Loudoun Now for Dec. 22, 2022

Bundled Up

The King Street statue of long-time Leesburg business and civic leader Stanley Caulkins is decked out for the holiday season—and braced for the arctic air expected to plunge temperatures to near single digits this weekend.

Latest Delays Likely Sink Rt. 690 Interchange

BY RENSS GREENE AND HANNA PAMPALONI rgreene@loudounnow.com hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Purcellville Town Council on Tuesday, Dec. 13 once again delayed work on a Rt. 7/Rt. 690 interchange, the longplanned Fields Farm sports field complex and an adjacent park-and-ride lot—possibly sinking the projects for years and costing county taxpayers millions.

The Purcellville Town Council that night was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Fields Farm and park-and-ride

plans, but instead canceled that public hearing and sent the complex once again to the Planning Commission, which had previously recommended denying those applications. They also directed the commission to review the county’s acquisition of a roughly 7,000-square-foot parcel near the planned Rt. 690 interchange, which the county purchased in 2018 and which was dedicated for a right-of-way for the project in July 2022 in a deed and plat of dedication signed by the town.

The vote added to more than two years of delays by the town council and government, and in a memo to county

supervisors on Monday, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said it may mean the county must return millions in state funding and send those projects back to the drawing board.

The county won $3.6 million in state SMART SCALE funding for the parkand-ride, and $9.6 million for the Rt. 690 interchange, and county staff members have warned county supervisors and the Town Council that if the county does not use that money in a timely manner, it may endanger its ability to win that funding in the future for projects countywide. They have also said they have already received

the first warning from the state about the long delays to the interchange project, and without progress by the new year they may recommend returning that money to the state instead.

Loudoun Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Director Nancy Boyd said at the Dec. 13 meeting that she was hoping to come to a resolution and that the decision to send the plans back to the planning commission was concerning.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Supervisors Now Eye Tax Rate Cut, But Still Higher Bills

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudouners may be spared an all-butcertain real estate tax rate increase next year, but tax bills will likely still go up as the county faces its most constrained annual budget in a decade.

Facing uncertainty around tax revenues from the county’s data center market earlier this year, county staff members projected no growth in that tax base in earlier forecasts, trimming a major source of local tax funding. Last year, data centers generated enough local tax revenue to cover the entire county administration operating budget. The General Assembly this year passed a bill controlling how localities assess data center property for taxation, and Dominion Energy issued a surprise letter that it may not be able to provide electricity to new data centers for years. County budget officers projected just covering annual budget growth because of factors like inflation, employee raises and staffing new facilities would require a tax increase.

Now, Commissioner of the Revenue Bob Wertz’s office is forecasting Loudoun’s commercial property will appreciate by almost 20%, and an estimated $3.1 billion in new development where before he predicated only $1.8 billion, both driven by data

centers. With that growth feeding into the tax base, county staff members now expect at the current tax rate will be able to cover that annual base budget growth with a onecent cut to the real estate tax rate, to $0.88 per $100 of assessed value.

Revenues are also limited by a five-cent reduction in the personal property tax rate beginning in 2023, to $4.15 per $100 of assessed value, and by a plan to dedicate a half-penny of the real estate tax rate to affordable housing projects.

And even with a slight tax rate cut homeowners may see higher tax bills. County staff members estimate the average homeowner will see annual real estate tax bill climb by $361.

It will also be the first year of the new 60/40 split of new revenues with Loudoun County Public Schools. The Board of Supervisors decides how much money to send to the school district, and the School Board decides how to use it. Seeking to avoid the often acrimonious debates over how much money to send to the schools, supervisors may try something common in other jurisdictions this year: the school district would get a set portion of the growth in local tax revenues, whatever that ends up being. Loudoun supervisors propose sending the schools 60%.

But despite the slightly improved picture for county revenues, that tax rate still

leaves little for other Board of Supervisors priorities or requests for new funding from county department heads. That means projects proposed by the board over the course of the year could be stalled without funding. So far that list includes collective bargaining, continued work on the Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan, a county composting program, and a new energy plan. Meanwhile, some county departments and agencies have highlighted critical needs including for more field deputies in the Sheriff’s Office and crisis intervention staff in the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services.

The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee on Dec. 13 recommended County Administrator Tim Hemstreet present them a draft budget prepared with the one-cent cut to the tax rate, with options if they were to increase the tax rate by up to 1.5 cents. That reflects a practice common in the county’s budget process—supervisors sometimes take the options Hemstreet puts forth for that additional funding, and swap those with options already in his proposed budget.

“I think at least this way we’ll see some options and some top priorities, and we can decide how to work all that through,” Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said. “I will say that a lot of this discussion is based on the guidance we’ve gotten

from the schools so far, which has some high-level numbers, but not specific numbers and frankly is pretty hard to evaluate.”

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) also pointed out the school budget forecasts came from a superintendent who no longer works for Loudoun schools— former superintendent Scott Ziegler, who was fired after the release of a special grand jury’s report on his handling of a student sexual assault scandal. And she said the schools may not know how much money to expect from the state for some time. The General Assembly has not passed a budget by the end of its normal session since before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“There may be some adjustments to that budget,” she said.

Another budget option would take supervisors away from their proposed 60/40 split before it began—the committee also recommended Hemstreet bring back options for that tax increase but with all of it going to the county government and none to the schools.

Supervisors on the finance committee approved the recommendations with a 5-0 vote. The Board of Supervisors will vote on those instructions in January. Hemstreet will propose a first draft of the budget based on those instructions as a starting point for supervisors’ annual budget deliberations. n

Tenants Seek County Action on Rent Buy-Downs

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Residents from several Loudoun County communities gathered at the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development on Dec. 16 to press for financial support as they watch their rent prices go up in tough economic times.

The residents, organized by New Virginia Majority, met outside the office with signs reading “We need rent relief now,” and “Live, work, learn and play/ not when rent is half our pay.”

The group was there to drop off a report they’ve been working on, hoping to speak with department Director John Hall to tell him about the struggles they face working and living in Loudoun County.

New Virginia Majority Campaign Coordinator Sofia Saiyed said, to date, the director has not met with tenants to give him their perspective of how difficult it is to live and work in the county.

she said.

In April, the Board of Supervisors voted to use $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for preservation of affordable housing and displacement services. That included work to “develop and preserve affordable housing through new construction and acquisition loans, partnering with property owners to reduce rents, capital improvement funding for existing attainable rental housing and manufactured home communities, and the provision of temporary financial counseling services to support renter households.”

Loudoun County Public Information Officer Glen Barbour said staff from the Department of Housing and Community Development met with several organizations and ad hoc groups to better understand the communities’ concerns about rent increases and the cost of rent

“We feel it’s really important that he hear directly form the tenants,”

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Sofia Saiyed turns in the report that New Virginia Majority put together while working with Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development. NVM is asking the county to incorporate a rent buy down program with $12 million of ARPA funding.

in 2023

Loudoun

Supervisors Eye Funding Arts Program, Racial Reconciliation Study

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee has recommended funding for a county arts program, a project to reconcile the impacts of segregated schools, and grants to help business owners affected by supervisors’ decisions to rename some roads.

The funding would come from the unspent money left over after the county government closed the books on fiscal year 2022, which ended at the end June. The county closed the fiscal year with $114.6 million unspent, representing about 5% of the county’s $2.1 billion in revenues that year.

On Dec. 13, the finance committee recommended uses for that money, such as setting aside $484,000 to replace a computerized system the Department of Family Services uses to manage clients, billing, and reporting, and which the company has said it will retire next year. Another $50,000 would go to assess and upgrade security at the Loudoun County Office of Elections, which has been targeted by election conspiracy theorists, and $443,000 for that office to cover the cost of running a presidential primary in March 2024.

advisory panels. One of those, the Art Advisory Committee, recommended spending $450,000 to make the county’s art collection publicly accessible, encourage public art in Loudoun, and hire a contractor to develop a countywide arts plan.

Since then, the cost estimate has grown to $550,000. That would cover the contractor, satellite art galleries to display the county’s collection, and two temporary, two-year full-time positions to curate the satellite galleries and manage a Call for Sculptures program.

Life in 2022

Some of that money would go to projects the Board of Supervisors has approved for over the course of the last year, including $445,250 to help business owners who incurred costs such as new letterhead, business cards, signs and vehicle wraps when supervisors voted to renamed roads named for Confederate and segregationist figures, especially Rt. 7 and Rt. 50. Another $38,079 would replenish Conservation Easement Assistance Program funds, a $150,000 fund to help offset the costs of placing land under conservation easement to protect it from development.

Another $250,000 would help fund the study of the impacts today of the county’s history of operating racially segregated schools, and a task force to come up with options for reconciliation of that past.

But supervisors were split on setting aside $550,000 for a county arts program, an idea born out of the board’s latest committee-on-committees attempt to slim down the county’s multitude of citizen

“There is so much value to art in your community, and for all the wonderful things we have in Loudoun, we don’t have either public art, we don’t have an arts center especially in eastern Loudoun County of any size, and the value of art of the community and the public cannot be overstated,” County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said.

But Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) and committee Chair Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) argued in a difficult budget year, the arts program is not a top priority, and worried the temporary positions would turn into a commitment to permanent positions, adding to the county’s normal operating budget. Letourneau said, “I’m just not sure they’re as critical as the other positions that are going to come up.”

“It’s pretty clear that it’s going to be

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Gallery One, the art gallery in the first floor lobby of the county government center, pictured in February 2021.

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"

Loudoun county resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy, “my feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do. That I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.”

Then she met Ashburn's very own Rachal Lohr, L.Ac.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort, and numbness caused by nerve damage to the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful.

“How can you live for the next 30 years when you don’t even want to get out of bed to do simple things?”

She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling and sharp pains that those suffering from neuropathy often describe “The way that I would describe it, it’s equivalent to walking on glass.” Dawn hadn’t worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would ‘touch’ her feet.

Unfortunately, Dawn’s story is all too familiar for the over 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.

If you’re unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis you’re not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet You have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain You’re struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor told you to ‘just live with the pain’ and you’re taking medications that aren’t working or have uncomfortable side effects.

Fortunately, two months ago Dawn read an article about Rachal and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications

Rachal Lohr, founder of Firefly Acupuncture and Wellness, in Ashburn, is using the time tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

“Now when I go to bed at night I don’t have those shooting pains. I don’t have that burning sensation. I don’t have pain coming up my legs,” Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Rachal Lohr's treatments. “I can wear socks and shoes!”

Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day.

“It’s life altering. As far as I’m concerned Rachal saved my life!”

Rachal has been helping the senior community for over 15 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results PERIPHERAL

What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Northern Virginia.

If you’ve missed too many tee times because of pain or you’ve passed on walking through the town centers with friends because you’re afraid of falling, it’s time to call Rachal and the staff at Firefly.

It’s time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN!

Rachal Lohr, L.Ac. is once again accepting new patients And for a limited time will be offering $40 Consultations so call (703)263-2142 before December 31st to schedule a consultation.

Achieve in 2023

Amid ER Surge, Health Officials Urge Respiratory Virus Precautions

STAFF REPORT

With hospitals in the region experiencing continued, severe capacity shortages because of respiratory illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19 and RSV, health officials are urging people to take precautions.

“COVID mitigation strategies taken over the past few years were also helpful at reducing infections from other common respiratory viruses. These viruses are now able to spread more easily,” Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend stated. “We recommend taking all precautions to prevent illness, starting with vaccines for the flu and COVID-19—including all boosters available—and incorporating steps like hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home and keeping children out of school when they are sick, and other mitigation strategies.”

Hospital emergency rooms, in particular, continue to see a surge in patients, leading to longer wait times expected to last through the winter. Members of the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System urged people, especially more

vulnerable people such as young children and older adults, to take precautions and if they need help, to get it from the right provider, which is not always the emergency room.

“We want to ensure all Northern Virginians are informed on seeking the right care at the right time at the right place,” NVERS Executive Director Kristin Nickerson stated. “For example, seeking care from your primary care provider, a community clinic or an urgent care may be less time consuming and less costly than going straight to the emergency room.”

Officials urged precautions such as getting current on flu and COVID-19 vaccines, regular hand washing, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and staying home when sick. They also urged considering social distancing or wearing a face mask and avoiding crowded and indoor areas, especially for people who are more likely to get very sick from respiratory illnesses, or around people whose vaccination status you don’t know.

More information about vaccination is at vaccinate.virginia.gov and vaccines.gov.

NVERS is a collaboration of the region’s healthcare and public safety systems, including 16 acute care hospitals and 29 localities, coordinating a regional approach to emergency preparedness and response. n

Grants

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really tight and that we’re going to be scraping the bottom of the barrel just for any departmental priorities. So the question is not whether I want to support the arts—it’s really ‘what are we not funding that we could be funding with this

“When I think about the critical needs we have in this county, they are for housing, they are for food security, education, and to me, even though I am personally a big fan of the arts, I am not in favor of spending this much money to support it at

and community.”

“We’ve got some time to think about if the short-term programs are valuable to our community,” Briskman said. “I suspect they will be.”

Committee members voted 3-2 to support the arts plan funding, with Umstattd and Letourneau opposed. They voted for the rest of the funding unanimously. The committee’s recommendations next go to the full Board of Supervisors for action.

571-442-2801

Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian), who chaired the committee on committees, said, “it is time that this county invest in the arts, that can contribute to our overall health, mental health,

Most of the fund balance will go into contingency funds and other fiscal precautions. More than $56 million would go into contingency accounts for the county and school capital plans. $15 million would go into the county’s fiscal reserve, in keeping with a policy to maintain a reserve equal to 10% of the county general fund and school operating fund. And $40 million would go into the county’s debt service fund and capital projects. n

Goodfriend

County Supervisors Consider Pay Raises for Next Board

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors again are considering a raise in the annual salaries for members of the next county board.

Supervisors plan a vote on Jan. 3 that would give board members a $5,000 raise in the first year of the next term, then 3% raises each year after that. That would see supervisors in 2024 making $75,916, increasing to $82,956 in 2027; the vice chair, who is elected by board members each year, making $82.853 in 2024 and $90,536 in 2027; and the county chair making $91,064 at the beginning of their term and $99,508 in the final year of next term.

That would put the county chair’s salary just shy of the median individual income for the county. The Census Bureau estimated in 2021, full-time employees in Loudoun earned on average $115,383, with a median income of $100,190.

Under state law, the board cannot approve raises for supervisors in the same term, nor enact automatic annual raises.

Supervisors on the previous board also approved raises for the current board, with a 62% raise over the salary of the time and 2% annual increases in each year of the current term. Next year, the final year of the current term, supervisors’ salaries will range from $70,916.29 for district representatives to $86,063.97 for the chair.

Vice Chair Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling), who has led the effort for raises in the next term, said during the meeting Dec. 6 “a lot of us put in a lot of hours.”

“There’s people that do live off these salaries … but here in Loudoun County, some of us—speaking for myself on this point—I could not run my household on this salary,” Saines said.

Saines is among several supervisors on the board who also have day jobs. He said increasing the pay for supervisors could spur more people to run for the office, and that’s why he sought the raises.

“It might attract some other folks to put their names in the hat and run for these great positions and do a great service to our community at some point, and it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “And if someone has heartburn about it, please email me.”

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said her position is a full-time job.

“There was a time these were kind of volunteer jobs. I don’t think that’s true anymore,” she said. “And if we want to

have anyone who wants to serve in this capacity be able to, they have to be able to afford to live, and right now the salaries are not such that they can afford to live.”

She was among the supervisors who made the same argument in 2017, when supervisors approved raises for the current board.

Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said it is “a very modest bump” and she would have supported a larger raise.

The main debate on the dais was on how soon to vote. Supervisors originally had planned to vote that night; Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) asked for a delay.

“I do want to make sure that the public understands that the board has made this proposal, and I want to give some time out there for there to be coverage of it and for us to receive feedback on it,” he said. “I understand there may be a variety of perspectives on it, but I think we

need to be as transparent as possible with this issue.”

Only Briskman pushed to vote that same night.

“We put our agenda out on Thursdays, and the public and the press know when our agenda goes out, and they can cover the items,” she said.

Supervisors voted 7-1-1, with Briskman opposed and Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) absent, to send the topic to their Jan. 3 meeting. n

Council of Governments Names Mercer Executive Director

STAFF REPORT

The former chief of staff to then-Governor Ralph Northam, Clark Mercer, has been named the next executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Mercer will succeed Chuck Bean, who will end his 10-year tenure in the position in February, with Mercer joining in mid-January to begin the transition. The council board of directors voted Dec. 19 to appoint Mercer.

“Clark Mercer possesses all of the attributes that you could ask for to be a successful leader in our complex, tri-state region,” council board Chair and Arlington County Board Vice Chair Christian Dorsey stated. “His background has prepared him to lead an organization that has a diverse portfolio and that aims to be a model for regional collaboration in priority areas like transportation and mobility, the environment, housing and land use planning, human services, and public safety. He has also demonstrated an aptitude for motivating and managing large, diverse, and talented teams that can deliver impressive results.”

Mercer will oversee the council’s staff of 125 and $41 million budget as well as representing the council to government, business and other organizations. The council is an association of 24 local governments in the DC region, leading regional planning work with its Region United framework which includes 2030 regional housing targets, 2030 regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal, and equity and transit planning.

The council also staffs the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, which is responsible for the federally mandated transportation planning process and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of federal transportation funds to jurisdictions in the region.

“It’s an honor to be named executive director of such a trusted and influential organization that connects and supports leaders from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia,” Mercer stated. “A lot of great progress has been made in this region in recent years, but there’s still a lot more to do to create the inclusive growth and sustainable future that we all want to achieve. I can’t wait to get started on this work with COG’s highly skilled staff and forward-looking members.”

In an email announcing the appointment, Dorsey credited Mercer with overseeing signature projects of the Northam administration including attracting Amazon’s HQ2 to Virginia, a $4 billion deal for a new Long Bridge across the Potomac River connecting Arlington to Washington, DC and winning dedicated funding for Metrorail. He also pointed to Clark’s experience coordinating emergency responses such as the state’s efforts to increased COVID-19 vaccinations and expediting support to DC during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the capitol, and credited Clark with hiring the most diverse cabinet and senior leadership in state history.

Mercer is president of Fall Line Consulting, which provides strategic advice and business development services primarily to companies working in the clean energy. He was born and raised in Alexandria and holds a master’s degree in public policy degree from George Washington University. n

Mercer

ON THE Agenda

Supervisors Approve

Tax Break

for Line of Duty Death Spouses

Loudoun supervisors on Dec. 14 approved a real estate tax break for surviving spouses of people killed in the line of duty, but not killed in action. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said Loudoun is the first county to take advantage of new state legislation permitting the tax break.

Randall has said she is aware of one person in Loudoun who will be affected. Her office said there are an estimated 29 taxpayers in the state who would qualify.

The Virginia Constitution already exempts from taxes real estate owned by surviving spouses of armed forces members killed in action, by disabled veterans, or by the surviving spouses of disabled veterans. However, that does not include deaths such as in training accidents, air-

plane crashes or by exposure to toxic chemicals during service.

State law does not allow the tax rate to be zero. Supervisors passed a tax rate of one penny per $100 of assessed value.

“It’s unfortunate that the legislation required that a surviving spouse not remarry to qualify for this tax relief,” Randall stated in a press release celebrating the vote. “It’s also unfortunate that the distinction of being ‘killed in the line of duty’ does not include individuals whose deaths are directly attributable to their service—like those who developed severe health complications due to ‘burn pits’ and those whose PTSD led to their untimely deaths off of the battlefield.”

Randall’s office said eligible taxpayers will not have to take any action to see the change in their tax bills.

The General Assembly has already voted once in favor of a state constitutional amendment that would add line of duty deaths to the real estate tax exemption.

The legislature must pass it twice, after which the amendment would go on a ballot for voters to decide. It could go into effect as soon as 2024.

State Delegation Plans Public Hearing Jan. 7

State Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (D-33) plans a public hearing with members of Loudoun’s General Assembly delegation Saturday, Jan. 7, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

State legislators representing parts of Loudoun will attend to hear constituents share thoughts and concerns. However, to speak, you must sign up in advance online at forms.gle/FFMrLUxxDCiADomw8.

Registration is open through Jan. 4. Speakers are required to be a resident of Loudoun County or a business or agency that provides a service to Loudoun County and will have two minutes each.

The 2023 General Assembly Session begins Jan. 11.

County Gov’t Posts Clean Audit, Growing Net Position

Loudoun County government has again received a clean opinion from its third-party auditors.

The county’s auditor, Cherry Bekaert LLP, annually examines the county’s financial statements, accounting and controls against standards promulgated by the Comptroller General of the United States and the state’s Auditor of Public Accounts. The firm reported it found no material problems in any of those.

The county government, including the school district, also reported a growing net positive position, with a net positive position that grew $251.1 million or 11.8% over last year to $2.4 billion. The county has an outstanding debt of $2 billion.

The county’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report is online at loudoun.gov/ financialreports. n

Leesburg

Mayor, Council Members Prepare for New Terms

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Two new members of the Leesburg Town Council joined two returning members on stage at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center on Dec. 15 to take the oath of office following their Nov. 8 election victories.

Todd Cimino-Johnson and Patrick Wilt will begin their four-year terms Jan. 1. Mayor Kelly Burk was elected to a fourth two-year term. Councilman Neil Steinberg was elected to a second fouryear term.

County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) joined in the ceremony with remarks that put a spotlight on the importance of serving in local government office and the positive relationship between the town and county governments.

“When people need the pothole filled, they’re not calling President Biden. When they need that streetlight turned on, they’re not calling Senator Warner or Senator Kaine. And, God knows, in a weather event when there is ice or snow, they are not calling [U.S. Rep.] Jennifer Wexton, they’re calling their local elected officials. This service—the service closest to the people—I think is the highest

calling and service in so many ways,” she said.

And she warned the new members that public service is a full-time duty—and to be prepared to be stopped by constituents even at the grocery store during late night runs for ice cream.

Council Approves Meadowbrook Commercial Center Rezoning

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Bucking the town’s Planning Commission unanimous recommendation of denial, the Leesburg Town Council last week approved a rezoning application to permit construction of townhouses and a commercial center in the Meadowbrook neighborhood.

The council upheld one recommendation of the commission—and several area residents—in rejecting plans for a gas station and convenience store on the 23.6-acre property at the intersection of South King Street and Evergreen Mill Road.

The approved layout includes 65 townhouses and 40,450 square feet of commercial uses, along with an 8.62acre land bay being held as open space but planned for future development, with plans to build a senior living complex there.

The approval comes four years after a previous Town Council denied the original rezoning application that envisioned a 200,000-square-foot commercial center. Opponents of that application said the project would be out of scale with the neighborhood. A lawsuit

“This is noble service and I thank you both for stepping up. I welcome you to the family of elected and appointed officials,” she said.

She also stressed the need to work together.

“We’re not always going to agree—

you shouldn’t always agree with people in your own party to be quite honest—you’re just not supposed to,” Randall said. “But the thing is, we should be able to respect one another’s services and quite frankly have a modicum of respect for one another no matter if we agree or not.”

Burk also highlighted the importance of serving in local government.

“A recent Pew poll found that only 19% of the U.S. population holds the federal government in high regard, 49% believe and trust in the state government, but 72% of people believe and trust in our local government. That’s a huge responsibility and we need to make that number even stronger,” Burk said. “We must not mess this up. We, as local representatives, carry a heavy load. We must be honest. We must listen to the residents, even when they criticize us, even at 2 o’clock in the morning, even in the grocery store when you’re getting Chunky Monkey [ice cream].

“We must engage in learning all that we can about the issues and the concerns. We must work with others. We must work with all different ideologies and different

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Newly sworn members of the Leesburg Town Council, from left Patrick Wilt, Todd Cimino-Johnson, Mayor Kelly Burk, and Neil Steinberg pose for photos following a Dec. 15 ceremony at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

The large stormwater management pond in the Meadowbrook neighborhood may soon have a lakeside restaurant as part of the newly approved commercial center on the property.

Union Street School Added to Virginia Landmarks Register

STAFF REPORT

The 1883 Union Street School in Leesburg is one of 11 historic properties added last week to the Virginia Landmarks Register.

It is cited as an intact example of an African-American schoolhouse operated during the Jim Crow era of segregation.

“The ‘Leesburg Training School,’ as it was known during the 1930s stands as testimony to the fallacy of ‘separate but equal’ doctrine used to justify racial segregation in numerous aspects of Virginian life from the late 19th century through the late 1960s,” according to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which announced the action Dec. 14.

The building originally was constructed as an elementary school to replace the varied assortment of grade schools established by the Freedmen’s Bureau and later supported by churches, benevolent societies, and community groups to ensure African American children had access to public education.

Meadowbrook

continued from page 10

challenging that denial vote remains pending in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

The scaled-down version also faced criticism that it didn’t fit with the character of the neighborhood or the vision of a “neighborhood center” under Town Plan policies. But objections centered on the plans for the gas station, which speakers during the Dec. 13 public hearing said was not needed—either because there are plenty of gas stations already available to area residents, or because the move to greener power would make them obsolete.

The overall rezoning was approved on a 5-2 vote, with Mayor Kelly Burk and Councilwoman Kari Nacy opposed. Only Vice Mayor Marty Martinez supported the service station permit, which was denied on a 6-1 vote. n

Most remarkable, according to the department, is the school’s still little-altered condition since its closure in 1959.

Today, it still lacks heating, air conditioning, hot water, or a modern lighting system. “[T]he school stands as a witness to the conditions offered to the

New Terms

continued from page 10

people. We have to come up with solutions. And we must respect our residents, our elected officials and each other. I hope they will respect us in return, but we must be ready to give Leesburg our dedication, our time and our energy, and to make the best decisions based on what we know,” Burk said.

“It was a fast four years. It’s hard to believe I’m standing here for the second time already,” Steinberg said. “It was a pure joy, actually. Sometimes there were some hiccups but, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed representing the town of Leesburg and all of its residents working with our wonderful staff.

He also offered some advice to the new members on how to a handle those complaints about potholes and streetlights.

“When those calls come, the first thing you do is call Kaj Dentler, our town

African American community before the end of segregation,” according to the department.

For 60 years, the building served as a storage facility for Loudoun County Public Schools before the school system handed it over to the Board of Super-

manager, or the appropriate department head and make sure they take care of whatever the problem is. And then you take the credit,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He described local government service as a very complex job with a lot of moving parts. “We do the best we can to serve each and every resident within the town and do the best we can to make this one of the nicest places to live in the state of Virginia, and the country for that matter,” he said.

The new council members said they were looking forward to serving the town’s more than 50,000 residents.

“Thank you to the voters of Leesburg for their confidence and supporting me and electing me to serve in this office,” Wilt said. “I’m looking forward to representing the residents of Leesburg, working with the Town Council and town staff and helping to guide this wonderful town for the next four years.”

Cimino-Johnson highlighted that he

visors. In October 2021, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to add a project to rehabilitate the building to the county’s Capital Improvement Program, as well as to seek proposals from the public to operate, manage, preserve and maintain the building. n

was the first out LGBTQ individual to serve on the council.

“Representation matters, and I just wanted to let any individual in Leesburg know throughout the Commonwealth that we are here, we are not going anywhere, and we will be in the halls of power,” he said.

Burk said there is a shared mission to improve the quality of life for town residents.

“I look forward to the next two years of working with the rest of the council members to continue to make Leesburg the exciting and vibrant place that it is— that makes all of us want to live here or work here. I want to continue to ensure that Leesburg is a safe place to call home and the Leesburg is the town that welcomes and embraces its diversity,” Burk said.

The Town Council held its final scheduled meeting of the year Tuesday. The new council is scheduled to hold its first meeting Jan. 10. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Leesburg Training School on Union Street in Leesburg, a vestige of Jim Crow-era segregation in Loudoun County, has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Education Acting Super’s Salary, Terms Approved

Ziegler Retaliation Indictments Related to Teacher Firing

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Two of the three misdemeanor indictments brought against former Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler are related to the firing of a special education teacher who, after reporting she was repeatedly groped by one of her students, filed two Title IX complaints, testified to the special grand jury investigating the school district, and spoke out at a School Board meeting.

Ziegler is charged with retaliating or threatening a person for publicly expressing their views on a matter of public concern, and with penalizing an employee for a court appearance. While the particulars of the cases are not yet public, court filings indicate the conflict of interest charge relates to retaliation or threats against Brooks, and the charge for penalizing an employee for a court appearance relates to her firing.

Both are for offenses alleged to have occurred on June 7, 2022, the day Brooks spoke out at a School Board meeting— and the day the School Board approved as part of its consent agenda Ziegler’s action not to renew her contract.

Brooks, formerly a teacher at Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School, filed a civil lawsuit in June claiming she was retaliated against, claiming the division “demonstrably failed to enforce its own policies and regulations.”

According to her lawsuit, Brooks had made multiple complaints since February about a student who was inappropriately touching her dozens of times a day. She also alleged her teaching assistant and other students were being touched inappropriately. Brooks said she believed the student’s behavior was intentional and indicative of something that possibly had happened to the student, according to the complaint.

Between February and May, Brooks said she made several attempts to get help from school administrators, including Principal Diane Mackey, Special Education Dean Jennifer Hedges and the Intellectual Disabilities Consultant for the division, Elizabeth Miller.

Suggestions from administrators included using a cardboard cutout with a

“quiet hand” to hold up when the student approached her and having Brooks wear an apron to “slow down the penetration” when the student touched her private parts, as well as suggestions to talk to the parents.

Brooks, who said she is a victim of sexual assault previously, reported the daily and multiple incidents were causing her “extreme emotional distress,” according to the complaint.

As she was seeking help from administrators and seeing little resolution to her complaints, she emailed documents and emails about how the division was handling her complaints to the personal email account of her teaching assistant.

She filed two Title IX complaints which were eventually dismissed and denied on appeal.

In late April, she was subpoenaed to testify before the special grand jury empaneled at the request of Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate how the school division had handled two sexual assaults by the same student. Brooks had to ask for a leave of absence to attend the hearing and had to provide a copy of the subpoena to Mackey.

Weeks later, in mid-May, Brooks was told in a letter an investigation into whether she disclosed confidential student information had found that she had violated several division policies and would need to complete additional trainings on the matter. That same day, May 18, Brooks was told the findings of the investigation in a meeting with Mackey and human re-

sources employees. During that meeting, Mackey gave Brooks an “unacceptable” employment rating and told Brooks her contract with the school division would not be renewed for the 2022-2023 school year.

The complaint noted the unacceptable rating was given weeks after Brooks got “profuse praise” in her March evaluation.

Brooks spoke up during the public comment section of the June 7 School Board meeting and addressed both Ziegler’s unwillingness to renew her contract as well as what she called a “smear campaign” launched by Human Resources. She also addressed being called to testify before the special grand jury and said, “I’m thankful that I was subpoenaed to a special grand jury as a witness who testified to egregious decisions and behaviors. Please stop the intimidation, stop with the defamation, stop trying to cover this up.”

Brooks was put on administrative leave June 9 pending an investigation that she violated professional conduct and disclosed personally identifiable information.

On June 10, the school system issued a statement claiming Brooks and her teaching assistant “improperly distributed student’s records without the consent of the family and without the knowledge of school staff for reasons that are unrelated to their job duties and this profound breach of trust to their students has been addressed appropriately by LCPS.”

On the same day, Mackey sent an email to the school stating Brooks shared private information about the student publicly.

The retaliation charge against Ziegler is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Penalizing an employee for a court appearance or serving on a jury is a Class 3 misdemeanor with a possible fine of up to $500.

Ziegler also faces one count of providing false information to a publication, a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. The offense allegedly occurred June 22, 2021, the day of a raucous School Board meeting that culminated with the public kicked out of the meeting room and the father of one of the school sexual assault victims arrested. n

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board, as part of its Dec. 13 consent agenda, adopted Acting Superintendent Daniel Smith’s employment agreement.

The agreement outlines Smith’s term which is set from Dec. 8, 2022, through June 30, 2023, unless ended sooner or extended later, according to the document.

It outlines his salary and benefits, stating Smith will be paid $24,583.33 a month, which equates to an annual salary of $295,000. Smith is eligible for a raise if he gets at least a “proficient” performance rating by the board, according to the agreement. It also states he will be reimbursed for any necessary travel expenses and continue to receive medical, VRS and other insurance benefits, sick and personal leave and vacation days he was already getting in his position as chief of staff.

The agreement also states Smith may return to his former position once his term as acting superintendent ends as long as he wasn’t fired from the position. Once he resumes his chief of staff duties his salary will revert to what he was paid previously in the position plus any percentage increase he got for a positive performance evaluation while serving as acting superintendent.

The board may terminate the agreement for any reason with a 30-day notice and the agreement may also be terminated “in the event of a material breach of its provisions or other good cause or by mutual agreement,” according to the document.

Smith was appointed acting superintendent on Dec. 8 during an emergency School Board meeting following the firing of Superintendent Scott Ziegler on Dec. 6. The board fired Ziegler after a two-hour closed session following the unsealing of the special grand jury’s report that was looking into how the school division handled two sexual assaults by the same student within a matter of months. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Former Loudoun County Public Schools superintendent Scott Ziegler arrives at the Loudoun County courthouse for a scheduling hearing Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.

‘No Doubt’ Schools Were Notified of Charges in School Assaults

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The county government will advise justice agencies to get a signature from school administrators when they deliver notification of charges against a student, after a special grand jury report highlighted a “public squabble” between the school district and the Sheriff’s Office over that notification.

The special grand jury’s report on the school administration’s handling of repeated sexual assaults by the same student highlighted, among other things, a public fight over whether the Sheriff’s Office notified Loudoun County Public Schools about charges against the student for the first assault as required by state law. At a Board of Supervisors committee meeting Dec. 13, supervisors and County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said there’s “no doubt” the school district got that notification, and recommended in the future getting the schools to sign for those notices to create a record that they received them.

The grand jury’s report notes that the legally required notice of the charges was sent to the schools through the county’s normal inter-office mail, the usual process for delivering those. However, the grand jury also noted the envelope was addressed to David Spage, a school district employee who had not worked in the superintendent’s office since 2014.

“As a result, it is unclear what

happened to the envelope once it was picked up at the courthouse, and there was no effort from juvenile intake to confirm receipt of the notification,” the jury wrote. They further reported that year there were 39 such notifications sent to the schools, “but it is unknown how many of those the superintendent’s office ever saw,” and that the Court Services Unit, Ziegler and his chief of staff met to discuss the notification procedure.

But during the Dec. 13 meeting, Hemstreet pointed out large organizations like the school division and county administrations deal with mail addressed to the wrong name routinely, and that it’s not unusual in a large organization for addressees to change.

“Mr. [John] Sandy is our fourth CFO in the last three years, right? So you get bills addressed to previous CFOs,” he said. “We get bills addressed to [former CFO, now Assistant County Administrator] Erin McLellan, we get bills addressed to [retired former CFO] Janet Romanchyk—but just because it’s addressed to that individual doesn’t mean that the county doesn’t know, once it gets into our interoffice email system, where to route it. And I would imagine the schools, being a sophisticated organization as well, can figure out where to send a notice of petition.”

SCHOOL ASSAULTS

continues on page 37

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

County Administrator Tim Hemstreet takes part in a meeting between county supervisors and state legislators in November.

School Board Approves Attendance Zone Boundary Changes

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board last week voted to adopt new secondary school attendance zones, moving students in some areas to new schools despite cries from parents to delay the changes amid recent shakeups in the division.

The board approved a version of Chair Jeff Morse’s (Dulles) plan, which moved the fewest students to new schools and focused on reducing crowding at Loudoun County High School in a 4-2-1 vote. John Beatty (Catoctin) and Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) opposed the plan, Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) abstained and Denise Corbo (At-large) and Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) were absent from the vote.

The school district projects Loudoun County High School will approach its building capacity in the next few years without changes to attendance zones. By the 2028-2029 school year, it was projected to be at 99% capacity if efforts weren’t made to reduce student numbers. That

was one of the main reasons the division took up the rezoning.

Beatty sought to postpone the Dec. 13 vote, arguing students were still recovering from the pandemic and parents didn’t want the change for their kids at this time.

“Moving students without a new high school based on potential growth, I think

it’s better to just delay on this, the timing, as we allow students to recover from where we were,” Beatty said. He added the parents he has talked with don’t see a problem with the school’s enrollment numbers.

“They are willing to make do with what is there, and really all of them say

they don’t experience a problem even though the numbers might say otherwise,” he said.

Only Polifko supported Beatty’s push to delay the vote. Reaser, Mahedavi, Morse, Erika Ogedegbe (Leesburg) and Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) all spoke against delaying the vote, and said the work needed to get done.

“It’s incumbent on us to do our job and make a decision,” said Reaser, who left the meeting before the vote.

The changes go into effect next fall. Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis said the school district will next look at elementary school boundary changes in January or February.

After a two-month discussion on the secondary school zone changes, there were five proposed attendance maps up for a vote, including the staff plan, two plans from Beatty, Morse’s plan and one from Mahedavi.

School Board Passes $1.3B, 6-Year Construction Budget

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board adopted the $1.3 billion FY2024-FY2029 Capital Improvement Program and Capital Asset Preservation Program on Dec. 13 to cheers from Park View High School community members gathered in the meeting room.

The construction budgets passed unanimously with one amendment from Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) to add $500,000 to the fiscal year 2025 budget for older elementary schools to get updated signs. That amendment passed 5-3-1 with Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles), John Beatty (Catoctin), Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) opposed, and Denise Corbo (At-large) absent for the vote.

Included in the plan is a $221.7 million reconstruction of Park View High School, a $38.9 million renovation of Banneker Elementary, a $20 million renovation of Waterford Elementary and $271 million to build a new high school in the Dulles north area designated as HS-14.

The biggest chunk comes during fiscal year 2025 when two high schools would be under construction simultaneously.

Beatty said he wouldn’t support the amendment to add the $500,000 for the school signs because he felt the focus should be on the two new schools, renovations and on the educational needs.

Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lewis addressed the different options for the Banneker project, with some St. Louis-area families pushing for the school to be replaced while others advocated for renovations to the historic school.

Lewis said there were several reasons Banneker was not being rebuilt, one of them had to do with its historical value,

which he said was a huge obligation.

“Banneker is the last building we have in the county that was built for the Black community that is still operating as a school. It’s the very last one and it is an extremely important part of this community,” Lewis said.

He said he had learned a lot from the past three or four years working on the Douglass High School renovation project and said the input from the community, historians, town councils and county leaders is important.

He addressed past comments form

concerned parents and teachers about opening the walls of a school that old and what it could mean for students.

Lewis said the school hasn’t had a mold issue for over three years, but knew the school has asbestos just like every school built before 1970.

“We’ve done this a whole bunch of times, we can make the building safe during construction,” he said, noting it will not be “impact free” like all construction projects.

The construction plans were presented to the School Board on Nov. 15. Two public hearings were held before the final vote with the majority of public comment in favor of the proposed budget and construction projects, especially building a replacement for Park View rebuild and for Banneker to be renovated.

Thirty-eight speakers spoke at the Dec. 5 public hearing. The area designated for public speakers was full and more chairs had to be brought out to accommodate those wishing to provide comments, mostly on the Banneker and Park View projects.

The School Board will now submit the capital budget to the Board of Supervisors. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

John Beatty (Catoctin), left, on Dec. 13 tried to postpone the vote on the secondary school attendance zone changes, but they went forward as planned.

Loudoun County Public Schools

A rendering of plans for the new Park View High School.

Nonprofit

Family of Wounded Marine Moves in to Latest HeroHome

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Jimmy and Pat Ochan, joined by their seventh-grade son William, started a new chapter in their lives Friday, preparing to move into their new Round Hill-area house—the latest built by Loudoun-based nonprofit HeroHomes and made possible through the donations of scores of individuals and businesses.

The Ochans grew up in Uganda, then ruled by military dictator Idi Amin. Jimmy escaped to the United States as a 14-year-old refugee. He enrolled in high school and became a U.S. citizen. He was attending college in Washington, DC, at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He enlisted in the Marine Corps three days later.

He was deployed three times—twice to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and once to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. During his deployment in Iraq, Ochan’s unit was hit by an IED blast and he sustained injuries that required several surgeries. The injuries left him with TBI/PTSD, migraines, back pain, and knee problems. He medically retired from the military in 2015 after 11 years of service and later returned to complete his college work, earning a degree in criminal justice on a Patriot Scholarship.

Seven years after leaving the service, he continues work with a team of specialists to overcome the lasting physical and mental challenges. Recently, he’s been preparing to enter the job market, completing several interviews.

The family has been living in a small apartment in Arlington, where sirens and other city noise can be debilitating during that recovery.

Their new home along Williams Gap Road north of Round Hill comes with two important features: the quiet of the countryside and room to grow their family. The couple has been working to adopt children for several years, and that goal was the reason HeroHomes built its biggest project to date.

Wearing his dress uniform for the formal ribbon cutting ceremony, Jimmy Ochan wiped tears from his eyes as he walked around the new home.

“I’m more appreciative for what

HeroHomes did for my family. I know what they do for other service members. It is something they really need,” he said. “Coming from a small apartment, this is a big deal.”

Ochan said he will think of the home as belonging to the community that made it possible.

“The house is for the community—the whole community,” he said. “We’re going to try to do once a year a cookout for the neighborhood. That’s our dream—a community cookout. That is what this house is about. It is not about the Ochans, it is for the community,” he said.

“You deserve it, man. You definitely deserve it.,” Jason Brownell, the HeroHomes co-founder who led the construction effort, told him.

Brownell said there has been “unbelievable community support” for the project. Naming all who contributed would be impossible without leaving someone out, he said. “The list is just crazy. It goes on and on and on.”

HeroHomes works with other veteran support organizations to find deserving and injured veterans and get them into homes, ranging from fully-donated, to subsidized, to purchased.

The foundation completed its first house in 2017. The Ochans’ home is the foundation’s fifth.

Learn more at herohomesloudoun.org. n

Obituaries

Joan Gillette Rokus

Joan Gillette Rokus, 89, died peacefully in the shadow of the town and the county she adored on December 9, 2022. An avid tennis player and sports enthusiast, her courageous fight was inspiring to the end. A service of celebration will be held Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 11:00 AM, at Leesburg United Methodist Church, 107 W Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia. Joan was born on June 24, 1933, in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Barbara Stinson and Phil G. Gillette. She was a graduate of Penn State University where she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She earned her master’s degree from West Chester University. Joan was beloved by her daughters, Jennifer Rokus Heath and Lori Rokus. She believed travel was the most important part of a person’s education and Joan traveled the world with her family and friends, including favorite trips to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Argentina, Kenya and through the Panama Canal on the QE II. She is survived also by her sisters, Marilyn Knauer (David), and Carol Hughes (Charles), and her nieces and nephews, Renee Witherspoon (Terry), Suzette MacKey (John), Barbra Daniel, Gordon Schiring (Cathy), Sean Hughes (Laura), and Darin Hughes. Her brother, Gordon Gillette (Margie), preceded her in death. Joan taught physical education at Keuka College in New York’s Finger Lakes, Susquehanna University and West Chester University in Pennsylvania, public schools throughout Loudoun County and Foxcroft School in Middleburg. Later she was the administrator for the veterinary practice of her former husband, William S. Rokus. Combining her educational degrees with her personal tennis achievement of reaching the highest USTA rating sanctioned at Loudoun Indoor Tennis Club, she also taught tennis for several years at Northern Virginia Community College. Joan was president of the Catoctin Elementary PTA and later served as the president of the Northern Virginia District PTA Council. Her keen interest in the environment and wildlife led her to the presidency of Keep Loudoun Beautiful where she brought attention to removing litter from not just roadways, but also waterways by initi-

ating the first annual creek cleanup via canoes on scenic Goose Creek. During her 2-term tenure as a Loudoun County Supervisor for the Leesburg District, Joan served as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors as well as chair of various committees: Council of Governments, Economic Development, and Commission for Women. She was the first woman to be elected as a Loudoun County Supervisor for the Leesburg District. Joan was recognized for her work on historic preservation and parks, including Temple Hall, Aldie Mill and Mount Zion Church. For many years, she presided over the annual Arbor Day ceremonies. Among a number of significant boards and commissions, Joan represented Loudoun County on the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for 23 years and served on the National Recreation and Parks Association Board of Trustees for nine years, as an Honorary Board Member for the Salvation Army, and the Thomas Balch Library Advisory Board for many years. She was named 1999 Loudoun Times-Mirror Citizen of the Year and 1993 Person of the Year from the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club. Joan belonged to the Junior Women’s Club of Loudoun until she “aged out” into the Women’s Club of Loudoun. She was member of the Ketoctin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served on the Advisory Committee of the Patriot Project. A lifelong dog lover, she raised Jack Russell terriers each of whom were mischievous and devoted. For those who choose to send memorials, the family requests consideration of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) https://www. cfnova.org/donate/nova-parks-fund or Friends of Loudoun County Animal Services (FLCAS) https://www.flcas.org. Share condolences with the family www. LoudounFuneralChapel.com

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

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Jimmy, Pat and William Ochan share a hug as they tour their new Round Hill-area home, the latest built by Loudoun-based HeroHomes of a wounded veteran.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION OF ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES: 500-230 KV WISHING STAR SUBSTATION, 500 KV AND 230 KV MARS-WISHING STAR LINES, 500-230 KV MARS SUBSTATION, AND MARS 230 KV LOOP CASE NO. PUR-2022-00183

On October 27, 2022, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or the “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) an application (“Application”) for approval and certification of electric facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia. Dominion filed its Application pursuant to § 56-46.1 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), and the Utility Facilities Act, Code § 56-265.1 et seq.

Through its Application, the Company proposes to complete the following which is collectively referred to as the “Project:”

• Construct a new 500-230 kilovolt (“kV”) substation in Loudoun County, Virginia, within existing Company-owned right-of-way and on property obtained by the Company (“Wishing Star Substation”). The 500-230 kV source to the Wishing Star Substation will be created by cutting the Company’s existing 500 kV Brambleton-Mosby Lines #546 and #590 into the Wishing Star Substation at Structures #546/26 and #590/1893 just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The tie-in of Lines #546 and #590 to the Wishing Star Substation will result in (i) 500 kV Brambleton-Wishing Star Line #589, (ii) 500 kV Brambleton-Wishing Star Line #501, (ii) Mosby-Wishing Star Line #546, and (iv) Mosby-Wishing Star Line #590.

• Construct a new approximately 3.55-mile overhead 500 kV single circuit transmission line with a 230 kV single circuit transmission line underbuilt on predominantly new right-of-way. The new transmission lines will originate at the 500 kV and 230 kV buses of the proposed Wishing Star Substation and continue east to the proposed 500-230 kV Mars Substation, resulting in (i) 500 kV Mars-Wishing Star Line #527, and (ii) 230 kV MarsWishing Star Line #2291 (“Mars-Wishing Star Lines”). From the proposed Wishing Star Line Substation, the Mars-Wishing Star Lines will extend generally east to the proposed Mars Substation, where the Mars-Wishing Star Lines will terminate. The proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new-right-of-way predominantly 150 feet in width (approximately 2.67 miles of the 3.55- mile total length) to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on dulled galvanized steel double circuit three-pole or twopole H-frame structures. The new 500 kV line will utilize three-phrase triple-bundled 1351.1 ACSR conductors with a summer transfer capability of 4,357 megavolt amperes (“MVA”); the new 230 kV line will utilize three-phase twin-bundled 768.2 ACSS/TW/HS type conductor with a summer transfer capability of 1,573 MVA.

• Construct a new 500-230 kV substation in Loudoun County, Virginia, on property obtained

by the Company (“Mars Substation”).

• Construct two new approximately 0.57-mile overhead 230 kV double circuit lines on two sets of double circuit structures from Mars Substation to cut in locations on the Company’s existing 230 kV Cabin Run-Shellhorn Road Line #2095 and 230 kV Poland Road-Shellhorn Road Line #2137, between Structures #2095/72 / #2137/82 and #2095/73 / #2137/83 resulting in (i) 230 kV Cabin Run-Mars Line #2287, (ii) 230 kV Celestial-Mars Line #2261, (iii) 230 kV Mars-Shellhorn Road Line #2095, and (iv) 230 kV Mars-Sojourner Line #2292 (“Mars 230 kV Loop”).

Where the Mars 230 kV Loop cuts into Lines #2095 and #2137, two new two-pole double circuit structures will be installed within existing right-of-way in order to loop the new lines into the Mars Substation and then back to the existing Lines #2095/#2137 corridor. While the cut-in location is within existing right-of-way, the proposed Mars 230 kV Loop will be constructed on new 160-foot-wide right-of-way supported by a combination of dulled galvanized steel double circuit monopoles and two-pole structures situated side-by-side in the right-of-way and will utilize three-phase twin-bundled 768.2 ACSS/TW type conductor with a summer transfer capability of 1,573 MVA.

• Conduct line protection upgrades at the Company’s existing remote end substations, including the Company’s existing Brambleton, Cabin Run, Mosby, and Shellhorn Road Substations, as well as the future Celestial and Sojourner Substations.

According to the Application, Dominion asserts there is an immediate need for the Project to maintain and improve electric service to customers in the eastern Loudoun load area (“Eastern Loudoun Load Area”), which is generally to the north and west of the Dulles Airport and is inclusive of Data Center Alley; to address significant load growth in the Eastern Loudoun Load Area; and to resolve identified North American Electric Reliability Corporation reliability violations. The Company states that, as of the filing of its Application, the Eastern Loudoun Load Area is inclusive of approximately 21 locations where load is being served. The Company further asserts that, if not relieved by the proposed Project combined with others proposed or planned in the near term, the identified reliability violations will severely impact the transmission system’s ability to provide reliable service to Dominion’s customers in the Eastern Loudoun Load Area.

The Company identified an approximately 3.55mile overhead proposed route for the Mars-Wishing Star Lines (“MarsWishing Star Line Proposed Route” or “Route 5”), as well as five overhead alternative routes (“Mars-Wishing Star Lines Alternative Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6”). For the Mars 230 kV Loop, the Company identified one approximately 0.57-mile overhead proposed route (“Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route”).

Dominion states that Route 5 is the shortest of all the alternative routes considered and would utilize the most existing Company-owned transmission rights-of-way, the same amount as Mars-Wishing Star Lines Alternative Route 6. Dominion also states that Route 5 impacts more forested land than Mars-Wishing Star Lines Alternative Routes 1, 2, 3 and 4; however, by collocating along existing rightsof-way, the Mars-Wishing Star Line Proposed Route avoids forest and habitat fragmentation and multiple perpendicular crossings of Broad Run. Ac-

cording to the Application, Route 5 would also have substantially less impact on forested wetlands than all other Alternative Routes. Additionally, the Company asserts that Route 5 is predicted to have the least visual impact on identified visually sensitive resources in the study area, including: Stream Valley Park and trails, Broad Run Trail, and the multiuse paths along Evergreen Mills Road. Dominion states it concluded that Route 5 was preferred over the Alternative Routes because it would reasonably minimize adverse impacts on scenic assets, planned development, forested wetlands, and recreation areas, while providing the greatest possible amount of collocation with Company-owned transmission rights-of-way.

The Company identified no route alternatives for the Mars 230 kV Loop. The Company asserts that the Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route is the shortest, most direct, and least environmentally impactful alignment between the proposed Mars Substation and the cut in locations on the Company’s existing 230 kV Cabin Run-Shellhorn Road Line #2095 and 230 kV Poland Road-Shellhorn Road Line #2137. The Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route runs parallel to an existing Virginia Department of Transportation road rightofway, Carters School Road (SR 875), and avoids conflict with the approved development plans for Digital Dulles.

The Company states the proposed Wishing Star Substation initially will be constructed with eight 500 kV 5000 ampere (“A”) circuit breakers, three 230 kV 4000A circuit breakers, five 500 kV line terminals, one 230 kV line terminal, two 230 kV feeds to Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, one 500230 kV transformer bank (4-480 MVA, single-phase units, including a spare) and other associated equipment. The total area of the Wishing Star Substation is approximately 41 acres.

The proposed Mars Substation will be initially constructed with three 500 kV 5000A circuit breakers, ten 230 kV 4000A circuit breakers, one 500 kV line terminal, five 230 kV line terminals, two 500-230 kV transformer banks (7-480 MVA, singlephase units, including a spare) and other associated equipment. The total area of the Mars Substation is approximately 22 acres.

The Company states the desired in-service date for the proposed Project is December 31, 2025, and due to the immediate need for this proposed Project, the PJM required in-service date is June 1, 2025. The Company represents the estimated conceptual costs of the proposed Project (in 2022 dollars) is approximately $715.7 million, which includes approximately $157.2 million for transmission-related work and approximately $558.5 million for substation-related work.

Description of Routes for the proposed Project MARS-WISHING STAR LINES

Proposed Route (Route 5)

The Proposed Route of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.55 miles in length. The Proposed Route originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing rightofway. The route turns east and parallels the north side of the right-of-way before crossing Loudoun County Parkway, and then turns southeast before crossing Old Ox Road. The route continues

southeast before entering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

The Proposed Route of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-of-way predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit threepole or twopole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 148 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Alternate Route 1

Alternative Route 1 of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.63 miles in length. Alternative Route 1 originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing right-ofway and Broad Run. The route turns northeast and parallels the south side of Evergreen Mills Road before crossing Loudoun County Parkway just south of the intersection with Evergreen Mills Road. The route turns southeast crossing Old Ox Road and continues southeast before entering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

Alternative Route 1 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-ofway predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit three-pole or two-pole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 146 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Alternative Route 2

Alternative Route 2 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.64 miles in length. Alternative Route 2 originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing rightofway and Broad Run. The route then turns southeast to cross Broad Run again, then turns east to parallel the north side of the existing right of-way before crossing Loudoun County Parkway. The route turns southeast crossing Old Ox Road and continues southeast before entering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

Alternative Route 2 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-ofway predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit three-pole or two-pole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 147 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Alternative Route 3

Alternative Route 3 of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.62 miles in length. Alternative Route 3 originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing right-ofway and Broad Run and paralleling the south side of Evergreen Mills Road before crossing Loudoun County Parkway just south of the intersection with Evergreen Mills Road. The route turns southeast crossing Old Ox Road and continues southeast before entering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

Alternative Route 3 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-ofway predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit three-pole or two-pole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 145 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Alternative Route 4

Alternative Route 4 of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.63 miles in length. Alternative Route 4 originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing right-of-way and Broad Run. The route then turns southeast to cross Broad Run again, then turns east to parallel the north side of the existing right of-way before crossing Loudoun County Parkway. The route turns southeast crossing Old Ox Road and continues southeast before entering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

Alternative Route 4 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-ofway predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit three-pole or two-pole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 146 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Alternative Route 6

Alternative Route 6 of the Mars-Wishing Star Lines is approximately 3.56 miles in length. Alternative Route 6 originates at the proposed Wishing Star Substation located just south of the Company’s existing Brambleton Substation. The route heads east, crossing Arcola Mills Road then Belmont Ridge Road. West of Belmont Ridge Road, the route joins the south side of the existing electric transmission right-of-way and continues east before turning northeast and crossing over the existing right-ofway. The route turns east and parallels the north side of the right-of-way before crossing Loudoun County Parkway, then turns southeast before crossing Old Ox Road. The route continues southeast before en-

tering the west side of the proposed Mars Substation.

Alternative Route 6 of the proposed Mars-Wishing Star Lines will be constructed on new right-ofway predominantly 150 feet wide to support a 5/2 configuration primarily on double circuit three-pole or two-pole H-frame structures with a minimum structure height of approximately 90 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 190 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 147 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route

The Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route is approximately 0.57 mile in length. The Mars 230 kV Loop originates on the southeast corner of the intersection of Old Ox Road and Carters School Road. The line travels south and parallels the east side of Carters School Road for 0.5 mile before entering the north side of proposed Mars Substation.

The Mars 230 kV Loop Proposed Route will be constructed on new 160-foot-wide right-of-way supported by primarily a combination of double circuit monopoles and two-pole structures situated side-byside in the right-of-way with a minimum structure height of approximately 100 feet, a maximum structure height of approximately 115 feet, and an average proposed structure height of approximately 103 feet, based on preliminary conceptual design, not including foundation reveal and subject to change based on final engineering design.

All distances, heights, and directions are approximate. A sketch map of the proposal accompanies this notice. A more detailed map may be viewed on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/ Transmission-Line-Projects. A more complete description of the Project also may be found in the Company’s Application.

The Commission may consider a route not significantly different from the route described in this notice without additional notice to the public.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter shall be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s

Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive Information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. Any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 3719838 to arrange the delivery.

Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing or subsequent Hearing Examiner’s Ruling for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Application. On February 27, 2023, at 10 a.m., the Hearing Examiner assigned will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before February 22, 2023, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 27, 2023, the Hearing Examiner assigned will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.

On February 28, 2023, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Application from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission Staff.

Electronic copies of the Application and other

supporting materials may be inspected at: www. dominionenergy.com/NOVA. An electronic copy of the Company’s Application also may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Vishwa B. Link, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or vlink@mcguirewoods. com.

On or before February 22, 2023, any interested person may submit comments on the Application by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/ Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR2022-00183.

On or before January 13, 2023, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-2030, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00183.

On or before January 27, 2023, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc. virginia.gov/clk/efiling, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with its filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00183.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Company’s Application and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

Towns

Lovettsville Approves Backyard Chicken Rules

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Lovettsville Town Council last week adopted an ordinance allowing livestock and fowl within town limits.

After a public hearing on Sept. 7, the town’s Planning Commission had been working on the ordinance designed to permit residents to keep livestock and fowl in town while also managing the impact on neighbors.

At a meeting on Nov. 17, Planning Director John Merrithew presented the council with a draft of the ordinance which the council declined to pass saying it was too restrictive.

“The council is looking to make this a lot less restrictive, right?” Mayor Nathaniel Fontaine said at the Nov. 17 meeting. “To be able to support this. I think the sentiment is all there, right? To make this as least restrictive as possible to ensure that people have the ability to do on their

property as much as they can.”

Some of the specific restrictions the council objected to were prohibiting roosters; requiring that animals be kept 20 feet from the property line, which would often require building a second fence to contain the animals; and the limitation of one chicken per 20 square feet.

Merrithew presented a revised ordinance to the council on Thursday, which passed with several more revisions.

While local ordinances have not permitted livestock and fowl within the town in the past, this new town ordinance will allow residents to keep them with some restrictions. Those restrictions include the number of animals, requiring the animals to be fenced, chicken coops kept five feet from property lines, the securing of feed in bins so as to not attract rodents, proper cleanliness to limit smells and requiring a water source on the property for honeybees.

The ordinance was also adjusted prior to the vote to allow roosters, which had

been a contested issue throughout the process. Another last-minute adjustment was to change the number of chickens permitted from 12 total to 30 per acre.

Merrithew said the ordinance will not take effect retroactively and that residents who have pens or structures that sit closer to the property line than the ordinance allows would be permitted to keep them.

“They can be maintained, repaired, they can be rebuilt if they’re burnt. They can be rebuilt in the exact same place. I would hope they would move them a little bit, but that’s going to be up to them,” he said.

The final version of the ordinance was adopted on a 5-0-1 vote, with council member Buchanan Smith absent.

Fontaine thanked Merrithew for the work he put in drafting and editing the ordinance with the Planning Commission.

“This was a rough one,” he said. “So I do appreciate you working through to get this.” n

Town Council Adopts Comprehensive Plan Update

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Lovettsville Town Council last week adopted the 2021 update of the town’s comprehensive plan.

The Dec. 15 approval vote was 5-0-1 with council member Buchanan Smith absent.

Planning Director John Merrithew said the amended plan does not have any dramatic changes from the previous community development guide. He said the main focus is for Lovettsville to retain its small-town feel and size.

The document’s land use chapter stated the goal to: “Create the opportunity for beneficial growth and development that is compatible in scale, intensity, and use with existing development in the community and which preserves Lovettsville’s small-town character.”

The amended document also directs the town’s Planning Commission to focus its attention on affordable housing.

“Assign the Planning Commission to: (1) define affordability in the small-town

context of Lovettsville,” page 42 of the document says. “(2) evaluate workforce housing affordability and availability for people employed, both currently and in the future, in businesses located in the Town of Lovettsville; and (3) make specific recommendations for adjusting land use/housing policies and zoning requirements to better accommodate the Town’s growing workforce through the creation of affordable housing opportunities.”

Merrithew said a primary concern of residents was the loss of telecommunications. The amended plan outlines a variety of ways the town and Loudoun County are working to improve service, including the county extending high speed internet to county facilities such as Lovettsville Elementary School and the Lovettsville Library, both the town and county looking to extend fiber optic cables to facilities within Lovettsville and the town leasing space on its elevated water tank to three wireless communication providers.

Another concern expressed by residents was transportation safety. That concern is addressed in the amended plan by six new goals in the transportation section,

including increasing mobility choices, expanding the transportation network sustainably, increasing safety, provide parking options, improving infrastructure and continued cooperation with the county and state governments regarding transportation improvements and maintenance.

Other changes throughout the document include developing a program for the town to accept new wells from developers to augment the town’s water supply, support for the development of a middle and high school near the current elementary school and encouraging Loudoun County to develop a teen center and other activities and facilities for young adults.

Mayor Nathaniel Fontaine said he was glad to be able to adopt the amendment before the end of the year.

“It’s a herculean effort and I do appreciate it,” he said to Merrithew. “I do appreciate the citizenry who were involved in the early parts of discussion on this. … This is probably one of the more important documents in town councils and town bodies from the planning commission to pass.” n

AROUND towns

LOVETTSVILLE

Scout Drafts Biographies of Town Veterans

Jake Ridderhoff, a Boy Scout from Troop 962, last week presented to the Town Council his completed Eagle Scout Project that created biographies of 151 of the veterans who have pavers dedicated to them at the town’s square.

The project, which was requested by American Legion Post 1836, took 166 hours to complete with 27 volunteers pitching in. The biographies were combined into a binder to be referenced and presented during various holidays including Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day.

Ridderhoff said he was able to contact 60 of veterans directly, with the rest of the information coming from other methods of research. The binder also includes a way for the public to contact the American Legion Post 1836 with any additional information about the veterans.

MIDDLEBURG

Town Seeks to Fill Advisory Panel Seats

The Town Council is looking to fill vacancies on several citizen advisory plans.

There are opportunities to serve on the town’s Strategic Finance Committee, which reviews and makes recommendations on fiscal and tax policies; the Cultural & Community Events Committee, which coordinates events and marketing programs; the Sustainability Committee, which promotes environmental and health programs; the Arts Council, which coordinates cultural and arts programs; and the Streetscape Committee, which helps manage the care or street trees and shrubs and organizes the annual Arbor Day program.

Anyone interested in serving on this committee is asked to send a letter of interest and résumé to the town office at PO Box 187, Middleburg, VA 20118, no later than Jan. 15.

PURCELLVILLE

Town Joins Low Income Water Assistance Program

The Purcellville Town Council last week voted to enroll in the federally funded Low Income Water Assistance Program.

Virginia Social Services has authorized a vendor, Promise, to administer a federal grant program to help low-income households pay their water and sewer bills. The program is scheduled to last a year, ending in November 2023, but the funding

will be given on a first-come first-serve basis so the $22 million is expected to last for only the first six months.

Eligible households will receive up to $2,500 dollars. Households will be considered eligible if they participate in SNAP, TANF, LIHEAP, SSI, or a means-tested veterans’ program, or if they make less than 150% of federal poverty level. Their residential account must also have a past due balance.

Families whose accounts are disconnected or are at risk of being shut off will be prioritized and the town would not be able to disconnect recipients of the program for 90 days.

The town will be promoting the program to the public.

The vote passed 6-0-1 with council member Mary Jane Williams absent. n

LoCo Living

Breaking Down the ‘Brick Wall’

Morven Park’s 246 Years Project Expands Access to Enslaved Family History

BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com

Amateur genealogy has become a national passion. But Black Americans researching their family histories often find dead ends at 1865, with the trauma of slavery, family separations, and missing documentation. Now, a local historic site is launching a project to help fill in the blanks.

The 246 Years Project is an initiative of Morven Park and Loudoun County Circuit Court Clerk Gary Clemens and his Historic Records Division team. Morven Park is building an online database organizing fragmentary information about Loudoun’s enslaved communities,

Grand Menorah Lighting Celebrated at One Loudoun

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Chabad of Loudoun on Sunday celebrated the first day of Chanukah with a festive menorah lighting ceremony on the plaza at One Loudoun.

Rabbi Chaim Cohen was joined on stage by Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, local elected representatives, and a holocaust survivor to kick off the eight-day festival of lights.

While the ceremony featured lively music, dancing and a drop of candy gelt from an Ashburn Volunteer Fire Company ladder truck to children below, the recent cases of antisemitic graffiti appearing in Loudoun County and around the region were on the minds of several speakers.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) noted that Hanukkah in Hebrew means “dedication.”

“We are dedicated to respecting every man, woman, girl and boy in Loudoun County. We are dedicated to extending love at every moment in Loudoun County. We are dedicated to calling out

antisemitism, and racism and hatred in Loudoun County. We are dedicated to equality in Loudoun County. We are dedicated to inclusion in Loudoun County. We are dedicated to diversity in Loudoun County. And we are dedicated to peace in Loudoun County,” Randall said.

Viviane Bloodworth said she was one year old when her father and sister were taken from Paris to the Auschwitz concentration camp. She’s a resident of Montgomery County, MD, where antisemitic graffiti was found the previous day at Walt Whitman High School.

“I am upset that people can do such atrocities, such stupidity, such hate,” Bloodworth said. “But in God we have people in the government, people in the police, good people who understand that that’s got to stop.

Community events like Loudoun’s grand menorah lighting, she said, help combat that behavior.

“We all seek the light, the goodness of

LIGHTING continues on page 24

THINGS to do

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Jingle, Single and Mingle

Ugly Sweater Party

Friday, Dec. 23, 6 p.m.

Nectar Cocktail Bar, 22455 Davis Dr., Sterling Details: facebook.com/nectarcocktailbar Wear your best ugly sweater, mingle with other singles while enjoying craft eggnog and karaoke.

Christmas Eve at Dirt Farm

Saturday, Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont

Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com

Kick off the holiday with Christmas cheer and craft beer by the outdoor fireplace or in the cozy taproom.

Claude Moore Park Marshmallow Madness

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 1-2:30 p.m.

Claude Moore Park, 21544 Vestals Gap Road, Sterling Details: facebook.com/claudemoorepark Celebrate winter with marshmallow-themed activities around a campfire. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Admission is free, but advance registration is required.

Gingerbread Jamboree

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 3-4 p.m.

Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville

Details: franklinparkartscenter.org

Puppeteer Dylan Shelton brings the tale of Ralphie the elf who has one dangerous job: to feed the Gingerbread Beast. With help from the audience, Ralphie entertains the beast with his favorite fairy tales, “The Gingerbread Man” and “Hansel and Gretel.” Tickets are $5.

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: Lenny Burridge

Friday, Dec. 23, 5 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont

Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com

Wind down with acoustic blues and Americana, classic rock and new rock from Lenny Burridge.

Live Music: Clark Peklo

Friday, Dec. 23, 6 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com

Peklo’s repertoire of cool, unexpected covers features a strict No Eagles policy.

Live Music: JP Jones

Friday, Dec. 23, 5:30 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com

Loudoun-native JP Jones is a self-taught guitarist and passionate lifelong musician.

Live Music: Tejas Singh

Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m.

THINGS TO DO continues

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Morven Park Executive Director Stacey Metcalfe and Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens stand in front of one of the historic buildings at the park, which is believed to have housed enslaved people during its history.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Viviane Bloodworth, who was one year old when her father and sister were taken from Paris to the Auschwitz concentration camp, gets help from Loudoun Combined Fire & Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson in lighting the first candle on the grand menorah during the Dec. 18 ceremony at One Loudoun.

MENORAH

MORVEN PARK PROJECT continues on page 24

MY KID BROTHER

Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m. (doors)

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

THINGS to do

continued from page 22

Elysium Axe Bar, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville

Details: elysiumaxebar.com

NOVA-based singer/songwriter Tejas Singh brings his angelic voice and devilish guitar skills to Purcellville.

Live Music: Lucas John

Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m.

Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn

Details: socialhouseashburn.com

Blow off some holiday steam with high-energy rock ‘n’ roll from NoVa-based singer/songwriter Lucas John.

Live Music: Scott Kurt

Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m.

Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly

Details: socialhousesouthriding.com

Southern by way of the Rust Belt, Scott Kurt’s brand of country blends old-school outlaw grit with elements of guitar-driven rock.

Live Music: Chris Timbers Band

Friday, Dec. 23, 8 p.m.

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

This NOVA Native plays alternative soul with jazz, blues, rock and country influences.

Live Music: My Kid Brother

Friday, Dec. 23, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg  Details: tallyhotheater.com

This indie band from Leesburg fuses elements of rock, folk and blues to create a sound all their own. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $35 for VIP seats.

Live Music: Derek Summers

Friday, Dec. 23, 9 p.m.

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com

It’s a hip hop takeover at the Nectar Stage with Derek Summers.

Live Music: David Andrew Smith

Saturday, Dec. 24, 1 p.m.

BEST BETS

Friday, Dec. 23, 8 p.m.

Monks BBQ monksq.com

Bleu Frog Vineyard, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg Details:  bleufrogvineyards.com

Maryland native David Andrew Smith is known for addictive melodies, a soulful vocal style and an offthe-beaten-path pop-sensibility.

Live Music: Jessica Paulin

Saturday, Dec. 24, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford

Details: 8chainsnorth.com

Paulin sings hits from the 60s to today in her own cool style, rocking tunes by artists across genres, including Stevie Nicks, Brandi Carlisle, Elton John, and other favorites.

Live Music: Pete Lapp Saturday, Dec. 24, 2 p.m.

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

It’s a special Christmas Eve show from favorite Loudoun singer and guitarist Pete Lapp.

Live Music: Matt Burridge Music

Thursday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m.

BIA Kitchen, 108 N. 21st St., Purcellville

Details: biakitchen.com

Fredericksburg-based Matt Burridge plays favorite covers to BIA’s Thursday night acoustic set.

COMING UP

Vanish British New Year’s Eve Party

Saturday. Dec. 31, 4 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts

Details: vanishbeer.com

This annual tradition is perfect for folks who like to celebrate early with a ball drop at 7 p.m., food specials and music from Shag British cover band from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, free for kids 15 and under.

The Reagan Years New Year’s Party

Saturday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg

Details: tallyhotheater.com

The NYE party is back with one of the region’s top 80s tribute bands. Tickets are $25.

1836 NYE with Joey Hafner Saturday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.

1836 Kitchen and Taproom, 34 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville

Details: 1836kitchenandtaproom.com Ring in the New Year Lovettsville-style with great tunes from Joey Hafner.

KEN WENZEL

Saturday, Dec. 24, 1-4 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery vanishbeer.com

New Year’s Eve at the Branch

Saturday, Dec. 31, 2-8 p.m. and 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The Branch, 49 Catoctin Circle SE, Leesburg Details: bowlthebranch.com

The Branch offers family bowling blocks from 2 to 8 p.m. with two hours of bowling and fun for up to six people. Tickets are $120 per group. For nighttime celebrations, revelers can book a party block with bowling drinks and an appetizer for $55 per person.

CHRIS TIMBERS BAND

Morven Park project

continued from page 22

allowing descendants to delve deeper into their family histories.

“At 1865, you hit this brick wall. … You had to be your own researcher to find your family,” Morven Park Executive Director and CEO Stacey Metcalfe said. “We’re pulling it all together.”

The 246 Years project officially launches in February and will offer free public access to the database by the end of next year. The initiative takes its name from the 246 years between 1619, when the first enslaved Africans were brought to Jamestown, and 1865 when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Before 1865, the names of the enslaved were omitted from government records including census, birth, and death registries, making it challenging for descendants of enslaved people to trace their ancestry through online genealogy services.

This is where Virginia’s historic homes and estates, many of which housed enslaved in the 19th century, can help fill in the blanks. These historic houses often have their own unofficial records documenting the harrowing process of family separation.

“All of this was in house records because enslaved people were considered property. You didn’t have birth certificates. You didn’t have them in the county records. … It wasn’t at the local courthouse. It was house records, or

communities had them in their Bibles,” Metcalfe said.

The project got started in 2016 before Metcalfe joined Morven Park. At the time, Morven Park Director of Preservation Jana Shafagoj developed the idea of taking the bare facts, including births, deaths and sales of humans to help descendants weave together stories and connect missing threads.

“The stories come out once you start tying them together,” Metcalfe said. “[Shafagoj] wanted to start tying together the families, the legacies. … The leadership wanted to expand the narrative of Morven Park. They needed to include those who were enslaved living here on this property.”

Shafagoj got things rolling several years ago, launching a dialogue with the Historic House Museum Consortium of Washington, DC, which brings together 40 historic homes open as public sites in the DMV. But the effort was waylaid by the pandemic. When Metcalfe came on board as Morven Park’s executive director in December of 2020, she made reviving the project a priority. Metcalfe and Shafagoj work with an advisory committee made up of Loudoun’s Historic Records Clerk Lori Kimball and authors, historians and genealogy experts from the county’s Black community, including Stephen Hammond, Kevin Grigsby and Phyllis Cook-Taylor.

The Morven Park team found a perfect partner in Clemens, whose office has one of the most complete historic records

collections in the commonwealth and has ongoing collaborations with the Balch Library, Loudoun Freedom Center and Loudoun Farm Museum related to African American history in the county.

“There’s a natural connection and the timing was impeccable,” Clemens said. “In the last 10 years, we’ve been very aggressive about preserving any documents we have in the courthouse that pertain to African Americans and the enslaved. … Immediately I realized we have a connection here. What we were doing we could share with them, and what her team was doing, we could make available in my office.”

Clemens’ hope is to offer the descendants of enslaved people in Loudoun— and one day the rest of Virginia—“onestop-shop research.”

“You do research in one place, and you have to go someplace else. The neat thing about this collaboration is that we’re combining our resources so there’s more information,” Clemens said.

“It’s a unique opportunity for Loudoun County and for the whole commonwealth of Virginia,” Clemens said.

The Morven Park project is starting local, but Metcalfe and Clemens say they’ll likely expand to other Northern Virginia communities and even statewide in coming years.

“I want it to be a gift right now for Loudoun County, and I know Loudoun County will rally around that and help us make it a really robust database,” Metcalfe said.

For Morven Park, the initiative is in line with a movement among historic sites in the south to provide new perspectives on the institution of slavery after glossing over it for decades. While Morven’s mission remains focused on preserving the legacy of World War II-era Virginia governor Westmoreland Davis, whose widow Marguerite created the foundation that funds the nonprofit, Metcalfe said there’s also room to examine the property’s 19th century past, including its history of slavery.

The nonprofit is also working to preserve historic 19th century buildings connected to the property’s enslaved population, removing early 20th century stucco facades and restoring stonework.

The 246 Years Project was launched with seed money from The Davis Foundation and Clemens’ office, and organizers are launching a separate fundraising and grant writing initiative to cover the estimated $90,000 per year cost to keep the project running and fund Metcalfe’s commitment to keeping the database free to the community.

“That has been something that we wanted to do: Telling these stories and sharing these legacies and giving back the narratives,” Metcalfe said. “This is a gift to the community.” n

For more information about the 246 Years Project, go to morvenpark.org/ 246years.

Menorah lighting

continued from page 22

God, and tolerance and peace all over the world,” she said.

Sheriff Mike Chapmen said he attended last week’s presentation of the report released by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Commission to Combat Antisemitism.

“In law enforcement, we are peacekeepers. We want to make sure we that we see harmony. We want to make sure that we maintain peace and love in our community here and I think it is really, really important that we acknowledge all the different faiths and backgrounds that everybody has so that we can work together to make

sure everybody stays peaceful and in harmony,” Chapman said.

Loudoun’s Jewish community will gather again Thursday, Dec. 22, for the annual Menorah Parade. Cars will be fitted with lighted menorahs and drive around the county before ending at the Altitude Trampoline Park in the Village at Leesburg for an evening of pizza, donuts, and jumping.

Others participating in the ceremony included U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Supervisor Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run), Leesburg Town Council member Zach Cummings, and Combined Fire & Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Holocaust survivor Viviane Bloodworth speaks during the Dec. 18 Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony at One Loudoun, as County Chair Phyllis Randall looks on.

Assistant Director of Utilities, Engineering Programs Utilities $86,040-$156,137 DOQ Open until filled

Assistant Zoning Administrator Planning & Zoning $72,952-$132,386 DOQ Open until filled

Billing and Collections Coordinator

Finance & Administrative Services Department $52,446-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Communications Technician (Police Dispatcher) Police $50,000-$88,774 DOQ Open until filled

Deputy Director of Public Works and Capital Projects

Groundskeeper

Head Lifeguard (Full Time)

Public Works & Capital Projects $93,438-$169,567 DOQ Open until filled

Parks & Recreation $50,000-$81,495 DOQ Open until filled

Parks & Recreation $50,000-$63,626 DOQ Open until filled

Land Acquisition Manager Town Attorney $72,952-$132,387 DOQ Open until filled

Maintenance Worker I

Public Works & Capital Projects $50,000-$75,040 DOQ Open until filled

Police Detective Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Officer Police $62,000-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police School Resource Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Traffic Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Senior Engineer Plan Review $70,374-$127,560 DOQ Open until filled

Stormwater and Environmental Manager

Public Works & Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled

Utility Inspector II Utilities $56,956-$103,363 DOQ Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Water Meter Operations Supervisor Utilities $61,857-$112,250 DOQ Open until filled

Position Department Salary Range Closing Date Day Porter

Pulic Works & Capital Projects

$16.86-$28.85 DOQ January 4th, 2023

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, January 11, 2023, in order to consider:

PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY Conveyance of County Easements to Loudoun County Sanitation Authority d/b/a Loudoun Water

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1800 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider conveying County easements over PIN 045-17-3780, legally described as Concorde Industrial Park Outlot A, to Loudoun County Sanitation Authority d/b/a Loudon Water. The County easements are located between Executive Drive and Relocation Drive, near Old Ox Road, in the Sterling Election District.

Copies of exhibits showing the location(s) of the above-listed conveyance(s) and associated documents are available for review and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 209 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Revisions of Precinct Boundaries and Polling Places (To be Effective for the 2023 Elections)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 24.2-305 et seq., the Board of Supervisors gives notice of intent to propose for passage amendments to Chapter 209, Voting Precincts and Polling Places, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The purpose of the amendments is to revise certain precinct boundaries and polling places. Some existing precincts will be divided, and others will be reconfigured. Eleven (11) new precincts will be created, and polling places established for each newly created precinct. Two precincts will be eliminated and merged into another precinct. As needed, corrections will be made to the written boundary descriptions of the reconfigured and existing precincts.

The changes are proposed to assist in the efficient administration of elections. In December 2021, the Commonwealth of Virginia established new districts for the Senate of Virginia and the House of Delegates. The local precincts will be reconfigured to coincide with new state district lines as closely as possible. Several existing precincts with large numbers of registered voters are being divided. One precinct is being eliminated and merged into another following the change in a House of Delegates’ district line.

The proposed amendments are described, below, by reference to eight of the local election districts adopted under the Loudoun County 2022 Redistricting Plan: Algonkian, Ashburn, Broad Run, Catoctin, Dulles, Leesburg, Little River, and Sterling.

Division of Precincts

The following summarizes the division of existing precincts, along with the polling places for the new precincts.

1. In the Ashburn Election District:

A. Portions of the existing Stone Bridge and Sanders Corner Precincts, now within the new Virginia Senate District 31, will be combined to create the new Goose Creek Precinct. The polling place for the new Goose Creek Precinct will be Sanders Corner Elementary School.

B. The boundary of the existing Briar Woods Precinct will be drawn along the new Virginia Senate District 31 and new House District 29 to create the new Waxpool Precinct. The polling place for the new Waxpool Precinct will be the Waxpool Elementary School.

2. In the Broad Run Election District:

A. The boundaries of the existing Russell Branch, Ashbrook and Weller Precincts will be modified to create the new Marblehead Precinct. The polling place for the new Marblehead Precinct will be Ashburn Senior Center.

3. In the Catoctin Election District:

A. The boundaries of the existing Hamilton and Waterford Precincts will be modified to create the new Harmony Precinct. The polling place for the new Harmony Precinct will be Harmony Middle School.

B. The boundary of the existing Evergreen Precinct will be drawn along the new Catoctin/Leesburg Election District boundary to create the new Simpson Precinct. The polling place for the new Simpson Precinct will be J. L. Simpson Middle School.

4. In the Little River Election District (formerly Blue Ridge):

A. The boundary of the existing Madison’s Trust Precinct will be modified to create the new Willard Precinct. The polling place for the new Willard Precinct will be Willard Middle School.

The existing Madison’s Trust Precinct will be renamed Independence Precinct and the polling place will be Independence High School.

B. The boundary of the existing John Champe Precinct will be modified to create the new Hovatter Precinct. The polling place for the new Hovatter Precinct will be Hovatter Elementary School.

C. The boundarry of the existing John Champe and Pinebrook Precincts will be modified to create the new Lightridge Precinct. The polling place for the new Lightridge Precinct will be Lightridge High School.

D. The boundary of the existing Precincts: Briar Woods, Creighton’s Corner, Brambleton Middle, Stone Hill, and John Champe will be reconfigured. Brambleton Middle and Briar Woods Precincts will retain their current polling places. A new Madison Precinct will be created, and the polling place will be Madison’s Trust Elementary School. A new Creighton Precinct will be created, and the polling place will be Creighton’s Corner Elementary School.

5. In the Sterling Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Sterling, Forest Grove, Claude Moore, Discovery, and Farmwell Station Precincts will be reconfigured to add the new Guilford Precinct. The polling place for the new Guilford Precinct will be Guilford Elementary School.

Reconfiguration of Precincts

In addition to the divisions listed above, several precinct boundaries will be reconfigured, resulting in the elimination of two precincts, and establishing new boundaries for existing precincts.

1. In the Algonkian Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Potomac Falls and Sugarland North Precincts will be reconfigured to adhere to a clearly definable boundary. The Potomac Falls and Sugarland North Precincts will retain their current polling places.

2. In the Ashburn Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Heritage Church Precinct will be reconfigured along the Ashburn/ Broad Run Election District boundary and along its boundary with the existing Broad Run Precinct.

B. The boundary of the existing Broad Run Precinct will be reconfigured along the Ashburn/ Broad Run Election District boundary and along its boundary with the existing Heritage Church Precinct.

C. The boundary of the existing Harper Park Precinct will be reconfigured along the new Ashburn/Leesburg Election District boundary.

3. In the Broad Run Election District:

A. The existing Precincts will be reconfigured: Eagle Ridge, Hillside, Mill Run, Moorefield Station, Moorefield, and Discovery. The Eagle Ridge, Hillside, Mill Run, Moorefield Station, and Discovery Precincts will retain their current polling places. The polling place for Moorefield will be Moorefield Station Elementary School.

B. The existing Farmwell Station Precinct will be reconfigured along the Broad Run/Sterling Election District boundary.

4. In the Catoctin Election District:

A. The boundaries of the Lucketts and Tuscarora Precincts will be reconfigured. Both precincts will retain their current polling place.

B. The Firehouse Precinct will be eliminated and merged into the Philomont Precinct. The polling place for the Philomont Precinct will remain at the Philomont Firehouse.

C. The boundaries of the Waterford and Lucketts Precincts will be reconfigured to adhere to a clearly definable boundary. The Waterford and Lucketts Precincts will retain their current polling places.

D. The boundary of the existing Mountain View Precinct will be reconfigured to follow the eastern corporate line of the Town of Purcellville.

E. The boundary of the existing West Lovettsville and East Lovettsville Precincts will be reconfigured to follow the new eastern corporate line of the Town of Lovettsville.

5. In the Dulles Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Arcola Precinct will be reconfigured to include the portion of the existing John Champe Precinct in the new Virginia Senate District 32 and the new Dulles Election District. The Arcola Precinct will retain its existing polling place.

Legal Notices

B. The boundary of the existing Dulles South Precinct will be reconfigured along the new Dulles/ Sterling Election District boundary. The Dulles South Precinct will retain its existing polling place.

6. In the Leesburg Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing River Creek Precinct will be reconfigured along the new Leesburg/Ashburn Election District boundary.

B. The boundary of the existing Evergreen Precinct will be reconfigured along the new Leesburg/ Catoctin/Little River (formerly Blue Ridge)/Ashburn Election District boundary. The Evergreen Precinct will retain its existing polling place.

7. In the Little River Election District (formerly Blue Ridge):

A. The existing Creighton’s Corner Precinct will be eliminated.

8. In the Sterling Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Rock Ridge Precinct will be reconfigured along the Dulles/Sterling Election District boundary.

B. The boundary of the existing Rock Ridge and Carter Precincts will be reconfigured along the new House District boundary to an un-named stream off Broad Run that connects with the Loudoun County Parkway. The Rock Ridge and Carter Precinct will retain their current polling places.

C. The boundary of the existing Discovery Precinct will be reconfigured along the new Sterling/ Broad Run Election District boundary.

Corrections to Existing Boundary Lines

1. In the Ashburn Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Seldens Landing and Belmont Ridge Precincts will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

2. In the Algonkian Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing University Center Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

3. In the Catoctin Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Clarkes Gap Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

B. The boundary of the existing Round Hill Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

4. In the Leesburg Election District:

A. The boundary of the existing Dry Mill Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

5. In the Little River Election District (formerly Blue Ridge):

A. The boundary of the existing Buffalo Trail Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

B. The boundary of the existing St. Louis l Precinct will be corrected to accurately reflect the existing boundary.

Election District – Precinct Changes

1. Into the Ashburn Election District:

A. Harper Park Precinct (formerly Catoctin Election District)

B. Part of Briar Woods Precinct- new Waxpool Precinct (formerly Blue Ridge Election District)

2. Into the Algonkian Election District:

A. Seneca and Mirror Ridge Precincts (formerly Sterling Election District)

3. Into the Catoctin Election District:

A. Hillsboro, Mountain View, Round Hill, Round Hill Elementary, Philomont, and Purcellville Precincts (formerly Blue Ridge Election District)

4. Into the Leesburg Election District:

A. Red Rock Precinct (formerly Catoctin Election District)

B. River Creek Precinct (formerly Catoctin Election District)

C. Part of Evergreen Precinct (formerly Catoctin District)

5. Into the Little River Election District (formerly Blue Ridge):

A. Aldie, Brambleton Middle, Buffalo Trail, Creighton’s Corner, Legacy, Madison’s Trust, Middleburg, Pinebrook and St. Louis Precincts (formerly Blue Ridge Election District)

B. Part of Briar Woods, John Champe, and Stone Hill Precincts (formerly Blue Ridge Election District)

C. Sycolin Creek Precinct (formerly Catoctin Election District)

6.

Into the Sterling Election District:

A. Part of Stone Hill Precinct (formerly Blue Ridge Election District)

B. Ridgetop and Oak Grove Precincts (formerly Broad Run Election District)

C. Part of Farmwell Station and Discovery Precincts (formerly Broad Run Election District)

D. Rock Ridge and Carter Precincts (formerly Dulles Election District)

Polling Place Changes

The polling place for the West Lovettsville Precinct will move to the Lovettsville Community Center. The polling place for Ashby Ponds will move to Farmwell Hall. The polling place for the Brandon Park Precinct will move to the Frederick Douglass Elementary School and the precinct name will be changed to Douglass Precinct. The boundaries of these precincts will not be changed. The polling place for the Hamilton Precinct will move to Hamilton Elementary School. The polling place for Moorefield Precinct will move to Moorefield Station Middle School and the precinct name will be changed to Croson Precinct. The name of the Heritage Church Precinct will be changed to the West Broad Run Precinct. The name of the Broad Run Precinct will be changed to the East Broad Run Precinct.

Central Absentee Voter Election Precinct - Satellite Absentee Location Changes

The Ridgetop Office Building (21641 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia 2016) will be relocated to Claude Moore Recreation Center (46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, Virginia 20164).

The Dulles South Senior Center (24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, Virginia 20152) will be relocated to the Dulles South Recreation Center (24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, Virginia 20152).

A complete copy of the full text of the above referenced amendments to Chapter 209 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County and maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are on file and available for inspection at the Office of the County Administrator, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are also viewable at www.loudoun.gov/redistricting Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, this information is available for inspection at the Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote.

REVIEW AND RENEWAL, MODIFICATION, OR TERMINATION OF THE NEW LUCKETTS AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTAL DISTRICT

The current period of the New Lucketts Agricultural and Forestal District will expire on April 12, 2023. The District has a four-year period and a subdivision minimum lot size of 20 acres. Pursuant to Chapter 1226 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County, the Board of Supervisors has directed staff, the Agricultural District Advisory Committee (ADAC), and the Planning Commission to conduct a review in order to determine whether to continue, modify, or terminate the District. Parcels currently enrolled in the District are located within an area generally south of Lost Corner Road (Route 662) and Lucketts Road (Route 662), west and north of Hibler Road (Route 656), and south and east of Spinks Ferry Road (Route 657) and Lucketts Road (Route 662), in the Catoctin Election District.

During this review, land less than 5 acres, or 20 acres or greater, in size that is currently enrolled in the District will be automatically renewed. However, any parcel containing at least 5 acres but less than 20 acres will be ineligible for renewal and inclusion within the District unless the owner submits an application on forms provided by the Department of Planning and Zoning and one or more of the following criteria is met:

1. Management Plan that specifically states that the property owner(s) are accumulating the required 5-year production records in order to qualify for agricultural, to include horticulture, land use tax deferral.

2. Animal Husbandry including Equine uses (commercial or non-commercial) with a Management Plan that relates the pasture carrying capacity to limit the number of animals allowed.

3. Forests and woodlands with a management plan that specifies the actions required to maintain and enhance the stands.

4. Wetlands, flood plains, streams and/or rivers that have Management Plans that set forth the terms for their maintenance and enhancement.

During this review, land within the District may be withdrawn, in whole or in part, at the owner’s discretion by filing a written notice with the Board of Supervisors at any time before the Board of Supervisors acts to continue, modify, or terminate the District.

Legal Notices

Landowners of the following parcels, currently enrolled in the New Lucketts Agricultural and Forestal District, were notified by certified mail of the District’s review.

Parcel Listings:

PIN Tax Map Number Acres Enrolled PIN Tax Map Number Acres Enrolled

073-17-7117 /21/////////23A 24.91 105-20-2250 /31/////////6G 30 074-18-0740 /21////////20A 11.45 105-35-1481 /30///9////33/ 10.64 074-47-1437 /21/////////23/ 2.88 105-39-0209 /31///1/////2/ 50.52 075-45-5417 /21//12/////2C 5.78 105-48-1603 /31///1/////1/ 55.8 102-19-1992 /21////////29A 12.25 105-49-4257 /31///////6B1/ 17.89 103-15-9047 /20////////47C 39.41 106-25-1260 /30///3///3A2 13.7 103-20-1242 /21////////35/ 26.19 106-45-0312 /30///9////46/ 10.05 103-30-4672 /21////////32/ 14.29 106-48-6662 /31/////////6A 26.51 104-18-4159 /31///////6H1/ 20 137-10-6593 /20////////51B 23.94 104-18-8965 /31///////6H2/ 10 137-10-7148 /20////////47B 10.37

104-19-5046 /31/////////6H 25 137-38-8078 /20//17/////1/ 22.02 104-25-2785 /20//10/////1/ 13 137-47-8749 /20//17/////5/ 21.55 104-26-3555 /20///2/////5/ 10 139-10-8901 /30///9////43/ 10.12 104-27-0585 /20///2/////6/ 10 139-38-6386 /30//11/////1/ 10.01 104-27-2816 /20///2/////2/ 10 139-49-8870 /30///9////29/ 10.03 104-37-0190 /20////////45B 66.69 140-40-3241 /30///9////47/ 11.63 104-45-2967 /20////////47/ 15.1 *074-379155 /21////////22B 10 105-10-1882 /31/////////6K 51.51

* Indicates a parcel whose owner is withdrawing it from the District.

The ADAC held a public meeting on September 19, 2022, to review and make recommendations concerning whether to continue, modify, or terminate the New Lucketts Agricultural and Forestal District, and to review renewal applications and requests for withdrawal of land from the District. The reports and recommendations of the ADAC and the Planning Commission, along with any proposed modifications, will be considered by the Board of Supervisors at its public hearing.

REVIEW AND RENEWAL, MODIFICATION OR TERMINATION OF THE OATLANDS AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTAL DISTRICT

The current period of the Oatlands Agricultural and Forestal District will expire on April 5, 2023. The District has a four-year period and a subdivision minimum lot size of 50 acres. Pursuant to Chapter 1226 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County, the Board of Supervisors has directed staff, the Agricultural District Advisory Committee (ADAC), and the Planning Commission to conduct a review in order to determine whether to continue, modify, or terminate the District. Parcels currently enrolled in the District are located within an area generally south of Shreve Mill Road (Route 653) and Diggins Court (Route 3047), east of James Monroe Highway (Route 15), southwest of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), west of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), and north of Oatlands Mill Road (Route 650) in the Catoctin Election District.

During this review, land less than 5 acres, or 20 acres or greater, in size that is currently enrolled in the District will be automatically renewed. However, any parcel containing at least 5 acres but less than 20 acres will be ineligible for renewal and inclusion within the District unless the owner submits an application on forms provided by the Department of Planning and Zoning and one or more of the following criteria is met:

1. Management Plan that specifically states that the property owner(s) are accumulating the required 5-year production records in order to qualify for agricultural, to include horticulture, land use tax deferral.

2. Animal Husbandry including Equine uses (commercial or non-commercial) with a Management Plan that relates the pasture carrying capacity to limit the number of animals allowed.

3. Forests and woodlands with a management plan that specifies the actions required to maintain and enhance the stands.

4. Wetlands, flood plains, streams, and/or rivers that have Management Plans that set forth the terms for their maintenance and enhancement.

During this review land within the District may be withdrawn, in whole or in part, at the owner’s discretion by filing a written notice with the Board of Supervisors at any time before the Board of Supervisors acts to continue, modify, or terminate the District.

Landowners of the following parcels, currently enrolled in the Oatlands Agricultural and Forestal District, were notified by certified mail of the District’s review.

PIN Tax Map Number

Parcel Listings:

Acres Enrolled PIN Tax Map Number

Acres Enrolled

276-35-1494 /59////////59E 10 316-38-8826 /59////////28A 2.87 276-45-1343 /59////////59D 10.99 316-48-0176 /59////////26A 8 315-18-0319 /59////////26B 10.31 *236-15-4010 /60///9/////2/ 5.13 315-18-7612 /59///2/////4/ 11.13 *236-15-4867 /60//10/////3/ 12.92 315-20-8147 /59////////58C 10 *236-16-2145 /60//10/////4/ 30.16 315-27-0588 /59//19//CON1/ 10.02 *236-17-9638 /60////////67A 31.31 315-29-6584 /59//12/////1/ 14.13 *236-27-7526 /60////////56A 37.79 315-30-7732 /59////////59/ 12.11 *236-38-7331 /60////////56B 107.92 315-39-2788 /59//18//B2-3/ 4.9 *236-46-5707 /60////////53A 122.75 315-49-6721 /59////////69A 22.59 *237-45-3679 /60///9/////1/ 6.63 316-16-3498 /76/////////5/ 250 *237-47-4657 /60////////67B 21.13 316-37-2474 /59////////22/ 3.08 **315-30-1366 /59///4/////A/ 10 316-37-2749 /59////////23/ 1.97

* Indicates a parcel whose owner is withdrawing it from the District.

** Indicates a parcel containing at least 5 acres but less than 20 acres whose owner did not properly apply for renewal.

The ADAC held a public meeting on September 19, 2022, to review and make recommendations concerning whether to continue, modify, or terminate the Oatlands Agricultural and Forestal District, and to review renewal applications and requests for withdrawal of land from the District. The reports and recommendations of the ADAC and the Planning Commission, along with any proposed modifications, will be considered by the Board of Supervisors at its public hearing.

CMPT-2021-0012, SPEX-2021-0047, & SPMI-2021-0007 NOVEC NORTHSTAR SUBSTATION (Commission Permit, Special Exception, & Minor Special Exception)

Curt Crouch of Northern Virginia Electric Company of Gainesville, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) Commission approval to permit a Utility Substation, Distribution in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district and 2) a Special Exception to permit an ingress/ egress easement for a Utility Substation, Distribution in the R-1 (Single Family Residential) zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The proposed use requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101 and is listed as a Special Exception use in the R-1 zoning district under Section 3-103(P). The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed use is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations AND

§5-1404(B) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 5-1404(B) Use Buffer Yard Matrix AND

§5-1404(D) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Buffer Yard Widths and Plant Requirements, Table 5-1404(D) Buffer Yard Width and Plant Requirements

Eliminate the Buffer Yard Type C landscape requirement on the western side and a portion of the southern side of the perimeter of the Utility Substation, Distribution use.

AND

Increase the Buffer Yard Type C width from 25 feet to 30 feet and increase the minimum plant units from 120 to 144 plant units per 100 linear feet of buffer yard along the northern side of the perimeter of the Utility Substation, Distribution use.

The subject property is located within the Airport Impact (AI) Overlay District, primarily within the LDN 65 or higher noise contour and partially within the LDN 60-65 noise contour. The subject property is approximately 9.43 acres in size and is located north of Racefield Lane (Route 877) and west of Youngwood Lane in the Blue Ridge Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

PIN TAX MAP NUMBER ADDRESS

203-35-4208 (portion) 100/Z/1/////1/ 41840 Growth Mindset Lane, Aldie, VA 20105 202-15-9451 (portion) 101/D/3////16/ 24365 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA 20105 203-37-1445 (portion) 101/T/1/////A/ 24359 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA 20105 202-16-1713 101/D/3////17/ 24369 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA 20105

Legal Notices

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)), which designate this area for employment uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

SPEX-2021-0041

POLAND ROAD DATA CENTER YARD EXPANSION (Special Exception)

Amazon Data Services, Inc, of Seattle, Washington, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit a Data Center use in the CLI (Commercial Light Industry) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 3-904(CC). The subject property is located within the Quarry Notification (QN) Overlay District – Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area, partially within the Airport Impact (AI) Overlay District between the Ldn 60-65 and partially within the Ldn 65 or higher of the aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 48.47 acres in size and is located on the south side of John Mosby Highway (Route 50), east of Poland Road (Route 742), and north and west of Tall Cedars Parkway (Route 2200) at 25316 Prediction Lane, Chantilly, VA and 43743 John Mosby Highway, Chantilly, VA in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 097-35-4183. The area is governed by the policies of the Revised General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Commercial Place Type)), which designate this area for a broad array of Employment uses within an environment that provides gathering spaces and opportunities for synergies among businesses.

CPAM 2020-0002 RED HILL COMMUNITY (Comprehensive Plan Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2225 and 15.2-2229, and a motion adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 1, 2020, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) to amend the policy area and planned land use designations of the Red Hill Community. The proposed amendments would: 1) move the Red Hill Community from the Rural Policy Area (RPA) to the Transition Policy Area (TPA); 2) change the Red Hill Community’s designation from Rural North Place Type to Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place type; and 3) designate the Red Hill Community as a new TPA subarea, with a planned residential density of one dwelling unit per three acres. The Red Hill Community area is located southeast of Green Mill Preserve, west of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), and north of the watershed boundary of Goose Creek, which serves as the present boundary between the RPA and the TPA.

The CPAM proposes revisions to the land use policies in Chapter 2 of the 2019 GP and the existing maps of the 2019 GP and the Loudoun County 2019 Countywide Transportation Plan (2019 CTP), as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments, or as otherwise necessary to correct geographic boundaries, typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, and further clarify the policies and maps of the above-mentioned section(s). The proposed CPAM would apply within the Red Hill Community of the Rural Policy Area. The proposed text and map amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments

to the 2019 General Plan - Chapter 2 – Transition Policy

Area:

Ø Establish new and/or revise certain existing policy language in moving the Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA, establish a new Red Hill Community subarea within the TPA, and designate the Red Hill Community as a subarea of the Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type with a planned residential density of one dwelling unit per three acres.

Amendments to 2019 General Plan – Maps:

Ø Revise existing Policy Area and Place Types maps to move Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA, designate it: as a Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type, within the Dulles Small Area Plan, and within the Loudoun Water Central System Service Area.

Amendments to 2019 Countywide Transpiration Plan - Maps:

Ø Revise the 2019 CTP maps to amend the existing Policy Area boundaries to reflect the move of Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA.

SPMI-2022-0004 Route 7 Brewing Co (Minor Special Exception)

Basabi Virmani of SB Breweries, LLC of Leesburg, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Minor Special Exception to permit Craft Beverage Manufacturing in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district. The application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Minor Special Exception use under Section 4-504 (NN) and subject to the Additional Regulations for Craft Beverage Manufacturing pursuant to Section 5-668. The Property is also subject to the proffers and concept development plan associated with ZMAP-2015-0001. It is located west of Lexington Drive, south of Riverside Parkway (Route 2401), north of Route 7, and east of Riverside Commons Plaza and Ashburn Village Boulevard. The Property is comprised of an existing commercial condominium unit totaling approximately 4,753 square feet with an assigned address of 20051 Riverside Commons Plaza, Unit 148, Ashburn, Virginia in the Algonkian Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 056-18-1692-006. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designates this area for a vertical mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational uses with core uses including retail and service commercial.

ZOAM-2018-0001

SHORT-TERM RESIDENTIAL RENTALS

(Zoning Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on October 17, 2019, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of proposed amendments to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning Ordinance”) in order to establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations and definitions to establish “Short-Term Rental – Residential Accessory” as a new accessory use to certain residential uses and to establish “Short-Term Rental –Commercial Whole House” as a new principal use that will be a new Permitted, Minor Special Exception, or Special Exception use in certain zoning districts that permit residential uses. In addition, the amendments propose establishing new additional use regulations; definitions; and process requirements for the Short-Term Residential Rental uses. The amendment proposes revisions to Article 2, Non-Suburban District Regulations, Article 3, Suburban District Regulations, Article 4, Special and Overlay Districts, Section 5-100, Accessory Uses and Structures, Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Section 6-700, Site Plan Review, Article 8, Definitions, and such other Articles, Sections, Subsections, and provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of, the above-mentioned section(s) of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed text amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to Article 2, Non-Suburban District Regulations: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Establish “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new principal use and add this use as a new Permitted use, subject to Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, in the following zoning districts: AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) (Section 2-100 et seq.), AR-2 (Agricultural Rural – 2) (Section

Legal Notices

2-200 et seq.), A-10 (Agriculture) (Section 2-300 et seq.), A-3 (Agricultural Residential) (Section 2-400 et seq.), RC (Rural Commercial) (Section 2-900 et seq.), JLMA-20 (Joint Land Management Area –20) (Section 2-1300 et seq.), TR-10 (Transitional Residential – 10) (Section 2-1400 et seq.), and TR-3 (Transitional Residential – 3) (Section 2-1500 et seq.).

• Establish “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new principal use and add this use as a new Minor Special Exception use, subject to Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, in the following zoning districts: CR-1 (Countryside Residential – 1) (Section 2-500 et seq.), CR-2 (Countryside Residential – 2) (Section 2-600 et seq.), CR-3 (Countryside Residential – 3) (Section 2-700 et seq.), CR-4 (Countryside Residential – 4) (Section 2-800 et seq.), JLMA-1 (Joint Land Management Area – 1) (Section 2-1000 et seq.), JLMA-2 (Joint Land Management Area – 2) (Section 2-1100 et seq.), JLMA-3 (Joint Land Management Area – 3) (Section 2-1200 et seq.), TR-2 (Transitional Residential – 2) (Section 2-1600 et seq.), and TR-1 (Transitional Residential – 1) (Section 2-1700 et seq.).

Amendments to Article 3, Suburban District Regulations: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new Minor Special Exception use, subject to Additional Regulations, in the following zoning districts: R-1 (Single Family Residential) (Section 3-100 et seq.) and R-2 (Single Family Residential) (Section 3-200 et seq.).

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new Special Exception use, subject to Additional Regulations, in the following zoning districts: R-3 (Single Family Residential) (Section 3-300 et seq.), R-4 (Single Family Residential) (Section 3-400 et seq.), and R-8 (Single Family Residential) (Section 3-500 et seq.).

Amendments to Article 4, Special & Overlay Districts: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new Permitted use, subject to Additional Use Regulations, in the PD-RV (Planned Development – Rural Village) (Section 4-1200 et seq.).

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new Minor Special Exception use, subject to Additional Regulations, in the PD-CV (Planned Development – Countryside Village) (Section 4-900 et seq.).

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” as a new Special Exception use, subject to Additional Regulations, in the following zoning districts: PD-TC (Planned Development – Town Center) (Section 4-800 et seq.) and the PD-MUB (Planned Development – Mixed Use Business District) (Section 4-1350 et seq.).

Amendments to Section 5-101(A), Permitted Accessory Uses and Structures, Residential: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Add “Short-Term Rental – Residential Accessory” to the list of permitted accessory uses and structures for residential uses.

Amendments to Section 5-600 et seq., Additional Regulations for Specific Uses: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Establish new additional regulations for the “Short-Term Rental – Residential Accessory” accessory use and the new “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” principal use, including:

o Prohibition on modification of certain additional regulations by Minor Special Exception.

o Registration in accordance with Chapter 1470 of the Codified Ordinances and display of such registration.

o Management requirements, maximum numbers of rooms and guests for different types of dwellings, minimum lot area and yards, maximum rental period per year, prohibition on food service and private parties and temporary special events, permitted types of dwellings, and operator residency requirements.

o Zoning permit requirements that apply in addition to Zoning Ordinance Section 6-1000, requirement to display the zoning permit, restrictions on the transfer of and changes to zoning permits, limitation on number of zoning permits per parcel, and prohibition of use for parcels subject to

an approved zoning permit for Bed and Breakfast Homestay, Bed and Breakfast Inn, Country Inn, Rural Retreats and Resorts, Campground, or Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House uses.

o Requirement for all guests staying within the same dwelling unit to be under the same rental agreement.

o Parking, fire safety, adjacent property owner notice, exterior lighting, and access requirements.

o Prohibition of use for Affordable Dwelling Units, Affordable Housing Units, and Unmet Needs Housing Units.

o Exemption from lot area requirements for uses located within certain structures within a Historic Site District or Historic and Cultural Conservation District, and limitations on the expansion or enlargement of such structures.

Amendments to Article 8, Definitions: Establish new, and clarify and revise existing, regulations to:

• Establish new definitions for the new “Short-Term Rental – Residential Accessory” accessory use and the new “Short-Term Rental – Commercial Whole House” principal use.

The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes of zoning as set forth in Virginia Code §§15.2-2200 and 15.2-2283, including, without limitation, furtherance of the public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice and facilitating the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community.

Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5).

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on December 30, 2022, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on January 11, 2023. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

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

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

12/22 & 12/29/22

LOUDOUN

COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR:

PHOTOLUMINESCENT FIREFIGHTING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, RFP No. 562785 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 13, 2023.

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) 7770403, 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. 12/22/22

LOUDOUN

COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR:

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) FOR THE JANITORIAL SERVICES AT ZONE 1, IFB #RFQ 577793 (REISSUE) until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 19, 2023.

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) 7770403, 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. 12/22/22

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ041604-06-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Gissel Medina Lainez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Jose Medina, Putative Father

The object of this suit is to hold a hearing on placement in a qualified residential treatment program pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1281(E) for Diana Gissel Medina Lainez.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose Medina, putative father, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

12/15, 12/22, 12/29 & 1/05/23

V I R G I N I A :

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

IN RE: ESTATE OF RAYMOND CASE, JR., DECEASED ) )

Probate File No. 16228

SHOW CAUSE ORDER

It appearing that a report of the accounts of Matthew L. Clark, Administrator d.b.n. of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr., deceased, and of the debts and demands against the Decedent's Estate have been filed in the Clerk's Office, and that six months have elapsed since the qualification, of Matthew L. Clark, Administrator d.b.n. of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr.;

Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development Seeks Proposals from Rental Property Owners for Project-Based Vouchers

The Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is accepting proposals from December 8, 2022, through January 23, 2023, from the owners of rental properties in Loudoun County to contract with the County for Project-Based Vouchers (PBV).

DHCD is responsible for determining the amount of budget authority that is available for a project and ensuring that the amount of assistance that is attached to units is within the amounts available under the Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) [24 CFR 983.6]. DHCD will award no more than 10 units per contract and no more than 20 percent of its budget authority to rental property-owners for project-based assistance. If approved, PBV assistance will be attached to newly constructed and/or rehabilitated rental housing [24 CFR 983.52].

PBV will be awarded to the owners of affordable rental housing which provide additional special housing needs such as fully accessible, 504 compliant housing units, and/or studio and one-bedroom units, as well as others based on an owner’s experience and capability to manage, build, or rehabilitate housing as identified in the proposal. DHCD reserves the right to not award PBV. Proposals will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. The request for proposals, proposal submission requirements, and rating/ ranking procedures are posted at www.loudoun.gov/pbv

For more information about the proposal review process and application procedures, visit www.loudoun.gov/pbv or contact Tandi Butler at (703) 771-5204 or tandi.butler@loudoun.gov

12/8, 12/15 & 12/22/22

VIRGINIA:

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

PAYAM NIKOUEIH Complainant, V. HELLIA BEHROUZ Defendant.

Civil Case No. _________

AFFIDAVIT FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

COMES NOW the Complainant, Payam Nikoueih, and being duly sworn, upon oath deposes and states that to the best of Complainant's knowledge, information and

1. The last known place of abode of the above named Defendant, Heilia Behrouz is 8421 Broad Street, Tysons, Virginia 22102 where Complainant, and Defendant lived; and

2. The Defendant is not a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, nor has he been such within the past thirty (30) days, nor is he a member of the United States Public Health Service; and

3. The Complainant sent multiple correspondences to find the whereabouts of the Defendant but never received a response. The complainant has attempted to contact the Defendant through legitimate and diligent efforts but has been unsuccessful.

4. The Defendant in the above case is believed to be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

12/08, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

IT IS ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate do show cause, if any they can, at 9:00 a.m. on the 6th day of January, before this Court at its courtroom at 18 E. Market Street, 3rd floor, Leesburg, Virginia 20178, against the payment and delivery of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr., deceased, to the distributees with or without refunding bonds as the Court prescribes. 12/15 & 12/22/22

A message to elderly and disabled Loudoun County residents from

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 and older or totally and permanently disabled who wish to apply for 2022 Real Property Tax Relief for the first time must submit an application to my office by the January 3, 2023 filing deadline.

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

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office

*New Location as of November 14th* 46000 Center Oak Plaza First Floor

Internet: www.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

12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

Public Notice

ISSUANCE OF A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR A PROJECT FUNDED THROUGH THE VIRGINIA WATER SUPPLY REVOLVING FUND

Public Notice No.: WSL-022-21 Publication Dates: December 22, 2022 and December 29, 2022

The Virginia Department of Health has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a waterworks project proposed to be funded through the Virginia Water Supply Revolving Fund. The FONSI is supported by a Statement of Environmental Review (SER). The applicant is the Town of Round Hill.

The proposed project includes the construction of a new 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tank in the southern main zone of the Town of Round Hill water distribution system. The tank will sit on a 1-acre site on Yatton Road near the Westlake and Upper Lakes Subdivisions. A 12-inch pipe will connect the tank to the existing water main adjacent to Ridgewood Place. The tank will be built within previously undisturbed forest and will require tree clearing. The 12-inch pipe will be placed in an easement within privately owned land, which is also forested.

A review of the Environmental Assessment conducted on this project indicates that either significant environmental impacts would not result from the proposed project or significant environmental impacts have been eliminated by making changes in the project. As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, the Virginia Department of Health has assessed the potential environmental effects on the human environment and an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared. The basis for this determination was made after the applicant contacted ten federal and state agencies. This determination was made after reviewing the environmental clearance letters from each agency, the Environmental Assessment, the public hearing minutes, and conducting an Environmental Review site visit. In order to avoid or minimize any adverse environmental impact, the Virginia Department of Health will require that the Town of Round Hill ensure construction is carried out in strict accordance with all applicable state, federal, and local laws and regulations. Prior to implementing construction, all applicable permits and approvals must be obtained.

Persons may comment in writing to the Department on the proposed decision within 30 days from the first publication date. Comments shall include the name, address, and telephone number of the writer and shall contain a complete, concise statement of the factual basis for the comments. Only those comments received within this period will be considered by the Department.

All pertinent information, including the FONSI, the SER, the Environmental Assessment and the support documentation is on file and may be inspected and arrangements made for copying at The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water, Lexington Field Office, 131 Walker Street, Lexington, Virginia 24450; phone (540) 463-0406.

Following the comment period, the Department will make its final determination. All comments should be addressed to:

Kelly Ward, Program Director

Financial and Construction Assistance Programs

Virginia Department of Health – Office of Drinking Water 109 Governor Street, Room 633, Richmond, VA 23219

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISISON PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLE 11 FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVISING PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HOTEL/MOTEL USE IN THE B-1 DISTRICT

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider Zoning Ordinance Amendment TLOA-2022-0009 to revise the following provision of the Zoning Ordinance:

Article 11, Section 11.3 Number of Parking Spaces Required – amending this section to reduce the number of required parking spaces for the hotel and motel uses in the B-1, Community (Downtown) Business District.

Copies and additional information regarding these proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments are available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by calling 703-771-2774 and asking for Brian Boucher, Deputy Director. Mr. Boucher can also be reached by email at bboucher@leesburgva.gov. This Zoning Ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2022-0009.

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

12/22 & 12/29/22

PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 139’) on the guyed tower, previously constructed by a third-party, at 15084 Clover Hill Rd, Waterford, VA (20221392). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties. 12/22/22

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FISCAL YEAR 2024-2028 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-2239, the LOVETTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers, 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia, to solicit public comment on the proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The final requested funding amount of the CIP will be included in the Town Manager’s Fiscal Year 2024 Proposed Budget scheduled to be presented to Town Council during their regular meeting the evening of January 26, 2023, at 6:30 P.M.

All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting.

Copies of the proposed CIP with a complete list of projects are available for review at the Town Hall between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. Call 540-822-5788 for more information or visit www.lovettsvilleva.gov. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

12/22, 12/29

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

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

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

YR. MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE#

2000 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCG1659YA092301 DOUBLE D 703-777-7300

2005 CHEVY COBALT 1G1AL14F557622844 AL’S TOWING 703-435-8888

1997 FORD EXPLORER 1FMDU34E1VZC26141 ROADRUNNER 703-450-7555

2012 VOLKSWAGON PASSAT 1VWBM7A35CC051640 BLAIR’S 703-661-8200

12/22 & 12/29/22

TOWN OF HAMILTON TOWN COUNCIL VACANCY

The Town of Hamilton has a vacancy on the Town Council. All interested qualified Town residents are encouraged to submit a letter of interest or a resume to the Town Office, 130 E. Colonial Highway, PO Box 130, Hamilton, VA 20159, or e-mail to hamiltonva@hamiltonva.gov by the close of business, January 4, 2023. The Town Council will appoint a qualified candidate who will serve until a special election in 2023. Candidates must be residents of Virginia for at least one year immediately preceding the appointment, a Town resident and registered to vote in the Town of Hamilton.

Hamilton Town Council

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ045188-07-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ashli Martinez-Bonilla Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father

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 16.1-281 for Ashli Martinez Bonilla.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 4, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.

11/24, 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15/22

12/22 & 12/29/22

Opinion

Another Bump for the Board?

Is spending an additional $110,383 over the next four years, as currently proposed, to provide an annual bump in Board of Supervisors’ salaries needed to improve the recruitment or retention of highly qualified candidates to those offices?

That is the only question the current roster of supervisors should be asking as they set the compensation levels for the next board.

The philosophy of compensation for these elected public servants has evolved significantly as county has transformed from its agrarian roots. As late as 2007, district supervisors received a stipend of just over $22,000, with the county chair getting about double that amount. And it was stipend— more an allowance than a salary.

In 2008, the district supervisor stipends nearly doubled, and the chair was provided a $10,000 boost to $50,000 annually. Those rates held for a decade.

This board is the first to reach the “salary” scale. Under a decision by the preceding board intended to both recognize supervisors’ work as more full-time than part-time, and to allow residents other than those who were wealthy or retired to perform the services, the pay was

increased significantly. This year, the county chair will be paid $86,064; district supervisors take in $70,916.

Under the current proposal, by the end of the next board’s term the chair will be paid $99,508 and district supervisors $82,956. That’s certainly full-time pay for full-time work, although most of the current supervisors also have “day jobs.”

Another important factor in determining the level of incentive required to attract competent candidates is the additional support provided to each supervisor. The early program to provide funding to hire staff aides—first for the county chair and later for all board members—was intended to help the part-time supervisors better balance the demands of constituent services and other county duties with their career responsibilities. Today, $2.3 million is allocated to supervisors for their district office operations, with $356,845 of that for the county chair and other supervisors provided up to $248,099 each. That’s more than $20,000 per month of additional support on top of their take-home pay.

Sure, that $110,000 would be an infinitesimal element of the county’s $800 million general fund operating budget. But is it a wise use of taxpayer funds when county leaders will be struggling to keep up with critical needs? That should be a hard case to make. n

LETTERS to the Editor

We Failed It

Editor:

I don’t regularly speak at Loudoun County School Board meetings. However, I felt compelled to do so recently due to the revelations in the special grand jury report.

Aside from being horrified at how the system failed to protect children, I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that this seemed

all too familiar. Where had I seen this before? And then it hit me: As a Penn State graduate, I recognized how this situation is astonishingly similar to what happened during the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

The indifference, apathy, selfpreservation-at-all-costs, culture of fear among staff, the failure of an adult witness to stop a sexual assault of a child, and turning a blind eye that enabled the assailant to strike

again—in this light, it’s hard to tell the two scandals apart despite differences in the crimes themselves. Loudoun’s handling of this situation is arguably worse because Loudoun County Public Schools is actually responsible for minors and it ardently fought against transparency and accountability at every turn.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 35

Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor - nstyer@loudounnow.com

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The Cost of Housing in Loudoun: The Role of Philanthropy

BY KATY MOORE

Northern Virginia is a wonderful place to live. As we residents know, however, it’s also incredibly expensive, especially when it comes to housing. Over the past 20 years, housing costs in our region have increased more than any other metropolitan area on the East Coast according to UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center. As a result of this pricing surge, many of our region’s residents— myself included—are spending much more than the recommended 30% of our monthly income on housing.

As housing costs and demands continue to rise, many workers in our area—and across Virginia—are finding it increasingly difficult to rent or buy a home. What does it mean for our communities when our teachers, emergency responders, nurses, childcare and eldercare workers, hospitality personnel, and others who are essential to our economy and community vitality are unable to afford to live where they work?

The crisis of housing affordability

LETTERS to the Editor

continued from page 34

When the Penn State scandal broke, the university voluntarily commissioned former FBI Director Louis Freeh to perform an independent review. Notably, the Freeh report findings stated “No party interfered with, or attempted to influence, the findings in this report. The Special Investigative Counsel revealed this report and the findings herein to the Board of Trustees and the general public at the same time.”

Now compare this to the findings of the special grand jury. Did the SGJ find its investigation to be unhampered? Was the LCPS “independent review” released to the public, or hidden behind attorney-client privilege? Was transparency and accountability achieved voluntarily, or did it require a SGJ with subpoena power? Did LCPS/LCSB look out for our kids … or for themselves? While the SGJ found no evidence of a “coordinated coverup,” it certainly appears there was a de-facto one, implemented through legal

and availability is sparking discussions and investments among Virginia’s philanthropic leaders. These leaders know that having adequate housing stock at a variety of affordability levels is critical to our region’s—and Virginia’s overall— health, educational outcomes, economic strength, and competitiveness. Philanthropy knows that an affordable place to call home provides us with stability, a place to rest, cook healthy meals, and to build community. Home is where our kids grow and learn. It’s a place where we can grow old. And, if we own our homes, it’s likely the number one way we will build wealth in our lifetime.

Workforce Housing Now, a community awareness campaign launched by the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and funded by its donor-advised fund, the Loudoun Community Cabinet is one way philanthropy is supporting and advancing the tenant that housing is foundational. Last spring, understanding that housing is key to its rapidly growing workforce, Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund supported the production and preservation of affordable housing with a $750 million investment to secure 4,100 housing units near its Northern Virginia headquarters— many priced for low- to moderate-income

strategies intended to deprive the SGJ (and ultimately the public) of critical information.

While LCPS is the subject of much public debate that has become political fodder in national headlines, it is imperative that we bifurcate this situation from those other issues. The community must come together to hold accountable those whose abject failures in administration (LCPS) or oversight (LCSB) jeopardized children’s safety through gross negligence and reckless indifference. New leadership is required in whom the public can have confidence to repair this broken system, lead with integrity, and rebuild trust. We must resist the urge to ascribe political motives that might prevent these necessary changes which would likely be considered foregone conclusions in a less tumultuous political climate.

Loudoun was the last to desegregate schools—a great stain on our county’s history. The are many people referenced in the report who have yet to be held accountable. Will we be the last to act on this, too?

This is Loudoun’s “Penn State moment,” and we failed it. But if we act

workers. And, just last month, the Northern Virginia Health Foundation sat down with Fairfax County’s Chief Equity Officer Karla Bruce to learn more about how and why the county is prioritizing affordable housing in its efforts to advance equity and design systemic opportunity.

Beyond Northern Virginia, the commonwealth’s philanthropic community is also working across sectors to advance housing affordability. In Richmond, for example, the Wells Fargo Foundation recently announced a $7.5M grant to the Local Initiatives Support Organization to address systemic barriers to homeownership and its plan to create 5,000 new home ownerships for persons of color by the end of 2025. In Roanoke, the New River Valley Regional Commission, Community Foundation for the New River Valley, and others are partnering to support housing in southwest Virginia. In Southern Virginia, the Harvest Foundation and the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville are among the partners supporting Five Points Neighborhood, a new development expanding affordable home ownership opportunities in their area.

Philanthropy can’t solve ever-growing community needs on its own—but when a need touches so many social constructs, it should and does step into spaces to

swiftly, decisively, and apolitically, then we needn’t continue to do so.

— Gary Katz,

convene, learn with, and invest alongside business leaders, government, and caring citizens. When it comes to ensuring that everyone in Virginia—from those of us in Northern Virginia to those in far Southwest— have a safe, affordable place to live, personal and organized philanthropy has an essential and catalyzing role in every community. We do this to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors have a stable place to call home. We do this so our essential workers can afford to live in the communities in which they work. And, we do it to ensure that our commonwealth remains a wonderful, and affordable, place to call home. n

Katy Moore is the chief executive officer of the Virginia Funders Network, a statewide association comprising more than 115 philanthropic institutions that collectively invest more than $350 million to support Virginia’s most pressing community needs in areas such as education, health, housing, economic vitality, and social justice. VFN’s work is focused on building a connected, collaborative philanthropic community in the Commonwealth that advances opportunities for all who call Virginia home.

Leesburg

Ill-conceived Editor:

Last Tuesday, amid scandal and chaos, the Loudoun School Board voted on an attendance boundary change that will result in hundreds of middle and high school students being moved from their current schools, separated from their friends, taken out of their school sports teams, bands, choirs, and extracurricular clubs.

This is not the comprehensive plan needed to fix the system wide overcrowding problems. Rather, it is yet another hasty fix that will push the problems down the road a few years, when our children will undoubtedly be forced to go through this process again. Much has been said about the mental health of our students and the importance of giving them stability after years of disruption. The small changes in student populations brought by this plan are simply not worth the cost to our children.

In our case, the decision is also

geographically illogical. It will require us to drive directly past Loudoun County High School, then an additional 2.5 miles north to Tuscarora. The bus routes to our neighborhood are already unreliable, and I expect that this plan will only make the problem worse.

The School Board currently has a massive credibility problem. I do not believe they were capable of giving this vote the attention it deserves considering the direct impact it will have on hundreds of children. I implore them to reverse their decision and reconsider when they are able to give their full attention to plan a countywide solution in school attendance zoning problems.

Even families who were not directly impacted by this vote should be outraged that the School Board saw fit to make these consequential changes while engulfed in a crisis. I hope that they will join their voices with ours to reverse this ill-conceived plan.

— Annemarie Strickland, Leesburg

Moore

An English Teacher’s Nightmare

BY JESSICA BERG

In April, Governor Youngkin signed a bill into law under the guise of “parental rights” and “transparency” in education. Now, with the Jan. 1 deadline to comply looming over school districts, Loudoun County has rolled out Policy 5055. English seems to be the subject most affected by this law and the subsequent policy.

As an English teacher in Loudoun County, I have spent the better part of the past few weeks in meetings regarding the law, reading the verbiage, and trying to understand exactly what the intent is because it definitely is not about “parental rights” and “transparency.”

This law and Policy 5055 are an attempt at censorship, acting as a dog whistle to a fringe subset of parents and political groups whose aim is to undermine educators and public education as we know it.

In order to adhere to this law, English teachers must have two educators read any book they plan on teaching, be it to the whole class, in book clubs, or even on a curated list for independent selection. The two reviewers are to read the books and flag them if there is content that falls under one or more of the following four categories: lewd nudity, sexual excitement, sexual conduct, and/or sexually explicit content.

These categories, as defined by the law and the Virginia Department of Education, are vague at best and absurd at worst. And furthermore, it undermines the expertise and professionalism of English teachers because absolutely no book can be judged by an excerpt taken out of context.

For instance, I am currently teaching “Night,” and it is a book I have been assigned to review. Under the definition provided for teachers to review books, I would have to flag the “Night” for “lewd nudity.” The book is the true story of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. The scene that would get it flagged depicts the experience of prisoners, upon entrance into Auschwitz, where they have to strip naked in an effort to dehumanize them. If you flag this book for a scene taken out of context, you are missing the entire point of the text.

And do not be mistaken, this law and policy do not give parents more rights; they have always had the right and ability to request an alternate text be available

for their student for any reason. Nothing has changed in that regard. What parents do not have the right to do is ban a book and deny access to it for every other student, but that seems to be where we are headed with this type of legislation and policy in Loudoun.

Already, this year, there have been several attempts to ban books at the high school level. And that is what we are talking about. The vast majority of material taught that contains content from the four categories are only taught at the high school level. At the school where I teach, a parent started the process to remove a book that his student chose for independent reading, meaning this was not assigned by a teacher, simply because the parent did not think the book in question should even be in the classroom.

That is not the right of one single parent to make that decision for every other student. In fact, forging ahead with this policy aimed at censorship will do actual harm to students if they are not able to access a wide array of text by diverse authors with diverse characters and themes.

Take the book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. Under the provided definitions, “Speak” would get flagged for “sexual content.” A question I raised regarding the passage that would earn “Speak” a flag was about how the definition provided for “sexual content” and “sexually explicit content” imply consent.

The passage in “Speak” is rape. So am I required to flag this? Apparently not because we do not have to flag books for sexual violence, or actual violence for that matter. Do you see how convoluted this law and policy are?

Don’t get me wrong, even if sexual violence were a category we were forced to flag books for, I still would not agree with this law and policy because “Speak” is not about the paragraph that would get it flagged. It is about a young girl dealing with trauma and learning to find her voice, something so many of my students have identified with throughout the years.

This law and Policy 5055 are akin to the “Don’t say Gay” bill and come from a governor that ran on a platform of anti-CRT rhetoric. Never mind the fact that CRT, as it is defined in academic context, does not exist in public school curricula. But now, with another policy, 5420, on the way, we would also need to notify parents if we are teaching a topic that “has significant academic, social, political, and ideological matters about which there exist opposing viewpoints and/or multiple perspectives within the K-12 educational setting.”

At the end of this policy, in Article D Section 4, it states, “Be aware that families will be directed and encouraged by the Board and administration to take their questions and comments directly to the teachers…” This law and the subsequent

policies are untenable and meant to put teachers in the crosshairs, yet again, of the culture wars that are being waged in the classroom.

The professionals I work with in my content area have been vacillating, these past few weeks, between outrage and tears of frustration. We are simply at a loss. We do not have the spare time to review thousands of books and poems and essays and articles and short stories and speeches. We are tired of being devalued and our professionalism and our care for our students constantly called into question. This policy takes away the freedom to engage our students with new material and engage in the discussions that matter. But that is exactly the point, isn’t it?

Politicians and a system predicated on maintaining the status quo and their power in it, do not want an analytical, critical, and free-thinking populace, which is precisely the aim of public education. So I am going to continue to teach what and how I teach, with my students always at the center of my concern, and I am going to continue to speak out against censorship when I see it because I have read “Night” over 60 times in the past decade, and I refuse to let history repeat itself. n

The writer is in her 12th year teaching in Loudoun County and her seventh year at Rock Ridge High School.

Zone changes

Morse’s plan was amended before the vote to move students in two areas of eastern Loudoun just west of Rt. 28 including the Kincora Village development. In the original plan, those students would have stayed at their current schools, Sterling Middle School and Park View High School. The board voted to send them instead to Belmont Ridge Middle School and Riverside High School.

A small area in the middle of Leesburg east of King Street, originally slated in Morse’s plan to move to another school, will instead continue attending Loudoun County High School.

And the School Board incorporated a clean-up measure from the staff-proposed plan, moving an attendance zone in an industrial area along Belmont Ridge Road between Ashburn Overlook and Rt. 7 to Trailside Middle School and Stone Bridge High School. Director of Planning and GIS Services Beverly Tate previously said that the area has no homes, and none are projected in the future.

In central Loudoun the plan focuses on minimizing crowding at Loudoun County High School, moving students living in two areas west of Leesburg including the Beacon Hill area and developments including Roxbury Heights, Colts Run, Shenstone and Ketoktin Farm Estates. They will now go to Smart’s Mill Middle School and Tuscarora High School, instead of J.L. Simpson Middle School and Loudoun County High School.

Another area in downtown Leesburg that includes Crescent Place, the future development of Virginia Village, Monroe Manor and KML South King Street was also moved to Smart’s Mill and Tuscarora High School.

Another area that had secondary school changes was the Oaklawn and East Stratford neighborhoods in Leesburg. These areas will be zoned for Harper Park Middle School and Heritage High School starting next fall.

To see the adopted secondary attendance zone changes, go to lcps.org.

The attendance zones that changed Tuesday night were EL36.1, El36.2, CL05, CL06, CL22, CL24, CL32, CL32.2, CL31.1 and DN10.2. n

Rent relief

in general.

New Virginia Majority was one of those groups. Saiyed said the group’s leadership has been meeting regularly, virtually with Hall and his staff and together they developed a proposal for a rent buy-down program that would bring relief to tenants in apartments paying more than 30% of their income to rent.

Saiyed said, so far, the money hasn’t been distributed, and is sitting while residents are hurting and need help now.

The county’s work to use the ARPA funding to help with housing was complicated when, in the middle of public outreach work, the state ran out of funding for rent relief through the Virginia Rent Relief Program as of Oct. 14, Barbour said. He said a new factor impacting the county’s plans for the money is how best to meet the eviction and rent assistance needs of the community. A rent buy-down program, which would also preserve the time for which rents must remain low at participating affordable communities, is one option.

However, according to Saiyed, things have stalled. They’ve been told by Hall’s staff that the Board of Supervisors, which has authority over how the county spends that money, will vote on how to use the ARPA money in January.

“We don’t understand why it’s going back to the Board of Supervisors. They already approved the $12 million in April of this year, and they thought it was done

School assaults

continued from page 13

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said, although the committee discussed improvements to the process, “I don’t want anyone to a make any mistake that we believe that this package didn’t get to its intended receiver.”

“I don’t want anyone to take away from this conversation that this board, or this committee, or the county at all has a concern that this information didn’t reach its intended recipient,” she said.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) suggested simply including an acknowledgment sheet in those mailings. The recipient would sign for the notification and drop it back into inter-office mail to return to the Court Services Unit, a state agency which decides how to deliver

and they were addressing the problem. But the funds haven’t moved yet,” she said.

Juan Miranda, a Leesburg resident and NVM member, said the high cost of rent was a concern before the pandemic, but now it’s much worse. He said some people work two or three jobs and pay anywhere from 50% to more of their income to rent in Loudoun County.

“We are part of the community, and we should feel part of it,” he said.

Kellen Orellana, a Sterling resident and NVM member, said they’ve been working with the Department of Housing for six months to get a plan in place

those notifications.

“That way, if there’s ever a question, we know so-and-so signed for it at this time, just like any other kind of delivery,” he said. Hemstreet said that would be the simplest solution.

And he agreed with Randall that the notification of the charges against that student reached its destination.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that as long as that notice was placed in the inter-office mail, it made it to whoever it was supposed to go to in LCPS. There’s no question in my mind about that,” he said.

Hemstreet said he would send a letter suggesting including the signature sheet with those notifications.

The squabble over that notification was only one part of an ongoing fight between the school district and the Sheriff’s Office highlighted in the special

for the ARPA funds, and she feels it’s time to act.

“After the pandemic our community was highly impacted, and believe me, it hasn’t been easy to raise ourselves once again. Many of our incomes went down, and the quality of life went down, and now with the situation with inflation and higher rent we feel tied to our jobs,” she said. She said the residents work long hours to keep a roof over their heads, and “we can’t continue like this.” Orellana added that many in the working class like living in Loudoun County because they feel safe and their children are getting a good education, and they want to stay here. n

grand jury’s report.

“Several witnesses testified the sheriff and superintendent are not on speaking terms and tension exists between the leadership of LCPS and LCSO,” the jury wrote. “The citizens of Loudoun County deserve better than two high-profile individuals publicly squabbling and refusing to put aside any petty differences. Ultimately, the sheriff and superintendent need to put aside any disagreements they may have and recognize the important relationship between their offices. The safety of the students and the community require it.”

The jury’s report also points out both the schools and Sheriff’s Office “knew, within minutes of each other, about the [Stone Bridge High School] sexual assault on May 28, 2021, and worked together at SBHS that day to collect student statements and evidence.” n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Loudoun County residents and members of New Virginia Majority hold signs asking for help with rent at Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development on Dec. 16.

Interchange delays

“My fear is that continued delay with this project [Fields Farm] as well as the other one [the Rt. 690 interchange] with SMART SCALE funding is just going to look increasingly bad,” she said. “And there are a number of folks, including our Board of Supervisors, who are watching to see how this progresses.”

Vice Mayor Christopher Bertaut responded to Boyd’s comment saying he would like to “correct the record” and said he didn’t feel there had been any setbacks during the process.

“We have, in effect, streamlined the process,” he said.

The county first filed its applications for those projects more than two years ago.

Rt. 690 Interchange

Now ‘Unlikely’

With the town’s newest setback, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet told supervisors in a memo Monday, Dec. 19, construction of the $52.7 million Rt. 690 interchange now appears “unlikely.”

On top of the lost state funding, Hemstreet wrote construction costs grow by an average of 7% a year, and unless county staff members can find a plan to replace that state funding, it would be five to 10 years before funding is available.

“If the staff and I can develop a reasonable alternative that would allow the project to maintain a timely schedule, we may recommend pursuing a yet unidentified alternative. We recognize that the project is very important to western Loudoun, so we will do what we can to try and identify a reasonable alternative to the Town’s current position,” he wrote.

Delaying the Rt. 690 interchange could also impact all the other projects while the county works up new traffic analyses, he wrote.

Purcellville resident and district Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) pointed out Mayor Kwasi Fraser put the interchanges among his campaign promises.

“It’s unbelievable to me that after at least two election cycles of campaigning on partnering with the county to accelerate the Rt. 7/Rt. 690 interchange, all Mayor Fraser has actually done is work to delay the project to the point that we are now in danger of losing all remaining funding for it,” Buffington said.

Buffington also posted on Facebook

warning town residents of the Town Council’s action, which he said “has posed significant and very negative risk to the quality of life for Purcellville area residents.”

“Having been warned ahead of time, and after having already caused somewhat significant delays to several long awaited planned improvement projects, the Town Council has voted to approve a set of actions that impose serious risk of significant delay to several major improvement projects the County has been trying to provide for the benefit of Purcellville and western Loudoun area residents,” he wrote.

On the interchange, he wrote, “the Town is risking this project over a 1/6th of an acre floodplain easement that has been accounted for in the interchanges design in order to ensure no negative impacts to any adjacent properties.”

The latest delay centers on a floodplain on a small lot acquired for the interchange. Pointing to the floodplain and HOA covenants, the town now says the lot must go

through a public hearing and win approval from two-thirds of the residents of the Catoctin Meadows Homeowners Association, of which the lot was formerly part. The town now argues the county did not follow proper channels in acquiring the lot and releasing the floodplain easement.

Councilman Tip Stinnette, a Catoctin Meadows resident, also said the town will not schedule that public hearing until the county provides the HOA with all the documents it submitted to the town. Once that has been done, the town would then hold a public information session, then a Planning Commission evaluation, and eventually a Town Council public hearing. The Town Council agreed to that statement in the Dec. 13 vote.

Stinnette also recognized that pushback from the town could cost the town not only the Rt. 690 interchange but also the entire Fields Farm Complex.

“There is the potential that the county could say, ‘OK, fine, I’m getting pushback on this, I’m getting pushback on Fields Farm, and there are other places that the

money could go to within the county’ and they could make that decision. I don’t live on the board of directors, board of supervisors, but that is an option that the county could exercise,” he said.

He said a boarded-up building currently standing on the lot “falls within the Purcellville Historic Corridor Overlay District. … If the county wants to demolish that property, they must comply with our Historic Overlay District demolition requirements.”

Meanwhile, Town Manager Dave Mekarski said he and other town staff members have been working with the county staff to try to move the interchange project ahead, including possibly a new wetlands modeling that would move the floodplain off the property.

“The plea of your town manager is that we invested time and energy to work towards Catoctin Meadows’ objectives that you shared with us before this meeting and we shared with them,” Mekarski said. “And they [the county] came back and gave two collaborative steps. I’d like this council to give back to the county a collaborative step.”

Hemstreet wrote the Town Council’s actions aren’t based on anything in the town’s development rules and regulations, and could take months—or never happen, such as winning approval from two-thirds of the HOA.

“Other requirements, such as review and agreement by the Town of the interchange design as a requirement for the release of the floodplain easement, as well as a review of the design by the Town Planning Commission, are unusual and appear to be an attempt at regulatory overreach, particularly since the interchange design has been approved by Loudoun County Building and Development, whose process included referrals and reviews by both VDOT and the Town, and both confirmed all comments were addressed,” he wrote. “The Town does not have regulatory authority over the project, has no funding in the project, and does not have any maintenance or other ongoing responsibilities with respect to the interchange project.”

Fields Farm Delayed Again

Stinnette at the Dec. 13 meeting said making the decision to go forward with the Fields Farm complex and park-andride without further review from the Planning Commission would be a bad idea.

look at the town’s history over

INTERCHANGE DELAYS

“If you

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Flagging tape marks the boundaries of the wetlands around the South Fork of the Catoctin Creek, near the lot where the Purcellville Town Council argues the county must go through a public hearing and win approval from the Catoctin Meadows HOA to clear the way for a planned Rt. 7/Rt. 690 interchange.

“We recognize that the project is very important to western Loudoun, so we will do what we can to try and identify a reasonable alternative to the Town’s current position.”

— Tim Hemstreet County Administrator

Interchange delays

the last 10 or 20 years, every time something has gone sideways, we have a split between the Planning Commission and the Town Council,” he said. “That occurred with the development at Catoctin Corners and while it wasn’t necessarily the planning commission, we had a similar scenario with Vineyard Square, so what I would like to do is remand these conditions back to the planning commission and have them reevaluate the applications, in through the lens of these conditions and then proffer a recommendation to [the Town Council].”

He added that he thought it would be “wise for us to circle back with the Planning Commission and make sure we are the benefactors of their wisdom and their analysis.”

The county’s plans have been in the works for years—in particular, the county has been working towards a sports complex for more than two decades, and the county and town have collaborated on various park-and-ride lots in town since 1999.

The Town Council now wants the county to agree to a list of 34 mitigations and concessions at Fields Farm and the

park-and-ride lot.

In his memo to supervisors, Hemstreet said those changes “are mostly reasonable” and could be accommodated. And if the Town Council keeps to its plan to act on the Fields Farm plans by the end of February, Hemstreet wrote that project could still move forward.

But even that new deadline may pass by. The Town Council at its Dec. 13 meeting directed the Planning Commission to report back on Fields Farm by Jan. 19, but at a Planning Commission meeting two days later, commission liaison and mayor-elect Stanley Milan said that the project is the lowest priority of three facing the commission. On Dec. 15, he said the Planning Commission’s priority should be the ongoing work to update the town’s zoning ordinance, followed by the interchange.

Commissioner and councilmember-elect Mary “Boo” Bennett agreed.

“I still see some issues with Fields Farm, some big issues. And I’m not inclined to jump through hoops for this stuff when we spent since May, meeting after meeting, and the county sat in many of those meetings with us and did not offer anything to mitigate. We were being coached to offer things up, but I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not an expert. They were hearing what we were

hearing from the citizens, and they sat silent. And so, this has kind of come at a very inopportune time,” she said.

The seven-member town Planning Commission as of Jan. 1 will also be down two members, with two commissioners elected to the Town Council.

And even if the town keeps to this latest deadline, the county could still lose

out on the state money for the park-andride. Hemstreet wrote the traffic impacts of canceling the interchange could cause the state to reevaluate its decision to fund the park-and-ride.

County staff members plan to provide a more comprehensive update to supervisors at their January finance committee meeting. n

cars crashing, sirens wailing and witness emergency lights flashing. Enough is enough. Government has to do something.

A Crashedemic

Editor:

Since 2015 when it was constructed, the intersection of Glen Drive and Belfort Park Drive has been the scene of at least 46 crashes.

This past Thanksgiving weekend alone, there were two separate crashes, over a two-day period. It appeared that both cars were totaled in the crash which occurred on the in the evening of Saturday, Nov. 26; indeed, one car (an Escalade) was forced down a steep embankment into an area where townhomes are to be built after a recent rezoning (Belfort Park Drive Townhomes). Imagine this car plummeting into someone’s future home.

This is starting to feel like a “crashedemic,” with not only many direct victims, but also traumatizing those, especially children, living nearby who have to hear repeatedly the sound of

The Virginia Department of Transportation has apparently reviewed studies, and a county official informed some of us living nearby that stop signs would be reversed on this two-way stop controlled intersection (i.e. removed from Belfort Park Drive and put up on Glenn Drive.) But nothing ever gets done. Government is failing us.

The ideal solution would be to construct a roundabout to assure a reduction in car speeds and that cars would proceed with caution. If government continues to fail us in this regard, perhaps Vantage Data, which is putting in a data center on the southwestern corner and the Belfort Park Drive Townhomes (northeastern quadrant) can make contributions to pay for the roundabout to help improve the quality of life in the community they will be impacting.

Government, do your job. Protect our community members.

— Gregory Pirio, Sterling

It’s Time Editor:

It’s time for those School Board members who enacted policies that enabled a disturbed young man to irreparably harm two young ladies to resign. But they likely won’t.

It’s time for the School Board to release to the public the independent investigation results (paid for by the taxpayer) they received almost a year ago. But they likely won’t.

It’s time for the smug School Board members who gloated publicly that no criminal charges were filed after the grand jury investigation to leave their posts. But they likely won’t.

It’s time for those who would create a contract where a superintendent who is fired, for cause where children were harmed, to continue to collect a third of a million dollars at taxpayer expense to resign. But they likely won’t.

The solution is left to the public to clean house.

P.S. If Ziegler has any remorse over what has happened, he would offer the unearned pay for next year to go to

counseling for the young ladies whose lives have been forever changed. But he likely won’t.

— Mike Tuttle, Lovettsville

Bridge Needed

Editor:

It is time for a pedestrian bridge over the Leesburg Bypass.

Loudoun County has made remarkable improvements to its transportation infrastructure in recent years. Drivers and commuters are benefiting from improved roadways, most notably Rt. 7 and the opening of Silver Line Phase II.

In stark contrast to the improved, “roadscape” for vehicles, pedestrians continue risking their lives and endangering drivers as they scamper across the Leesburg Bypass near the Leesburg Premium Outlets.

Why wait for a tragedy to occur before implementing a solution? Loudoun County residents, particularly within the corporate limits of our largest town and county seat, should be able to walk safely to work or to patronize local businesses.

— Peter Anders Lauten, Hamilton

An empty house and play set stand on the lot where the Purcellville Town Council argues the county must go through a public hearing and win approval from the Catoctin Meadows HOA to clear the way for a planned Rt. 7/Rt. 690 interchange.