Loudoun Now for Dec. 12, 2024

LEA Secures School Employees Unionization Vote

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The Loudoun Education Association on Monday secured enough votes to win the designation as the sole representative for collective bargaining for Loudoun County Public Schools employees.

With 4,795 votes cast, the LEA won 96% of the vote among certified personnel, who are employees that require licensure from the Virginia Department of Education or the health department and 91% of the vote among classified personnel, including bus drivers and support staff. The school division has more than 13,000 staff members.

It joins nine other associations in becoming exclusive collective bargaining representatives for Virginia school divisions, including Arlington County, Fairfax County and Prince William County in Northern Virginia.

The election was triggered Sept. 9 when LEA President Kris Countryman submitted the required forms to Director of Human Resources Lisa Boland. The forms included a request for certification of election and copies of certification cards from 30% of certified and classified employees. That filing allowed Countryman

UNIONIZATION VOTE

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JLARC Takes Deep Dive into Data Center Impacts Unconstrained Power Demand Could Double in a Decade

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

State leaders are gearing up to tackle a challenge Loudoun County has been grappling with for the past few years – how to manage the impact of unprecedented data center growth.

The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission on Monday morning heard the results of a much-anticipated study the data center industry and a new series

of policy recommendations.

“The data center industry is growing rapidly in Virginia,” JLARC Staff Director Hal Greer told the commission. “This growth is creating unprecedented challenges for the state’s energy infrastructure. Today’s briefing will highlight the tradeoff the state faces between the economic benefits of data centers and the energy challenges that they pose.”

The report resulted in 12 findings, eight recommendations, and 10 potential

policy changes in focus areas ranging from water usage and environmental impact to energy demand and grid reliability.

Project Leader Mark Gribbin said data centers bring economic benefits during their initial construction and from local tax revenue.

“In recent years, the industry supported 74,000 jobs on average, including direct

POWER DEMAND continues on page 28

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Data centers near Loudoun Station in Ashburn.

Early Voting Begins in General Assembly Special Elections

A win by Suhas Subramanyam in November’s general election that will send the state senator to Washington, DC, representing the 10th District, opened a vacancy in the state senate that resulted in two special elections set for Jan. 7. Early voting for both began Wednesday, Dec. 11. Residents of the eastern Loudoun districts may vote at the Leesburg Office of Elections in Leesburg Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays. Additional opportunities will also be available at Claude Moore and Dulles South recreation centers Saturday, Dec. 28 and Saturday Jan. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Jan. 7, polls will be open at all precincts within the district from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more at loudoun.gov/elections.

Srinivasan, Harding Face-Off for 32nd Senate District Seat

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The 32nd District race features Democrat Del. Kannan Srinivasan, who represents the 26th House District and Republican Tumay Harding.

The contest has garnered attention from national Democratic leaders who are watching the results as the first indicator of how voters are feeling after Donald Trump’s win in November’s presidential race. It also has the potential to shift control of the Senate to Republicans by evening the number of representatives to 2020 if Harding wins, leaving Lt. Gov.

Winsome Earle-Sears (R) to decide tie votes.

Harding comes to the race as relative newcomer to politics, although she ran against Michael Turner in 2023 to represent Ashburn on the Board of Supervisors. She’s lived in the 32nd District for 14 years with her husband and children.

Harding said she became involved in politics following two brushes with Loudoun County Public Schools when her daughter was in ninth grade.

“She just happened to be in the

32ND SENATE RACE continues on page 30

Singh, Venkatachalam Ready for 26th House District Race

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Democrat JJ Singh and Republican Ram Venkatachalam are vying for the 32nd Senate District seat in the Jan. 7 special election.

The seat became open when incumbent Democrat Kannan Srinivasan resigned to run for the 32nd Senate District vacated by Suhas Subramanyam after the Democat was elected to the 10th District congressional seat.

Singh, who lives in Brambleton with his wife and two daughters, works for Retreat Hotels and Resorts, a full-service developer and

asset manager of hotels and resort communities along the East Coast and Midwest.

Singh credits his parents and the way he was raised as the reason he wants to serve as delegate.

“My parents came over from India, and they had a couple values that were important to them – hard work and serving others,” he said.

To live up to those values, Singh said he served with the Peace Corps in Bolivia helping farmers earn more for their harvest and helping single mothers through micro credit loans

26TH HOUSE RACE continues on page 30

Planning Commission Opposes Move to Make Data Centers Special Exception

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After deliberating for months on a proposal by county supervisors to require special exception approval for all data centers, the Planning Commission narrowly voted to move forward with a recommendation of denial during a meeting Dec. 5.

The proposal is part of a two-phase Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendment process to revise the county’s data center regulations. The first phase looks to remove data centers as by-right use throughout Loudoun and require applications to go through a legislative process.

By-right allows for data centers to be built as long as the applications meet a series of standards. Legislative applications are required to go through two public hearings and undergo review by the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, giving the board final authority on whether the center can be built or not.

Supervisors were hoping for a quick implementation of the change in order to “address the rapidly expanding data center environment,” according to a Nov. 26

letter to the commission penned by County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Michael Turner (D-Ashburn).

Commissioners have been hesitant to recommend the blanket change, instead considering specific locations data centers should be allowed by-right or adding additional recommendations to the board. Last week, the commission brought

Director of Economic Development Buddy Rizer to answer questions about the data industry.

But during last week’s meeting, commissioners said the scope of work sent to them by the board left little room for that kind of elaboration.

“It’s clear that we have been handed a very narrow mandate when it comes to

the Zoning Ordinance amendment, very, very narrow. We can’t do anything other than essentially designate data centers as a special exception or not,” Commissioner James Banks (Algonkian) said. “… and to be perfectly frank, it sounds like the board’s intent was to similarly constrain us when it comes to the [Comprehensive Plan amendment].”

Banks said he was “frustrated” that the commission’s “hands have been tied” by the narrow mandate, as opposed to being granted the latitude usually within the body’s purview to examine the issue wholistically and make specific recommendations.

Commissioner Clifford Keirce (Sterling) said he had been ready to support the development of a series of specific criteria that, if met, would allow data centers to be by-right. That would require a separate amendment process and public notification since it does not fall within the scope mandated by the Board of Supervisors.

Banks said because of the timeline

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

From left, commissioners Eric Combs (Ashburn), Michelle Frank (Broad Run), Clifford Keirce (Sterling) and James Banks (Algonkian) listen to county planning staff members present during a work session Dec. 5.

Loudoun Consultants Say County's Land Use Application Processes Need Improvement

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The county’s development application processes are inefficient, staff members are overworked, and review times take too long, consultants told the Board of Supervisors last week – news that is likely unsurprising for both the county’s planning and zoning employees and local developers.

Last December, the board authorized a review of the county’s legislative and administrative land use processes with the goal of improving operations on both fronts. A consulting team Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Services was contracted to conduct the assessment.

Managing Director Nancy Zielke and Director Hans Zigmund presented the results of their work, which included 132 recommendations for the board to implement, during a meeting Dec. 3.

The initial discussion focused on improvements to the legislative process. Zielke said they would return in January to dive deeper into the administrative process.

“We met with over 40 county employees throughout this process, hearing all types of different comments throughout the process,” Zielke said. “That also included meeting with the industry groups and various departments outside of planning and zoning. We had meetings with building and development, with construction and development, with the general counsel’s office. We spent time with Loudoun County Schools, Leesburg Water, [the Virginia Department of Transportation], all of these kind of referral agencies.”

Key takeaways include inefficiency and length of process, rigid requirements, outdated checklists, referral and submission problems, project manager empowerment, scheduling and calendar management, and proffers and conditions.

From the employee side, Zielke said the county’s Building and Development and Planning and Zoning staff members are overwhelmed.

“We heard it once, we probably heard it 70 times; the feeling of being overworked, the feeling of being stressed,” she said. Eighty-six percent of DPZ employees reported greater than optimal workload, while 65% wished for more training. Improved communication was a top ask of the department’s employees.

From the development community

side, Zielke said there was a need for better communication, collaboration and coordination.

“They said very honestly they miss the times, the opportunities, the pre-COVID days when they had more face-to-face interactions between the planning staff and themselves,” she said.

The leading challenge facing both sets of stakeholders is the length of time it takes an application to go through the review process, Zigmund told the board. Much of that time is spent in back-andforth referrals between the staff, the applicant and outside agencies.

“Depending on the number of referral agencies involved and the types of responses coming from those referral agencies, you could end up in feedback loops of referrals that lasted five, six, seven, eight iterations. And then you end up having things not just take several hundred days to get through the process, but several years to get through the process,” he said.

Inconsistent processes slow things down from the county side, while last-minute changes and late submissions slow things down from the developer side.

High numbers of vacancies within the planning and zoning team, increased volume of proffer challenges to the County Attorney’s Office, lack of resources, the number of functions performed by DPZ leadership, inadequate training for new hires, a lack of centralized training programs, poor job descriptions, and limited stakeholder meetings all contribute to the problems, Zigmund said.

To address those concerns, Zielke and Zigmund proposed three strategies implementing the 132 recommendations. The first strategy would seek to align communication and operating practices, the second to strengthen workforce resilience and employee development, and the third to optimize technology solutions to drive efficiency.

Under the first strategy, practical improvements include implementing an internal procedure for DPZ to review application issues with supervisors and applicants, requiring in-person pre-application and first referral meetings, escalating application periods for the Planning Commission, establishing a preferred vendor list for prequalified independent traffic study consultants, and implementing a scorecard assessment for major projects.

“We need to be getting together in person more,” Zigmund said. “One of the unfortunate outgrowths of COVID has been the lack of face-to-face meetings and think that that’s going to cut through a lot of this.”

Important steps to achieve strategy two include filling vacant positions, increasing staffing at the County Attorney’s Office, adding one DPZ assistant director, enhancing the proffer management team, formalizing and enhancing training and coordinating with human resources to streamline the job application review process.

“We have recommended increasing the staff by six positions,” Zielke said.

DPZ Director Daniel Galindo agreed his team needed more support.

“At least in our preliminary requests that we’ve submitted to [County Administrator Tim Hemstreet] we’ve included 10 positions,” he said.

Recommendations to achieve the third strategy include better leveraging the LandMARC project management database and other technologies to increase efficiency.

Galindo said he supported a majority of what Zielke and Zigmund had proposed but cautioned against changing everything at once.

“A year, 18 months, two years could be optimistic depending on the level of some of this that we’re talking about,” he said.

Supervisors also expressed concern about the number of recommended changes.

Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) said she did not see how more in-person meetings would be possible.

“If they’re meeting remotely that’s probably because that is the easiest for staff from a time commitment” she said. “So, I’m not surprised that Planning and Zoning and maybe Building and Development need more people. I can’t imagine how you would accomplish any of this without a significant increase in people.”

If the results showed the staff was already overwhelmed, implementing these recommendations would only add to that, she said.

Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) said he felt that if the recommendations were implemented properly, it would likely result in fewer meetings for staff.

LAND USE APPLICATIONS continues on page 5

ON THE agenda

Supervisors Look to Name Future Dulles South Park

The planned Dulles South Community Park could have a permanent name before it opens to the public, after a proposal by Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) to initiate the naming process garnered board support.

The 34.4-acre park will be located directly behind Lightridge High School in Aldie. Funding to establish the park has been identified in the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Program. It is currently in the design phase and is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2028.

Because of its current name similarity to the Dulles South Recreation and Community Center, Dulles South Senior Center and Dulles South Skate Park, which are collocated in South Riding, TeKrony said she felt it would be less confusing if the park received a permanent name sooner rather than later.

The initiative passed with board approval on its consent agenda Dec. 3.

The park is planned to include passive and/or active recreation with lit athletic fields, fencing, restroom, concessions, a playground, picnic pavilions and bleachers. Two to four diamond fields or three to four rectangle or cricket fields are also being considered.

The park plans will be considered by the Planning Commission this winter.

PRCS Plans Dec. 20 Job Fair

Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services will hold a job fair from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 at Rust Library in Leesburg.

Adult and teen job seekers will be able to explore a variety of summer jobs and career paths within the Department. Participants also will receive assistance with applications and meet directly with PRCS staff members for on-site interviews.

Interested candidates are encouraged to fill out an application prior to attending the job fair by visiting loudoun.gov/prcsjobs. n

Supervisors List Priorities Ahead of General Assembly Session

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

During next year’s General Assembly session, which kicks off Jan. 8, county lobbyists will be focused on airport noise notifications, stormwater management, data centers and education funding.

Their direction comes from a legislative program approved by the Board of Supervisors each year. While this year’s program won’t receive formal endorsement until after a public hearing is held next week, supervisors laid out their priorities to legislators Dec. 5.

An issue that caught both county supervisors and many state representatives off guard during the 2024 session stemmed from a bill that prohibits localities from implementing mandatory disclosures by real estate agents. The only mandatory disclosure required by the county was that agents selling homes located within the Airport Noise Overlay District notify potential buyers of the home’s proximity of Dulles Airport and Leesburg Executive Airport. That bill passed and was signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

But supervisors oppose the change, saying the disclosure protects the airports and the county.

“We worked really hard and struggled as to whether we were going to require disclosures or not, and we had a long dis-

Land Use Applications

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“I agree with the fact that you guys are already way overworked. How in the heck are we going to implement 132 recommendations?” he asked.

Turner said the board should look at a “hired team” to implement the changes and increasing the salaries for the vacant positions that are not getting filled.

“These are critical function in critical directorships in our county,” he said. “… I think we need to stretch outside the box in this budget process and really start looking at s significantly different pay scale range because I think Loudoun County’s growth issues for years have been paramount and significantly higher than our comparators.”

Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said the issues were “growing pains” and asked if there is a starting point the board should focus on because of how many recommendations were made.

cussion about it,” County Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian said. “… And we finally decided to require the disclosures to protect our residents and future residents.”

To address the change the county is supporting a bill proposed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that would allow any airport in the state

Zielke said each of the struggles are intertwined, but the recommendations are prioritized.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY continues on page 6

“We prioritized them as it relates to the impact and the level of impact they would have in your organization,” she said.

However, they are interdependent on each other, Zielke said.

“There are some quick wins in here, but at the same time, there are some items that are going to take some time to implement as well.”

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said changes needed to be made or the board would be having the same conversation in a few years.

“There’s a saying, ‘how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’ I think that’s what we’re going to be doing,” she said.

Laura A. Tekrony (D-Little River) said she was happy with the proposal to bring supervisors into the legislative review process sooner.

“I really think we need to improve our communication top down, bottom up,” she said. “We need to be less bureaucratic and more as a team to help so that these things that go a little bit more efficient.”

Alvarez & Marsal representatives are expected to present the second half of the report in January. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now County Legislative Liaison John Freeman speaks to supervisors about their legislative priorities for the 2025 General Assembly session Dec. 4, 2024.

General Assembly

continued from page 5

with a noise contour map to upload their maps to the Department of Aviation website, making it more accessible for buyers to determine where their home lies within the contours.

“The bill is permissive, and it allows any locality or any airport to upload its map to the Department of Aviation website, and then that website lives on the Realtors’ disclosure form known as buyer beware,” MWAA Government Affairs Manager Michael Cooper said. “… The buyer beware provision generally says things like, ‘seller makes no representation about lead paint. Seller makes no representation about hotlines.’ This provision will say seller makes no representation about airport noise; however, buyer is encouraged to check the Department of Aviation website.”

The only other item the board is actively seeking to have passed this year is an amendment to the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act that would restore authority to counties that operate stormwater systems to investigate erosion violations.

“So, prior to July 1, we as a county were able to, at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter any es-

tablishment, or upon any property, public or private for the purpose of obtaining information or conducting surveys or investigations necessary in enforcement,” Gwen Kennedy, who works in the county’s Building and Development department, said.

Now, approximately two-thirds of the county falls outside of the qualifications for those investigations.

“[The change] would allow the county to be responsive to complaints that we are getting from citizens and to ensure the state code and local ordinances are met,” Kennedy said.

The legislative program also includes statements of support on issues that will likely come up during the session.

One of those is funding to offset costs borne by the county to establish its own fire and rescue pharmacy. That was done mid-year after federal legislation resulted in an end to the drug-kit exchange program used by the county in collaboration with local hospitals.

While Loudoun has the funds to establish its own pharmacy, other counties don’t, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said.

“It may be in the governor’s budget, however, without General Assembly support to address the funding issue as well as the infrastructure that is necessary to

stand up [a pharmacy], there’s a real problem here,” Hemstreet said. “Keep in mind that outside of metropolitan areas, the primary first responder is coming from voluntary agencies. So, these are folks that have another full-time job somewhere else, and this requires a legislative backbone in the commonwealth that doesn’t currently exist.”

And it’s still an unfunded mandate, Legislative Liaison John Freeman said.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) said he would have some last-minute adjustments to the program after a state study on data centers is released. The study, conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee, will be presented Monday.

County lobbyists will also be directed to support initiatives to increase funding for schools, after a JLARC study last year showed Virginia underfunds localities’ school systems by approximately $1,900 per student.

“There are some near-term recommendations that they are looking at. And so, we wanted to ensure that is the number one funding priority that was supported by the county,” Freeman said.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said she knew getting all the funding won’t be accomplished in a single year.

“But until it is done, we holistically

and collectively feel that there’s just not a whole lot more important things we can do,” she said.

Randall also is hoping for support for a change to the commonwealth’s open meeting laws to allow more than two elected officials to meet together without prior public notification in certain circumstances at the discretion of the chief elected official. That exemption specifically is needed during emergencies, she said, citing the Sterling home explosion earlier this year that killed one firefighter and injured 13 other people.

“For me to have to make numerous phone calls, not just that night but over the next days was just the most inefficient way to possibly run government,” she said. “What would have been more efficient was to get everybody together at once, tell the same thing, and then, after the immediate emergency has passed, document all that happened and put it out.”

Freeman said localities across the state feel the same way.

“Our hope is that our delegation will support us in ensuring that this work group is added to the FOIA Council work plan to look at this piece of legislation potentially over the next course of the year, and maybe have a bill in 2026,” he said. n

Leesburg

Removal of Prince St. Tree Sparks Talks Over Preservation Policies

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

When Loudoun Habitat for Humanity launched construction on a new duplex home last fall, planners hoped to keep the large willow oak tree at the front of the Prince Street lot.

Last week, the tree was removed, prompting a renewed discussion about the town’s tree preservation efforts.

“The decision was influenced by the 100-Year Overland Relief restrictions assigned to the property, which necessitated relocating the planned duplex closer to the front of the lot, ultimately impacting the viability of the tree’s continued health,” Habitat for Humanity’s Communications Director Theresa Cashen said. “The 100Year Overland Relief required that the post-development condition of the site should not push water where it did not go in the pre-developed condition of the site, especially onto neighboring properties.”

Noble Atkins, the Leesburg town arborist, said the tree could have been preserved with minimal impact on the construction project.

“The estimated cost to save the tree was approximately $12,000, which was the same as the cost of removing the tree and replacing it with six new trees according to the minimum standards in the zoning

AROUND town

Oaklawn Public Hearing

Deferred to January

The Public Hearing on the Oaklawn data center and affordable housing development has been deffered to January.

The applicant, Oaklawn LLC, requested the hearing date be moved. The Planning Commission made a recommendation to the Town Council to deny the application during a public hearing November.

Residents in nearby neighborhoods raised concerns about the potential impacts a data center development would

ordinance,” Atkins wrote.

Atkins added that neighborhood residents and members of the town’s Tree Commission have raised concerns about the decision.

“The situation underscores the need for a Tree Removal Permit Process in the Town of Leesburg,” he wrote. “Such a process would involve application review by the Tree Commission and Town Forester before any decisions are made,

have on their communities, including detriments to physical and mental health. Environmental concerns were also discussed at the hearing.

More information on the applicant’s proposal for data center and affordable multifamily housing can be found in the Dec. 10 Council Agenda Report and online via the Leesburg Interactive Applications Map.

Council Members

Sworn in This Week

The Town of Leesburg on Thursday, Dec. 12 will hold a swearing in ceremony for the newly elected and re-elected council members in the lower-level banquet hall of the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center.

ensuring that valuable trees are given due consideration.”

The tree was fully removed on Dec. 6.

Davey Tree, a firm recommended by Atkins, oversaw the preservation efforts of neighboring trees. Plans are in place to recycle sections of the tree—part of what Cashen called “close work” with experts and local officials in keeping with Leesburg’s tree preservation requirements.

“In working closely with the Town, we

Mayor Kelly Burk, council members Zach Cummings and Kari Nacy, and newcomer Nicholas Krukowski will take the oath of office.

A reception will precede the ceremony, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Town Launches Pilot Composting Program

A pilot composting program for Leesburg residents to drop off waste at the Liberty Street parking lot began last week.

The program offers residents a sustainable option for food waste disposal. By promoting composting, rather than disposing food scraps in the trash, the town hopes to reduces methane in landfills and create organic material that pro-

reviewed preservation options, but ultimately needed to remove the tree due to future hazard concern to the neighborhood,” Loudoun Habitat’s Programs Director Amanda Baulig said.

Habitat paid a contribution to the town’s Tree Canopy Fund in May to fulfill a local requirement. The fund supports community tree planting initiatives. It also committed to plant several new trees on the lot.

Tree Commission Chair Earl Hower said the panel is working to prevent this type of tree loss in the future.

“It is unfortunate that we recently lost that healthy, 100-year-old Willow Oak on Prince Street,” he said. “The timing of this situation is off the Tree Commission is preparing a future formal request of Town Council to set up a tree removal permit process along with a Tree Designation Program that would help us better manage Leesburg’s tree canopy and protect a variety of designated heritage, memorial, specimen, and street trees.”

Habitat for Humanity works to provide lower to middle income families with the tools they need for home ownership. This includes a program that trains beneficiaries for up to two years in budgeting, saving, and mortgages. The nonprofit builds affordable homes and renovates existing homes, both for use by members in the program. n

vide nutrients for plant growth.

The service is free to use. Residents may dump food directly into the bins or a compostable bag. Bags must be BPI or OMRI certified. Meat, dairy, and other items not suitable for backyard composting may be processed through this service.

Monster Organics, the contractor responsible for collecting and processing the food waste from the drop off site, will empty the bins and add new compostable liners each week.

Information about the yard waste, trash, and collection schedules can be found at leesburgva.gov.

The Liberty Street parking lot is located at 204 Liberty Street SW. n

William Timme/ Loudoun Now A team begins to saw the branches off the large willow oak tree on Prince Street.

Budget Update Brings Questions About Compass Creek Data Center Revenues

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

As the town prepares for the upcoming budget season one big question looms over the council: What will be the impact of data center revenue?

That was a key topic discussed during Monday night’s budget briefing.

With the Compass Creek annexation finalized, the town expects to begin collection of real and business tangible personal property taxes on the property, which includes stores, restaurants and data centers, effective Jan. 1. Staff members estimated that at the current tax rate, the annexation will generate an extra $1.1 million yearly.

However, they opted not to include sales taxes and personal property taxes pertaining to computer equipment in Microsoft’s data center complex in those projections.

The revenue from data center comput-

er equipment could greatly change the budget landscape, but the information remains unavailable to the town, despite Microsoft paying the county in taxes, the council was told.

“We could get very high-level assessment information, which we have, the detailed breakdown though to understand how old the equipment is, we do not have,” Management and Budget Officer

Tamara Keesecker said. “To understand how far along this particular data center is in outfitting, that’s not information the data center operator will share.”

Keesecker compared the computer center equipment to how vehicles decline in value over time.

She gave an example of a business purchasing $500 million worth of computer equipment in 2024. At that time, she said, the town could expect $2 million of revenue within the first year. With the equipment decreasing in value as it gets older, by 2030 the revenue would only be

$375,000, she said.

“If data center operators are replacing every four to six instead of every three years, it’s going to drastically slow down your revenue growth,” Keesecker said.

Town Council member Todd Cimino-Johnson asked why the town couldn’t go through Microsoft to garner the information.

“They have proprietary information that they’re going to protect for a variety of reasons, so we can try different outlooks,” Town Manager Kaj Dentler said. “Generally they’re not going to share that information.”

“We have to use caution in our budget preparation,” Dentler said. He explained that the town likely would not receive enough trend data to know exactly how to budget with those revenues in time for another year or two.

The FY 2025 budget totaled at $159.8 million. n

Additional Survey Planned for W&OD Trail Lighting Project

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounow.org

Plans to install lights along a 1.25-mile section of the W&OD Trail in downtown Leesburg are continuing to evolve.

The Town Council on Monday got an update on the $2.47 million project following community meetings to gather input.

The staff is recommending the use of pendant lights mounted on 12-foot-tall lampposts. The downward-directed lights would be dark sky compliant and would shift to 50% power at 9 p.m. and turn off fully at 10 p.m.

Assistant Director of Capital Projects Doug Wagner said 27% of the comments from public opposed the project, 24% were supportive, 11% were cautiously supportive. The remaining 38% of respondents did not provide an opinion but mostly had questions. He also defined “cautiously supportive” as people who after seeing that the proposed fixtures did not have glare were more inclined to support the project.

He said half of the comments came from people living adjacent to the trail with most others from residents within one mile of the trail.

Wagner said those objecting to the project cited concerns that the lights

would overcrowd the trail, draw criminal activity at night, disrupt nighttime activities inside houses, or that trail users should be using their own flashlights.

Leesburg resident Jill Ryan said her concerns with the project were mainly financial.

“I was interested in the business justification, and the return on investment,” Ryan wrote. “What’s the ongoing operating cost? The only residual cost they listed on that budget was the electricity to power it. Installing the lights adds a permanent expense line on the budget because you’re going to have to maintain and repair them.”

During the Dec. 9 Town Council work session, Council member Ara Bagdasarian spoke in favor of the lights.

Planning Commission Approves Drivethrough Dunkin’

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The process of converting the former Capital One Bank branch office in the Potomac Station Shopping center into a Dunkin’ store a took a step forward last night.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a special exception application made by Vigario Holdings to change the use of the 3,028-square-foot building.

Last month, the town’s Board of Architectural Review weighed in on the proposed aesthetic changes. While several members opposed adding wooden paneling around the building the panel supported adaptive reuse of the structure.

“The reality is that it gets dark at 4:30 during the fall and winter, and people are walking home from school, from Loudoun County Highschool,” Bagdasarian said. “People walk home from work on the trail, and it just makes sense to have a lighted path, and we want to increase walkability throughout the town.”

“If people are concerned about crime, then during this time period we should look at Herndon, because I know Herndon has lit up their trail,” he said, requesting the staff include that study during the next meeting.

Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg agreed that it would be useful to collect empirical data. He also asked if staff had a way to give residents a visual demonstrating the lights wouldn’t direct glare into their homes. Wagner said the staff could potentially set up a temporary fixture to demonstrate the effect in people’s backyards.

The next step is to collect additional public input through a public survey on the finer details of the lights and their fixtures including the color temperature of the lights. Construction is expected to begin next summer.

Of the project’s $2.47 million estimated cost, $500,000 has been sourced from a federal grant, and a $500,000 committed by the Loudoun County government. So far, $112,793 has been spent. n

Among the issues reviewed by the commission was a modification to the building’s parking, including the conversion of six space for use as a loading area and dropping a previous shared-use parking agreement.

The town staff’s fiscal impact analysis estimated that the Dunkin’ would net around $82,792 annually for the town.

Noah Klein, a Venable attorney representing Vigario, said the property had been vacant and underutilized for years.

“Of course, going from a bank to a restaurant, that does entail particular impacts. We feel we’ve mitigated them,” Klein said, citing parking as one of the impacts. He said additional details of the parking would be addressed during review of the site plan and agreed with a suggesting to limit deliveries to off-peak hours, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Commission member Brian McAfee asked if any of the other restaurants in the area were subject to restricted delivery windows. Town planner Deborah Parry said the nearby Arby’s had a similar arrangement for its loading zone, but that she was unsure if there was a time-based delivery window.

The application now moves to the Town Council for final action. n

William Timme/Loudoun Now

The W&OD Trail near the Crescent Place neighborhood in Leesburg.

Youngkin Proposes $50M to Help Schools Meet Performance Standards

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday announced plans to provide $51.25 million to aid schools rated as “off-track” or “needs intensive support” in the state’s newly implemented School Performance and Support Framework.

In Loudoun County, there are 15 schools marked as off-track and one, Guilford Elementary, marked as needing intensive support.

The plan would establish appointed regional support specialists for the Office of School Quality at a cost of $250,000 the first year and $1 million the next to help schools that are behind in math, literacy and science.

The remaining $50 million would be invested in schools such as Guilford cited as needing intensive support. The funds are to be distributed by the Virginia Board of Education with consultation from the Virginia Department of Education.

Funding will cover research on best practices, grants to support mastery and college or career readiness, training for principals, and additional training for Individualized Education Plans for students with disabilities.

Under the framework evaluations, schools are ranked based on weighted categories: mastery, growth, readiness and graduation for high schools. Elementary schools are weighted 65 percent for mastery, 25 percent for growth and 10 percent for readiness. Middle schools are weighted 60 percent for mastery and 20 percent for growth and readiness. High schools are weighted 50 percent on mastery, 35 percent on readiness and 15 percent on graduation.

A full panel of school results is expected next fall, a year after implementation.

Last month, Loudoun County Public School administrators joined others in Northern Virginia in seeking a delay in the framework implementation, citing uncertainties over its impact and the additional level of support the state would provide. n

School Board Eyes Shift in School Start Times

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Two years after the School Board members implemented new schedules to face bus driver shortages, some members are looking to shuffle them again.

One question is which students should get up earliest.

Currently, students at 29 elementary schools get up for classes that start at 7:30 a.m. A new option under consideration would put high schoolers on the early busses.

School Board member Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) earlier this year asked for a review of the schedules after hearing concerns from parents in her district.

A consultant hired to conduct a review of the situation came back with three options that Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis presented to the School Board last month. All three options would require hiring more bus drivers to implement.

The first option moves elementary schoolers to 7:45 a.m. and 8 a.m. start times and all high schoolers to 9:15 a.m.

It keeps middle school at 8:30 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. This option would require $6.6 million to hire 83 more drivers and cost $12.5 million for more buses.

The second option is similar, with middle schoolers the same and all high schoolers starting at 9:15 a.m., but all elementary schools starting at 7:50 a.m. This plan requires 117 more buses at a cost of $17.6 million and $9.3 million more annually.

The third and cheapest option is to switch high school and elementary school start and end times, largely returning to the previous school schedules. This would require 46 more drivers, and costs $6.9 million for buses and $3.7 million for driver salaries.

Lewis said that option would require 83 bus additional routes needed to eliminate the second level bus runs.

Lewis and Shernoff acknowledged that none of the plans can be implemented without addressing driver shortages. The school division hiring incentives include sign on bonuses and referrals, weekly training classes, and the highest starting wage in the area.

Douglass School Could Join Civil Rights Network

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Built in 1941 as Loudoun County’s only accredited high school for Black students until 1968, the Historic Douglass High School Education and Development Campus is slated to be nominated for the African American Civil Rights Network along with the Loudoun County Courthouse and the Union Street School.

The African American Civil Rights Network is a collection of historic properties, facilities and programs associated with the Civil Rights movement. It is an honorary designation, but the network provides a resource for the commemoration and education of the movement and related places. Should nomination be accepted, the three Loudoun properties will join other two other Virginia sites in the network, the Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery and Memorial in Alexandria and River View Farm in Albemarle County.

Until this happens there will not be any significant changes to the start times, Shernoff said.

Public opinion surveys show openness to changing the schedule, but not necessarily by changing the order. According to the results, only 41% of families with a 7:30 a.m. elementary start time are satisfied, while 90% with an 8 a.m. start time were happy.

However, 57 percent of responders reported satisfaction with the current elementary-middle-high school start time order, with only 20 percent showing preference to switching elementary and high school times. There was support for implementing later start times, but with the same order.

Shernoff said there might be different results if families were ask whether high schoolers should start first, instead of gauging satisfaction rates. When she posed that question on her Facebook page, she got responses supporting later elementary start times. She said she would continue to press for better elementary school start times and to address the bus driver shortage. n

Rededicated in 2023, the school was formerly known as Douglass High School. After requests for secondary education programs were rejected by the 1941 Loudoun County School Board many times, members of Loudoun’s Black community raised the money to buy land for the school. The School Board then agreed to fund the school, but only if the community sold them the land for one dollar.

It was renovated in 2021 under the guidance of the Douglass High School Commemorative Committee to preserve its historic value.

The school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

For admission into the network, a nominee must be directly associated with a person or event of the Civil Rights movement, meet criteria for the National Register of Historic Places, and have permission of the property owner.

The School Board’s Finance and Operations Committee was briefed on the application Tuesday, although no board action is required.

The final application will be filed once Board of Supervisors signs off on it. n

Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during a Nov. 13, 2021 rally.

After Study, School Board Prepares Changes to Grading, Retake Policy

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

After nearly a year of study, the School Board is reviewing plans to limit test retakes and eliminate the 50% minimum grade permitted for missed assignments.

Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) initiated the review to the division’s policy on grading, assessments, and retakes in February. The proposed changes came from feedback from parents, teachers and students during the year and will be circulated for public comment in January.

Three main concerns surfaced during the discussions: consistency in the application of the policy, whether to limit retakes, and how best to prepare students for college.

Parents, teachers and students

raised concerns about the policy being followed consistently from school to school and even from teacher to teacher. There are concerns that some teachers aren’t following the policy at all, according to focus group results.

The School Board is looking to put more detail into the policy. Linda Deans (Broad Run) said “we need to put as much into the policy as possible” to prevent potential bias teachers have from student to student.

Another concern was the retake policy for students. Focus group participates said, while retakes can help struggling students, unlimited retakes also impact student effort. Some students will not study because they know they can retake exams, and some are reported to use the first try as a sneak peek into the test material, according to

the report.

Teachers in the focus groups also reported that retakes take time away from the current subject material for both teachers and students and can cause students to be chronically behind.

To address that concern, the School Board is considering limits on the number of retakes permitted per semester or per student, with extenuating circumstances being taken into account. It also was suggested to take the retake option away from students in higher grade levels.

Preparation for college was also a multi-faceted concern for high school students, including worries that allowing retakes and setting a minimum grade of 50% instead of zero would not be available to them at the next level

Retakes are already not allowed in dual enrollment courses because

of partnerships with colleges, and advanced placement courses often do not allow them either. However, since students were able to pass previous classes with retakes and getting 50% grades for missing work, teachers in the focus groups said that high school students need different policies than elementary and middle school students.

Focus group results show a suggestion to change the policy at sixth and ninth grade to reflect the transition. It also recommends taking away retakes and the 50% minimum grade rule in high school but keep in middle school to help with the elementary transition.

The proposed revisions will be presented to the School Board’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee in February following a public comment period in January. n

•

ACCESS Academy for At-Risk Students Hires Coordinator, Plans Admissions

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Jeremy Shughart will serve as the founding coordinator for Loudoun County’s new Accelerated College and Employability Skills Academy, a lab school known as ACCESS.

The program is a collaboration with Loudoun County Public Schools, George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College to provide at-risk high school students with the opportunity to learn skills to transition into college or a career.

Shughart previously worked as the admissions director for the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, where he was credited with spearheading its new admissions process.

ACCESS will be established at Potomac Falls High School in Cascades. The campus is slated to get eight modular classrooms to help accommodate the influx of students once the academy begins operation next fall, according to Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis.

Director of Academic Programs Katie Clark this week presented the School Board’s Finance and Operations Committee with a potential timeline for the admissions process. She said that outreach will start in February. Students will fill out interest forms in March. The admissions process will start in April and extend through May. The enrollees will be selected by lottery from the pool of qualified applicants.

The detailed admissions criteria remain under development.

The program will take 120 students, 30 students each from grades 9-12. Ninth and 10th graders will focus on college readiness, and 11th and 12th graders will focus on career readiness.

Also under review are plans for student transportation and food logistics. A logo is being designed by GMU and NOVA.

“I would just add, it bears repeating that this is a new and innovative type of programming in Loudoun, but also in the Commonwealth, Virginia. It is a lab school, a governor’s lab school, that we’re trying to launch,” Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin said. n

This endowment fund provides annual support to Bridle Paths for its equine-assisted services and programs.

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Public Safety Locals Support Family After House Fire

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

A family known for supporting the Loudoun County community just lost everything as a fire destroyed their Leesburg-area home—everything except for each other.

Janae and Sir Wheeler are known for organizing community events including Brambleton Winter Wonderland and Soulful Santa National Night through their experiential marketing business VVS Events.

On Dec. 1, after Janae Wheeler came home from the Brambleton Winter Wonderland event, Sir smelled something odd from their basement. He opened the basement door, and black smoke flooded the hallway, she said.

“My husband is such a provider and a rock for us,” Janae said. “He makes me emotional because he got us all out of the house the moment he smelled the smoke. He’s like ‘get out.’ He got us as far away as possible.”

Janae said Sir tried to put the fire out, but the family’s water lines were frozen from the night before. The fire department came to put out the fire.

They also gave Sir slippers to wear.

“He walked around in those slippers for four days because he’s like, ’until I know my family is safe and has what they need, I don’t need shoes, I don’t need any-

thing like that.’”

Janae said, “honey we need to get you some shoes.”

The fire and rescue crews put out the fire, but the damage estimates were nearly $700,000. The Fire Marshal’s Office ruled that the fire was caused by a combustible material placed too close to a heat source.

The Wheeler’s have established a Gofundme campaign, Aid The Wheeler Family After Tragedy to help rebuild. As of Tuesday, they raised $15,780.

Despite their tragedy, the Wheelers are keeping their community events going.

Business partner Jarnell Swecker recalled a recent conversation when Janae was worried about being late for a scheduled call while she waited to get a new phone at a local store. “I was like wait your house burned and you’re still going to join the call?” Swecker said.

The family doesn’t see a reason to stop.

Janae said their passion is “bringing people from communities together in collective spaces to give them joy and create inclusivity.”

“Sometimes the resource someone needs is a smile,” she said.

The family lost many valuables and memories in the fire—their son’s treasured shoe collection, the arts and crafts their 11-year-old daughter creates for followers on her Renee Designs Instagram feed, and a multi-generational Hot Wheels collection.

But Janae said the family has been able to move forward and continue their work because they have each other. “That’s one cornerstone that all of my children have taken from this,” she said.

Many people have stepped up to help the Wheelers.

Swecker said there was a “little brain trust of commercial real estate folks” who have done things like give sweaters for the kids, and a bed for the family dog. She said anything from mental health support to helping the family figure out insurance would be appreciated.

“It’s been a true light for us to know that what we’ve done to help other small businesses grow and help larger brands and community real estate developers connect, has meant so much to them that they have turned such gratitude back to us,” Janae said.

She also added that the one thing she wanted people to know is to close their doors at night.

“It takes 20 minutes to burn through a door at night,” Janae said. “So many people have fires in the night and they’re not able to escape their homes. That 20 minutes will save your life.” n

2 Charged in Road-Rage Shooting; Sheriff Cites Immigration Concerns

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Sheriff Mike Chapman is highlighting a Dec. 3 shooting in Sterling as part of a push for federal leaders to crackdown on illegal immigration.

Chapman raised the issue in last week’s announcement of the arrest of two suspects in an alleged road-rage incident and again Tuesday in Capitol Hill testimony before a House Homeland Security Committee.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. Dec. 3, deputies were called to the area of East Maple Avenue and South Lincoln Avenue in Sterling for reports of shots being fired. According to the preliminary investigation, suspects discharged a firearm at a vehicle occupied by a driver and a passenger. No injuries were reported.

Investigators located the suspect vehicle the next day and arrested Aldo

Betancourth Rivera, 34, and Jimmy Paredes Madrid, 29. Both suspects were held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled Jan. 14 in General District Court. Court records show Paredes Madrid was arrested last year on a charge of assault as part of a mob. That case was not prosecuted.

In announcing the arrests, the Sheriff ’s Office described both suspects as undocumented.

“This is the latest example of a violent act committed by someone here illegally,” Sheriff Mike Chapman stated in the announcement of the arrest. “I am determined to do everything possible to protect the citizens of Loudoun County and will continue to press for greater immigration enforcement to keep illegal drugs, gangs, and violent criminals out of our nation.”

In his testimony Tuesday before a Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology hearing titled “Given

the Green Light: Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement,” Chapman criticized the “unmitigated flow of undocumented and criminal aliens entering this country with many localities throughout the United States encouraging their sanctuary despite minimal if not a total lack of proper vetting.”

Chapman, a Republican, said this occurred during the past four years.

“In Loudoun County, one of the safest localities in the entire United States, we have seen an increase in unprecedented violence in recent years,” Chapman said. “Of our last five homicides, three were committed by suspects in this county illegally, two of which were by a self-proclaimed MS-13 gang members. Just last week, a previously affiliated MS13 gang member opened fire on another vehicle resulting from a simple road rage incident.”

Chapman said his agency works closely with Immigration and Customs Enforce-

ment, routinely running suspects through the federal database to check their immigration status and turning them over to federal authorities if requested. Not all jurisdictions follow those procedures, he said, making law enforcement more difficult.

“Addressing these increasing threats takes an all-hands-on deck approach, and that requires all law enforcement to work together in specific missions of our fellow agency, first and foremost, cooperation for Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” he said.

Chapman also voiced support for continuing to build a border wall and doing more to refuse illegal entries. He also called for the federal government to provide more technically advanced enforcement tools, including facial recognition software, license plate readers and social media analytics. n

Contributed

The Wheeler family lost their home to a devastating fire on Sunday Dec. 1, several community members have rallied behind them in support.

Business

Groundbreaking Work of Loudoun Innovators Celebrated

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Many of the county’s top entrepreneurs gathered at Belmont Country Club last week to celebrate the winners of the 2024 Innovation Challenge.

Sponsored by the Department of Economic Development and the Economic Development Authority, the Dec. 5 event put the spotlighting on cutting-edge work being conducted by Loudoun businesses.

Executive Director of Economic Development Buddy Rizer said his office and the EDA work “to foster an ecosystem where businesses can not only start, scale and soar, but help us create jobs, transform industries and enrich our communities.”

“When we created the Launch Loudoun program, we knew that we had to take this ecosystem to a new level, and that’s part of why we built the Innovation Challenge,” he said. “It’s in support of our mission to spotlight the immense talent

and creativity of our local entrepreneurs. What began as a local competition has become one of the premier showcases of innovation in this region, proving year after year that Loudoun County is a hub for ingenuity, ambition and resilience.”

This year’s big winner was noHack, an AI-based platform for job seekers that took the top prize in the Industry Transformation Innovation category. The company also won the People’s Choice award, combining for a total of $25,000 in prize money.

Founder Yasmin Abdi is a software engineer who built and managed in-house software and security solutions at Snap, Meta and Google, and was a founding member of AI-powered social finance app Meemo, which was acquired by Coinbase.

“I built this career-services platform for, honestly, every single person in here. I know everyone has been tirelessly searching for a job at some point. So, if there’s anyone that’s looking for a job or anyone that knows someone looking for a job

reach out to me,” she said. “I really love Loudoun County. I grew up here. It’s honestly such a full circle moment. I just want to give back as much as I can.”

Like many in the room, Abdi championed the spirit of entrepreneurship.

“I just wanted to say if anyone is in here is thinking about just building the next thing—just take a leap of faith,” she said. “I quit Snapchat earlier this year and within a few months have been humbled and so honored to have been awarded so many amazing things.”

The night’s other top award winners were:

Clean Technology Innovation: Emtel Energy USA for its long-duration electrostatic energy storage technology.

Cyber and Defense Innovation: Measured Risk for its AI-powered decision intelligence system that addresses risk management and optimizes relationships across complex global ecosystems.

Highly Specialized Innovation: SkyRFID for its cutting-edge technology for enable real-time monitoring, simulation and optimization of production processes.

Life Sciences Technology: Vasc Risk for its system that uses advanced ultrasound, AI algorithms and digital twin technology to assess vascular health.

Each category winner received a $15,000 cash prize as well one year of free business coaching from local industry experts and access to a six-week growth pro-

gram led by Startups Ignite.

The winners also get spots in a much larger competition next year.

Jonathan Perrelli, managing partner of Fortify Ventures, announced plans for a national competition to be hosted at Lansdowne Resort in October and expected to draw as many as 5,000 applications from entrepreneurs across the country—and to offer $1 million in prizes. The winners of this year’s Innovation Challenge will be included with the final pool of companies making pitches to funders during the event. n

BCT Names Bell as CFO

Potomac Bankshares, the parent company of Bank of Charles Town, appointed Shane Bell as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

The hiring follows the retirement of Dean Cognetti.

Bell will oversee the financial activities of both the company and the bank, including financial planning and accountability, capital and enterprise risk management, and investor relations.

He has more than 22 years of banking experience, responsible for implementation of new accounting standards, design and implementation of internal controls over financial reporting, managing interest rate and liquidity risk, developing

financial plans to support expansion into new markets and acquisitions of businesses, and maintaining compliance with rules and listing standards of publicly traded companies. Prior to becoming a banker, Bell served as a manager with Yount, Hyde & Barbour, PC, for eight years. The Winchester resident also holds a CPA license and earned an accounting degree from Frostburg State University. n Bell

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now NoHack founder Yasmin Abdi speaks after winning the Industry Transformation Innovation Award and the People’s Choice Award during the 2024 Innovation Challenge.

Nonprofits General Assembly Resolution Highlights The Arc’s Contributions

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

Del. Marty Martinez (D-29) on Dec. 3 presented a General Assembly resolution commending the work of The Arc of Loudoun at the ALLY Advocacy Center.

The resolution, adopted by the Virginia Senate and House in March, highlights the organization’s advocacy, education, service, and support for people with disabilities and their families.

The presentation was made on Giving Tuesday in support for the nonprofit’s fundraising efforts.

“Building a just, equitable world for people with disabilities is a labor of love,” Arc CEO Lisa Max said. “We’re so fortunate to have leaders like Delegate Martinez and the Virginia General Assembly for recognizing the crucially important work that The Arc of Loudoun does every day.”

Martinez, who previously served on the board of The Arc’s Aurora School, said he loved the organization and its good work.

The presentation was also attended by members of Loudoun County’s Crisis Intervention Team, which has a partnership with The Arc and trains law enforcement officers how to recognize people with disabilities and how to de-escalate situations when they are involved.

The Arc of Loudoun offers services to people with disabilities. The Arc’s Ability Fitness Center serves as a thera-

peutic wellness center, helping individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, balance disorders, and neurological and mobility related disorders improve their functionality and quality of life. The Aurora School provides individualized education for individuals from age 5 to 22 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Open Door Learning Center offers preschool classes for children with typical development as well as those with autism and related disabilities.

Director of Communications at The

Arc Renss Greene said both the Aurora School and the Open Door Learning Center have been seeing good results.

“At ODLC we have children with and without disabilities learning from and alongside one another, and parents tell us it benefits both a lot,” Greene said. “Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn so much more quickly by modeling their peers, and typically developing students learn a lot by interacting with their classmates.”

The Arc is an approved Virginia Child Care Subsidy vender and offers financial assistance through their own Bridge the Gap fund as well. Greene noted The Arc offers transition support for people with disabilities who age out of the Aurora School.

The Arc is also the largest private employer in Leesburg’s historic district.

The effort to highlight the Arc’s services comes as it continues lease negotiations to remain on the Paxton Campus. Trustees for the property owner, Margaret Paxton Memorial for Convalescent Children, are developing plans to expand the children’s service provided on the campus. Those plans would require changes to The Arc’s operational footprint. Several years of talks resulted in no agreement and the nonprofit’s lease expired earlier this year.

Last month, the two organizations entered third-party mediation in an attempt to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.

The Paxton Trust has leased the campus to the Arc since 2008. n

Loudoun Impact Fund Awards Grants to 18 Nonprofits

The Loudoun Impact Fund awarded $118,000 in grants to 18 nonprofits serving Loudoun County. This year’s grants were made possible through the contributions of 64 individuals and businesses that pooled charitable gifts.

The Loudoun Impact Fund brings together individuals and businesses interested in grantmaking administered through a joint effort of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Grants from the Loudoun Impact Fund support ser-

vices for at-risk youth, seniors, and people with disabilities in Loudoun County.

Since 2014, the Loudoun Impact Fund has awarded grants of nearly $1.15 million

Participants make a gift of $1,000 per individual or $5,000 per business to join the giving circle. Donors review proposals submitted by area nonprofits through a competitive application process and recommend grants to support Loudoun residents.

This year’s corporate donors to the Loudoun Impact Fund included Backflow Technology, Fortessa Tableware Solutions,

Claude Moore Grant Supports Sterling Food Pantry Plans

The Board of Trustees of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation approved a $50,000 discretionary grant to Loudoun Hunger Relief.

Foundation Trustee Charles Yudd requested the grant to support the organization’s establishment of a new food pantry in Sterling next spring.

“We serve any Loudoun resident in need and have been visiting the Sterling area for five years with our mobile food distribution,” LHR CEO Jennifer Montgomery stated. “The need has grown, and we’re excited to co-locate with Women Giving Back to bring our services to a permanent, indoor location.”

“We are honored to receive this donation, which will expand our reach and strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our Sterling neighbors,” Montgomery said.

Established in 1991, LHR provides food assistance and access to nutritious foods for Loudoun County families in need. This year, LHR served 800 families a week on average—a 30% increase from the previous year. In total, the nonprofit has distributed 2.5 million pounds of food, including 800,000 pounds of produce, enough for approximately 2.1 million meals.

ILM Capital LLC, MAI Capital Management, Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, Silver Line Tech, and Tony Nerantzis and Associates of Raymond James.

At least $10,000 in additional private donations have also been committed to support additional nonprofit needs identified in grant proposals.

This year’s grants awards were: • $5,000 to A Farm Less Ordinary to support year-round employment of adults

“LHR is a recognized nonprofit leader in best-practice operations, financial management and in serving those most in need of food in Loudoun County,” Yudd stated. “We are proud to be a part of that success story and – by extension –to expand much-needed support to area residents who are facing food insecurity.”

The foundation has been an important supporter of Loudoun Hunger Relief’s mission, including last year’s opening of an expanded Community Service Center in Leesburg. n IMPACT FUND AWARDS continues on page 24

William Timme/Loudoun Now Marty Martinez and Lisa Max Hold the Virginia Resolution.

Towns

Planners Present Western Loudoun Recreation Complex Design Options

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

County planners are narrowing in on the designs for the 142-acre western Loudoun recreation complex located on the western edge of Purcellville.

Over the summer consultants presented three concepts to residents depicting up to 10 sports fields, concessions, bleachers, trails, sports courts, fitness areas, pools, spa, gym, indoor running track, multipurpose rooms, classrooms and locker rooms.

During a third community meeting Monday night, project leaders presented a more defined draft master plan with different building orientations. The proposed design includes fewer sports fields with four instead of five softball/ baseball fields and four instead of five rectangular fields. The park would also have trails, open space, a “heart” of green space at its center with ponds and wetlands.

Planners are still working through the orientation and design of the recreation building itself.

The first concept, referred to as a “courtyard” design, includes a three-story building with a fitness center, gym, multipurpose rooms and lobby on the main floor. The upper level will have a track, cardio room and green roof as well as administrative offices, while the lower level will house locker rooms, and lifestyle and competition pools.

The second concept, known as the “threshold” design, shifts the building’s orientation closer to the “heart” open space in the park’s center. The building is then proposed to be two levels with multi-purpose rooms, the lobby, cardio area, track and administration offices on the main floor. The lower level would house the pools, pump room, spa, locker rooms, fitness area and gym.

A groundwater analysis, traffic impact analysis, and sports field lighting design investigation are still be con-

ducted. They are expected to impact the project’s final design.

The county approved a request by the Town of Purcellville to expand its traffic analysis to include all the intersections in the town and take the planned Rt. 7/ Rt. 690 interchange into account. Residents and town leaders expressed concern about the impact the park could have on traffic in town. The traffic study results are expected to be released next month.

During a May 6 public meeting, community members asked for a direct access point to the park from the Rt. 7 Bypass to mitigate traffic through the town, but Kimley-Horn Engineer Cody

Purcellville Welcomes New Mayor, Council Members

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Town of Purcellville welcomed its newest council members and mayor as five residents took their oath of office administered by Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens on Dec. 5.

Incumbent Council members Caleb Stought and Kevin Wright were reelected, while Council member Christopher Bertatut was elected as mayor. Ben Nett and Susan Khalil are the newest members of the council.

Each member took an oath to faithfully and impartially discharge all their duties as elected officials to the best of their abilities.

During the ceremony at Town Hall, outgoing Mayor Stanley Milan took the opportunity to thank residents for electing him to serve two years as a council member and two years as mayor.

“It's been enjoyable. It's been eye opening, and it’s been a growing process of understanding what politics are and what politics is not, and I look forward to seeing how the teams progress,” he said.

He also offered words of advice for the newcomers.

Smith said that was not feasible.

Once the design is set, the project will undergo a special exception review process which takes the plans through the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. If approved, construction on the project is expected to begin summer 2026 with completion in fall 2028.

The Board of Supervisors purchased the new park site after town leaders mounted objections to the long-established plans to build the facilities on the county-owned Fields Farm property located inside the town limits. The county withdrew its application from the town after the Planning Commission denied a recommendation of support. n

“Take everything in stride. Be patient. You will get darts thrown at you,” he said. “… If you're not learning and progressing and moving forward, you’re standing still.”

The terms will go into effect Jan. 1.

Renderings show two possible building orientations and layouts for the western Loudoun recreation complex, currently under design.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Purcellville Mayor-elect Christopher Bertaut takes his oath of office Dec. 5.

AROUND towns Mayors Ask County for Car Fee Reimbursements

HAMILTON

Soska to be Newest Council Member

After only two candidates ran for the three open seats on the Town Council, write-in votes determined that incumbent Greg Wilmoth was the man for the job.

However, after years of service Wilmoth, who did not seek reelection, declined the position. That left two write-in names tied at six votes each. The Office of Elections initially found that Jamil Moen and Thomas Soska had tied for the remaining seat.

Plans to conduct a random drawing at the next Electoral Board meeting were set in place until the office conducted a double review of the votes and identified an additional vote for Soska that had appeared to be misspelled.

Because the handwriting was difficult to read, the office had registered the vote as “Thomas Suska,” but an Elections Office representative said it was clear the vote was for Soska.

Soska is expected to be sworn in before his term begins Jan. 1.

HILLSBORO

Holiday Homes Tour Features Historic Church

Hillsboro’s Holiday Homes Tour on Dec. 14 will feature one of the 275-yearold Town’s most iconic structures—the former Methodist Episcopal Church (South), which is under restoration after a 2022 fire.

“We are thrilled to have the 1858 church building as part of the tour this year and give the public a look inside during this stage of its restoration by its new owners, Mike and Kristin MacLaughlin,” said Emilie Moskal, of the Hillsboro Preservation Foundation.

“Along with the four beautifully decorated 18th- and 19th-century homes, visitors are in for a wonderful experience in Hillsboro this year.”

“The restoration of the stone church near the center of Hillsboro is a seminal event in the Town’s long history,” Mayor Roger Vance said. “The story of this Town, the fracturing of the community—and antebellum America—is written in the four walls of this build-

ing. Built in the lead up to the Civil War, as the Methodist Episcopalian Church, Hillsboro and Commonwealth were torn apart over slavery, this Church and the stories it reveals are critical to understanding the arc of America’s evolution.”

Tours will be offered throughout the day—with guides, without guides, and by candlelight.

The town’s festivities also include a free Hillsboro Holiday Market, with more than 30 arts and craft vendors, at the Old Stone School starting at 10 a.m.

Also, a 2020 painting of the historic church by artist Chip Beck will be available as part of the Christmas Market’s silent auction.

For tickets and more information about the tours and market, go to oldstoneschool.org.

PURCELLVILLE

Police Department Welcomes 2 New Officers

Two new officers are joining the town’s Police Department and were sworn in by Clerk of Circuit Court Gary Clemens on Dec. 7.

Basem Bolas graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy on Monday. The six-month program covers numerous law enforcement principles and procedures, including criminal investigation, legal, patrol, and practical skills. Major components of the performance-based training include first-aid, CPR, crisis intervention, control tactics, firearms training, and driver training. Bolas will also undergo three months of field training within the department. Prior to the academy, Bolas worked as part of the security team at Inova Health System. He is a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Christoff Botha comes to the town as a lateral transfer with three years of experience after working at the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. He also served 10 years with the South African Army in the Ranger Battalion. Because of his prior experience, Botha will under a condensed field training program before being authorized for solo patrol.

Both officers are fluent in additional languages including Arabic and Afrikaans. n

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After the Board of Supervisors’ move to eliminate the annual vehicle fee starting next year, the county’s towns are requesting that their residents also be part of the change.

During a Dec. 3 meeting, the board approved a recommendation by its finance committee to have County Administrator Tim Hemstreet prepare next fiscal year’s budget without the $25 per vehicle fee and with a lower car personal property tax.

Supervisors cited the county’s data center revenues as the reason they could charge its vehicle fees.

However, residents within town limits pay their vehicle license fees to the town governments, rather than to the county and those collections can make up a significant portion of each localities’ operating budget.

In total, the seven towns collect approximately $1.25 million in vehicle fees. Leesburg collects the most at $934,000. Purcellville receives $181,000, Lovettsville $53,000, Middleburg $17,000, Round Hill $16,000 and Hamilton $14,200. Hillsboro collects about $2,000 per year.

For all the towns except Hillsboro, the municipal vehicle fees and taxes are collected by the county government and redistributed to the towns.

Lovettsville Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said if the supervisors are looking to provide countywide relief, town residents don’t receive that benefit unless they too give up the fee. However, the towns don’t have an influx of data center money to fill that funding gap.

In a letter signed by each of the mayors, town leaders said they cannot afford to lose that level of operating budgets.

“County residents living within Towns would expect the same level of relief on the Vehicle License fees when each of the Town’s budgets may not be able to adequately absorb the elimination of this revenue stream,” according to the letter.

Instead, they’re asking the county to subsidize the revenue the towns would lose.

“We request that county funds be made available to each member Town to offset the expected Vehicle License Fee during any budget year in which the County decides to provide a fully or partial Vehicle License Fee relief,” according to the letter.

During a Dec. 3 board meeting, Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) said he is hoping to bring a proposal before the board to address the town’s request.

Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) said she also wanted to look at ways to support the towns.

“We have to look at how we can mitigate the impact to the towns, because they did send in the letter,” she said. n

Round Hill, Hamilton Approve Agreement for Broadband Project

BY NORMAN K. STYER & HANNA PAMPALONI nstyer@loudounnow.org hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Round Hill and Hamilton town councils have authorized Dominion Energy to attach fiber optic cables to utility poles through the towns as part of the $72 million plan to provide broadband service to 8,600 rural homes and business in Loudoun County.

Dominion was prevented from installing the cables along Loudoun and Main streets in Round Hill because the utility’s 1972 franchise agreement, which governs the responsibilities of the company, expired a decade ago. The Town Council in March asked Dominion to work on a new agreement ahead of the broadband roll out. Those talks never occurred.

The company’s agreement with Hamil-

ton was also expired, keeping cables from being installed along the town’s main corridor, East Colonial Highway.

In recent weeks, as Broadband project managers working to get the first round of customers hooked up to the network before the end of the year, Dominion has pressed to get an agreement in place. Those talks resulted in a memorandum of understanding tailored to the broadband work, with hopes that a broader franchise agreement could be inked next year.

Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) attended the Dec. 4 Round Hill council meeting to urge approval of the agreement. He said that a delay could jeopardize grant funding that is helping to underwrite the project.

BROADBAND PROJECT continues on page 24

Obituaries

Elizabeth Inez (Fraser) Wall

Elizabeth Inez (Fraser) Wall, age 92, died on November 13, 2024 in Leesburg, Virginia. She is survived by her children Cynthia Wall (Keith Miles) of Nashville, TN; Barbara Scarcliffe (Glen) of London, UK; Lee Wall (Maile Tropia) of Long Beach, CA; and Jennifer Jones (Raymond) of Leesburg, VA; and by grandchildren Emily Wall, Philippa Scarcliffe, Caroline Scarcliffe, Reese Jones and Ellen Jones. She is also survived by her sisters Catherine Fraser Marmino of North Bay and Nancy Peverley of Guelph, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Liz was born on March 13, 1932 and grew up in North Bay. After attending college in Toronto she accepted a teaching post on a military base in Goose Bay, Labrador. It was there that she married Henry L. Wall, a U.S. Army officer. They traveled widely while raising their four children. She also made frequent visits to North Bay, spending many summers on Trout Lake with her Canadian family.

She taught middle school while earning a Master’s degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. She relished introducing her students to English literature, especially Shakespeare. She loved history too, with a particular eye for old houses and antiques. And she loved music, especially anything composed by J.S. Bach or sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

In 1998, she moved to Leesburg to be closer to her youngest grandchildren. She worked for many years as a docent and house manager at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, a property listed on the United States’ National Register of Historic Places.

Liz was an active member of the Church of Our Saviour Oatlands and her remains will be interred there. Her family will hold a memorial service at a later date, with details pending — and suggest that in lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Liz’s memory to: Oatlands Historic House & Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, Virginia 20175.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

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

Barbara M. Curran

Barbara M. (Carl) Curran passed away on December 7, 2024 at age 87 after a more than five year battle against cancer. She was predeceased by her husband William W. Curran. She is survived by her four daughters Barbara Tranfaglia (Thomas), Carolyn Lazaro (Robert), Virginia LaFonte (Joseph), Helena McKim (Michaell), ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Born in New York City she met the love of her life on her way home from work and later that evening at church. They married in 1959 and eventually moved to Manhasset, New York and then to Purcellville, Virginia in 2002. In her later years she resided at Spring Arbor in Leesburg, Virginia. During her years in Manhasset Barbara was busy with a wide range of civic and church related activities. She was the founder and President of the Plandome Heights Women’s Club, Charter Member / President of the Manhasset American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Co-chaired the St. Mary’s Church St. Patrick’s Day Dance, Village Clerk for the Village of Plandome Heights, Troop Leader for the Girls Scouts and other civic endeavors. An accomplished violinist she taught all of her children how to play a musical instrument and was an instructor for local children. In Purcellville she was an active member of the Carver Senior Center and helped lead an exercise class for her fellow Center members. She loved her time there with her friends. Wake will take place at Halls Funeral Home in Purcellville on Thursday, December 12 from 6 pm to 8 PM. Funeral mass will be held at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Purcellville on Friday, December 13 at 2 PM. Burial will be private.

Constance Anne Haines Gonzales

Constance Anne Haines Gonzalez, 84, of Lovettsville, Virginia died Sunday, December 1, 2024 in Reston Hospital Center, Reston, Virginia. Mrs. Gonzalez was born October 4, 1940 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the daughter of the late Benjamin Haines and Charlotte Sophia Garwood Haines. She was a successful business owner and lover of Jesus. She married George Oscar Gonzalez, Sr. Mr. Gonzalez preceded her in death on June 14, 2013. She is survived by her son George O. Gonzalez Jr. of Chantilly, VA; her daughter, Natalie Gonzalez Gustafson of Lovettsville, VA; her seven grandchildren, Bartholomew George Gonzalez, Hannah Elise Gustafson, Christine Maria Ann Gonzalez, Hailey Kaye Gustafson, Marissa Katherine Gonzalez, Sophia Haines Gustafson, and Nicholas Stephen Gonzalez and her great grand baby. A celebration service will be held 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at Word of Life International Church, Sterling, VA. Arrangements are by Enders & Shirley Funeral Home, Berryville, Virginia. To view the obituary or send online condolences, please visit www.endersandshirley.com.

OWEN & LEIGH

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JOJO BAYLISS

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12

Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen Leesburg, 1 N. King St., Leesburg. eatatrebellion.com

JEREMIAH PROPHETT

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

NATHANIEL DAVIS

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Quattro Goombas Winery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

RICHARD WALTON

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Bluemont Station, 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont. facebook.com/ BluemontStationBreweryandWinery

SCOTT KURT

5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13 Willowcroft Farm Winery willowcroftwine.com

ERIC BYRD TRIO

6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. franklinparkartscenter.org

MELISSA QUINN FOX DUO

6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 WineStyles, 25031 Riding Plaza, South Riding. winestyles.com/chantilly

HUME-FRYE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

LINDSAY AUSTIN HOUGH

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com LIVE MUSIC continues on page 20

The Textures of Sharon West

BY KATIANA DAWN

During the pandemic, Sharon West walked away from an unfulfilling marketing job and pursued her passion for art fulltime. The talented palette knife painter hasn’t looked back.

West was born in New York to a military father and artist mother, the experiences provided her with a lifetime of colorful, abstract, feeling art.

West is mostly a self-taught artist with lessons carried from her mother and relatives as well as individual courses.

“One of the things I like to tell people is that I didn’t know you could actually have a career in something that was so much fun,” West said, referring to not getting traditional schooling in art. Instead of that path she spent almost 30 years in marketing.

“It wasn’t really what I truly enjoyed, but then I decided to pursue art. I felt like I was really in the right place, where I needed to be,” she said.

Much of the West’s exploration has been working with a multiplicity of mediums, discovering how to manipulate them in search of one specific quality that stands out in all of her work.

“I’ve used building materials. I’ve used spackle. I’ve used all different sorts of compounds, and it took me a while to

figure out which products would create the end result, I really love so much, the extreme texture.”

Texture is a powerful tool an artist can use to create depth, three dimensionality, and immediately get the viewers’ attention.

Many of West’s inspirations come from her experience traveling the world, seeing special buildings and landscapes and experiencing nature in a way that few are truly able to.

“I like to capture the beauty of landscapes and nature on canvas ... a lot of people just want to reach out and touch it because it has such a tactile quality. Some people even say they want to eat it because some of it looks like icing,” she said.

West describes her work as sculptural nature and reinforces an idea of art being more about the experience than the necessary realism of it.

One of her favorite pieces is “Iris Serenade.”

“It has such a strong tactile quality to it, and I just love the greens and the purples and the little touches of pink and blue and all that,” she said. “I like to be able to look into the distance as well. I like to bring the viewer very close up on the flowers, then draw the eyes farther back down to see the water, the forest.”

She values the impact art can have on the community.

“I think it takes people away. You know when you look at a piece of art you can just sort of be transported even just temporarily to a beautiful place that makes you feel happy, and makes you feel relaxed. It might just give you a break from whatever worries might be on your mind at that moment,” she said. “People really respond to color and texture and it just gives you sort of a happy, peaceful feeling or at least that’s what I hope my art does. I think it helps communities come together, it’s really just more about giving people a good feeling so that they can enjoy their day.”

West encourages others to take the risk to do what brings them joy, and not feel trapped in an unfulfilling career.

“I would just encourage anyone that’s considering starting art in general to embrace it. One thing about my art is there’s nothing perfect about it, as a matter of fact, it’s all imperfect. It’s more about feeling and creating an experience for the viewer,” she said.

“My art is not photorealistic. It’s impressionistic,” she said. “Even though

Photo by Katiana Dawn Purcellville artist Sharon West embraced her passion for art to embark on a rewarding new career.

Contributed

In situ display of “Iris Serenade” by Sharon West

SHARON WEST continues on page 21

SCOTT KURT

5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13 Willowcroft Farm Winery willowcroftwine.com

Vines & Vibes features the dynamic Scott Kurt playing modern country and rock while the festive holiday spirit of the tasting room is in full swing.

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 19

JOE DOWNER

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

RYAN SILLS

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

CHRIS RALL & BILL BOWMAN

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

THE DILL PICKERS

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com

NATE CLENENDEN

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

TWO FOR THE ROAD

6:30 to 9:40 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

JOJO BAYLISS

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

POINT OF ROCK

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

CRAZY JANE BAND

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

BEST BETS

ERIC BYRD TRIO

Friday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center franklinparkartscenter.org

Continuing a holiday tradition, the Frederick, MD-based jazz trio performs the soundtrack from the iconic cartoon “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

JOE MULLINS AND THE RADIO RAMBLERS

Saturday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m.

Lucketts Community Center luckettsbluegrass.org

Renowned as a musician and broadcaster, Mullins brings Scruggs-style banjo picking and his soaring tenor to the old schoolhouse stage.

ROB HOEY

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

FRONT PAGE

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

JASON MASI

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

DAVID ANDREW SMITH

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

GRAYSON MOON

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

CALLER N’ DOC

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Quattro Goombas Winery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

JIM STEELE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

DAN INGHAM

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

DEANE AND ERIC

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

HILARY VELTRI

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

DAVID THONG

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

ZACH JONES

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

WAYNE SNOW

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

MARANATHA YOUTH MUSIC

ACADEMY CHRISTMAS JOY CONCERT

3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Our Savior’s Way Lutheran Church, 43115 Waxpool Road, Broadlands. maranathayma.org

SOUTH LOUDOUN YOUTH CHORALE

4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Lightridge High School, 41025 Collaboration Drive, Aldie. $15. slychorale.org

STEVE BOYD & FRIENDS

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

SHANE & JACKSON DUO

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

JULIET LLOYD TRIO

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road,

Hillsboro.

harvestgap.com

JOE MULLINS AND THE RADIO RAMBLERS

7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. $25. luckettsbluegrass.org

CHRIS HANKS

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

PATCHWORK DOROTHY

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

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

WESLEY SPANGLER

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

DAN FISK

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

AGAINST THE GRAIN

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

RICHARD WALTON

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

ERIC ZATZ

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

LOUDOUN JAZZ JAM

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

continues on page 21

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 20

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

THE LOST CORNER VAGABONDS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. facebook.com/DoukenieWinery

JASON MASI

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

BIG HOWDY

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. dcbu.org

KEN WENZEL

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

CHRIS HANKS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

WILL SHEPARD

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

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

MCKINLEY JAMES

7 to 11 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16

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

MOSTLY IRISH

4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19

Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne. lwva.org

TOMMY BOUCH

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19

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

HAPPENINGS

BUSINESS @ BREAKFAST

8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12

Belmont Country Club, 19661 Belmont Manor Lane, Ashburn. $35. loudounchamber.org

DULLES AIRPORT MANGER’S REPORT

11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12

Washington Dulles Airport Marriott, 45020 Aviation Drive, Dulles. $65. committeefordulles.org

Sharon West

continued from page 19

my trees are gnarly and don’t look exactly like photo-realistic trees, you still know what it is. Same with my flowers—sometimes they’re a little bit abstract, but you look at it and you see that blob of pink paint and you know it’s a flower,” West said. “I would encourage people to embrace their inner artist because it’s a very joyful profession to be in.”

West’s award-winning art is featured in downtown Leesburg at Global Local Market and will be included in the upcoming Winter 2024 Capital Arts and Craft Festival taking place Dec. 13-15 at the Dulles Expo Center.

Learn more at sharonwestneart.com n

LOUDOUN RETIRED EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

10 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 13

Loudoun County Public Schools, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn. loudounea.org

CANDLEMAKING WORKSHOP

5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. $40. solacebrewing.com

CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 - Dec. 15

Leesburg Animal Park, 19246 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. $16.95 leesburganimalpark.com

SOUTH RIDING CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, South Riding Proprietary, 43055 Center St., Chantilly. southriding.net

CHRISTMASTIME IN SCOTLAND

7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

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

LOUDOUN SYMPHONIC WINDS TOY DRIVE CELEBRATION

8 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13

Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church, 46833 Harry Byrd Highway, Sterling. Free. loudouncommunityband.org

BELMONT GREENE BAZAAR

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Belmont Greene HOA, 43003 Chesterton St., Ashburn. belmontgreene.org

HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET

12 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. facebook.com/DoukenieWinery

HOLIDAY MARKET

12 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Bush Tabernacle Skating Rink, 250 S. Nursery Ave., Purcellville. purcellvilleva.gov

HOLIDAY ORNAMENT WORKSHOP

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Loudoun Valley Community Center, 320 W. School St., Purcellville. purcellvilleva.gov

PICTURES WITH SANTA

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14

Purcellville Train Station, 200 N. 21st St., Purcellville. purcellvilleva.gov

LECTURE: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!

2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

St. James United Church-Christ, 10 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville. lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org

CHRISTMAS AT SELMA

2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15

Selma Mansion, 16119 Garriland Drive, Leesburg. $85. loudounmuseum.com

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

PRE-SESSION PUBLIC HEARING

7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19

Loudoun County Public Schools, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn. forms.gle/KUVcpghYLBwinWpM7

“Winter's Tender Light” by Sharon West

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ044457, JJ044458

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Camilo Pisani Marquez and Gabriel S. Pisani Marquez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

v. Josue Valentin Marquez Decid, Father

The object of this suit is to hold a motion to Modify the Child Protective Orders for Camilo Pisani Marquez and Gabriel S. Pisani Marquez pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-253. The Department of Family Services will be seeking to have all of the father’s contact with the children supervised. The Department of Family Services will also be seeking to have the father participate in certain services.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Josue Valentin Marquez Decid, Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 9, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

11/28, 12/5, 12/12 & 12/19/24

A message to Loudoun County older adults and disabled residents from Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 years of age and older OR totally and permanently disabled who wish to apply for 2024 Real Estate Tax Relief for the first time must submit an application to my office by December 31, 2024.

Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office 46000 Center Oak Plaza

Internet: loudoun.gov/taxrelief

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: 703-737-8557

Email: taxrelief@loudoun.gov

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

12/5, 12/12, 12/19, & 12/26/24

Legal Notices

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES

Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

DESCRIPTION CASE NUMBER RECOVERY DATE RECOVERY LOCATION PHONE NUMBER

BMX Style bike, brand is framed, black and gold

Magna 18 speed bike model #8562-05

Highland Huffy Shimano 12 speed red bike

PX 4.0 Next Shimano black bike

SO240019562 11/2/2024

SO240019700 11/4/2024

SO240020612 11/22/2024

SO240020612 11/22/2024

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/ PROPOSALS FOR:

CONSTRUCTION OF THE LEESBURG SOUTH FIRE AND RESCUE STATION #28, IFB No. 670841 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 14, 2025.

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR ADULT CRISIS RECEIVING AND STABILIZATION CENTER, RFP No. 660834 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 14, 2025.

REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION SERVICES, RFP No. 639820 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 15, 2025.

TASK ORDER ROAD CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES, RFP No. 670840 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 14, 2025.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun. gov/procurement . If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT

12/12/24

42030 Guardfish Way, Ashburn 571-367-8400

Hay Rd/Churchill Downs Dr., Ashburn 571-367-8400

Minerva Dr/ Conquest Cir., Ashburn 571-367-8400

Minerva Dr/ Conquest Cir., Ashburn 571-367-8400

12/5 & 12/12/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

Case No.: CL24-0795

Loudoun County Circuit Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Yakub Yilmaz, through next friend, Tulay Yilmaz, v. Tanya Casey, et al.

The object of this suit is to recover money damages as a result of tort/negligence

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Tanya Casey appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 24, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

2/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/3/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ049330-02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Bimen Aziz

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Mariam Welson Henin, Mother

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1281 for Bimen Aziz.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Mariam Welson Henin, Mother, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 28, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/2/25

Loudoun County Public Schools School Renaming Survey

In considering whether some school names reflect Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) values on inclusion and diversity, the Loudoun County School Board has initiated a process guided by Policy 6510, Naming School Facilities, of addressing the names of Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School and Mercer Middle School and considering a possible renaming of the schools.

Community meetings have been held for both schools; renaming committees have been formed. The next step, per policy, is to survey the community.

LCPS community members and members of the broader Loudoun County community are invited to complete the survey between now and December 16. Visit: www.LCPS.org/thoughtexchange.

More information about the review of school names can be found on the LCPS website at www.LCPS.org/schoolnames.

Contact LCPS Division of Planning & GIS Services at LCPSPlan@LCPS.org with any questions or comments.

12/5 & 12/12/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

Case No.: 24003973-00

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re name change of minor, Khadijah Addy v.

Baimba Kanu

The object of this suit is to change my daughter’s name because Father is not in the picture and address is unknown.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Baimba Kanu, Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before Fevruary 7, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

12/5, 12/12, 12/19 & 12/26/24

Community Meeting

Ida Lee Park Recreation Center 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg Downstairs Meeting Room Wednesday, Dec. 18 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to a community meeting to hear about and discuss the recently filed Town Plan Amendment and Rezoning on land located in the northwest quadrant of Route 7 and Battlefield Parkway. The project is known as Leesburg Gateway, TLTPAM2024-0001, TLREZN2024-0003, TLSPEX2024-0010 and TLSPEX2024-0011.

Please email any questions to contact@curatapartners.com.

12/12/24

How Can A Newspaper Be A Nonprofit?

Just like PBS is viewer supported and NPR is listener supported, newspapers can be reader supported. Loudoun Now has become a nonprofit so we can continue our free non-partisan journalism and community commitment for years to come.

Legal Notices

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.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Public Notice

An enforcement action has been proposed for FiberLight of Virginia, LLC, Brungardt Honomichl & Company, P.A., Incorporated, and REEL Broadband, LLC for violations of State Water Control Board statutes and regulations and applicable permit at the Leesburg to Ashburn Fiber Optic Conduit Installation located in Loudoun County, Virginia. The proposed Consent Order is available from the DEQ contact or at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/permits/public-notices/enforcement-orders. The DEQ contact will accept written comments from December 16, 2024 to January 15, 2025. DEQ contact: Katherine Mann; email – katherine.mann@deq.virginia.gov; or mail - DEQ Northern Regional Office, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA 22193.

12/12/24

Misc.

VEHICLE AUCTION

List your business in our service directory and reach thousands of potential customers! Call for details 703-770-9723

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.

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

Impact Fund Awards

continued from page 15

with intellectual, developmental, and cognitive disabilities,

• $8,000 to A Place To Be to support skills training and personal development to prepare young adults with disabilities for employment and community participation,

• $5,000 to All Ages Read Together to support free, quality kindergarten readiness classes for under-served children residing in Loudoun,

• $8,000 to Crossroads Jobs to support job search training, placement and post placement support services for disabled Loudoun residents,

• $5,000 to Dulles South Food Pantry to support seniors and infants facing food insecurity and other needs,

• $5,000 to ECHO (Every Citizen Has Opportunities) to support kitchen updates in the LIFE Day Support program to be used daily to provide life skills training for ECHO participants,

• $7,000 to Insight Memory Care Center to support older adults with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers through socialization, peer support and education,

• $5,000 to Just Neighbors to support unaccompanied low-income immigrant youth and children in Loudoun,

• $10,000 to LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services to support trauma therapy and advocacy services for child victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Loudoun,

• $8,000 to Legacy Farms to support for program expansion for garden based vocational training for neurodivergent young adults,

• $8,000 to Loudoun Cares to support single parent households facing emergen-

Broadband Project

continued from page 17

“We have certain deadlines that we have to meet. I’ve always felt like we’ve been a really good partner with our towns and our villages here in western Loudoun. We’ve really been able to work with you guys and to help you out as we can,” he said “This is something that the county really needs to move along. We really appreciate all of your cooperation in getting this done.”

cy financial situations,

• $9,000 to Loudoun Hunger Relief to support intensive food and referral interventions for senior adult households in Loudoun,

• $5,000 to Loudoun Serenity House to support Transportation & Transitory Lodging Fund,

FIND LOCAL EVENTS GETOUTLOUDOUN.COM ONLINE. ALWAYS. LOUDOUN-

• $8,000 to Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers to support expanded transportation services for seniors and adults with disabilities in Loudoun,

• $8,000 to Ryan Bartel Foundation to support the Sunday FORT, an experiential mental wellness program serving at-risk youth in Loudoun,

• $4,000 to St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church to support Educando Con Amor, a 9-week STEAM summer camp & STEAM after-school program for underserved students in Loudoun,

• $5,000 to The Arc of Loudoun to support early intervention programs for people with disabilities and low-income families in Loudoun,

• $5,000 to View of Heaven Farm to support sustainable farm operations offering meaningful employment to people of differing cognitive and physical abilities.

“We’re grateful for all of our donor members who come together each year to make these grants possible, humbled by the growing needs, and honored to support some of the nonprofit partners doing important work in our community,” stated Carlos Otal, Loudoun Impact Fund member and volunteer co-leader of the group.

“LIF provides an unparalleled platform to learn about the needs of our vulnerable neighbors, and we invite anyone interested in joining us next year to reach out— joining together we can make bigger and more targeted impacts.”

Learn more about the Loudoun Impact Fund at communityfoundationlf.org/lif. n

Loco Service Providers

In Round Hill, Dominion plans to attach fiber optic cable to 82 utility poles over the next four weeks. The work also will require the installation of three replacement poles.

The agreement also offers hope that town residents could be permitted to connect to the network by requiring Dominion to provide points of contact for All Points Broadband, the local service provider, “so that the Town may investigate the possibility of securing internet access service within the Town.”

On Monday, the Hamilton Town Council approved an agreement to allow the cables to be added to 48 existing poles along the highway. The agreement also stipulates that Dominion will add points of contact for All Points Broadband so that the town can work on getting internet access service within its limits.

Dominion’s franchise agreements in Middleburg also is expired, but lines for the broadband project won’t pass through the town. n

Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities

Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.

Regular Full-Time Positions

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.

Published by Loudoun Community Media

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176

703-770-9723

KURT ASCHERMANN Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org

NORMAN K. STYER Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

EDITORIAL

AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org

ADVERTISING

SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org

TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org

VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

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.

Opinion

Providing the Power

The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission’s deep dive into the opportunities and challenges of the state’s fastgrowing data center industry provides a critical assessment for policy makers at all levels of government.

Among its important findings is that there is no need for state lawmakers or regulators to intervene in local land use decisions as the benefits of these business opportunities are evaluated. While recognizing that some localities have floundered with inadequate planning and zoning rules, the JLARC staff also found that local governments could benefit with additional authority to address community impacts, such as noise.

Interestingly, the panel also suggests that localities recognize data centers as industrial uses and designate specific areas where they should be permitted. This is an approach now being advocated by members of Loudoun’s Planning Commission as an alternative to the Board of Supervisors’ plan to review new projects while holding a semblance of veto power through the special exception review process—creating uncertainty for investors and residents alike. Notably, in Loudoun, where they have long been considered office rather than industrial uses, more than one third of the 71 data center sites are located within 500 feet of land zoned for residential development, the study found.

Importantly, a large part of the study focuses on what now

Memorable

Editor:

The writeup of the 50th anniversary ceremony for victims of TWA Flight 514 was enlightening and heart-warming. As a more recent resident of Blue Ridge Mountain Road, I would like to add a bit of very local history.

For over 30 years, members of the Blue Ridge Mountain Civic Association quietly adopted care of the site, weeding, mulching, and periodically placing flags at the boulder which stands as a permanent natural memorial. Locals arranged for red bud trees to be planted on either side of the stone, and ensured the trees were replaced when they were accidentally mowed down during routine road maintenance operations. Several families who either lived nearby at the time of the tragedy, or soon thereafter, now live near the site, and continue to champion its care.

These families, and other residents who have come and gone over the years, include retired commercial and private plane pilots. On rare occasion a bouquet appears on the boulder, left anonymously by a person or persons impacted by the TWA tragedy.

is recognized as the key challenge to the industry’s continued growth—the power infrastructure. But it provides no clear solution.

Even if state leaders were to abandon the commonwealth’s clean economy goals, the study finds it will be difficult to supply even half of the anticipated market demand, which is expected to double within the next 10 years. In addition to rapidly scaling up in-state generation sources and increasing out-of-state energy imports by 50%, the study predicts Dominion Energy will have to increase its transmission zone by 40%, including in densely populated areas. With few feasible alternatives to overcome these challenges, the report suggests the General Assembly change state law to make it clear that utilities may delay service to new customers in areas with inadequate generation or transmission capacity.

While localities like ours can do a better job siting, designing and regulating data center growth to the community’s benefit, it is up to state leaders, and regional planners, to provide the power.

In past decades, as unbearable congestion threatened to constrict Northern Virginia’s money pipeline, it was local tax and toll payers who invested billions of dollars to expand the transportation infrastructure and kept the economy growing in the face of inaction in Richmond. That model isn’t going to keep the servers humming.

LETTERS to the Editor

Early Sunday morning, Dec. 1, 2024, my husband and I stopped to admire the flags and candles placed at the site by BRMCA members in anticipation of visits by guests in town for the memorial service. Suddenly three men emerged from the adjacent woods, carrying a bouquet. We chatted. They had traveled from California to attend the Bluemont service, as an aunt, returning from an FBI posting, had died in the crash. The trio was pleased to learn of the long-standing care by the BRMCA. They expressed their gratitude for that care, as well as for the upcoming memorial ceremony.

They placed their bouquet on the boulder. Pictures were taken, then we departed from one another, as wind gusts surrounded us with a few snow flurries, and a thin sun broke through the clouds in the distant western valley. It was indeed a memorable way to begin the day.

— Margit Royal, Paris

Mercer's Work

Editor:

Imagine if Loudoun County had a school named for George Washington. Under the School Board’s directive on renaming schools based on the sole criteria

of whether the people for whom the school was named held slaves.

There would now be a committee of 20 people deliberating for months on coming up with three names of alternative candidates as names of the Washington school, and a survey of Loudoun residents on whether they wanted to remove a name “attached to slavery” would be distributed online. A member of the School Board, as well as a member of the committee, would be alleging that leaving the name of Washington on the school would cause PTSD among its students, and that Washington’s excessive baggage of slavery would endanger the mental health of children going to the school.

Really?

The Washington, who won the American Revolution, supervised the adoption of the Constitution, served two terms as president to ensure the country could withstand the British efforts to smother the republic in the cradle, sponsored the great economic American System program of Alexander Hamilton, his first treasury secretary, and shared with his core associates the expectation

Loudoun

READERS’ poll

What is the most effective way county supervisors can improve data center development?

47.4% Stop allowing them

15.3% Require on-site power generation

14.9% Designate suitable locations

14.9% Eliminate by-right approvals

4.7% Implement stricter design guidelines

Reduce their scale/size

What will be the most important issue in the upcoming General Assembly session?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

that these American System economics would undermine the economic viability of slavery and lead to its eradication? That Washington?

The case of Charles Fenton Mercer (1778-1858), for whom the former Mercer election district and current middle school in Aldie is named, is exactly parallel on the local level to Washington’s. Both as a Virginia state legislator (1810-1817) and U.S. Congressman (18171839), Mercer was a one-man wonder of promoting the economics of Hamilton and Washington’s American System, based on expanded banking to issue directed credit into agriculture, industry, infrastructure (called “internal improvements” then, centered on roads, canals, and railroads), and other entrepreneurial activity, and seeing it as the road to end slavery, which Mercer called the “blackest of all blots.”

This indefatigable organizing included creating the Virginia Internal Improvement Fund and Board of Public Works, and a drive for a public education system – an education reform defeated by the Tidewater slavocracy and their allies. It required 50 years to be adopted finally, in 1869. Mercer built a political machine reaching from Loudoun County to the west, highlighted by his convening a state constitutional convention in 1829 to extend the voting franchise to poorer, non-slaveholding strata in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghenies, to break the political hold of the Tidewater slaveholding interests on state politics. In the U.S. Congress, Mercer’s service culminated in 10 years as chairman of the House Roads and Canals committee, and the successful funding and launch of Washington’s cherished dream of a canal along

— By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

LETTERS to the Editor

the Potomac leading to opening up the West. Mercer became the president of the resulting C&O Canal for five years.

Mercer also held a handful of enslaved blacks working his small farm and mill in Aldie. The history of the battle against slavery includes the irony that some great champions of the economic system that set out to vanquish the slave system, themselves held slaves. It also contains the irony of radical abolitionists holding no slaves, but working for British free trade economics which bolstered the slave system.

How ironic would it be, if in an ostensible effort to confront the evils of slavery, the School Board would complete the work of the Virginia slavocracy, which fought Mercer tooth and nail throughout his long public life dedicated politically and economically to creating conditions to end slavery?

— Tim Rush, Leesburg

Fundamental Problem

Editor:

After reading last week's article titled "Planning Commission Continues Deliberations Over Data Center Policies, Supervisors Push for Quick Decision," I was struck that the fundamental problem of getting electricity to these data centers was not in the conversation.

Unless each new data center application includes the provision for on-site power generation where they are built is a moot point.

The electrical grid is already at peak capacity. The

Board of Supervisors must respond to this. Any new application should include rooftop solar panels and the use of small modular reactors on the data center campus at the very least. The cost of these needs to be borne by the data centers themselves. And, by the way, the presence of SMRs will increase the number of locations where data centers do not belong.

— Melanie Rider, Leesburg

Correct Decision

Editor:

I would like to congratulate Kamala Harris on winning Loudoun County. She did this after the county Board of Elections rejected pleas to enable any early in person voting on Sundays. This is after County Chair Phyllis Randall went to the Loudoun County Electoral Board meeting on Sept. 14, 2024, and lambasted the decision. What is interesting about this outcome is that almost 10,000 less people in the county voted for the Democratic candidate this year, compared to 2020. Was no Sunday voting to blame for 10,000 less voters? No, it appears that 10,000 people who voted for Biden in 2020, changed their minds and voted for Trump. The data shows this.

It also demonstrates that while the registered voting population in the county increase in four years by 30,000 people, the need for Sunday voting in the county is nonexistent when there are so many other opportunities to vote. The Loudoun County Board of Elections made the correct decision in not executing the option for more voting, and Kamala winning the county proves it.

— Christopher Rohland, Leesburg

Community Leaders, Legislators Look to Next Steps

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Following the release Monday of the much-anticipated data center report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, industry and local leaders have mixed reactions about its conclusions and recommendations.

The report found that data centers are driving unprecedented energy demand growth that will be difficult to supply and support with the needed infrastructure. A series of recommendations focus on using the continuation of tax incentives as a lever for stricter standards and allowing localities more authority in their land use decisions.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn), who has been leading the effort from the Board of Supervisors to address concerns related to energy demand, said he thought the report was reasonable.

“I thought they were very frank about what I think are really historic challenges to the power utilities to be able to provide enough power in an exponentially increasing data and associated electricity market,” he said.

Leading up to it, Turner said he was concerned the commission would take “one size fits all” approach, which would not be appropriate for the unique conditions in Loudoun.

“But they didn’t, I thought it was a very measured approach,” he said. “… there were a lot of comments in there about empowering local jurisdictions.”

Turner said he was apprehensive about using the tax incentives as lever to achieve desired results.

“While I understand that that’s the tool that the state has and it makes sense, I’m concerned because that’s the one major attracting feature to the commonwealth for data center growth and the data centers have an enormous impact on our economy. So, I’m just a little bit antsy in using that. That’s sort of a sledgehammer approach,” he said.

Instead, he said is working on ways the county can offer tax incentives at a county

Power Demand

continued from page 1

jobs building or working in data centers, and the indirect jobs created to support those workers in sectors like retail and housing,” he said. “Altogether, industry-related jobs brought an estimated $5.5 billion in annual labor income, and the industry added $9.1 billion to the state’s economy.”

During construction a data center site

level to achieve the same results.

“Ours is a bit more positive approach, I think,” he said.

Del. David Reid (D-28), whose district includes much of Loudoun’s famed Data Center Alley, said the report is merely a starting point for legislators.

“What we choose to do with localities can be anywhere on that spectrum,” he said referencing possible policy avenues outlined in the plan that said legislators could take the existing sales tax exemption and either extend its 2035 sunset date, shorten it, or adjust the requirements for it.

“I don’t think people should be too invested in either concept A, B or C. It can be anywhere on that spectrum,” he said.

If changes to the exemption status are coming, they likely won’t happen until after 2035.

“Once we have established parameters for businesses and localities, we’re generally very hesitant to change it unless there is a really compelling reason to, because companies have made investments based on that sales tax exemption,” he said.

Legislators likely will begin tackling the issue during the 2025 General Assembly session, but change won’t happen all at once, and it’s important to think through decisions carefully to avoid unintended consequences, he said.

“It’s going to take some time to sort through this, fully understand it and decide what the right policy decisions are,” he said.

Data Center Coalition President Josh Levi said the report pointed to the importance of the industry and its economic benefits to the state.

“The JLARC study includes valuable recommendations and policy considerations and provides a fact-based assessment that will facilitate important and informed dialogue among state and local policymakers, data center leaders, and many other stakeholder groups,” he stated. “We look forward to continuing to engage with policymakers about the JLARC findings and opportunities to advance positive economic, environmental, and social outcomes while building and sup-

can employ up to 1,500 workers ranging from construction jobs like concrete and steel workers to electricians, pipe fitters and other trade workers, he said.

The industry’s growth also presents a series of challenges, Gribbin said. Those include, most notably, the immense increase in energy demand as well as the need for increased infrastructure to support that demand and associated cost allocation, backup generator pollution, water usage and proximity to residential neighborhoods and associated noise concerns.

porting Virginia’s 21st century economy.”

A Dec. 9 DCC press release also highlighted the report’s finding that the industry fully pays for its cost of service and associated infrastructure costs and is not subsidized by other ratepayers, a concern expressed by Loudoun residents.

“It recognizes that data centers are currently paying full cost of service for energy and that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) is best positioned to ensure this remains the case as additional generation and transmission are deployed to support economic growth. While we recognize that grid planning and management is ultimately the role of utilities, regulators, and grid operators, the data center industry will continue to work collaboratively with utilities, the SCC, PJM, and other stakeholders to help ensure a reliable, affordable, cleaner, and resilient electric system,” according to statement.

However, Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) said she was disappointed that the report did not more fully address several of her concerns including the cost distribution issue. She called the report a “critical step” but said there is still more to be learned and done.

“As we set out in this legislative session, I’m cognizant of the ever burgeoning costs charged to rate payers to subsidize the data center industry while data centers receive large tax breaks and I look forward, along with my colleagues, to introducing legislation to start tackling the issues raised and not raised in this report.”

Perry said leaders cannot continue “kicking the can down the road” and need to take property owners within transmission line paths into consideration.

“Little consideration appears to be given [in the report] to the cost to land owners for transmission lines that run through conservation easements and people’s homes and land they use to provide for their families nor for the irreplaceability of historical properties or the need to protect natural resources,” she stated.

The Piedmont Environmental Council, which has been leading the public awareness campaign to bring attention to data center growth, said the JLARC study fur-

The Challenge of Energy Demand

An independent forecast conducted by JLARC shows that unconstrained demand for power in the state will double in the next 10 years. That is in line with projections by the regional power coordinator, PJM Interconnection.

That is almost entirely attributable to data center growth, Gribbin said, with campuses using far more energy that they used to. A small 18-megawatt facility uses roughly as much power as 60 large office buildings or 4,500 homes. Most data

ther supported its concerns but did not fully show the impact.

“We applaud the commission’s work over the past year to assess the scope of economic, energy, and environmental impacts due to explosive data center growth. But their analysis of the impact on communities, the environment and the historic and cultural resources is insufficient, and their recommendations don’t match the severity of the impact. There are immediate steps the General Assembly can take in the 2025 legislative session to mitigate the unfettered development and energy ‘crisis by contract’ Dominion Energy has created. We support legislative solutions for a more transparent, responsible and sustainable plan for future data center development” said PEC President Chris Miller in a Dec. 9 statement.

If left unchecked, Miller said the impact on Virginia residents would be “disastrous.”

Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) said the report confirmed much of what stakeholders already knew.

“What is clear is that we need to produce significantly more energy in Virginia, and not close down energy production in favor of unrealistic desires for so-called ‘green’ energy. I am all for clean energy, but let’s not be shutting down power production before we have a viable replacement, and let’s get serious about nuclear energy,” he stated.

Data centers don’t belong everywhere, but they’re not the enemy, he added.

Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D-26) said legislators need to understand the immensity of the energy challenge and focus on how it will impact residents.

“While the economic benefits—many evident here in Loudoun—are substantial, balancing this growth with our goals for clean energy under the Virginia Clean Economy Act will require major investments in renewable energy and grid infrastructure. And in doing so, it’s essential we ensure new developments and associated costs do not unduly impact our communities.” n

centers built now draw between 100 and 300 MWs of power.

“The industry trend is to build campuses composed of several large facilities, and their total draw can be well north of 1,000 MWs. By comparison, that’s more than the entire generation capacity of one of the 950 MW nuclear reactors up the road at North Anna,” he said.

Power Demand

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A substantial amount of new power generation and transmission infrastructure will be needed to support unconstrained energy demand, or even half of the estimated unconstrained energy demand, Gribbin said.

“Under both scenarios, they would require many new transmission lines, especially in around Northern Virginia and other places where data centers are concentrated. Building new natural gas plants could also require building new gas pipeline capacity,” Gribbin said.

Meeting unconstrained demand would require 150% more in state generation capacity, 40% more transmission and 150% more energy importing. Meeting half the unconstrained demand would still require doubling existing generation, 35% more transmission and 55% more imports, according to Gribbin.

Meeting the unconstrained energy growth would require adding new solar facilities at twice the rate expected in 2024, adding large natural gas plants every year and a half, more offshore wind sources and some nuclear power, which is not expected to be viable in the form of small modular reactors until 2035, he said.

“The unprecedented pace of demand growth raises concerns about one, the availability of sufficient generation on the grid, and two, the availability or the ability of the transmission system to reliably deliver power,” Gribbin said.

While utility providers have an obligation to serve new data centers customers, they don’t have to serve them immediately, he said. Loudoun experienced this earlier this year, when Dominion Energy sent a letter to high demand potential users telling them to expect four- to seven-year timelines for power connections.

“So those regulatory requirements, combined with planning, help reduce the reliability risks. On the transmission side, risks appear to be effectively managed through existing planning. The bottom line on transmission is any new load additions are studied and planned for, and utilities aren’t going to connect new data centers if they can’t be supported,” Gribbin said.

The larger challenge comes from the need for more generation, which is not centrally planned for by a regional entity.

“Instead, it relies on individual utility planning and market price signals to get people to build new stuff,” he said. “The concern is that demand could increase faster than new generation is being added, and, in fact, regional reserve capacity is expected to be insufficient by 2030.”

The Cost

Concerns frequently voiced in Loudoun amid plans for additional infrastructure

required to support data centers, focus around the costs, which ratepayers fear they will be subsidizing through their monthly bills.

Gribbin said to date that has not been the case, but it could be.

“Looking at generation and transmission, we found that those costs are either passed through to individual data center customers or are allocated to a customer class that largely consists of data centers and other large users,” he said. “Because of how costs are passed through, there’s no crossing over to other customers. Looking at distribution, we found that costs are either directly charged to a data center cus-

“The unprecedented pace of demand growth raises concerns about one, the availability of sufficient generation on the grid, and two, the availability or the ability of the transmission system to reliably deliver power.”

— Mark Gribbin (JLARC Project Leader)

tomer or collected through contractually obligated minimum payments. So, if a substation is built for data center X, the cost of that new substation gets recovered from that customer, and it’s not being picked up by others.”

But, the growing demand is still likely to increase system-wide costs, with a portion being covered by other customers.

“Our consultant found that generation transmission costs could be $10 billion to $18 billion higher by 2040. That’s depending on which scenario you’re looking at, with most of the cost increases attributable to growing data center demand. So, a lot of that cost comes from fixed costs associated with building new infrastructure. For example, if a utility builds a new gas plant, everyone gets charged for a portion of it.”

In addition to that, because energy will become scarcer, its price will likely go up.

“Utilities would need to import more power, and they may need to buy some of it from the regional energy market. Those market prices fluctuate, and the more utilities buy from the market, the more susceptible they are to price spikes from things like heat waves and winter storms. Again, those higher energy prices get spread across all customers,” Gribbin said.

The typical Dominion Energy bill av-

erages $90 a month for transmission and generation. Under unconstrained load growth that could go up $23 by 2030 and $37 by 2040. Those numbers do not account for inflation, he said.

Additional Concerns

The report also addressed the tension currently felt in Loudoun from concerns about building data centers near residential neighborhoods, their high water usage, and generator pollution.

“Data center backup generators emit pollutants, but their use is minimal, and existing regulations largely curb adverse impacts,” Gribbin said.

The average data center site in Virginia has 54 back up generators. However, their use is regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality.

“In 2023, emissions were only 7% of the ceiling that’s allowed under the permits, again, because they’re usually run for maintenance and occasional outages and regional air quality in Northern Virginia has actually improved while the industry has grown.

The amount of water used by data centers is currently sustainable, but could still be better managed, according to the report.

“While some data centers can use a lot of water, most use about the same amount or less as an average large office building,” Gribbin said.

The amount is primarily dependent upon the type of cooling system used by the center. Evaporative cooling systems require much more water than dry-cooling systems.

“Data center water use accounted for less than 0.5% of total state withdrawals” he said.

The DEQ regulates water withdrawals, Gribbin added.

“If modeling finds withdrawals aren’t sustainable, then a permit isn’t issued unless the problem can be addressed, for example, by building a new reservoir,” he said. “That said, some localities do have limited water resources. For example, they might not be near a large river or in a groundwater management area. Localities should therefore consider how proposed data center projects could affect their ability to meet future residential demand or to pursue other development opportunities.”

Because of their large industrial size, data centers are incompatible in proximity to residential use, according to the report. The noise generated from cooling systems, generators and visual appearance, as well as the need for substations and other infrastructure, are all contributing factors.

“We found that about one-third of operational data center properties in Virginia are within 200 feet of residentially zoned properties. Now that doesn’t mean a data center and a house are exactly 200 feet apart, but they are close by. It also doesn’t include a number of data centers that are

planned or under construction close to residential areas,” Gribbin said.

Moving Forward

With all of this in mind, Gribbin presented eight recommendations and 10 potential policy actions the General Assembly could take to address the concerns.

Key recommendations could results in large energy users being allowed to claim credit for purchases of solar and wind energy to offset certain changes, as well as partial credit for purchased capacity in battery storage systems; requiring utilities to establish a demand response program for large data center customers; direct Dominion Energy to develop a plan to address the risk of generation and transmission infrastructure costs; authorizing local governments to require water use estimates and consider water use when making rezoning decisions; allowing local governments to require sound modeling studies for data center projects; and allowing local governments to establish maximum allowable sound levels in developments.

Additional policy options could require data centers to meet a variety of standards to receive sales tax exemptions.

“[The tax exemption] is pretty valuable to the industry,” Gribbin said. “It’s a big amount of savings. Most of the folks in the industry use it. They indicate it’s important to them. So, for those reasons, it is a big policy lever that the state has for addressing any concerns that they have about the industry.”

Those conditions could include meeting energy management standards, using Tier 4 generators, meet environmental management standards, conduct phase one historic resource studies and viewshed analysis of proposed sites and conduct sound modeling studies for applications planned within a certain distance of areas zoned for residential homes.

The General Assembly could also either extend the expiration date for the state’s sales and tax use exemption for data centers from 2035 to 2050 or extend a partial exemption through 2050.

“If you want to try and balance this question of the economic benefits and the energy impacts of costs, you can do one of several things with the exemption. You can extend it to keep on promoting economic growth, you could allow it to expire, which would slow down the industry, and potentially, over the long term, could stop or even contract the industry, that would obviously reduce energy impacts … And the third option would be to try to balance those by letting the full exemption expire but having a partial exemption kind of ratcheted one way or the another, depending on what your priorities are,” Gribbin said.

The report will likely shape the upcoming General Assembly session after several bills proposed during the 2024 session were punted to this year pending the JLARC report. n

32nd Senate Race

continued from page 3

English Honors class that had the pornographic book in the book club,” Harding said. “So, that really opened our eyes to a lot of the things that were going on in the classroom that we had entrusted our LCPS administration in. So, I started speaking up so that others would also see the goings on.”

Harding said her family also had issues with the schools’ Title IX office, when it took 17 months to get a complaint resolved.

“That’s honestly what really opened my eyes to how difficult it was to be able to defend your child,” she said. “I thought of the newly arrived immigrant, the parents that don’t speak English as their first language, the parents that are working two jobs, the single mother, the single father and there was no way that they could be an advocate for their child with all the policies upon policies that were thrown against us that simply weren’t true or applicable in this specific situation and circumstances.”

Harding said being a voice for her community will be the cornerstone of her candidacy. She lists top priorities as eliminating the car tax, supporting small businesses, protecting women’s spaces, stopping crime committed by illegal immigrants, and keeping parents informed.

“We pay tax upon tax with our vehicles. I want to turn Loudoun back into a pro-family, pro-business friendly district. So, eliminating the car tax will put money back into the pockets of Loudouners so that they can afford the soccer teams, so that they can afford their rent and groceries and housing.”

After her family’s own experiences, Harding said school issues are also important to her platform, specifically citing a bill in the General Assembly this year that would codify an executive order by Gov. Glenn Younkgin requiring schools to notify parents when a drug overdose occurrs.

“These conversations need to be had at home so that children know that they’re supported at home and can talk openly at home with their families, with their parents about what’s going on,” she said.

Harding has been endorsed by local Republicans including Sheriff Mike Chapman, Del. Geary Higgins (30), Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (Catoctin) and Commissioner of the Revenue Bob Wertz.

“I’m a mom who wants to better her community and I think that’s really important to a lot of people, speaking to people and hearing their hearts. I want to representant all the people and get rid of the divisiveness in our county and bring us all back together as one,” she said.

Srinivasan was elected to the House in 2023, beating Republican Rafi Khaja by over 20% of the votes cast.

He patroned and co-patroned eight bills that passed in the 2024 General Assembly session, focusing largely on safety and healthcare – issues close to his heart.

Srinivasan said he’s had two difficult experiences with the healthcare system that showed him, while the caregivers are providing excellent service, the system itself has a long way to go.

“I was hit by a truck in ‘93 in Norfolk when I was a master’s student. That experience made me realize how broken the healthcare system is. Not healthcare. We have wonderful doctors, nurses, technology, but the system needs a lot of work. And I was not eligible for Medicaid, for my 20 percent copay,” he said.

In 2005, his wife needed brain surgery but her condition was initially designated as pre-existing, making it difficult to have insurance pay for it.

“Those experiences have made my convictions very strong, and healthcare has been my biggest focus,” he said.

As a senator, Srinivasan said he wants to focus on protecting independent and rural pharmacies, adding greater transparency to tolls from the Dulles Greenway, and supporting three Constitutional amendments planned by the Democratic party this year. Those include enshrining abortion as a right, marriage equality, and voting rights.

“I cannot imagine what women go through in this country, depending on the state they live in, depending on the ZIP code they live in,” he said. “And Virginia is the last, the only state in the South where women don't have to worry about it. And I am very, very committed to keeping it that way.”

Srinivasan said the cost of living is also a priority he is hearing from constituents, especially the cost of the higher education.

“Education is what brought me and my wife here to this country. We both came for higher education,” he said. “I have some innovative ideas that, if I'm fortunate enough to be in the Senate, I will absolutely work hard to find to lower student loans. I have some interesting financing ideas in my mind to lessen the burden of student loans.”

Advancing the local economy is also at the top of his priority list.

“I was a commissioner in the Loudoun Economic Development Advisory board for one term,” he said. “I was on the Fiscal Impact Committee for one term, four years. So, I have been very passionate about bringing more jobs to Loudoun, high tech jobs, high tech manufacturing jobs, because there's a lot of opportunity for that. I took a lot of interest in economic growth areas in the assembly.”

Srinivasan has received endorsements from Democratic elected officials including Subramanyam, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, State Sen. Russet Perry (31) and Del. Marty Martinez (29). n

26th House Race

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for their businesses.

Now, he said he wants to help serve his community.

“These are some tough times with respect to cost and what’s going on in Washington and what’s going on in Richmond, and tough times call for tough, resolute people,” he said.

Singh lists his top priorities as enshrining abortion as a constitutional right, eliminating gun violence, and lowering college tuition.

He said when he went to the University of Virginia, tuition, room and board was approximately $15,000 a year. Now, it’s $40,000, leaving parents with difficult decisions.

“If parents have any means, they have to decide whether to fund their own retirement or fund their kid’s college education,” he said. “And most people don’t even have to make that choice, because everything is so unaffordable. So, we need to do more to bring down the cost of public education.”

As a delegate, Singh said he would work to not just limit tuition increases but bring prices down.

“The state has a lot of levers. It gives capital. It gives money to a lot of these public institutions for various purposes, and it can dictate some of the terms around tuition, room and board. And so, what I think we need is to start having more thoughtful, practical and tough conversations about how schools should be prioritizing their capital, and how we can bring down the cost,” he said.

In addition to those issues, Singh said residents have repeatedly expressed concern about the potential impacts of the Trump Administration on their communities and high toll rates.

“One thing I will say is that Trump is going to be president, no matter whether we like it or not,” he said. “And I wish the folks in Washington well, that they produce good policies that help Virginians. But if they don’t, and I suspect that they won’t, we need to be ready in Richmond to do what we can to help people in Loudoun County.”

Singh said because of the potential of this race to split control of the House if Venkatachalam wins, the energy around his campaign is high. It’s also garnered attention from national party leaders who are providing additional support by featuring him its candidate spotlight program.

“The stakes are enormous right now,” he said. “This seat is pivotal in terms of either being 51-49 or 50-50. So, everyone understands the stakes, and I think we’re all rowing in the same direction.”

Singh has been endorsed by Democratic supervisors Laura A. TeKrony (Little River) and Kristen Umstattd (Leesburg) as well as Srinivasan and School Board Chair Melin-

da Mansfield (Dulles) and member Anne Donohue (At Large).

Venkatachalam has lived in Brambleton with his wife and two children since 2008. He ran against TeKrony in 2023 for Little River District seat on the Board of Supervisor, but lost by a 7% margin.

His career has focused on consulting in the tech and marketing industries. Initially, his job required a lot of traveling, but when his daughter was born 12 years ago, Venkatachalam said he decided to step back and stay home to be with his family more.

Since then, he’s been focused on giving back to his community serving on the county’s Transit Advisory Board and as member and chair of the Brambleton HOA board. He was also appointed in August by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum of Virginia.

Leadership is a key tenant of his platform, he said.

“I think the situation we’re in with a special election has been caused because of people moving up to the higher seats without fulfilling their responsibility to their elected position for their terms,” he said.

Venkatachalam said some of his key priorities are the cost of living, school safety, quality of education, toll rates, and the car tax.

“I’ll be patroning a bill specifically to phase out the car tax, because I’ve been asked by a lot of constituents last year and this year. So, I’ll be working on phasing it out over four years eventually because you cannot go from 100 to zero on day one,” he said.

Venkatachalam said he was interested in pursuing a distance-based toll rate system which he hopes would specifically address concerns from residents within the 26th District.

“They feel that somebody coming in from the western part of the county, or even west of Virginia, taking the Greenway toll, pays the same tolls as say somebody very close, where they have to travel only a handful of exits,” he said.

While progress has been made through previous legislation that has helped keep the rates from increasing, he said more needs to be done.

“There could be ways where we could work on the toll rates by itself to see how we can alleviate [the cost],” he said.

Venkatachalam said he also wants to focus on issues within the school system.

“Many of these issues – meritocracy in schools and no boys in girls’ halls or women’s locker rooms or restrooms – I feel those are all very common-sense issues,” he said.

“My top priorities will be to provide leadership, be engaged and to not look for the next opportunity to move up. When you’re engaged you are able to clearly see the community needs and issues that are facing our neighbors and citizens here in Loudoun County and work with the local governments here,” Venkatachalam said. n

A Loudoun Moment

Unionization Vote

continued from page 1

and LEA representatives to visit schools and meet with staff members about the election.

LEA Vice President Cory Brunet said this win is three years in the making. While she has only been vice president since 2023, she has been part of the organization since 2019. In 2021, she sent emails to the School Board to begin talks on collective bargaining.

“It’s been a marathon and not a sprint, trying to talk to School Board members, trying to explain what collective bargaining is, even for ourselves. It’s been very educational for us, because Virginia hasn’t had collective bargaining or the possibility of collective bargaining in over 40 years. So, none of the School Board members knew about it, but none of the LCPS staff knew about it. None of us LEA members knew about it,” Brunet said.

The ballots contained a single question: “Do you want LEA to represent you for the purpose of collective bargaining?”

Countryman, who became president in August, called it a smooth election after a

long battle to reach that historic moment.

“I stand on the shoulders of people who have worked on this for three years,” she said, calling it a huge milestone and an important step to better address issues faced by school division employees.

According to Countryman, the next steps for LEA are scheduling meetings with employees to find out which issues are important to them. The first was held Tuesday, with topics including higher pay, retirement benefits, sick day compensation and early school start times.

Brunet highlighted a policy change that many employees hired after a certain date had a much higher threshold for free insurance benefits after retirement. In her case, she could keep her benefits after retirement but her husband, hired after her, had to pay for retirement insurance. Many employees at the meeting shared that experience.

School start times, brought up as a repeated concern of parents and students, also is an issue for staff members raised during the LEA session. Some teachers and other staff members must be at school at 6:30 a.m. and others not until 9 a.m.

LEA will issue a formal notification to the school division of its intent to enter negotiations by March 1. n

Data Centers

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directed from the board in the Nov. 26 letter, which tells the commission to reach a recommendation no later than January, the panel did not have enough time to work through anything other than a simple yes or no answer.

Commissioner Ad Barnes (Leesburg) said the commission was “going around in circles” while the question from the board is a simple one.

“We should have made that [motion] the first meeting,” he said.

Commissioner Mark Miller (Catoctin) said he understood the point Barnes was making but that the commission was trying to improve the end result.

“You hear amongst all of us a desire to use our background and experience to make this as good as we possibly could; that’s not our charge though,” Banks said.

Commissioner Robin-Eve Jasper (Little River) said she understood Banks’ frustration but that it would still be helpful

to the board to provide in-depth recommendations for context.

Keirce agreed.

“I believe it is our job to give them our thoughts on this,” he said.

The commission voted 5-4 with Chair Michelle Frank (Broad Run), Jasper, Barnes and Keirce opposed, to have the staff prepare a resolution recommending denial.

The commission also wants to provide supervisors with a series of broad recommendations including that it grandfather any applications submitted before the supervisors’ public hearing on the change, allow existing data center campuses to make minor on-site adjustments without the need to go through a special exception process, permit data centers only in appropriate locations such as near transmission line corridors and with proper buffers, and encourage redevelopment of areas near the Metro to focus on uses other than data centers.

A formal vote on the resolution and all recommendations will still need to be held. The commission next meets Dec. 12. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A white tail deer herd at sunset along Willisville Road in western Loudoun County.