new recreation centers are built. The board could consider renovations of existing facilities separately from the CFS process, she said.

County Administrator Tim Hemstreet added that the staff would take the new standards in account when proposing possible capital projects each budget session.

The committee opted not to support a recommendation from the county’s library services to change the way its facilities are planned from a planning subarea population of 0.6 square feet per capita to a countywide 0.6 square feet per capita basis. The change is hoped to address the broader need for library services in all areas of the county even where the population is less dense than others, such as western Loudoun.

LCPL Director Chang Liu said many residents travel from western Loudoun to eastern Loudoun to use the libraries.

“The survey showed that people do travel, people do use the library system as a system. So that is the impetus for the request,” she said.

Liu said Purcellville had the smallest library in western Loudoun and the town warranted a 40,000-square-foot facility.

Speight said the county staff opposed the proposal saying the standards for how new facilities should be built should remain the same. Issues noted by library services were the result of existing facility space constraints, and not ones that would be addressed by new buildings.

Committee Chair Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) agreed, saying a new facility could be achieved without needing to change the entire standard. The western Loudoun Recreation Complex is planned to house a new 40,000-square-foot library, eventually.

He said, while he would not support the change right now, he appreciated library services bringing it to the committee’s attention to start the conversation.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) successfully made a separate motion to prioritize the new western Loudoun library at the recreation complex in the Capital Improvement Program.

The committee’s recommendation will now advance to the full board for consideration. n

County Commission Endorses Data Center South of Leesburg

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

An application to rezone land just south of Leesburg Executive Airport to permit construction of 927,910 square feet of data center uses was recommended for approval by the county’s Planning Commission on Nov. 14.

The proposal, submitted by JK Land Holdings, is located along the intersection of Sycolin Road and Crosstrail Boulevard and would rezone land from Joint Land Management Area -20 to Planned Development-Industrial Park. The application also includes a request to increase the permitted floor-area ratio from 0.6 to 1.0 and to increase the permitted lot coverage from 0.45 to 0.6.

County planning staff members did not support the commission’s approval citing outstanding issues with the plan’s architectural design and building heights proposed at 60 feet.

“We continue to recommend a commitment to 48 feet in height,” Project Manager Marchant Schneider said.

The discrepancy comes from language in the 2019 General Plan which envisions buildings at a maximum of four stories. County planning staff interpret that to mean 12 feet per story which is outlined elsewhere in the plan.

The application is limited to four stories, each 15 feet tall.

“We agree to disagree with staff ’s interpretation of the 12-foot story height and believe that the 60-foot building height is in compliance with what the plan envisions for the Leesburg JLMA employment place type,” Walsh Colucci Associate Morgan Hadlock told the commission.

She added 60 feet was comparable with surrounding buildings in the area.

Chair Michelle Frank (Broad Run) and Commissioner Mark Miller (Catoctin) said they wished the General Plan used specific feet in its guidance rather than stories.

“But, I have consistently looked at it as a story is 12 feet because that is the definition we have in other areas,” Frank said. “… We’ve got to find a compromise and I don’t know that we’re quite there yet.

Commissioner Robin-Eve Jasper (Little River) said she was not as concerned about the building’s height as its design.

“The question is really, is the overall imposition of the building in the area, consistent with the place type. So you’ve met on a number of criteria but it is not entirely clear to me that the overall massing is suitable to this particular place type,” she said.

A motion by Ad Barnes (Leesburg) to recommend approval of the application passed 6-2-1 with Franks and Jasper opposed and Vice Chair Eric Combs (Ashburn) absent. n

Loudoun County

An outlined parcel shows the planned location for a proposed 927,910 square foot data center project by JK Land Holdings near the intersection of Sycolin Road and Crosstrail Boulevard.

Leesburg Leesburg Council Sets Process for Expanded Rooftop Uses

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Town Council this week approved a Zoning Ordinance change providing downtown developers with more flexibility to create rooftop uses.

The action permits property owners to apply for a special exception permit to allow accessory uses in “mechanical penthouses” located above the 45-foot building height limit.

The change was spurred by a request from Hotel Burg developer Kevin Ash to provide a bathroom and bar area on the roof of the South King Street complex. The change would not alter the size of structures already permitted on the roof, he said.

Mechanical penthouses built atop structures reaching over 45 feet are allowed by right in the B-1 District as long as they reach no higher than 12 feet and only serve utility purposes such as HVAC units.

The council was considering whether to expand the by-right allowances to include other uses. The council opted to require special exception review after several speakers at the Nov. 12 public hearing raised concerns about the impacts more rooftop activities could have.

“The critical concern is additional noise, as well as intrusive lighting at nighttime,” Caroline O’Connel said. “I can foresee these venues being used for example, by wedding parties or other groups and as individuals have a drink, or two. Or five. The volume levels will increase correspondingly.”

Mayor Kelly Burk said she was worried the Town Council would cede too much control to developers with a by-right allowance.

“We have an old historic town and we’re continuing to build it up and up and up,” she said. “My concern is, once we lose

that charm and the ability to make it an attractive kind of downtown that people want to go, without the council and planning commission being able to weigh in on it, then the developer is in charge and the developer runs it how they want it.”

Ash said he was mainly interested in putting a bathroom in the penthouse area for accessibility purposes.

“What I did on the inn was I drew in two handicap bathrooms on the roof and in the penthouse.” Ash said. “Those handicap bathrooms were approved by the county as bathrooms when I went to the town to get a zoning permit.”

Under the town’s rules those bathrooms are not permitted. Ash converted the bathroom designs to become mop sinks, a use that is permitted.

“I can bring handicapped people up on the roof, it’s handicap accessible out to the deck, but handicapped people can’t use a handicap bathroom in the penthouse, and that’s where this really all generated from,” Ash said.

Council member Zach Cummings said that the job of council members was to find balance and supported a special exception process to review requests.

“I’d like for us to find that balance of keeping the public engaged and trying to find balance for the folks who are investing in our community by looking at this as a minor special exception with a cap of $3,000 for fees and a 90-day period to get the special exception to council,” Cummings said.

Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg questioned whether the council should cap the application fee.

“I also think it’s a mistake to cap a fee at $3,000 in today’s dollars, when we know, we have increases in costs of all kinds,” Steinberg said. “If we actually looked at the dollar amounts invested in staff time, we might actually see that the fees charged are somewhat of a gift to applicants.”

The council approved the provision to allow special exception review in a 6-1 vote, with Patrick Wilt opposed. The motion did not include a limitation on the fee to be charged.

With the change, Ash may apply for a special exception that requires staff review, a public hearing and final action by the Town Council. Proposed as a minor special exception, the application would not go through Planning Commission review. n

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A front facing view of the Hotel Burg construction at 208 South King Street.

Council Halts Town Branch Erosion Control Project

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Town Council on Tuesday voted to stop work in a project to address erosion concerns along Town Branch after several weeks of meetings and briefings.

After neighbors last month objected to the scale of changes planned to the stream corridor in their backyards, the staff proposed a $220,000 contract amendment with WSP Engineering to come up with a new design.

However, that too got strong public pushback.

“It isn’t any kind of a solution to have Leesburg taxpayers pay for something with absolutely no benefit,” resident Mary Van Praet said. “Taxpayers expect a benefit for their dollars.”

More than $680,000 has been spent on the project so far.

According to a staff briefing, the design intended to restore the stream by stabilizing the bank, improving water quality and

AROUND town

New Technology Debuts in Town Hall Parking Garage

Visitors to Leesburg’s Town Hall parking garage will have an easier time finding a space with new technology that went online this week.

The parking guidance signs display the number of spaces remaining on each level. Park Logix designed the system, which uses remote sensors located in rubber mats at the spaces. Updates roll in every few seconds.

The Town Council approved $150,000 for the upgrades to the 34-year-old garage earlier this year.

Signs posted at the Market and Loudoun Street entrances make it easier for drivers to assess where to look. The town staff anticipates future enhancements linking the system counts to the town’s website to be viewable from computers and smartphones.

Balch Library Displays Newspaper Collection

A collection of some of the Thomas Balch Library’s historical newspapers are on display in the lower-level meeting room during regular library hours.

The papers date as far back as the 1790s, and feature everything from local coverage of cows breaking up fights to Edgar Allen Poe’s 1849 obituary. Many

protecting wildlife habitat. The project was launched because of concerns that erosion was impacting trees and adjacent properties and was causing sediment to be transported downstream.

Erosion analyses prepared by town engineers showed extreme erosion toward the Morven Park Road and moderate erosion near Catoctin Circle.

Director of Capital Projects Doug Wagner said there were several trees along the stream in danger of falling. Those trees are located on private property, making the owners liable for any damage caused by falling trees.

Several Mosby Drive residents urged the council to scale back the project. Matt Cromwell said the situation was “nowhere near as dire” as had been presented to the Town Council.

Council Member Zach Cummings said it appeared that only two properties were in immediate need of help. He suggested the town focus on those specific properties.

However, Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg

of the papers were rediscovered during the library’s ongoing cataloging projects and have been added to the Centennial Catalog. Readers can sift through the Centennial Catalog’s options online to see some of the oldest examples of Loudoun County news coverage.

One of the highlighted pieces includes a page from the Loudoun Chronicle, a Loudoun County paper that was published weekly starting in 1846 by Thomas C. Connolly. The library added historical context for an article regarding a family that was poisoned by their bread, stating the practice of adding arsenic to flour was common among bakers to get the whitest bread at the cheapest production cost.

The display also features the Genius of Liberty, a newspaper which began publishing in 1817. The piece includes a story on the execution of pirates in New Orleans, as well as an article on the sale of an enslaved woman, documenting a record of the United States’ darker history.

Free Holiday Parking Begins Next Week

Starting Wednesday Nov. 27, parking in the Town Hall garage will be free.

On street parking in historic downtown will also be free for up to two hours. Parking will remain free throughout the weekend and on the holidays.

Regular parking rates resume on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. n

said the issue was broader than the backyard erosion concerns.

“We need to have a clear conversation about the town’s responsibilities regarding EPA requirements, or whatever those environmental requirements are, and we have to understand the town’s liability,” Steinberg said. “Will the residents then be willing to accept all financial liability for whatever happens in that streambed as it affects either their yards or neighboring yards?”

During Monday’s Town Council work session, Wagner presented the council with additional information.

“Without this project, the channel will continue to erode,” he said.

The staff added that the channel is causing a large sediment transport issue that conflicts with the town’s required Chesapeake Bay protections. The town must comply with Total Maximum Daily Load nutrient reductions that consider quantities of phosphorus and nitrogen.

Alternatively, the town could purchase nutrient credits to make up for the TMDL

requirement. Foregoing the Town Branch improvements would cost the town an estimated $5 million in nutrient credit purchases, according to the staff.

Other alternate approaches to lowering the TMDL would include developing new projects water control projects. Those have yet to be proposed.

Steinberg said that he understood the residents’ “attachment to their environment” and wasn’t certain there was a compromise to be found.

“If the residents are so adamantly opposed to the project, then maybe that’s going to be the end,” Steinberg said. “If in their wisdom, the residents have decided this is their preference and they’re willing to accept the responsibility of that, I don’t know if they would consider hiring their own expert to tell them what they may or may not accomplish there. That might be advisable.”

The Council voted unanimously to discontinue the project. n

Planners Present Latest Designs for W&OD Trail Lighting Project

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

Plans by the Town of Leesburg to add lights along the W&OD Trail in the downtown area are advancing.

The $2.47 million project that was added to the town’s construction plan earlier this year envisions the installation of 12-foot-tall streetlights along 1.25 miles of the trail between its two crossings of Catoctin Circle.

Area residents got a look at the latest plans last week during a public input session at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center. The meeting’s objective was to explain the different lighting options and receive community feedback on the conceptual design to be forwarded to the Town Council.

Residents had the opportunity to walk around stations and view where the lights would be in proximity to their homes. They also filled out feedback forms for the staff to synthesize into a presentation at an upcoming council meeting.

Construction is anticipated to begin

in summer 2026 with the priority of expanding the town’s open spaces and natural areas as well as creating a safer route for pedestrians, cyclists, and students walking to and from school.

Leesburg’s Zoning Ordinance requires “full cutoff lights” to be dark sky compliant, meaning the final designs have to restrict upward directed light and avoid glare. The evaluated light types include lanterns, pendants, and bollards.

Staff members recommended pendant lights since they point light downward and minimize glare. They also recommend the system achieve a 50% power reduction at 9 p.m. and turn the lights fully off at 10 p.m.

Conceptual design finalization began after the first community meeting in May. The town considered resident input on the appropriate distance of lights from houses, as well as concerns of high-speed conflicts between bikers and pedestrians.

The council is expected to receive an update some time in November or December. n

Education Belmont Ridge Students Learn to Roll in the Dough

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Members of Belmont Ridge Middle School teacher Kelly Merritt’s eighth grade Family and Consumer Sciences class experienced firsthand how a real-life business works during a field trip to Matchbox Restaurant in One Loudoun on Nov. 13.

They were taught how the food is prepared, the importance of a clean restaurant, customer relations and even got to create and eat their own pizza.

According to Merritt, her middle school’s Teen Living class is like a minihome economics course that includes cooking, sewing, childcare, personal finance and interior design. This field trip is part of their cooking course. It is also a good way for students to gain work experience that they will need in any job they have, she said.

“I think this kind of authentic learning makes them realize that what they’re do-

ing in class is actually valuable so seeing it happen in the real world makes them realize that what they’re learning is a valuable skill,” Merritt said.

She also said that even though this activity was not part of the Job for a Day outings that many high school students were taking part in last week, it was good that it coincided with that program so her middle schoolers could see what they could do in the future.

As the students filed into the building, they were funneled into several different stations. Those included learning customer relations and how to problem solve at the host stand, talking with a server about how to explain menus and earn tips through good service, prep work at the salad bar and in the upstairs kitchen, why and how a restaurant stays clean in the dish room and, the students’ favorite station, making their own pizza with one of the chefs.

The manager of the restaurant also got to share her experience and walked

through examples of customer scenarios and how to handle them.

“Never be rude to the customer,” she told her groups of students.

As the restaurant opened and customers started walking in, the students saw firsthand what happens behind the scenes and up front from the worker’s point of view.

Donning hair nets, the students were walked through the prep station and shown what restaurants call “expo,” the

place where finished food is placed and checked before going to the table. The importance of knife skills and a clean space were explained as they were led into the dish room, which was described as the beginning and end of everything that happens in the restaurant.

Other experiences included learning how Matchbox’s wood-fired pizza oven worked and watching as pizzas they created were cooked.

After all the stations were done, the eighth graders got to head upstairs to enjoy their finished pizzas. Avery Grimm, Savannah McGuiney, Ella Garrett and Aubrey Gutierrez said they were excited to eat the heart-shaped pizzas they had made.

They said their experience taught them a lot about how much work goes into the restaurants behind the scenes.

“We went to a station where we learned how important it is to clean your dishes after,” said McGuiney. n

Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now

Belmont Ridge middle schoolers learn to shape dough from a Matchbox Restaurant worker.

County Leaders Work to Implement Student Transition Center

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

A joint committee of the Loudoun County School Board and Board of Supervisors on Monday heard a plan for a highly anticipated Transition Center for disabled students in the county.

The program is designed to help prepared the students to life after graduation.

Currently, programs in place for career training after high school are only serving 134 students. There are 3,897 students currently in high school who are receiving services in-house. Post-high school goal planning starts at the age of 14, with Individualized Education Plan teams doing an assessment, conducting an interview and planning based on those steps.

However, the transition center would give students the ability to gain actual work skills through hands-on learning, according to Tedra Richardson,

of the school division’s Department of Student Services.

The center would serve disabled graduates with an applied studies diploma and students working toward a degree taking longer than the traditional four-year path. The goals would be to help each student achieve individualized post-high school goals, whether it is a computer science degree or living on their own.

The Transition Career and Technical Education Center for Students with Disabilities is still in the conceptual stage but has support from School Board members and county supervisors. Richardson said that the center would be part of the discussion for the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The final step to the process is finding a location, as the hands-on lab and classrooms are going to require land acquisition or the renovation of a current facility.

School Board Member Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) said that she recognized project as pivotal moment for the coun-

ty and impact an alliance between two boards can make.

“I sat down with our [Special Education Advisory Committee] leadership, and they were like, ‘this is sort of a pipe dream, but we’re going to keep saying it.’ But we’re less than a year. We’re sitting here talking about something that feels like it could be very real, very soon,” she said.

Several members of the community supported the project during public sessions at recent School Board meetings. Public commenters during Monday’s session included parents, students and staff members who want a transition center.

A 15-year-old from Rockbridge High School who would be eligible for the program said he wanted to be able to work and make his own money.

“My whole family loves science, and I want to be a scientist, too, when I grow up. I need help now so that I am ready to work and make money by myself when I grow up,” he said. n

Special Education Advocates Push for Accessible Playgrounds

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Renovating elementary school playgrounds to make them more accessible to disabled students continues to be a priority for special education advocates.

The school division’s current plan envisions renovating three elementary school playgrounds each year into accessible spaces, but the Special Education Advisory Committee want to make that a higher priority, with upgrades to 10 playgrounds a year instead.

SEAC Chair Liz Crotty told the

School Board on Tuesday night that the lack of inclusive playgrounds, especially at the preschool level, had both behavior impacts with students excluded from some activities, and physical impact with students not being able to use motor skills.

“I have personal experience, and I know what happens during recess with these kids when they don’t have actual playground equipment, and we see the effects hit our kids for longer because they aren’t working on those gross motor skills,” she said. “They aren’t getting the kinds of cognitively stimulating environments that they really need to

increase their growth.”

Parents have also been raising this issue with the School Board during community comment sessions during the past several meetings. Students at elementary schools without accessible equipment also want the upgrades to be a priority.

Anna DiDonato is a second grader at Hillside Elementary. She said it is hard to play with her friends at recess because of the lack of accessible equipment.

“Our playground should be a fun place for all my friends to play, not just some of us,” she said. “Please help all kids play on the playground.” n

Objectivity Urged in School Renaming Committee’s Review

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The second meeting of the community committee formed to rename Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School on Monday heard from three School Board members and a defender of the Daughters of the Confederacy.

While Reid is best known for her decades of work at the Loudoun Times-Mirror newspaper, it was her affiliation with the Daughters of the Confederacy that was

flagged by a team of consultants hired in 2020 to identify elements of systemic racism in the school system.

During the panel’s first meeting, committee members spoke in support of renaming of the school. This week, Becky Fleming, president of the Rockbridge chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was invited to provide more information about the organization.

Fleming said she found documentation that the UDC denounced its connection with the Ku Klux Klan—a con-

Chief of Staff Hired as Stafford Superintendent

Daniel Smith, chief of staff at Loudoun County Public Schools, is the new superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools.

Smith came to the Loudoun school division in 2022, after working with Fairfax County., Virginia Beach City and Page County. He was also served as Loudoun’s acting superintendent in 2023, following the termination of Scott Ziegler.

Smith was selected for the new position following a nationwide search conducted by JG Consulting. He replaces Thomas Taylor, who left in June to become superintendent of schools in Montgomery County, MD.

In May, Smith was a finalist for the superintendent position in Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, FL.

School Board Eyes New Limits on Reassignments

The ability for students to attend a school other than the one assigned to their neighborhood could be more difficult under new rules under consideration by the School Board.

The current policy allows students to request a transfer to another school as long as it is operating at or below 95% of its capacity. The proposed change will bring the threshold down to 90%, limiting the schools that will be considered for transfers.

Another proposed change would stipulate that transfers must be approved through new applications each year. Also, the policy would make clear that a transfer to a middle school would not guarantee the approval of a subsequent transfer to attend that corresponding high school.

cern raised by the consultants—in 1921, before Reid’s involvement with the organization. She also listed the community causes the UDC supported in that era, including hospital and Red Cross efforts in World War II.

Fleming urged the committee to “lay your swords down” and stop the renaming process, suggesting administrators redirect the money that would be required to

RENAMING continues on page 13

Board member Anne Donohue (At-Large) sought the policy review by the Student Services Committee.

“I received a number of comments from parents and concerned constituents about the special permission policy, which I found strange and confusing, having come from a district where we don’t do this. So I asked staff to take a look at this, and I’m very proud of the work of our

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 13

Seeing is BELIEVING

Falcons Landing, an award-winning, non-profit, CARF-accredited Life Plan Community, is nestled in scenic Loudoun County. The community is thrilled to announce that independent living is now available to individuals who meet specific criteria. These include:

• Military or Government Service: Anyone who has served at least four years in the uniformed services or the United States government.

• Special Relationships: Individuals with significant connections to the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, or other government agencies associated with national defense. This category also extends to spouses and surviving spouses. Call us at 703-293-5704 to schedule your visit and SEE for yourself why we are the premiere Life Plan Community in Northern Virginia.

Watson Mountain

continued from page 3

together as a group. Let’s come together as a community and as a people, to be able to work together for the common good of us all.”

Jeffries presented Principal Lenny Compton with a photo of the original Baptist church and newspaper clippings telling part of its history. Compton in turn presented the Watson community with a framed display of both the original church and a recent photo of the middle school side by side.

The school’s community also pointed to the future, saying they were hopeful of all the memories that will be made and leaders that will be formed within its walls.

“I can just imagine the legendary moments and the legendary human beings who are going to have gone through this school when we look back on it, 20, 25, 50 years from now,” Superintendent Aaron Spence said. “We think about how the groundwork was laid for those people to have those experiences, to become the kinds of human beings that we know that they will become.”

The 211,000-square-foot school opened this fall to 540 sixth graders. The School Board plans to extend the school to seventh grade students in 2025 and add eighth grade by 2028. n

School Notebook

continued from page 10

committee,” Donohue said during a Nov. 12 School Board briefing on the proposal. This item is scheduled for a vote on Dec. 10.

2 Educators Honored by Schools Association

The Virginia Association of Independent Schools honored Head of Hill School Treaver Lord with the Sally K Boese Distinguished Service Award and Foxcroft School Co-Director of STEAM Education and Fine Arts Department Chair Julie Fisher with the Innovation in Education Award.

The Sally K Boese Award is the association’s highest honor. Lord has been with Hill School since 1990 and has been head for over a decade.

Fisher works with many departments at Foxcroft to bring new classes and experiences, such as the Scientific Illustration course she started n

Renaming

continued from page 10

change the school’s name to the establishment of a college scholarship.

School board members Deana Griffiths (Ashburn), Kari LaBelle (Catoctin) and Linda Deans (Broad Run) also spoke.

Griffiths said renaming the school would be a waste of time and money. She cited letters she received from Guilford Elementary School from students asking for their school to be renovated.

LaBelle, whose district includes the

school, spoke out several times from the audience during the meeting, prompting rebuke to wait until the public comment period. She told the committee she opposes renaming the school and claimed she would back the committee when it was mentioned that the School Board that will make the final decision.

Deans urged committee members to look at both sides of the issue. She shared her experience with impacts that racially insensitive school names have on children. She said the emails she gets regarding the school was evenly split on whether it should be renamed.

She asked members to respect and listen to all perspectives before making a final decision, and to let the process go forward with all the information they can gather.

“I assure you that out of 100 emails I get during the day, it’s 50/50 of those who are against and those who are for. So I’d like for you to be as objective as I try to be in receipt of those emails. Thank you so much,” Deans said.

The next step in the process will be a community survey planned to be sent out the week after Thanksgiving, with preliminary results to be presented to the committee at its Dec. 9 meeting. n

Public Safety

Human Trafficking Response Team Hosts Inaugural Community Meeting

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A new state law requires Virginia’s commonwealth’s attorneys to form a human trafficking response team, but organizations in Loudoun have been collaborating for years to provide care and help to trafficking victims.

The county’s Human Trafficking Response Team is headed by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, which works with other area organizations including Loudoun County Public Schools, law enforcement and nonprofits.

The team works to provide care and protection for victims, as well as coordinate the prosecution of perpetrators and educate the public on how to identify and report possible cases of human trafficking.

On Friday, the team held a community meeting with the goal of helping the public realize how common the crime is and how to help those suffering from it.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson said he had not realized how much the problem had grown in the past 20 years.

“This is a huge problem that we’re faced with within this county, and not a lot of people know how bad this is,” he said. “To have the dedicated people from all the departments – police agencies, Commonwealth’s Attorney, victim witness, people that provide services to these victims – it’s really encouraging to be able to see how dedicated this county is.”

The community meeting, which included members of various law enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections, elected officials, the Public Defender’s Office, LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, Virginia Attorney General’s Office Outreach Liaison Patti Menders and members of the public, included two victims of human trafficking who shared their stories.

Hollie Nadel and Fabian Fernandez said they were there to raise awareness, but that it came at a cost.

“I’m very grateful you’re here,” Fernandez said. “Don’t take for granted that we’re sharing our story, because every single time we tell our story, there is baggage that comes with that and it bites.”

Nadel, who suffered sexual, financial and labor trafficking as an adult, said the crime often takes forms that most people don’t expect.

“Hollywood represents human trafficking generally as being kidnapped off the street, which is just not reality,” she said. “Most of the time it is not physical change, but it is psychological manipulation and that is actually so much stronger.”

A common, but often unrecognized form of trafficking, is financial, which often does not result in prosecution.

“I knew that either I was going to be killed in this life or that I would be arrested for what they were doing, which was running these illegal funds through my accounts,” she said. “Specifically, also using my identity, exploiting my identity, putting houses in my name, cards in my name, credit cards in my name, everything that they could think of, they put in my name and then wouldn’t do the payments, so my credit was decimated.”

An estimated $3.1 trillion in illicit funds flowed through the global financial system in 2023, according to Nasdaq’s 2024 Global Financial Crime Report. Among the most prevalent crimes in that total was $782.9 billion in drug trafficking activity and $346.7 million in human trafficking.

For Nadel, it all began after she found herself alone in New York without a job following the 2008 financial crisis. She

Gun Thieves Again Hit Silver Eagle Shooting Range

The Sheriff ’s Office is looking for four suspects in the Nov. 15 burglary at the Silver Eagle Group shooting range in Ashburn. Twenty-seven firearms were reported stolen.

Deputies were called to the Beaumeade Circle business at 4:20 a.m. Friday. Video from the facility showed three suspects inside and another who remained outside. All four suspects were wearing hoodies that obscured their faces.

Investigators ask that anyone who may have any information about the case or who may recognize the suspects or their clothing to contact Detective Natalie Martz at 703-777-1021.

was depressed and ran into a woman on the street who pretended to be a friend, but ultimately began trafficking Nadel.

“If we can step in and even offer a word of kindness, we can help them potentially get out of something or before they fall to these predators,” she said.

Human trafficking also affects children of all ages, and often occurs from community members that residents are taught to trust, Fernandez said. He suffered sexual and labor trafficking from the age of six to 16.

“This person [who trafficked me] adopted 17 kids,” he said. “Most of them were boys. Surprise, right? And he was a missionary pastor.”

Recognizing the signs, saying something, knowing who to talk to, and having community leaders equipped to follow through on prosecuting perpetrators are all important steps to fighting trafficking – and goals HART is looking to achieve.

The county’s current response team focuses on juvenile victims, led by Juvenile Detention Center Superintendent Michelle Smith, but Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth Lancaster said because of the new legislation the team will expand its focus to include more adult services as well.

“We have very strong juvenile justice

HUMAN TRAFFICKING continues on page 15

It is the second break-in at the range. In January 2023, thieves smashed through a glass window and made off with 10 weapons. A juvenile was later charged in that case with three of the weapons recovered. In January this year, thieves used a stolen car to smash through the glass doors of Loudoun Guns in Leesburg, stealing multiple long guns.

Dulles CBP Intercepts

$900K Cocaine Shipment

Customs and Border Protection officers at Dulles Airport discovered more than 28 pounds of cocaine inside 10 packages labeled as hot chocolate beverage mix carried by a Guatemalan courier.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Hollie Nadel and Fabian Fernandez speak to community members about the dangers of human trafficking during a Nov. 15 public meeting.

Deputies Train Bartenders in Crisis De-escalation, Tout a Safer One Loudoun

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office last week gathered with bartenders and managers from businesses in the One Loudoun area to promote safety in the night life hub.

Loudoun County CIT Coordinator Sgt. Sean Plummer wrapped information on nonverbal aggression cues, the Behavioral Change Stairway Model, active listening and more into a presentation to help frontline workers deal with potentially dangerous patrons.

Plummer stressed that crisis situations that might lead to violence in night life settings are often the result of deep, emotional problems. However, he emphasized to the trainees that they are not mental health professionals equipped to address those roots causes but should focus on “bringing someone back to baseline function.”

Plummer highlighted nine types of non-verbal cues that could signify aggression—facial expressions, gestures, body language, voice tone and inflection, proximity, eye gaze, haptics and appearance. He said non-verbal cues weren’t bulletproof indicators of aggression. He said that social norms around eye contact aren’t always consistent across cultures.

What is consistent, he added, is what someone does with their hands.

“Hands are the most important thing to pay attention to when you’re actually believing ‘this might be a physical threat to me,’” Plummer said. “We get that tunnel vision [during crisis situations] where we don’t see the rest of the person and we might miss out on something that is literally their hands getting punched up into a fist.”

The Behavioral Change Stairway Model promoted by the industry lists the steps someone can walk through to de-escalate a situation, make an individual feel heard and influence their actions.

It starts with active listening.

“It’s an active process, and they don’t teach you how to listen as a kid,” Plummer said. “They’re already teaching you how to walk, how to read, how to write, how to speak, how to do all these things. It wasn’t until I became a cop that someone finally taught me how to listen.”

Plummer taught that after actively listening, trainees move onto the next step, empathizing with someone undergoing crisis. Once a person feels you’ve validat-

ed and understand their emotions, it becomes easier to build rapport, Plummer said. After building rapport, the final step in a successful de-escalation is influencing a behavioral change. Plummer said it is better in this instance to make the person feel like “they came to a decision” on their own.

The LCSO’s Crisis Intervention Team has been training officers in de-escalation since 2012, but Plummer said he’d recently taught courses for community members at libraries and churches, before adding One Loudoun bartenders to the list.

Plummer said there was a “strength in numbers” in having more trained individuals.

“If you’re approaching a crisis situation and someone who doesn’t know any of these things, they’re probably going to jump straight to [saying] ‘calm down,’ or ‘you need to relax,’ or things like that,” Plummer said. “Honestly, the most important thing is the fact that the skills are easy to learn, and providing them with the triggers of, ‘here’s the thing not to say.’”

“Calm down” or “why” are specific phrases trainees were taught not to use. Instead, Plummer said it was more effective to ask someone what is bothering them and then validate that emotion. For example, “I can see this is devastating you.”

“Eighty percent of people that call 988 [the national crisis hotline] their immediate crisis is resolved right there on the phone,” Plummer said. “Four out of five people in crisis just want to talk. They

verify when and where inappropriate or violent behaviors take place.

Milton said the Sheriff’s Office’s next step is getting every Loudoun County bar to complete the “Loudoun Acts” certification. That certification comes from training courses, implemented by the staff at LAWS, who teach bar workers the tools they need to keep patrons safe and help foster partnerships with police to create safer environments. The program includes posting signs in bathrooms explaining to patrons what to do in unsafe situations and adding special shots patrons can “order” from a bartender to signal they are unsafe.

want someone to listen to them and they want someone to validate their feelings.”

Plummer’s de-escalation training is part of a broader approach the Sheriff’s Office is taking to make the county’s nightlife safer. That approach hinges on what Capt. Milton Castelle calls “the three E’s”: enforcement, education and engineering. Milton said community outreach as an essential element of the approach as well as its preventative nature.

Milton said he introduced the concept to the agency, taking inspiration from the police department in Arlington and law enforcement in the United Kingdom.

“London, it’s a great nightlife, one of the safest in the world, because they’ve been doing all these things right,” Milton said.

Milton said the approach is working.

“We were at 71 drunk-in-publics in 2022,” Milton said. “Today, we’re only at 33.”

He stressed that partnerships with the community and other organizations help make Loudoun County nightlife safer. Those partnerships included Loudoun County LAWS, a domestic violence and sexual assault service; the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Loudoun County Victim Witness Program.

Victim Witness representatives during the session highlighted methods establishments can take to protect their patrons and businesses, including added security cameras that can be used to

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Frank Frio said he understood that there was a lot of information to digest and that it seemed like a lot of responsibilities would be foisted on bartenders. But he reminded the group that services offered by those in the Victim Witness program come after tragedy has already struck. “Those lives have already been destroyed,” he said.

“It’s important to remember, you could be the last chance to save someone’s life,” Frio said. n

Human Trafficking

continued from page 14

community here in Loudoun County. It’s a little lighter for the adults and then its nonexistent for labor trafficking,” Lancaster said. “And that’s what I would like to see. I think realistically for labor trafficking, what that is going to look like is us going into the community, to business leaders and doing training. I’d like to develop a certificate program … because I think that will motivate our business community to then be self-policing. That’s really the only way it’s going to happen.”

Henderson said the sheriff’s office is the best source for community members with concerns to contact. In cases of emergency dial 911, other calls can be directed to their non-emergency number at 703-777-1021.

HART’s board members include Smith, Director of Trauma and Hope Deepa Patel, LCPS Student Support Services Supervisor, Dr. John P. Walker, LCSO Sgt. Dorian Lambert, LCSO Capt. Robert Brown and Juvenile Court Services Unit Marilia Tellez. n

William Timme/Loudoun Now

The Sheriff’s Office is working with venues at One Loudoun to make the nightlife hotspot safer for patrons and workers.

SAFETY briefs

continued from page 14

The drugs, with a street value estimated at $900,000, were found during a customs inspection Oct. 5. Officers detained the courier, but the individual was released Nov. 12 after prosecutors were unable to directly connect the courier to the cocaine, according to the agency.

CBP officers canceled the courier’s visa and he returned to Guatemala on Wednesday.

olating terms of protective orders and probation. In March, he was convicted of using profane, threatening or obscene language over public airwaves, a misdemeanor, and sentenced to 12 months in jail. That conviction was appealed to Circuit Court. In July, he was released on bond pending a Dec. 9 jury trial.

Biro faces up to 10 years for the bodily injury charge.

2 Charged in Outlet Thefts Waive Preliminary Hearings

Officers initially discovered 10 bricks of a white powdery substance concealed between layers of coffee grounds and under a double layer of chocolate bars in hot chocolate packages. In field tests, the substance was identified as cocaine hydrochloride.

The courier shipment was destined to an address in Northern Virginia, the agency stated.

Trial Set for Suspect in Threat to Public Defender’s Office

The case of a 22-year-old man charged with making threats in the Loudoun County Public Defender’s Office will be heard by a substitute judge during a trial in January.

Riley Biro is charged with malicious bodily injury and destruction of property stemming from an Oct. 12 incident when he allegedly broke through a locked door at the Leesburg office looking for an employee and saying she would be going to heaven.

Biro then entered the District Courthouse nearby on Church Street where he was detained by Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Biro is scheduled to appear back before the court Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. for a bench trial.

Court records show Biro previously has been charged with making threats, assaulting a corrections officer, and vi-

Two Maryland residents suspected of a series of thefts at Leesburg Premium outlets waived their right to preliminary hearings in the General District Court on Nov. 14.

Loredana Sardaru, 39, and Romina Anisoara Ilie, 31, were both charged with grand larceny, two counts of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, possession of burglary tools, three counts of shoplifting, and stealing property with intent to sell. Anisoara Ilie was additionally charged with wearing masks in certain places to hide her identity.

Sardaru waived her preliminary hearing for charges of accessory to grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny. In exchange the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office agreed not to prosecute six other charges. She is scheduled to appear before a Circuit Court judge on Dec. 19 and is expected to enter a plea agreement.

Anisoara Ilie, also waived preliminary hearing for accessory to grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny charges. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office agreed not to prosecute her other seven charges. She is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on Jan. 16.

The grand larceny charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. n

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

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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.”

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

Marston Named New COO at JK Moving Services

Consumer packaged goods industry executive Chad Marston has joined JK Moving Services as chief operating officer, reporting to company founder and Chairman Chuck Kuhn. Marston will oversee executive-led corporate strategies, including Human Resources, Information Technology, Global Supply Chain Management, Contracts, Marketing, and other segments of JK enterprise services.

“JK has grown significantly over the years with global expansion in China, India, Canada, Colombia, Albania and the U.K., and new service lines that include JK Land Holdings and JK Technology Services,” Kuhn stated. “Chad’s expertise includes developing and driving strategy and operational efficiency within complex organizations. We look forward to his insights and creative contributions as we continue serving our clients with the care and respect that defines our brand.”

Marston will collaborate with execu-

tive leaders to achieve business goals and differentiate the JK brand from the competition. He will drive strategy initiatives, planning, and analysis with a focus on operating and financial performance while optimizing the employee experience.

Marston previously served as chief commercial officer for Hensley Beverage, one of the nation’s largest beverage distributors. He has worked in diverse industries across publicly traded global companies and large multi-generational family-owned businesses. Marston has held a variety of executive and leadership positions in sales, operations, marketing, M&A activities, and business development at Clorox, Dannon, Kellogg's, and Sara Lee. n

Chamber Announces Community Leadership Award Finalists

The Loudoun Chamber today announced the finalists for its 2025 Loudoun Community Leadership Awards, which honor businesses and community leaders who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to support the Loudoun community.

“Loudoun County is truly blessed to have so many strong community leaders who are committed to serving Loudoun with generosity, hard work and sacrifice to support all who live, work and play in Loudoun. The Loudoun Chamber is proud to honor these outstanding Community Leaders, who serve as valuable examples of what it means to serve others,” Chamber President & CEO Tony Howard stated.

It is the 12th year for the awards. The winners will be announced during the Chamber’s annual meeting on Jan. 24 at Westfields Marriott.

The finalists for these awards were chosen in six categories. Winners in each category will have the opportunity to select one nonprofit to receive a $1,000 grant through the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

The finalists are:

Executive Leader: Steve Blackwell, Ace Handyman Services Loudoun & NW Prince William Counties; Natalie Ramos,

Fleur De Cuisine; Rod Williams, The Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery; and Sharon Wright, Loud & Clear Marketing.

Nonpro t Executive: Elizabeth Ford, BetterALife; Nicole Morris, Women Giving Back; Nene Spivy, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation; and Kim Tapper, A Place To Be.

DEIA Leader: Beth Erickson, Visit Loudoun; Nicole Morris, Women Giving Back; Carl Rush, Loudoun County Government; and Rod Williams, The Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery.

Young Professionals: Vanessa Borg, The Leesburg Movement; Chaimaa Fekkak, Accenture; Kathleen Stakem Schwab, RE/MAX Gateway; and Brian Tinsman, POUNCE Solutions.

Large Business (100 employees or more): BCT-The Community’s Bank; Equinix; Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning; and Microsoft.

Small Business (less than 100 employees):  37 Media & Marketing Group; Loud & Clear Marketing; National Sports Medicine Institute (NSMI) and NDpoint Strategies LLC

For more information, or to purchase sponsorships or tickets, go to loudounchamber.org. n

Marston

Nonprofits Community Foundation Celebrates Philanthropic Leaders

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties put the spotlight on the work of area nonprofits and those who support their effort during its second annual Roots & Legacies gala Friday night.

J Hamilton Lambert, executive director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, was celebrated as Changemaker of the Year. Carol Barbe, president and CEO of Backflow Technology, was named the 2024 Philanthropist of the Year. Women Giving Back was presented the 2024 Nonprofit Achievement award.

“Tonight, we gather to applaud the Community Foundation’s charter to help individuals and families in our community realize their philanthropic goals through a wide range of grant-making tools. We’re also here to celebrate the Community Foundation’s role in providing a rich assortment of educational programming that supports and strengthens the nonprofits that faithfully serve residents of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier counties,” Foundation Chair Paul Siker said.

“Most significantly, we are here tonight to recognize and honor some very special individuals who have consistently made a difference in stewarding our greater nonprofit community to think better, bigger, and do more, which in turn, makes our area a better place for all of us to live,” he said.

Lambert is a Loudoun native whose public service career saw him grow from a draftsman in the Fairfax County government to become its county executive, guiding the government through a period of rapid growth. In retirement, he was selected by another Loudoun resident Dr. Claude Moore to lead his charitable foundation. Over the past four decades, Moore’s $17 million estate has contributed more than $100 million in community grants. In keeping with a mission to focus on education, the Claude Moore Scholars program Lambert launched in 2005 to offer training for the next generation of workers in the medical field now operates in more than 50 school divisions serving some 8,000 students.

Lambert was unable to attend the awards ceremony, but speakers noted that

with the scale of his impact, he would likely qualify as Changemaker of the Year every year.

John H. Cook IV, the senior deputy executive director of the Claude Moore Foundation, accepted the award for Lambert.

“When we think about the folks in Loudoun County, we have a history of remarkable people. I would put J Hamilton Lambert in the same category as General [George C.] Marshall or Dr. Claude Moore because of his heart,” Cook said.

“For everybody who knows Jay, that’s the key. It is his heart. The heart that was born in hardship. A heart that learned from the time he was just out of infancy that when you have nothing, you can help somebody. A man who got to where he was because of people who saw his brilliance, but more than that people who saw his compassion and his caring for the other people around him.”

“He talks about helping hundreds of people. That’s because he’s modest. The good work of Claude Norman helps hundreds of people every hour,” Cook said.

Like Lambert, Barbe’s path to become a philanthropic leader began as a youth learning from family members who helped their neighbors despite their own limited means.

“Those who know me know that I don’t seek awards of recognition. I find fulfillment in quietly working behind the scenes to make a difference. But this recognition

felt different, very different,” Barbe said. “It led me to reflect on my journey—a journey that began when I was a young girl growing up. I watched my parents, who were working class, find ways to help others despite their own challenges.”

“My mother especially embodied kindness, giving a birthday gift to a neighborhood child whose family couldn’t afford one. That moment when I was a little girl stayed with me, and I dreamed of one day doing the same thing. That someday began when I lost both my parents within a year of each other when I was only 29,” Barbe said. “Their loss inspired me to grieve by serving to carry on the legacy they instilled in me by giving back to others.”

That started with volunteering her time, first with the Red Cross, then Loudoun Hunger Relief, and then others. “I didn’t have much financial aid to offer back then, but I had time, and that was enough to get started,” Barbe said. “Over the years, I’ve been blessed to give more of my treasure.”

Award presenter Laura Majors compared Barbe’s community work today to the Where’s Waldo character.

“I think of her as the Waldo of our community,” Majors said. “That’s because if you’re attending any local event that supports a nonprofit—whether that’s a ribbon cutting or a volunteer event or a gala or a fundraiser—then you’re going to look for the telltale dark, beautiful, curly hair and

Carol is somewhere in the picture. And if you’re looking through your social media posts or looking over the cover or the pages of a local magazine or a newspaper, and they’re showcasing nonprofit activities, Carol is somewhere in the picture. Carol is involved in so many community organizations, a list a mile long, and she’s volunteering and giving selflessly to do that.”

Barbe said she has learned that everyone can contribute.

“Looking back, I realize that every small act of kindness and generosity can have a profound impact,” she said. “This philanthropist of the Year Award is truly humbling, and I am deeply honored to receive it. It’s not just for me, it’s for everyone who has been part of this mission to make a positive impact in our community. I hope to continue inspiring others, and I’ll use my resources and abilities to continue to support causes close to my heart.”

The work of Women Giving Back was highlighted with the presentation of the 2024 Nonprofit Achievement award.

The organization was founded in 2007 by three community members working to support women living in shelters by providing clothing. Over the years, that mission has expanded to provide other supplies, assist with job training and other support. It opened a support center in Sterling in 2011 and this year is doubling that space.

Executive Director Nicole Morris said her team works to help women out of crisis.

“There’s so much that they’re trying to accomplish in such a short period of time. When they’re in the shelter, they’re trying to look for work, they’re trying to get childcare, to get everything,” she said.

“The expansion is going to be great because it’s going to allow us to improve our operation efficiency. We’ll be able to accept a lot more donations from our retail partners,” she said, citing plans to set up a food market with Loudoun Hunger Relief and expand the training center.

“We’re ensuring that those we serve receive not only the essential items, but also a renewed sense of hope and empowerment. This community strength and unity are extraordinary, and I’m so grateful to work alongside so many inspiring leaders and organizations doing incredible work in this county,” Morris said.

Each award winner received a $10,000 gift to support their endowment funds. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Members of Women Giving Back celebrate the Nonprofit Achievement Award during the 2024 Root & Legacies gala.

Nominations Sought for Free Roof Replacement

DryHome Roofing and Siding is accepting nominations throughout November for its 23rd annual Free Roof for the Holidays program.

Each year the Sterling-based company provides a new roof for a Northern Virginia-based individual, family or nonprofit in need. The free roof will be awarded based on nominations from customers and the community received by the Nov. 30 deadline.

Inova Hospitals Earn Top Safety Grades

Inova Health System branches, including Inova Loudoun Hospital, have earned an A safety grade from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog dedicated to healthcare quality and safety.

The grade evaluates general hospitals across the country based on 30 performance measures related to errors, injuries, accidents, infections and systems put in place to prevent harm.

Only 41 hospitals statewide were awarded the A grade.

“Inova’s legacy of consecutive ‘A’ grades speaks volumes about our commitment to a culture where safety is paramount,” said Dr. Chapy Venkatesan, Inova’s chief quality officer. “Our teams are continually raising the bar to meet the highest standards in healthcare, and these grades reflect our relentless focus on creating safe, effective, and exceptional patient experiences.”

This year’s designation marks the 26th consecutive A grade over 13 years for Inova Loudoun.

“I am incredibly proud of our entire Inova team for maintaining such a high level of consistent excellence across our hospitals,” Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones stated. “This achievement speaks to the trust our patients place in us and the dedication of every team member who works tirelessly to ensure we provide the highest standard of care at all times.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ratings program is focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. Learn more, including tips for staying safe in the hospital, at HospitalSafetyGrade.org. n

Nominations may be made at dryhome.com or by sending an email to info@dryhome.com. Submissions should include the nominee’s name, address, phone, and reason why they are being nominated as well as the name and phone number of the submitter.

DryHome Roofing and Siding created the Free Roof for the Holidays program to thank its customers and the community by providing a safe rood over a family’s

head. Since the program’s inception, the company has donated more than 22 roofs worth more than $200,000 to people and nonprofits.

Last year, Loudoun Habitat client Asma Messaoudi, a single mother of four who has a disability, received a new roof. Other previous recipients include mental health nonprofit Pathway Homes; an Ashburn man struggling with cancer; a Navy veteran who founded an animal thera-

py nonprofit; a Stafford mother of three who lost her husband; a Vienna mother who was struggling following a difficult divorce; a Leesburg widow and mother of two young children; Cornerstones; an advocate for the homeless; Doorways for Women and Families’ Safehouse; a Loudoun school bus driver; Good Shepherd Alliance; Falls Church Cub Scout House; and Gabriel Homes. n

Holiday Gift Guide

Shopping Local: Take Loudoun Home for the Holidays

As the holiday season approaches, Loudoun County is inviting residents, visitors, and businesses to join in the annual "Take Loudoun Home for the Holidays" campaign designed to encourage shopping locally, support small businesses, and celebrate community spirit.

The Town of Leesburg invites you to enjoy and experience the holiday magic of Historic Leesburg

Shop Small Saturday

Saturday, November 30 ~ All Day

IN FREE

Parking (Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day)

Shop and dine around Historic Downtown Leesburg on this special day to support local small businesses.

Victorian Carolers

Saturday, November 30 ~ 2:00pm-5:00pm

The Pickwick Singers will be dressed in Victorian costumes, as they stroll around caroling everyone they meet.

Leesburg First Friday

Friday, December 6 ~ 6:00pm-9:00pm

Over 15 live music events, wine tastings, art exhibits, special activities, and more. It’s fun and free!

Holiday Market at the Courthouse

Saturday, December 7 ~ 12:00pm-4:00pm

Pop-up holiday market on the courthouse grounds with many gifts under $25.

Holiday Tree Lighting

Saturday, December 7 ~ 6:00pm

Join friends and neighbors to celebrate the start of the holiday season. Held on Town Green.

Holidays in Leesburg Fine Arts & Crafts Show

Saturday, December 7 ~ 9:00am-4:00pm & Sunday, December 8 ~ 10:00am-4:00pm

Over 95 local and regional artisans will be selling original handcrafted items at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center. Free parking and admission to the show.

A Downtown Hometown Holiday

Saturday, December 14 ~ 1:00pm-3:00pm

Enjoy strolling carolers & holiday characters, photos with Santa, holiday open houses, and free holiday wrapping.

Annual Christmas & Holiday Parade

Saturday, December 14 ~ 6:00pm

The parade will usher Santa and his friends down King Street through Historic Leesburg. Parade begins at Ida Lee Park and ends at Fairfax Street. Parade participation is free and open to the public.

The campaign, which officially kicked off this week, promotes a variety of holiday-themed activities, special promotions, and events throughout the county.

Residents are encouraged to shop local by purchasing gifts, goods, and services from the diverse businesses around the county—boutiques and restaurants to local farms and wineries.

“The holidays are a time to give back, and supporting our local businesses helps foster a stronger, more connected community," stated County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

"This campaign provides an opportunity to showcase the wonderful offerings in Loudoun, from unique gifts to one-

of-a-kind experiences, all while giving a boost to our economy."

The campaign is a collaborative effort led by Loudoun County government, Visit Loudoun, the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and area local nonprofits and businesses.

“We’re thrilled to see our local businesses and the community come together to make this a season to remember," said Visit Loudoun Executive Director Beth Erickson. "The campaign is not only about shopping, but also about enjoying the charm of our county during the holidays and creating lasting memories."

Participants are encouraged to share their holiday experiences on social media using the hashtag #TakeLoudounHome. Special discounts and promotions are available at participating businesses, which can be found on the Loudoun County website.

For more information go to loudoun.gov/takeloudounhome. n

What’s Hot: Shopping Trends to Expect This Season

As the holiday season approaches, retailers and consumers are embracing sustainable gifts and digital experiences among this year’s trends.

In 2024, sustainability continues to be a significant factor in purchasing decisions. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases and are looking for brands that align with their values. This year, eco-friendly and ethically produced products are taking center stage.

Gift items such as upcycled fashion, reusable household goods, and products made from sustainable materials are particularly popular. Retailers like Patagonia and IKEA are seeing an up-

tick in demand for their eco-conscious offerings, and even luxury brands are incorporating sustainability into their designs. In addition, consumers are also opting for experiences over physical goods—such as spa retreats, travel, or concert tickets—as an alternative to material items.

This year, consumers are embracing omnichannel shopping experiences more than ever. The ability to seamlessly shop online and pick up in-store—or vice versa—is a top priority for many. Retailers are continuing to refine their physical and digital integration, ensuring that customers can move smoothly between platforms. n

Dulles Town Center to Host Salvation Army Angel Tree

During the next few weeks, the Dulles Town Center will host a Salvation Army Angel Tree in partnership with the Salvation Army of Loudoun County.

Through Dec. 4, shoppers may stop at the display located on the Lower Level in front of H&M and choose a wish list submitted by a local child. Participants can purchase gifts that fulfill those wishes, and return the unwrapped items to the center’s management office on the upper level in the food court behind

Master Wok on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Gifts must be dropped off by 4:30 p.m. Dec. 4 to allow volunteers to prepare them for distribution.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children throughout the country each year.

Learn more at shopdullestowncenter.com/events. n

St. James Plans Alternative Gift Fair

St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg is bringing back its Alternative Gift Fair for this holiday season, providing the community the opportunity to spread even more joy with their holiday shopping.

The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8.

At the gift fair, shoppers can enjoy live holiday music, free cookies and hot chocolate—and may make donations to any of 10 participating nonprofits. With each donation, shoppers receive a card created by parishioners to display or give as a gift.

work of nonprofits in our community this holiday season.”

Representatives from the participating organizations will be in attendance to speak with shoppers about the impacts of their donations. This year’s participants are A Farm Less Ordinary, Arts for All, The Arc of Loudoun, Crossroads Jobs, Education Con Amor, Grace to Go, Loudoun Free Clinic, Loudoun Hunger Relief, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Mobile Hope, and St. James' Preschool.

“At St. James’, we believe in welcoming, serving, and uplifting all, joining generations to reveal God’s love. One of the ways we do this is through the annual Alternative Gift Fair,” St. James Rector Rev. Dr. Chad T. Martin said. “This special event allows people to give meaningful gifts that will have a lasting impact in our community. In lieu of a traditional gift, a monetary contribution is made to further the ongoing missions of participating non-profit organizations. We invite you to join us in supporting the incredible

“St. James has been a steadfast supporter of The Arc, and we are so grateful to be part of St. James’s Alternative Gift Fair,” The Arc of Loudoun CEO Lisa Max said. “This is a perfect example of the generous spirit of our community. It’s more than just fun—it’s also essential to the crucial, life-changing work social-profit organizations like ours do. The thousands of people who rely on our work can thank generous people like those at St. James and their holiday spirit for making it possible.”

The St. James Episcopal Church is located at 20 Cornwall Street NW. n

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

A gift card from the Tuskies Hospitality Group is perfect for any occasion. It offers our guests exceptional dining experiences with meals made from fresh, local ingredients Whether for a cozy dinner at Tuscarora Mill or other dining options within the group, it provides flexibility and enjoyment, making it a memorable gift beyond just a meal

Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg

Fire Works Pizza, Leesburg & Arlington

The Old Brogue, Great Falls

Magnolias at the Mill Purcellville VA

South Street Under Leesburg, VA

Stone Gables Bed & Breakfast, Leesburg

available in-person or online www.tuskies.com

Visit one of Virginia’s best preserved authentic 18th-century rural villages as it opens its doors for two weekends of holiday fun and exclusive historic home tours

Hist ic Hillsb o H iday Che !

SATURDAY

Visit OldSt eSch l. g f m e inf mati

SATURDAY

DECEMBER 7

Hillsb o

Tree Illuminati

5 p.m.

Hillsboro’s Historic Old Stone School

Ring in the holiday season with caroling and performances by the Hillsboro Charter Academy Choir

H iday Jazz in The Gap

Rick Reaves Big Band

Doors open at 6 p.m.

$15 in Advance

$20 at the Door

Limited Table Reservations Available

Holiday favorites are on tap from the Rick Reaves Jazz Orchestra on The Gap Stage and plenty of holiday cheer from The Gap Bar in Hillsboro’s Old Stone School

Scan H e f Tickets & Table Res vati s

Hillsb o’s Hist ic Methodist Episc al Ch ch (S th) ens its d rs to the public f the f st time since 1968

PRESENTED BY

DECEMBER 14

H es T r

History will come to life as you visit five traditionally decorated historic homes on Hillsboro’s Charles Town Pike

10 a.m. to Noon

Self-Guided Walking Tours ($16)

1 to 3:30 p.m.

Guided Walking Tours with Live Performances ($18)

5 to 6:30 p.m.

Guided Candlelight Tours with Live Performances ($25)

Scan H e f T r Tickets & Info

Hillsb o H iday

Crafts M ket

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hillsboro’s Old Stone School

More than 30 artists & artisans offer an array of art, crafts and delicious foods perfect for holiday gift-giving!

Bring in this ad for

It’s not your average hospital gift shop, shoppers will find unique items, seasonal décor and casual clothing. You’re bound to find just the right present and maybe something for yourself, too!

All proceeds go to the Ladies Board to support Inova

projects and nursing scholarships.

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree: A Holiday Tradition

The coming Thanksgiving holiday traditionally marks the beginning of a special hunting season—the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree.

With several farms in the area offering "Pick Your Own" experiences, Loudoun County is the perfect place to make a memorable holiday experience or start a new family tradition.

While artificial trees have become increasingly popular in recent years, nothing quite compares to the charm and authenticity of a real Christmas tree or to the bonding experience that comes with families searching the fields for the perfect tree.

To make the most of your trip, here are a few helpful tips for selecting and cutting down your perfect Christmas tree:

Measure first: Before heading out to the farm, make sure to measure the height and width of the space

where you plan to place your tree. This will help you avoid the common mistake of picking a tree that’s too large for your space.

Choose your variety: Different types of trees have distinct features. For example, Fraser Firs are known for their strong scent and soft needles, while Blue Spruces offer a distinctive bluish hue and a more robust, spiky texture.

Bring tools: Most farms will provide saws for you to use, but you may want to bring gloves or your own cutting tools to ensure a smoother experience.

Dress appropriately: The weather can be chilly in Loudoun County during the holiday season and the hikes through the tree farms can be long, and sometime steep. Make sure to bundle up with warm clothes and sturdy footwear. n

Towns Round Hill Fire-Rescue Station Construction Underway

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Nearly a century after fire service was established in Round Hill, community leaders on Saturday celebrated the construction of a modern facility to serve the region’s first responders.

The new $29 million Station #4 will include four apparatus bays, gear storage and decontamination rooms, bunk rooms for 14 fire and rescue personnel, an exercise room and office space for both the Round Hill Volunteer and Loudoun County fire and rescue operations, all with LEED Silver certification. It is slated for final completion in spring 2026.

That will be far different than the town’s original fire-fighting operations.

Mayor Scott Ramsey said in Round Hill’s early days the town constable doubled as the first fire chief, in charge of the hand cart and hoses the town owned. In 1925, he said, town leaders made their first substantial capital investment in the fire service, paying $74 for an unpainted storage shed.

“I understand that this one’s going to cost a little bit more,” Ramsey said during the Nov. 16 groundbreaking ceremony.

The independent fire company formed in 1938 and built a station on Main Street. That structure was expanded several times in the past 86 years.

“It’s always been right there at the center of town—a beehive of activity. And it’s always been a pleasure to have the fire department be part of our community and be a source of light in the middle of our

town, Ramsey said. “Even though it’s now going to be out here on the outskirts, I’m confident that the Round Hill Fire Department will continue to be the heart of our community.”

Planning for the new station began nearly two decades ago. In 2007, voters approved funding for the project in a bond referendum.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin) highlighted the importance of providing a bigger, modern station.

“This past year, Round Hill Fire and Rescue has responded to over 1,100 incidents from emergency medical services to brush fires on challenging terrain like the Appalachian Trail,” Kershner said. “The new station will give our first responders the tools and space they need to continue to serve with excellence. This station is really a testament to what our community can achieve when working together to meet the needs of our community and their friends and their families.”

Randall, while noting the station would improve service to a first-due area with more than 10,000 residents, said one of the most important changes will be the modern decontamination operations to help reduce the risk of cancer firefighters face.

“The lives we’re also talking about are the lives of the first responders who are out here working, and not just what happens during that moment, but what happens 10 years, 15 years after you finish your service—to make sure that we put in place things that allows you to stay healthy for years to come,” she said.

AROUND towns

BLUEMONT

50 Years Later: Remembering Flight 514

The Bluemont Citizens Association will host a private ceremony for families of the 92 lives lost on TWA Flight 514 on Sunday, Dec. 1 — the 50th anniversary of the crash.

The ceremony will take place at the Bluemont Community Center, which served as the emergency operations center and morgue during the recovery effort.

Flight 514 crashed into the Blue Ridge above the village while on approach to Dulles Airport. There were no survivors. Thirty-two of the 92 onboard were U.S. military veterans.

The crash happened on private property and no memorial service was held. As part of the ceremony, the Citizens Association will unveil a bronze plaque and black granite memorial.

System Chief Keith Johnson praised the support the fire-rescue service receives from the public, the Board of Supervisors and county government administrators. With work also about to begin on a new station south of Leesburg, Johnson said his department will have five ongoing construction projects.

“I know of no other fire and rescue department in the country that had that many building projects underway,” he said. “… I can tell you, I travel around not only state, but the country conferences, I chair some boards, and I am probably the luckiest fire chief in the world. This is not normal.” n

Residents Take a Deeper into St. Louis Village Plan

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

St. Louis residents gathered with members of the Loudoun County Design Cabinet on Monday night to further refine the long-term vision for the rural community.

The village has been the focus of a twoyear planning effort to recognize, protect and invest in one of the county’s first Black communities in the face of increasing development pressures.

That work resulted in a St. Louis Village Plan that reached the Planning Commission for review in March. But it stopped

there as commission members said more details should be included.

Some of those details began to take shape Monday night with the help of the Design Cabinet, a group of architects, engineers and planners who conduct work sessions with the goal of improving community projects.

Landscape architect Mark Thomas focused the community discussion on ways to make the village more walkable, to slow traffic, and to create new public park spaces. A key question was whether the residents wanted to encourage village-scale commercial uses, such as a country store

or small businesses.

While there was unanimity on some issues—including the need to curb highspeed traffic on Rt. 611, to increase pedestrian safety, and to improve the appearance of the VDOT Area Headquarters complex at the village’s entrance—the prospect of promoting new businesses was met with skepticism.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said it was important for her to have clarity on the community concerns.

ST. LOUIS PLAN continues on page 30

It is considered among the most significant crashes in U.S. history, resulting in numerous aviation safety improvements. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy will be the ceremony’s keynote speaker.

While closed to the public, nearly 200 family members and over 50 airline personnel, first responders, government personnel, and military members have been invited to attend.

LOVETTSVILLE

Arena Wins by 6 Votes in Town Council Race

In the town’s only contested Town Council race in a year that saw all but one of the seats up for election, final results show Ann Arena beat out Charles Cooper by a mere six votes.

On election night, preliminary results showed Cooper ahead by two, but Arena gained ground from provisional ballots tallied this week. After all the votes were counted, 674 residents had voted for Arena, while 668 had voted for Cooper.

Her term is set to expire Dec. 31, 2026.

A third resident, one who did not

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 31

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Round Hill Mayor Scott Ramsey speaks during the Nov. 15 groundbreaking for the new Round Hill Fire-Rescue Station.

Purcellville Planning Staff Urges Changes to Proposed Zoning Ordinance

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Purcellville Town Council is continuing its review of the draft Zoning Ordinance proposed by the Planning Commission earlier this year. Director of Planning and Community Development Summer Wilkes is taking the council through each proposed change and highlighting area where her team disagrees with the commission.

Last month, Wilkes took the council through the first two sections of the ordinance covering an introduction and touching on the town’s base zoning districts. This week the council heard proposed changes to the base districts in more depth, the uses allowed in each district and details about overlay and historic districts.

The planning staff’s proposals varied on several topics from the draft ordinance approved by the commission. The most significant difference related to how the town would regulate residential areas. However, the end goal of preserving small-town charm is the same, Wilkes said.

“I would like to emphasize that it’s obvious that the Town of Purcellville is at a very critical juncture in its development,” she said during a Nov. 12 council meeting.

The town should be planning for what it will look like in 100 years, she said. An important part of that is recognizing the

difference between suburban and core town areas. Suburban sprawl should be regulated differently than the downtown area, which residents love, she said.

“Properly paced infill development will increase the character and charm. When you grow according to a charming DNA, you’re going to get more charm,” Wilkes said. “The more you develop, the more charming it gets. You’re going to grow the tax base, make your infrastructure more efficient, mitigate future growth pressure, make the town more walkable, create more reliable civic spaces, relieve the need for annexation and yes, reduce the water bill. And I can say that with absolute confidence.”

The commission’s draft ordinance includes four residential zoning districts and a legacy residential district, each with distinct uses and regulations. Wilkes instead proposed taking a street-by-street approach, saying that each neighborhood is different and cannot be properly regulated solely by the proposed residential district.

The Residential-2 District is based on suburban standards and would make the majority of its small-town style lots nonconforming. The only true R-2 neighborhood within the town is Catoctin Meadows, she said.

Taking her alternate street-by-street approach—also known as form-based code that regulates building designs more so than uses—would individualize requirements based on the character of the

neighborhood, rather than implementing broad standards.

“We recognize that every neighborhood is a little bit different,” she said.

Wilkes also said that several standards included in various districts were not necessary, redundant or limited options for property owners too much.

The commission looked at all of Purcellville’s lots from the county’ government’s GIS mapping platform to create by-right parameters in each district.

“They measured lot sizes, floor-area ratios, impervious surface ratios, open space ratios and so on and building heights,” she said. “… The general approach was that if you fell within a certain parameter, it would be a by-right condition, if you fell outside each of these parameters, you would need to have some form of special use permit.”

The proposed parameters are “overly complicated,” she said, adding that restrictions proposed within the mixed commercial district were also unnecessary.

Standards for the Mixed Commercial District in the proposed draft include a maximum lot size of 2.1 acres for neighborhood scale and 10.85 acres for medium scale.

“This is a very specific standard, which I believe, is probably key to actual parcels, essentially. It is very odd to have 10.85. Essentially it probably has the idea of locking a parcel in place without the ability for future subdivisions,” Wilkes said.

Those restrictions are unnecessary,

St. Louis Plan

continued from page 29

“It doesn’t make any sense to go down the road to talk about commercial if the room is saying we don’t want commercial. If the room is saying we want to talk about commercial then we can have that discussion about where and how and what and that type of thing,” Randall said. “I just don’t want to walk out of here believing I know what people want but being incorrect or not respecting your voices and the history,” she said.

Following the two-hour work session, the Design Cabinet members will work up a series of recommendations that could be integrated into the Village Plan as the commission picks up its review.

Meanwhile, county leaders are working on other projects to support the St. Louis community.

Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little

she said.

The draft ordinance would also combine both current industrial districts into one larger designation. Wilkes said her team recommended keeping both, a lighter and a higher intensity option depending on where in town a property is located.

Industrial areas closer to residential neighborhoods, such as Mayfair, should be for lighter intensity uses, Planner Jordan Andrews said, while industrial areas such as parcels along Hirst Road, which is bordered by Rt. 7, could be for higher intensity uses.

“There is a difference, and we think we should keep that difference,” he said.

Other staff proposed changes include keeping duplexes permitted in the R-3 District, eliminating equestrian facility from R-2, adding private and technical school uses to the Agricultural Conservancy District, adding technical school to IG District, adding assisted living facility to the Agricultural Conservancy District as a special exception use, not to adopt the West End Overlay District, combine all three downtown overlay districts into one, create a historic downtown master plan, convert the east main overlay district to a base district and design a master plan and continue to allow one foot of rise in floodplains within the overlay district.

The council has not made any changes to the draft ordinance. A public hearing is expected to be held Dec. 10. n

River) said that following a previous community meeting, the county has conducted a speed study with the hopes of winning VDOT approval for a crosswalk on Rt. 611 and is working with a contractor to find a location for a telecommunications tower to improve connectivity for area residents.

Also, the School Board is advancing plans for a $39 million renovation and expansion of Banneker Elementary School at the heart of the village.

At the meeting Chuck Kuhn, whose family purchased the 42-acre Mojax property in the village area in 2021 at the request of county supervisors to block plans for a residential subdivision, said work to place that land under conservation easement could be complete by the end of the year. He also suggested that the Middleburg Training track property, also purchased by the family, could be a suitable location for a telecommunications tower to serve the area. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Loudoun County Design Cabinet member Zac Lette works with St. Louis residents to mark up a village map with options for sidewalks and traffic calming elements.

AROUND towns continued from page 29

appear on the ballot, will be joining Arena on the dais in January after Joy Pritz, who garnered the third most votes in the regular Town Council election, declined the seat.

David Smith, who serves on the Planning Commission, received 265 write-in votes.

Smith and Arena will join returning council members Tom Budnar, Stuart Stahl, David Earl and Mayor Christopher Hornbaker who each ran unopposed.

Book Donations Open for Christmas Celebration

Each year during the town’s tree lighting ceremony, books are wrapped as gifts for Santa and his elves to give to each child attending the celebration.

The town is looking for book donations to be used during the event. Books will be accepted at the Town Hall until Dec. 4 and can be left in the box on the front porch.

MIDDLEBURG

Council Approves Purchase of 2 Police Cruisers

Two weeks after approving a pilot police recruitment program that will allow officers to take their cruisers home between shifts, the Town Council on Nov. 14 authorized the purchase of two new cars for the fleet.

The pair of hybrid Ford Police Interceptors will cost nearly $93,000 to purchase and outfit.

The purchase will give the department six active vehicles—one for each of the authorized full time staff members—and allow the department to decommission one seven-year-old cruiser and convert two other high-milage

vehicle for use as spares or for parttime officers.

PURCELLVILLE

Make a Pinecone Birdfeeder at Chapman DeMary Trail

Residents are invited to make pinecone birdfeeders and Christmas tree ornaments at Chapman DeMary Trail on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The event is free but attendees are encouraged to register on at the town’s website at purcellvilleva.gov tob ensure there is enough supplies. Residents can make two birdfeeders – one to place along the trail and one to take home.

The walk through the trail is hosted by the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Arts Council and the Parks and the Tree and Environmental Sustainability Committee.

Holiday Light Tour Map

Slots Open until Dec. 4

Residents interested in being part of the town’s annual Holiday Light Tour have until Dec. 4 to register and be included in the town’s virtual map.

Decorated homes and businesses qualify to be included and help spread holiday cheer. Members of the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will drive by each registered address by Dec. 9 to verify the decorations are set.

The map will go online Saturday, Dec. 14. Register on the town’s website at purcellvilleva.gov under Events and Activities, Holidays in Purcellville. n

Lovettsville Council Weighs Change in Population Threshold Request

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The most recent census conducted shows Lovettsville’s population has reached 2,694 residents within the town’s boundaries – that number has caused increasing concern among Town Council members who worry over the increased local responsibilities that come to a town with more than 3,500 residents.

There are many changes that a town is required to enact after hitting that threshold including requiring candidates to submit their economic interests disclosures to the general registrars during elections, stricter disclosure statements from council members and some town employees and establishing a personnel policy for public property.

The town would also be required to submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development with the amount of revenue collected over the year in connection with the processing, reviewing, and permitting of applications for residential land development and construction activities.

The change also requires a yearly audit of all the town’s accounts and records.

However, perhaps the most significant difference would be a requirement for the town to maintain its own roads.

Currently, Virginia Code allows the state to maintain, improve and construct streets and highways within towns with fewer than 3,500 residents. Once that threshold has been reached, control over the roadways diverts to the town.

In Loudoun County, only Leesburg and Purcellville are subject to the requirements.

During a Nov. 7 Town Council meeting, the members discussed adding language to its legislative agenda to seek an increase to the 3,500 threshold.

“Is the council interested in initiating conversations for discussion by the General Assembly in raising the minimum population requirement for maintenance

of roads from 3,500 to any number beyond that? And the notion is that that has been in place for decades as a proportion to the state’s population,” Town Manger Jason Cournoyer said.

Virginia’s population has grown dramatically over the past two decades, possibly leaving the 3,500-requirement outdated, he said.

Cournoyer said it was a “large ask” of the General Assembly, but that there could be some benefit in at least beginning the conversations around it.

Council Member Brandon Davis said he had brought the idea forward after wondering why the threshold is set at 3,500.

“Was it arbitrary? Did it come from a time when it was a more significant portion of Virginias population?” he asked. He agreed the idea would likely not gain traction quickly, but that the proposal started the conversation in the right direction.

Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said he wanted to be clear that the council is not supporting the town’s growth beyond 3,500 residents, stating its current size is part of what makes Lovettsville special.

“That would be a material change to what I would call one of the foundational tenants of our small town,” he said.

Davis agreed, adding the move is more of a precaution.

“The goal is to help the town mitigate what would no doubt be an extensive tax burden on the town,” he said. “… The effort that will be made is not to advocate for allowing the tenant to blow out its numbers, it’s recognizing our demographic realities over the course of the next few years, the census lock you mentioned and then the inordinate tax burden that comes with essentially booming town staff, implementing all these other things.”

The council did not take a vote on whether to include the issue in its legislative agenda but is expected to make a final vote on the document at its Nov. 21 meeting. n

Obituaries

Barbara Ellmore

October 5, 1940November 12, 2024

Barbara Ellmore passed away peacefully on November 12, 2024 at her home. She was born on October 5, 1940 in Hamilton, VA to Arthur K. Paxson, Jr. and Alice S. Paxson.

Barbara grew up at her family home in Hamilton and graduated from Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, VA in 1958. On July 24, 1960 she married the love of her life, Harry E. Ellmore Jr. and they began their marital journey of 64 years after 3 years of dating for a total of 67 years together.

Barbara began her career at C&P Telephone Company in 1960. After the birth of her first child Harry in 1963, she decided to become a stay-at-home mother. During this time her love of flowers that was instilled in her by her mother, prompted her husband to purchase her a small greenhouse that was constructed at her home by her father-in-law. In 1973, on the advice of a friend she started selling her extra plants she had grown from seeds and cuttings to the community. This was the beginning of her family business Ellmore’s Garden Center. She ran the business along with her husband, son and daughter for almost 50 years. The quality of her plants and flowers was unmatched in the area and her clients came from neighboring counties and even out of state to purchase them. Barbara’s motto was that “if a plant or flower is not good enough for my garden it’s not good enough for others.”

Barbara is survived by her husband Harry and her daughter Renea (James Tumblin). She was predeceased by her son Harry Ellmore, III. Family, friends, and others attended Hall Funeral Home in Purcellville, VA on November 18, 2024 to reminisce and honor Barbara’s life. Her burial was held at Union Cemetery at 323 N. King St, Leesburg, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Barbara Ellmore’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105, or www.stjude.org

LIVE MUSIC

DYLAN WOELFEL

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

DUCK CHUCK GOOSE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

COWBOY MOUTH

7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $30. tallyhotheater.com

GYPSY JAZZ

7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne. lwva.org

GARY JAY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Horseshoe Curve Restaurant, 1162 Pine Grove Road, Bluemont. facebook.com/Horseshoecurve

DAVID ANDREW SMITH

4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Three Creeks Winery, 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton. 3creekswinery.com

BLUEGRASS JAM

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery, 13274 Sagle Road, Hillsboro. notaviva.com

ANNA WILSON

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

CARY WIMBISH

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

HILARY VELTRI

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

LOCAL BOY TIMMY

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Hillsboro. harpersferrybrewing.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 34

Harvest to Bottle: Chrysalis Set to Release First Taste of 2024

The harvest was completed just weeks ago, but wine lovers will get their first taste of this year’s grapes starting Saturday when Chrysalis Vineyards offers its 2024 Norton Nouveau.

The winery says it is the first Beaujolais Nouveau-style wine to be made in Virginia and will be the first 2024 vintage to be released in the state.

Attributed to winemakers in Beaujolais, France, Beaujolais Nouveau is traditionally made with the Gamay grapes that are put through carbonic maceration. The process involves whole grape clusters being held in an anaerobic environment to trigger an enzymatic reaction that converts malic acid into alcohol. The resulting fresh and fruity wine is commonly served around the holidays in the same year it is produced.

Chrysalis’ Norton Nouveau is made from grapes that were harvested on Oct. 10 and bottled just five weeks later. The wine is described as having “notes of red plum, figs and lavender along with flavors of blueberries, morello cherries, with the classic Beaujolais bubblegum character.”

Chrysalis owner Jennifer McCloud and winemaker Jake Blodinger will unveil the wine during a ticketed release party at 6 p.m. Nov. 21, after which it will be available in the Middleburg-area tasting room.

Learn more at chrysaliswine.com. n

BEST BETS

WINGER

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $50. tallyhotheater.org

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 33

NATHANIEL DAVIS

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

SHANE CLICK

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

LINDA ANDERSEN AND FRIENDS

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

C’est Bon, 6 W. Loudoun St., Round Hill. savoirfarelimited.com/cest-bon

ONE BLUE NIGHT

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

LEROY BURKS BAND DUO

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JASON MASI

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com

ANNIE STOKES

6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Velocity Wings, 20 Town Square, Lovettsville. velocitywings.com

HOMEY DON’T PLAY DAT

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

WINGER

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $50. tallyhotheater.org

SCOTT KURT

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

ON THE BORDER

8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Ion Arena, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $35 ionarena.com

THE WAVOS

9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22

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

MIKE KUSTER

12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Boot Barn, 1021 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg. bootbarn.com

COLDSTREAM

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

NICK ANDREW STAVER

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Casanel Vineyards and Winery, 17956 Canby Road, Leesburg. casanelvineyards.com

LUKE ANDREWS

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

CLARK PEKLO

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

ANDY B

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

TIMMIE METZ

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

MATT BURRIDGE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

BRIAN FRANKE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

SCOTT KURT

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

ALEX BARNETT

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

BRYAN STUTZMAN

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

LOST CORNER VAGABONDS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

JASON MASI

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

DAN FISK

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie.

quattrogoombas.com

MIKE MCCABE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. twotwistedposts.com

JOEY HAFNER

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

STEVE BOYD & FRIENDS

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

TWO FOR THE ROAD

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

AMOROUS THEFT

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

DAVID GOODRUM

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

TRAIL MIX BAND

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

THE FOUR HORSEMEN

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $20. tallyhotheater.com

TORREY B

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 35

One of the biggest metal bands of the 1980s rocks the Tally Ho stage. Alan Scott Band opens.

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 34

THE NIGHTWORK BAND

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

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

LAUREN & PAUL

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

SCOTT KURT

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

BRITTON JAMES

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

ELEMENTS OF KINDRED

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

LINDSAY AUSTIN DUO

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

ZACH JONES

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

ANDREW ODAY

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

COLE DOUGLAS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

PICTROLA

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road NW., Leesburg. library.loudoun.gov/Rust

LUKE JOHNSON

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

DAN CRONIN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

CARY WIMBISH

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

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

JOSEPH R. MONASTERIAL

4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com

KANIN WREN

6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. tallyhotheater.com

BRIAN HARRIS

5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27

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

ROOK RICHARDS

5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27

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

COWPOKE

7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

DALEX

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 Rio Cantina, 21800 Towncenter Plaza, Sterling. facebook.com/RioCantinaSterling

HAPPENINGS

NICHOLAS CRESSWELL PROGRAM

6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 Loudoun Museum, 16 Loudoun St. SW., Leesburg. $20. loudounmuseum.com

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21

7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24

St. Paul VI Catholic High School, 42341 Braddock Road, Chantilly. $15. paulvi.net/fine-arts

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE

8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Claude Moore Nonprofit Training Center, 714 E. Market St., Leesburg. $25. communityfoundationlf.org

BOOK LAUNCH: THE PENTASCALE DANCE BY LITTLE CHORDS

4:45 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

Studio 428, 428 Madison Trade Plaza SE., Leesburg. $40. studioat428.com

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22

1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Capital Community Church, 20430 Ashburn Village Blvd., Ashburn. $20. thepickwickplayers.com

BIRDING SWEET RUN

8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Sweet Run State Park, 11661 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. loudounwildlife.org

BETTERALIFE’S TURKEY TROT 5K

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 Franklin Park, 17501 Franklin Park Dr., Purcellville potomac.enmotive.com

HOLIDAY BAZAAR AND SILENT AUCTION

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23

Harmony United Methodist Church, 380 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton. harmonyva.org

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

COMPREHENSIVE PARKS & RECREATION MASTER PLAN

The Town of Leesburg will accept sealed proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, for the following:

RFP NO. 100412-FY25-32

COMPREHENSIVE PARKS & RECREATION MASTER PLAN

The Town of Leesburg (the “Town”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide consulting services to develop a 20year comprehensive master plan for the Parks & Recreation Department.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 11/21/24

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE

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

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

NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

Bids in the form of a proposed agreement are invited by the Town of Purcellville, Virginia, for the grant of a nonexclusive franchise permitting franchisee(s) to use the public rights-of-ways in the Town for the design, installation, provision, operation, maintenance, repair, control, upgrade, construction, and removal of a telecommunications system to be used to provide telecommunications services, not including cable services, in the Town.

The terms and conditions for the franchise are attached to the ordinance and are on the Town’s website at: https://www.purcellvilleva.gov/590/land-development-construction

The term of the franchise is negotiable but is anticipated to be for a term of 25 years. All bids are to be submitted in writing in the format of the telecommunications franchise agreement on the Town website above and additional documents required by the terms and specifications. The bid documents are to be sent to Boyd Lawrence, Planning Manager, blawrence@purcellvilleva.gov by e-mail or by mail to 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia, 20132, before 4:30 pm eastern standard time, December 2, 2024. At that time, bids shall be publicly opened and announced.

In addition, identification of the bidders shall be announced in open session of the Town Council of the Town of Purcellville in the Council Chambers, Town Hall, 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia, 20132, on December 10, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. eastern time. At the December 10, 2024 meeting, the Mayor shall refer the bids received to the Town Manager and/or Town staff to evaluate, review and consider in the manner prescribed by law, including the selection of, and negotiation of a franchise agreement with a responsive bidder. As soon thereafter as practicable, the Town Manager and/or Staff will recommend the successful bidder and present the negotiated franchise agreement for consideration and approval by Town Council.

The Town reserves the right, in the Town Manager’s sole discretion, to reject any and all bids; to terminate negotiations at any stage of the selection process; and to reissue the request for bids with or without modification. The descriptive notice of the proposed franchise ordinance is as follows:

The proposed ordinance will grant a nonexclusive franchise, under certain conditions, permitting the grantee to use the public rights-of-ways in the Town of Purcellville, for the design, installation, provision, operation, maintenance, repair, control, upgrade, construction, and removal of a telecommunications system to be used to provide Telecommunications Services, not including cable services. (Complete text of the ordinance and draft franchise agreement are available in the office of Planning and Community Development).

11/14 & 11/21/24

ABC LICENSE

My Peruvian Cuisine LLC, trading as Sabor a Barrio Peruvian Restobar, 20921 Davenport Drive, Suite 134, Sterling, VA 20165. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Restaurant, Wine, Beer, Mixed Beverages application, Consumed On and Off Premises.

Elizabeth Obitas Vargas, owner.

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.

11/21 & 11/28/24

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047156-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aleszandra Bywater

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

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

It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 17, 2024 at 2:00pm.

11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 11/28/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045449-04, -05, 06, -07

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Cristino Membreno, putative father and Uknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno and hold a hearing on the Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Cristino Membreno, putative father and Unknown Father, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno. Cristino Membreno, putative father and Unknown Father, are hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of their residual parental rights with respect to Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno. Cristino

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

It is ORDERED that the defendant Cristino Membreno, putative father and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 17, 2024 at 11:00am.

11/14, 11/21, 11/28 & 12/05/24

ONLINE.

TOWN OF MIDDLEBURG VACANCIES – TOWN COMMITTEES

The Middleburg Town Council is accepting applications/letters of interest/resumes from individuals who wish to be considered for service on the following committees:

Middleburg Planning Commission. The Planning Commission prepares and recommends to the Town Council a comprehensive plan for the growth, development and redevelopment of the Town; amendments to the zoning and subdivision regulations; and policies, ordinances and administrative procedures for achieving plans in a coordinated and efficient manner. The Planning Commission also makes recommendations concerning proposed special use permits, zoning map and text amendment applications. Members must be residents of the Town of Middleburg. Appointments are for four-year terms. Training is available for members of the Planning Commission through the Virginia Certified Planning Commissioners Program at no cost to the members. The Town Council encourages new members to take advantage of this training opportunity. The Planning Commission meets on the fourth Monday of each month in a work session beginning at 6:30 p.m. (as needed) and in regular session beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC). EDAC is responsible for making recommendations to the Town Council on tourism/economic development activities including but not limited to business development; retention and assistance; branding and marketing; downtown infill and recruitment; promotion of multiple commercial and social uses of the downtown for visitors and residents; and infrastructure necessary to support public events and the business community. Members currently serve one-year terms; although, this will soon change. EDAC generally meets on a monthly basis on the fourth Monday of the month at 9:00 a.m.; and, in work session on an as-needed basis.

Middleburg Strategic Finance Committee (MSFC). The MSFC is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Town Council for changes to the Town’s financial policies, as advisable; recommending long-range financial policies regarding the investment of the Town’s reserve funds; recommending tax and revenue policies based on a review of the Town’s tax structures and larger economic trends and factors in a long-term planning sense; and, making recommendations as needed on debt restructuring or the Town’s borrowing policy based on a review of the annual budget, debt structures, financial borrowing capacity and long-term capital and financial needs. Applicants should have a strong financial services or banking background, preferably with some experience related to local government finances. MSFC members currently serve two-year terms; although, this will soon change. The MSFC meets a minimum of once a quarter, with the meeting dates and times to be established by the Committee.

Anyone interested in serving on any of these committees is asked to apply online at https://middleburgva.gov/242/Board-Vacancies or send a letter of interest/resume, to include any relevant qualifications, no later than December 31, 2024 to the following:

Mayor and Members of Town Council Town of Middleburg P. O. Box 187 10 W. Marshall Street

Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Attn: Committee Vacancies

Applications and letters of interest may be included in a public agenda packet. Applicants who do not wish for their contact information to be made public should indicate this in their letter of interest/ application.

11/21 & 11/28/24

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLREZN2023-0001 OAKLAWN LAND BAYS A AND MUC2

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLREZN2023-0001 Oaklawn Land Bays A and MUC2.

The Subject Properties are in the Oaklawn development and consist of three parcels totaling approximately 32.0278 acres and are further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN) 233-38-8942, 233-30-4276 and 233-30-1486. The Subject Properties are zoned PEC (Planned Employment Center District) and PRN (Planned Residential Neighborhood District) and subject to the H-2 Historic Corridor Architectural Control Overlay District (Proffered).

Rezoning Application TLREZN2023-0001 is a request by Oaklawn LLC to revise the concept plan and proffers for TLZM-2014-0004 for Land Bay A and TLZM-2015-0001 for MUC2 to allow the following:

Land Bay A: Permit development of up to 450,000 square feet of data center use

Land Bay MUC2: Permit the development of up to 184 multi-family affordable dwelling units

Both land bays are located in areas described by the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (Town Plan) as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan page 72). The property is further designated as a “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan page 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for nonresidential uses associated with an Innovation Center. The requested density for the residential units associated with Land Bay MUC2 is approximately 33 dwelling units per acre. The proposed maximum commercial F.A.R. of Land Bay A is approximately 0.39.

Modifications: The application includes four (4) requested modifications to the requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations for buffer yard, number of parking spaces, outdoor lighting, and open space.

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development, 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Christopher Murphy at 703-7377009 or cmurphy@leesburgva.gov.

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

11/21 & 11/28/24

Public Notice

The Town of Leesburg Residential Traffic Commission Vacancy

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting applications for a vacancy on the Residential Traffic Commission. Due to the Town Code requirement that all four quadrants of the Town be represented on the Commission, the vacancy must be filled by a resident residing in the Northwest quadrant of the Town of Leesburg. Citizens interested in serving on the commission can find additional information, membership requirements, or may apply via the Town’s web site at: www.leesburgva.gov/government/boards-and-commissions. Applications will be kept on file for one year. Any questions can be sent to the Clerk of Council via email at eboeing@leesburgva.gov.

11/14, 11/21/24

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

LEESBURG TOWN CODE AMENDMENTS:

CHAPTER 30 (STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES), ARTICLE I (IN GENERAL), SECTION 30-10 (REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE FROM SIDEWALKS); and CHAPTER 32 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES), ARTICLE VIII (SNOW EMERGENCIES)

Pursuant to Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 15.2-900, 15.2-901, 15.2-1115, and 15.2-1427, and 46.2-1302, the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:

Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA

at which time the public shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on proposed amendments to the Town Code: Chapter 30 (Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places), Article I (In General), Section 30-10 (Removal of snow and ice from sidewalks); and Chapter 32 (Traffic and Vehicles), Article VIII (Snow Emergencies). The proposed amendments to Section 30-10 will clarify owner and occupant responsibility for clearing accumulations of winter precipitation, clarify the types of winter precipitation that must be removed from sidewalks, and give the Town Manager the discretion during severe weather conditions to suspend deadlines for clearing winter precipitation from sidewalks. The proposed amendments to Chapter 32, Article VIII will refine procedures for declaring a snow or weather emergency.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733.

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

11/21 &11/28/24

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION

TLSPEX2024-0005 POTOMAC STATION DUNKIN DONUTS DRIVE-THROUGH

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0005, Potomac Station Dunkin Donuts Drive-Through.

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

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

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

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Department of Community Development at (703) 771-2765 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

11/21 & 11/28/24

FIND LOCAL EVENTS

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, December 11, 2024, in order to consider:

PROPOSED 2025 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

Each year the Board of Supervisors adopts a Legislative Program demonstrating its priority statements, legislative initiatives, and policy statements for the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly. By adopting a Legislative Program, the Board requests Loudoun’s General Assembly delegation to introduce specific legislation of importance to the County. The Program also indicates the County’s position on various legislative issues, and provides direction for the County’s staff and contract lobbyists if bills on those topics are introduced. The Board is seeking input from the public on the proposed 2025 Legislative Program. Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and express their views on the proposed 2025 Legislative Program.

A copy of the Board of Supervisors’ 2025 proposed Legislative Program is 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 by calling the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200 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.

DOAM-2024-0002, LOUDOUN COUNTY LAND SUBDIVSION AND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND LOUDOUN COUNTY FACILITIES STANDARDS MANUAL AMENDMENTS DAM BREAK INUNDATION ZONES (Development Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-2204, the Virginia Dam Safety Act (Virginia Code §10.1-604 et seq.) and Virginia Impounding Structure Regulations (4VAC50-20-10, et seq.), and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on September 17, 2024, notice is hereby given of proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO) and the Loudoun County Facilities Standards Manual (FSM) to incorporate Virginia Code and Virginia Administrative Code requirements for state-regulated impounding structures. These amendments will propose revisions to Chapter 1245 of the LSDO, and Chapters 5 and 8 of the FSM, and such other Chapters, Sections, Subsections, and provisions of the LSDO and FSM as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typos within, update internal cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of, the above-mentioned Chapters of the LSDO and FSM. The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes listed in Section 15.2-2200 of the Code of Virginia and to assure the orderly subdivision of land and its development and the public necessity, convenience, and general welfare.

Description of proposed amendments to the LSDO:

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1245, Development Standards, include without limitation the following:

• Establish new Section 1245.15, Development in Mapped Dam Break Inundation Zones, to require development in mapped dam break inundation zones to comply with applicable FSM standards.

Description of proposed amendments to the FSM:

Proposed amendments to FSM Chapter 5, Water Resource Management, include without limitation the following:

• Renumber existing FSM Section 5.500, References, to FSM Section 5.600, and establish new FSM Section 5.500, Development in Mapped Dam Break Inundation Zones, to implement State requirements for development in mapped dam break inundation zones regarding the following:

o Review of the dam break inundation zone map for the affected impounding structure,

o Notification of the affected impounding structure’s owner,

o Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) determination of potential impacts of the proposed development on the spillway design flood standards required for the impounding structure, and

o Actions the developer or subdivider must take if DCR determines that said preliminary plat, construction plans and profiles, or site plan would change the spillway design flood standards for the impounding structure.

Proposed amendments to FSM Chapter 8, Administrative Procedures, include without limitation the following:

• Establish new FSM Subsection 8.101.A.22, Mapped Dam Break Inundation Zones, regarding required information and notes to be depicted for dam break inundation zones,

• Add “Mapped Dam Break Inundation Zones (see 8.101)” as a requirement for the following:

o 8.102 Preliminary Plat of Subdivision (SBPL),

o 8.103 Plats for Subdivision and Other Miscellaneous Plats,

o 8.103.6 Easement Plats – Creation and Vacation,

o 8.103.7 Dedication/Vacation Plats (DEDI),

o 8.103.8 AR-1 and AR-2 Division Plats (SBBD),

o 8.106 Construction Plans and Profiles (CPAP), and

o 8.107 Site Plans (STPL) and Rural Economy Site Plans (REST).

DOAM-2024-0003, LOUDOUN COUNTY LAND SUBDIVSION AND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND LOUDOUN COUNTY FACILITIES STANDARDS MANUAL AMENDMENTS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE (Development Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-2204, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on September 17, 2024, notice is hereby given of proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO) and the Loudoun County Facilities Standards Manual (FSM) that are necessary to implement ZOAM-2020-0001, Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, that resulted in the adoption of a new Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance). Contemporaneously with the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance, the Board adopted a resolution that authorized and directed the Director of Building and Development (Director) to issue Interim Technical and Procedural Newsletters (Tech Memos) as needed to implement the Zoning Ordinance and prevent delays in processing land development applications. The first three Tech Memos were issued by the Director on June 13, 2024, with an effective date of July 25, 2024, and provided interim standards regarding Land Engineering, Natural Resources, and Land Planning necessary to implement the Zoning Ordinance. DOAM-2023-0003 proposes to formally adopt and incorporate into the LSDO and FSM, as appropriate, the standards provided by the aforesaid three Tech Memos. These amendments will propose revisions to Chapters 1241, 1243, 1244, and 1245 of the LSDO, and Chapters 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the FSM, and such other Chapters, Sections, Subsections, and provisions of the LSDO and FSM as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typos within, update internal cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of, the above-mentioned Chapters of the LSDO and FSM. The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes listed in Section 15.2-2200 of the Code of Virginia and to assure the orderly subdivision of land and its development and the public necessity, convenience, and general welfare.

Description of proposed amendments to the LSDO:

Proposed amendments to all sections of the LSDO include without limitation the following:

• Update and correct cross references in the LSDO to replace specific references to the Zoning Ordinance with general references to the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1241.05, Definitions, include without limitation the following:

• Revise the definition of “Originating Tract” in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance definition of “Originating Tract.”

• Revise the definition of “Alleys” in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance to add a list of zoning districts where alleys are permitted to serve as primary access under certain circumstances.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1243.05.2, Low Density Development Waivers, include without limitation the following:

• Delete this section, as Low Density Development Waivers are no longer permitted under the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1243.10, Construction Plans and Profiles, include without limitation the following:

• Delete the reference to Section 6-1509 of the Zoning Ordinance, as submitting a preliminary plat in conjunction with a rezoning application is no longer permitted under the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1244.01, Applicability of Site Plan Regulations, include without limitation the following:

• Replace duplicative regulations with a cross reference to the Zoning Ordinance.

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Legal Notices

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1245.02, Private Access Easement Roads and Private Streets, include without limitation the following:

• Revise private access road requirements in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1245.02.1, Class III Roads, include without limitation the following:

• Delete this section because the requirements are inconsistent with the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to LSDO Section 1245.02.2, Private Access Easement - Low Density Residential Development, include without limitation the following:

• Delete this section, as Low Density Development Waivers are no longer permitted under the Zoning Ordinance.

Description of proposed amendments to the FSM:

Proposed amendments to all sections of the FSM include without limitation the following:

• Replace references to the Mountainside Development Overlay District (MDOD) with Mountainside Overlay District (MOD) in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

• Replace references to “communal” water systems, water supply, sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, systems, and wells with “community” water systems, water supply, sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, and wells in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to FSM Chapter 4, Transportation, include without limitation the following:

• Revise Section 4.330.D.3.f, Alleys, in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance to add a list of zoning districts where alleys are permitted to serve as primary access under certain circumstances

• Revise Section 4.400.B, Geometrics, to establish new parking geometry and identification standards for motorcycle parking spaces and stacking standards for drive-through facilities or similar designated pickup or delivery zones in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

Proposed amendments to FSM Chapter 7, Environmental Design Standards, include without limitation the following:

• Revise Section 7.110, General Requirements, to provide lighting and photometric plan standards in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance and delete the exception for the Planned Development –Countryside Village (PD-CV) zoning district, which no longer exists under the Zoning Ordinance.

• Reformatted Section 7.120, Lighting Standards, to clarify standards.

• Revise Section 7.301, Landscape Plantings, to add a cross-reference to the Zoning Ordinance regarding minimum sizes required for each plant.

• Revise Section 7.302, Tree Conservation and Landscape Plans, to:

o Establish a new standard to identify cultivars on the tree planting schedule.

o Establish new standards for professionals who are permitted to prepare Tree Conservation and Landscape Plans in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

o Establish new planting standards regarding compliance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Plant Material Requirements in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance and add a reference to the Virginia Stormwater BMP Clearinghouse.

o Establish new standards for addressing previously compacted soils.

o Establish new standards regarding tree proximity to any restrictive barriers, such as curbs, walls, sidewalks, and other paved areas for new plantings used to meet canopy, landscaping, and/or buffering and screening requirements.

o Establish new diversity requirements for shrubs.

o Revise the Sample Landscape Table to add a Native column and correct the Scientific and Common Name columns.

• Establish new Section 7.306, Tree Cover Inventory, regarding tree cover inventory map standards for projects located within the Mountainside Overlay District and Public Water/Sewer Utility Lines in RSCR Adjacent Steep Slopes or Very Steep Slope Areas or Special Exceptions for Errors in Very Steep Slopes in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

• Revise Chapter 7, Table 3 – Trees and Shrubs to: identify “Native Plant, Regional Native” and Small Deciduous Trees and Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs with conspicuous flowers in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance; correct Scientific and Common Names, and other terminology used in Table 3; add or delete certain Large Deciduous, Small Deciduous, and Evergreen trees, and Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs; delete the designation for Parking Lot plantings; add species to the designation for Overhead Utility Line plantings; and revise the Canopy Coverage of certain tree species.

Proposed amendments to FSM Chapter 8, Administrative Procedures, include without limitation the following:

• Revise Sections 8.106, Construction Plans and Profiles, and 8.107, Site Plans (STPL) and Rural Economy Site Plans (REST), to establish new standards for plans to include data regarding photometric plans in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

• Revise Sections 8.103, Plats for Subdivision and Other Miscellaneous Plats, 8.106, Construction Plans and Profiles, and 8.107, Site Plans (STPL) and Rural Economy Site Plans (REST), to establish new standards for plats and plans to include designations, tabulations, and calculations regarding affordable housing (Affordable Dwelling Units (ADUs), Unmet Housing Needs Units (UHNUs), and Affordable Housing Units (AHUs)) in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

• Revise Sections 8.102, Preliminary Plat of Subdivision (SBPL), 8.103, Plats for Subdivision and Other Miscellaneous Plats, and 8.107, Site Plans (STPL) and Rural Economy Site Plans (REST), to establish new standards for a written agreement regarding provision of ADUs if fewer than 24 dwelling units are proposed in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.

• Delete Section 8.103.C.10, regarding two year maintenance contracts for private communal (community) water and/or sewer systems, as new communal (community) systems are no longer are permitted under the Zoning Ordinance.

Copies of the proposed amendments listed above 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 call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents may may be reviewed electronically at loudoun. gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments

LEGI-2023-0099, KINCORA VILLAGE CENTER LAND BAY N: SPEX-2023-0033 (Special Exception)

Covenant Capital Partners LLC has submitted an application for a special exception for approximately 1.81acres of land located along the east side of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061), west of Sully Road (Route 28), and north of Gloucester Parkway (Route 2150) in the Broad Run Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: PIN 042-49-4764-000 and Tax Map #s /80/W/1///N2C. For SPEX-2023-0033, the applicant seeks to permit a car wash in the Planned Development – Mixed Use Business Legacy Suburban zoning district under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance

LEGI-2023-0096, STRATUS SUBSTATION: CMPT-2023-0013, ZCPA-2023-0007, and SPMI-2023-0031 (Commission Permit, Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, and Minor Special Exception)

Virginia Electric Power Company has submitted applications for the following: a commission permit, a zoning concept plan amendment, and special exception for approximately 96.74 acres of land located a quarter mile north of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267) at the northwest intersection of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 606) and Shellhorn Road (Route 643) (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: 22210 Loudoun County Parkway, Ashburn, Virginia, old PIN: 062-256361-000, new PIN: 089-20-8954-000, old Tax Map# /79////////V1/, and new Tax Map #: /79AJ/2/// LC4/. For CMPT-2023-001, the applicant seeks to a commission permit to allow a Utility, Major (Utility Substation) under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance For ZCPA-2023-0007, the applicant seeks to amend Proffer III.C to revise the 15-foot wall height to a 12-foot wall height with exception to the western boundary that fronts Loudoun County Parkway. For SPMI-2023-0031 the applicant seeks a minor special exception to waive the landscape buffer planting requirements along the northern and southeastern perimeters. The applications are being processed under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution, dated December 13, 2023.

LEGI-2023-0111, OCEAN COURT SUBSTATION:

CMPT-2023-0007 & SPEX-2024-0030

(Commission Permit & Special Exception)

Dominion Energy Virginia has submitted applications for a commission permit and special exception, for approximately 17.02 acres of land located just west of Pacific Blvd (Route 1036), south of Moran Rd (Route 634) and north of Relocation Drive (Route 775) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: 22429 Pacific Boulevard, Sterling, Virginia, PIN: 045-49-4862-000, and Tax Map # /94/////////4/. For CMPT-2023-0007, the applicant seeks a commission permit to allow the development of a “Major Utility” substation in the IP zoning district, pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance). For SPEX-2024-0030, the applicant seeks a special exception to permit the development of a “Major Utility” substation use in the IP zoning district.

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Legal Notices

LEGI-2023-0023, GOOSE CREEK CLUB II: ZMAP-2021-0020, ZMOD-2022-0056, & ZMOD-2023-0040 (Zoning Map Amendment & Zoning Modification)

Kettler Goose Creek Commercial LLC has submitted applications for a zoning map amendment and zoning modifications for approximately 23.86 acres of land located south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) on the east and south sides of Golf Club Road (Route 653) and east side of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) in the Leesburg Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is a 23.86-acre portion of a larger parcel more particularly described as 43001 Golf Club Road, Leesburg, Virginia, PIN: 150-40-5648-000, and Tax Map # /61/////////3A. For ZMAP-2021-0020, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the Planned Development – Office Park (“PD-OP”) zoning district to the Planned Development – Housing 4 Legacy zoning district administered as the R-8 ADU (Single Family Residential, inclusive of Affordable Dwelling Units) Legacy zoning district in order to develop up to 90 single-family attached residential dwelling units at a density of approximately 3.77 dwelling units per acre, For ZMOD-2023-0056 & ZMOD-2023-0040, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property, including but not limited to: reducing the required minimum size of the PD-H4 zoning district from 25 to 23.86 acres, and allowing single-family residential dwelling units to front onto and be accessed from private roads instead of public roads. The applications are being processed under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution, dated December 13, 2023.

LEGI-2023-0077, ZEBRA EAST: ZCPA-2023-0005 & SPEX-2023-0019 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment and Special Exception)

Darab Ventures Three LLC has submitted applications for a zoning concept plan amendment and special exception, for approximately 26.58 acres of land located east of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607), north of Shellhorn Road (Route 643), and southwest of Waxpool Road (Route 625), in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 22130 Loudoun County Pkwy, Ashburn, Virginia, PIN: 089-30-9997-000, and Tax Map 79//84/////E/. For ZCPA-2023-0005, the applicant seeks to amend the concept development plan and proffer statement associated with ZMAP-1998-0003, to permit the development of data centers. For SPEX-2023-0019, the applicant seeks a special exception to increase the permitted floor area ratio from 0.6 to 1.0. 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 Rewrite 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 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/ bosdocuments

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

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on November 27, 2024, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on December 11, 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

11/21 & 11/28/24

LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Fiscal Year 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program

Fiscal Year 2026 – 2031 Capital Asset Preservation Program

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled meetings for the Fiscal Year 2026 - 2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Capital Asset Preservation Program (CAPP) budget process.

DATE

October 22, 2024* 4:30 pm/ 6:30 pm

November 12, 2024* 4:30 pm

November 19, 2024 6:30 pm

December 2, 2024 6:30 pm

December 10, 2024* 4:30 pm/ 6:30 pm

Presentation of Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2026-FY 2031 CIP & CAPP Budgets.

School Board FY 2026-FY 2031 CIP & CAPP Work Session

School Board FY 2026-FY 2031 CIP & CAPP Public Hearing / Work Session

School Board FY 2026-FY 2031 CIP & CAPP Work Session (if needed)

School Board Adoption of FY 2026-FY 2031 CIP & CAPP Budgets

*Regular School Board Business Meeting

The meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and broadcast live on Comcast channel 18 and Verizon Fios channel 43, as well as viewable via simultaneous webcast on the Loudoun County Public Schools website (www.lcps.org/webcast).

Details on how to sign up to speak at the November 19 public hearing will be provided at www.lcps.org/o/lcps/page/citizen-participation. In-person sign-up will also be available on the evening of November 19 between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate meaningfully in the School Board meetings should contact the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1020 at least three (3) days prior to the meeting.

Kevin L. Lewis, Chief Operations Officer Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Support Services

21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148

Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

10/3 - 12/5/24

Public Notice

The Town of Leesburg Board and Commission Appointments

In January 2025, the Town of Leesburg will be making appointments to the Town’s thirteen boards and commissions. These are the thirteen boards and commissions: Airport Commission, Thomas Balch Library Commission, Board of Architectural Review, Commission on Public Art, Diversity Commission, Economic Development Commission, Environmental Advisory Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Performing Arts Commission, Planning Commission, Technology and Communications Commission, Tree Commission and the Residential Traffic Commission. Citizens interested in serving on a board or commission can find additional information, membership requirements, or may apply via the Town’s web site at www.leesburgva.gov/government/boards-and-commissions. Applications will be kept on file for one year. Any questions can be sent to the Clerk of Council via email at eboeing@leesburgva.gov.

11/14, 11/21, 11/28 & 12/05/24

Loco Service Providers

VEHICLE AUCTION

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

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

VEHICLE AUCTION

ADESA WASHINGTON DC - 705-996-1100 44475 OLD OX ROAD, DULLES, VA 20166

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale (monthly) on Wednesdays (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.

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.

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.

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EDITORIAL

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Opinion

A New Palace?

Three decades ago, the county Board of Supervisors launched a developers’ sweepstakes that dangled the prize of landing the county government center to jumpstart their projects following a deep real estate recession.

Grand plans for new bureaucrat palaces were laid out for lots in Lansdowne, Ashburn Village and Stratford along with offers of free land and other amenities to sweeten the pot.

It’s sounding like today’s supervisors want to head down a similar path as they wrestle with the space challenges fueled by the rapid growth of their government. It is not a path that should be taken without significant guardrails.

Moving the seat of government is no small undertaking, but one with significant impacts for constituents, employees and the broader community.

Ultimately, that earlier exercise ended with the right choice—to keep the core government operation in Leesburg at the county’s geographic center. The town government, recognizing the economic impact that would come from shifting hundreds of jobs out of the historic district, joined in a deal to help build the new government center downtown.

That sort of partnership may not be possible today and the fears of economic disaster if the government were to leave Leesburg may not be as acute. But moving the operations to the county’s eastern border or having the government take over prime land near a Metro station, as some supervisors already have suggested, should raise concerns.

Launching an effort to rehouse the county government should not start with the question about where it will operate. Instead, the focus should be on what local government services will look like in the decades ahead, including the need for staff collocation—or perhaps in some cases even the need for offices at all.

LETTERS to the Editor

More Input Needed

Editor:

Noise travels farther from elevated areas because there are no dampening barriers and reflective surrounding surfaces at high levels.

The Leesburg Zoning Ordinance requires property owner applicants to obtain approval for projects that place food and beverage accessory prep areas and bathrooms in mechanical penthouses for buildings over 45 feet tall downtown (Zone B-1).

On Nov. 12, Council approved a zoning amendment to allow a “minor special exemption application” to be submitted in each such case. This amendment eliminates the requirement for the Planning Commission to review these applications, which will reduce the approval process to a political decision by the Town Council without professional assessment and input from the Planning Commission.

The ongoing project at 208 S. King St. provoked this amendment. (Importantly, future projects will also be subject to it.) Ongoing construction noise from the 208 S. King St. project has traveled far up and down King Street and heard downtown. Surely, music, at higher pitched (higher energy) frequencies, will travel at least the same distance, as will loud parties. These disruptions will disturb our downtown and nearby residents.

This Nov. 12 decision deserves further

community-wide discussion and input before it is allowed to proceed.

—

Al Delucia, Leesburg

Protecting the Small Town

Editor:

This is in response to the article about the Lovettsville Town Council considering a request for the General Assembly to increase the 3,500-population threshold that requires town governments to provide additional services.

Requesting a change in the population threshold that currently protects communities like Lovettsville from growing into a community inconsistent with the town’s comprehensive plan, is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand it would increase the population threshold for maintaining roads, etc. On the other hand, it completely flies in the face of the tenets of the town’s comprehensive plan, designed to maintain the small town culture and ambiance of old Lovettsville. In my opinion, it is a very bad idea for the Town to be “poking this bear.”

Comprehensive plans for counties, cities, and towns typically represent long range planning by a community. These plans state the underlying values of jurisdictions and are intended to be carried out by both elected and administrative staffs. The underlying principals in the plans are the wish of the people. In a sense, the 3,500 threshold is a protection. Surprisingly, in this case, the staff is not

pointing this out to the elected body. The mistake that many jurisdictions make, and Lovettsville is about to make, is to not uphold their comprehensive plans. Plans should be changed only after an intensive process and review by the public. Similarly, the practice of asking developers to submit comprehensive plan amendments to support their rezoning applications or where elected officials ask the General Assembly to make changes by enacting new laws or standards, results in unplanned and over developed communities. Comprehensive plans and their tenets should not be amended in this way.

The unintended consequence of requesting a change in the 3,500 threshold will undoubtedly be further residential development. That type of development will likely not yield development consistent with the “small town” culture promised by the town’s comprehensive plan. The plan and other actions taken in the past to preserve that culture will be compromised. Before acting on this preposterous recommendation, the Town Council should ask their current residents whether they are they willing to exchange existing farms and open space for suburban sprawl. Are they willing to lose what’s left of the small town “feel” of old Lovettsville?

— Samuel Finz, Philomont

[The writer is a former town manager of Lovettsville.]

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

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CHIPshots

— By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

The Rural Landowner Manual A New Guide to Preserve the Northern Piedmont

BY AL VAN HUYCK

The battle to preserve Loudoun and Fauquier counties’ rural areas can never be won, but we cannot afford to lose it.

Property owners and concerned citizens will have a chance to hear about their opportunities to help retain Rural Loudoun for the generations to come at a meeting at the Hillsboro Old School, Thursday, Dec. 5, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

We now have a new arrow in our quiver, in the form of a manual which provides important information to property owners including references to lead one to the wide spectrum of information and services available to enhance the rural economy and quality of life of property owners. It can be found on the websites of preservation organizations and in hard copy distributed to all who attend the Hillsboro presentation.

Dulany Morrison has championed this effort and summarized its objectives in his welcome statement: “The bucolic landscape of western Loudoun and northern Fauquier remains one of the most preserved regions in the commonwealth, and we are incredibly fortunate to enjoy the rural way of life that has defined the area for hundreds of years. Our rolling hills, gravel roads, historic villages. mountain ranges, scenic rivers, and stone fences are layers of this extraordinary territory.”

“Regardless of its size, you have many exciting ways to utilize your property. The manual has compiled resources to assist landowners with a wide range of economic pursuits and best management practices. Our goal is that each property owner will expand their horizons beyond the boundaries of their property and engage in the advocacy of preserving our unique corner of the commonwealth,” he said.

Towns and open fields of the west needed schools, public facilities, commercial business and traffic congestion will surely follow. The key will be whether the newcomers will enter into the rural economy and lifestyle or will they seek to recreate suburban amenities. The manual shows us a way to enjoy our rural home and enter the community of those who wish to preserve the rural economy, landscape,

The Rural Landowner Manual arrives at a critical time in the future of Loudoun. With the enormous build out of the data centers, the county government’s support for high density housing, and the resulting huge rise in land prices in the Eastern areas, more and more households are going to look west for single family homes at prices they can afford. And with the increase in residential development in the

and experience.

The manual is a big step in the right direction as it provides practical information in three important areas: Your Home, Your Land, Your Piedmont Countryside.

Your Home section provides practical tips on renewable energy, wells, and septic systems, lighting, pest control, gardening, and the value of native species.

Your Land section points to import-

ant need to know information on county government policies and programs such as land use taxation; various programs that provide advice and sometime funding to preserve the land; and a list of best management practices.

Your Piedmont Countryside section opens the door to the many important assets of the Countryside and how property owners can find non-profit, non-partisan preservation organizations they may wish to join to add their voices to the never ending vigil to preserve this special area.

At the Hillsboro December 5 presentation copies of the manual and related financial incentives brochure will be available.

Local speakers will lead a series of relevant discussions and the actual experiences of some of our neighbors will be presented. And there will be time for Q&A along with refreshments.

The event is free and everyone is invited to come. I hope to see you there. n

[Al Van Huyck has been part of a team working with Dulany Morrison under the PFH Conservation Fund, on publication of the Rural Landowner Manual. Readers can learn more about the work by emailing Office@PFHConservationFund.Org or phone 571-246-5029. The In Our Backyard column is sponsored by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition.]

Wexton

continued from page 3

“I was comfortable and confident in the state senate, working hard on the kinds of issues that would make a difference back home in my community. But once again, an unlikely candidate for president led me to make another career change I never would have imagined. Once again, it was the hope that I could help people which led me to run for Congress in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Wexton said. She defeated incumbent Barbara Comstock to become the first Democrat to represent the 10th District since 1981. She was reelected in 2020 and in 2022.

Early in her tenure, she worked to stand up for marginalized communities. That meant protesting the Trump administration’s travel ban with Muslim neighbors at Dulles Airport and displaying a transgen-

Government Space

continued from page 1

Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the Department of Community Corrections. The older courthouse continues to serve the Circuit Court, Juvenile Domestic Relations District Court, Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Juvenile Service Unit.

Deputy County Administrator Erin McLellan told the Board of Supervisor’s finance committee last week that even with the planned final phase of courts complex expansion, which includes a $28 million renovation of the older courthouse and the Valley Bank building, the court system will need more space by 2030, or sooner.

“We are out of space, right now, today. We do not have enough space at the courts complex for all the things that really ideally should be there,” she said. “… we’re already out of space there.”

As a result, the board will need to consider relocating some services away from the consolidated courts complex area.

“The pressure that exists for the courts complex and this building are really coming primarily from the court’s needs,” McLellan said.

When looking beyond 2030, she said the facilities planning team has concerns regarding the space needed by the courts and the nearby County Government Center.

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens said his office has been feeling the space crunch for years, even with last year’s General District Court opening.

“We’ve had to really Band-Aid the space issue because there weren’t enough office spaces for my staff,” he said. “We literally

der rights flag outside her office.

“Despite the headwinds we faced in a Trump presidency, I still believed that there was good to be done for my community, especially drawing on my experience in the state senate. How tough would it really be?” Wexton said. “But what I didn’t anticipate was starting my first term in the midst of the longest government shutdown in history. And I never imagined I’d be voting to impeach a president, which I ended up doing.”

Despite serving in unprecedented times her greatest challenge would be her declining health and the years-long effort to diagnosis her condition.

“The trial and error of different medications, and frustration and fear of trying to figure out what was wrong with me was incredibly taxing on me, my family and my team. It was one of the most difficult periods of my life,” she said.

“As my original diagnosis of Parkinson’s was soon upgraded to PSP, one of the first

have had to build office spaces in supply closets to put staff persons in there. We’ve had to shove three or four people into a small cubicle workspace, which affects their productivity.”

Clemens said he’s optimistic about the Circuit Court renovation, but even with it, he still has concerns.

“You have a building that’s not going to be expanded,” he said. “… With the continued growth that we have, the additional staff that we’re adding in years to come and more programming we’re planning to do and more clients coming in, there’s only so much space you can carve out.”

McLellan said the staff had developed three preliminary paths forward taking several factors into consideration.

Those factors including noting that the location of the Circuit Court could be moved outside of Leesburg, but that it requires a referendum approval by Loudoun voters; that separating the Circuit and District Courts would be a complicated process; and that creating more space within the courts complex would require the purchase or lease of more property.

“We’re currently kind of hunting for space, on a pretty continual basis. And in downtown Leesburg we don’t find large amounts of space that are available for purchase or lease, so it’s very challenging to kind of keep everything collocated,” she said.

The three paths forward are the work of space strategists JLL. McLellan said that the proposals are not the solution, but a direction that the county can pursue.

The first option would relocate the government services currently at 1 E. Harrison St. to the government support center near Crosstrail Boulevard, where other local government offices are located. The

things I asked my doctor was if I would still be able to run for reelection. His response, why would you want to?” she recalled. She said there were many reasons to continue.

“I was hitting my stride and rising up the ranks on the Appropriations Committee, something which has been a top priority since I came into office, in which I was seeing success in delivering for my district. And I still had big ideas and hope for what my political future could look like, and how I could bring my background as a prosecutor, a mom and a fighter for kids and families to be an effective leader for Virginians and all Americans,” Wexton said.

Many times over the years, her legislative work was guided by the plights of others. This time she would push for a change as the result of her own story.

“Now it was my own struggle which I hoped to turn into a meaningful change in policy. I’m immensely proud of the work that we’ve been able to accomplish, both

current government center would then be converted to a courts annex.

The core government functions that would move would include the Board of Supervisors’ offices and meeting space, Human Resources, County Administration, County Attorney, Budget, Public Affairs and Finance and Procurement offices.

“[The government support center] is acreage that the county owns, that has been planned for some time to have government buildings on it,” McLellan said.

Regardless of whether the core government functions are moved there, the site will be developed over time.

“We are just growing at that rate and will have those needs,” she said.

Benefits of this option include keeping the governance hub in Leesburg, although outside its corporate limits and continuing to collocate the governance hub with other departments. However, two new buildings would need to be added to the Capital Improvement Plan likely in fiscal year 2027.

The second option would move the government center to a completely new location east of Leesburg, and also convert the government center to a courts annex.

“There are a lot of ways that we could do this,” McLellan said.

Those include purchasing land and constructing a building, partnering with a developer who has undeveloped land already, or purchasing and renovating an existing building.

Locating the hub further east would position it closer to Loudoun’s denser population areas as well as to more publicly accessible transit stops.

This option has the potential to materialize faster and be cheaper that option one, McLellan said.

The third option would be to continue

legislatively and from an advocacy standpoint to help shine a light on diseases like PSP and step up the fight to diagnose, treat and hopefully one day cure or prevent it. One of the proudest moments of my career has been successfully helping to lead the bipartisan National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act to become law,” she said.

“Because it has been a journey which has been so challenging and one that I am so proud of and consider one of the most impactful pieces of my work in public service, and a big part of the legacy I am going to leave. I am so deeply touched each time I hear from someone going through a health battle like mine or facing similar disability challenges about what it means to have this kind of visibility of not just of our struggles, but of our perseverance. Our disabilities and our health struggles do not define who we are, and I feel more strongly than ever that it is so important to share that truth with the world.” n

“as is” while continuing to lease and purchase more space throughout downtown Leesburg.

“We could continue to do that,” she said. “The real question with this is the longterm viability of that solution.”

That solution would still require moving some county government offices out of the government center to provide space for court service operations that do not require the same security level as the courthouse provides.

“The only option that staff would really caution the committee and the board about would be option number three. We do think that that is not a long-term viable solution for us and if we go down that road for some period of time, we may be back here having this conversation,” McLellan said.

Committee members agreed they did not want to move forward with option three, instead voting to forward options one and two for further development by the staff.

Chair Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said he was “intrigued” at the possibility of partnering with a developer for a new eastern location but said he would prefer it not to be further east or south than Ashburn.

County Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) agreed and said it was a could be a good opportunity for the board to “lead by example” in locating offices near the Ashburn metro station.

“I absolutely agree that a partnership might be great. Rivanna comes to mind, I know they’re planning some office space,” she said. Rivanna is a mixed-use development planned near the Rt. 28/Dulles Toll Road interchange,” she said. n

A Loudoun Moment

Some much-needed rain makes for a wonderful

Special Elections

continued from page 1

party. The 32nd District has voted approximately 60% Democratic over the past few elections. Voting in the 26th District has leaned slightly more Democratic, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

To secure his party’s nomination, Srinivasan beat five other candidates in Saturday’s primary, earning 2,698 votes. He was trailed by Ibraheem Samirah wih 1,288, Buta Biberaj with 823, Sree NagiReddi with 574, Hurunnessa Fariad with 428 and Puja Khanna with 254.

He has received endorsements from a variety of Democratic elected officials including Subramanyam, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA.)

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), supervisors Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) and Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River), School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) and School Board Member April

Chandler (Algonkian) have also endorsed Srinivasan.

He was appointed by both former governors Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam to chair the Virginia State Medicaid Board in 2017 and 2021 and has served on Loudoun’s Fiscal Impact Committee and its Economic Development Advisory Commission.

Harding also beat five candidates for her party’s nomination, garnering 1,068 votes. Rafi Rafi M. Khaja was second with 257 votes. Other candidates were Ommair N. Butt with 153, C. Samuel Yan with 98, Chad A. Dally with 85 and Sam Abraham with 12.

Harding has worked as a teacher in Prince William and Loudoun counties and ran unsuccessfully against Michael R. Turner in 2023 for the Ashburn District seat on the Board of Supervisors seat. She lists priorities including improving education and student safety, lower taxes, and fixing the energy policy. She garnered endorsements from many of Loudoun’s elected Republican representatives, including

Del. Geary Higgins, Sheriff Mike Chapman, Commissioner of the Revenue Bob Wertz, Supervisor Caleb Kershner, as well as former county Treasurer Roger Zurn and former state senator Dick Black.

The Loudoun County Republican Committee on Monday night held a special mass meeting of the 26th District Legislative District Committee and elected Ram Venkatachalam to be the party’s candidate in the special election to fill Srinivasan’s House of Delegates seat.

Meanwhile, the Loudoun County Democratic Committee is planning another primary Saturday to select its nominee.

Democrats in the 26th House District will vote at three locations—Liberty Elementary School, Creighton’s Corner Elementary School and Cardinal Ridge Elementary School—between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Nov. 23. The district stretches from the Dulles Greenway to the southeastern corner of Loudoun, including parts of Brambleton, Loudoun Valley Estates, Stone Ridge and South Riding.

Candidates had until 8 p.m. Tuesday to

file with the Loudoun County Democratic Committee and pay a $2,000 nonrefundable fee.

By the deadline, five candidates announced they were running – Loudoun County School Board Vice Chair Arben Istrefi (Sterling), JJ Singh, Lakesha Gorham McDurfee, Sam Nandi and Samirah.

Singh served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, with in the Obama Administration’s Budget Office, and as a senior policy advisor to U.S. Senator Chris Coons (DDE). He has also served on the county’s Economic Development Commission and as the treasurer of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee.

Istrefi was elected to the School Board in 2023. His election to the House seat would prompt a replacement appointment by the School Board until a special election could be in held in November 2025.

He has spent the past six years in the tech and online education space, building educational programs at the intersection of tech, workforce development and social impact. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

fall scene along Snickersville Turnpike at the circa 1840s Bluemont General Store.