HomeMy Public PortalAboutPC 2019 Annual Report2019 LEESBURG PLANNING
COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT
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Introduction
The Leesburg Planning Commission is pleased to present to the Leesburg Town
Council an annual report for the 2019 calendar year. The information contained
within this report is a summary of cases reviewed by the Commission along with
signature accomplishments for the year and an overview of anticipated actions
in 2020.
2019 Planning Commission Members
Voting Members
Doris Kidder, Chair Ad Barnes
Kari Nacy, Vice Chair/Chair Gigi Robinson
(appointed 11/19)
David Faliskie
Al Barney Councilmanic Tom Dunn
Staff Liaisons
Susan Berry Hill, Director Karen Cicalese, Clerk
The Planning Commission would like to thank Doris Kidder for her service to the Planning
Commission. Doris was first appointed to the Planning Commission in March, 2008. and served as
both Chair and Vice Chair during her tenure. She served as Chair from January 8, 2019 until her
resignation in October, 2019 .
Anticipated Work Program for 2020
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public hearing on September 15, 2019 and several subsequent work sessions were
held throughout the remainder of 2019. Work will continue on the phasing lan-
guage and design policies into early 2020. It is anticipated that the Commission will
forward their recommendation to Town Council in February of 2020.
There are several land development applications currently in the review process.
At this time, active applications anticipated for Planning Commission in 2020 in-
clude but are not limited to:
Leesburg South Floodplain Alteration/Reclamation
Catoctin Elementary School Addition
Wirt Street Apartments
Virginia Village
The Planning Commission will work on various Zoning Ordinance amendments as
required. At this point, known amendments include:
Gateway Design Standards and Guidelines
Crescent Design District Zoning Regulations
2020 Zoning Ordinance Batch Amendments
Town of Leesburg Department of Planning & Zoning
25 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176
www.leesburgva.gov/planning
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Anticipated Work Program for 2020
H-2 Work Group
The H-2 Historic Corridor Review
was a collaborative effort between
members of the Planning
Commission and Board
of Architectural Review to formulate a
recommendation to
the Town Council regarding the
future of the H-2 Historic Corridor
Architectural Control Overlay
District. The group presented their recommendations to Council on June 26, 2017.
The Council endorsed the concept of a Gateway District to include East & West
Market, North & South King and Edwards Ferry Road east of Heritage Way and the
project will address site, building and streetscape design. The H -2 Work Group will
reconvene in 2020 to provide guidance to staff in the development of new
standards and guidelines for the new Gateway District. This district will replace the
existing H-2 Overlay District and the H-2 Guidelines.
Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan (EGDSAP)
The EGDSAP proposes to revise the Town Plan to add a new chapter, Chapter 12,
with specific policies pertaining to the East Market Street corridor from the
Leesburg Bypass to the eastern Town limit line. The Commission worked extensively
on this project in 2018, ultimately forwarding their recommendation of approval in
June of 2018. Since then, Town Council has held numerous work sessions to discuss
the draft document. Changes were made to the plan that focused on employment
policies, the phasing language to emphasize employment uses, and to address
architectural design. Once these changes were made, Council endorsed the plan
however, Virginia State Code requires that the Town Council take action on a
Comprehensive Plan within 90 days of the Planning Commissions resolution
recommending the plan for adoption. Since Council was not able to take action
within the 90 day period the plan was remanded to the Planning Commission for
recertification. Council also asked for Planning Commission input on phasing
language. The Commission held a public hearing on the recertification on September
5, 2019 and held several subsequent work session throughout the remainder
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Overview of Cases Reviewed in 2019
The Planning Commission held 22 meetings in total during the 2019 Calendar year.
During this time the Commission heard 16 special exception cases, 6 rezoning /Concept
Plan Amendment cases , 3 Town Plan amendment cases and 9 Zoning Ordinance
amendments.
There were 21 land development applications reviewed in 2019 which is consistent
with the number of cases reviewed by the Commission in 2018 and three of the past
four years.
Five projects were carried over to additional meetings and include the CDD Design
Modifications Ordinance Amendment, Shops at Russell Branch, North Star School at
C. S. Monroe Property, Recertification of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan
Town Plan Amendment, and the Zoning Ordinance Batch Amendments
Rezoning and/or Concept Plan Amendments & Special Exceptions:
TLZM-2018-0006 and TLOA-2018-0006 Rogers Farm
Initiated by the Town of Leesburg to amend the official zoning map to extend the H -
1 Overlay, Old and Historic District, to include approximately 12.7 acres of the
subject property.
TLZM-2017-0004 CVS at Allman Property
A request to amend the concept plan and proffer statement for the 3.68 Allman
portion of the Allman-Stanfield property to revise the mix of uses and building lay-
out on the property to allow for the construction of a pharmacy with accessory
drive-through and a commercial building containing eating establishments and fast
food eating establishments
TLZM-2018-0003, TLSE-2018-0003, TLSE-2018-
0004, TLSE-2018-0006, and TLSE-2018-0012
Shops at Russell Branch
Request to amend the Concept Plan and
Proffers to allow for the construction of
commercial uses; specifically a grocery store, service station with convenience store,
vehicle service facility, car wash, and other facilities including eating establish-
ments, retail and service uses.
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Overview of Cases Reviewed in 2019
TLZM-2018-0004 and TLTA-2018-0003 Westpark
Request to change the planned land use from Commercial Office to Medium Density
Residential and to rezone 14 acres of the subject property to allow for the
construction of a 96 home townhome community.
TLZM-2019-0002 Compass Creek Rezoning
Zoning Map Amendment mapping certain properties B -3 Community Retail/
Commercial District, I-1 Industrial Research Park, MA Municipal Airport, PD-CC-SC
Planned Development -Commercial Center -Small Regional Center, PD-IP Planned
Development Industrial, and R-E Single Family Residential Estate.
TLZM-2019-0003, TLSE-2019-0005, TLSE-2019-
0006, TLSE-2019-0007, and TLSE-2019-0008
Shops at Compass Creek
Request to rezone 4.67 acres from I -1 to B-3 to
allow for the construction of non-residential uses
and four special exception requests to allow four
principal eating establishments with drive-in
facilities.
TLSE-2019-0001 Lots A Love Daycare
Request for special exception approval to allow a family day home for up to 12
children.
TLSE-2018-0009 Verizon Power Mount Facility
Request for special exception approval to permit a Power Mount Facility on an
existing Electronic transmission Tower and
associated equipment in a compound area .
TLSE-2018-0005 Church and Market
Request for special exception approval to
construct 116 multi-family dwelling units
over a structured parking facility and
15,000 s.f. of retail and commercial office in
the former Loudoun Times Mirror building.
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Comprehensive Town Plan Update
In 2018 the Town Council adopted a
resolution to initiate a comprehensive
update to the Town Plan. A consultant
was hired in May of 2019 and the early
stages of the project involved significant
efforts to engage the public to get: input
from residents on their vision for Leesburg in the future; feedback on current
challenges and future possibilities; and how to give residents and business
owners opportunities to share ideas for how to assure Leesburg is a great place
to live, work and play in the future. A Community Ideas Exchange Workshop
was held on October 2nd and was followed up with an On the Table initiative in
which 13 groups hosted On the Table discussions and provided feedback to
Town staff. A five day Town Plan Design Charrette was held in November and
consisted of a series of interactive discussions and open work sessions with
residents, business owners, staff and members of the development community.
Several members of the Planning Commission attended the events and provided
their input both as residents and Commission members.
Beginning in January of 2020 the Planning Commission will receive a briefing on
market analysis and public input which will be followed up with a joint meeting
with Town Council for direction on the guiding principles for the new Plan.
The Planning Commission
will be working closely
with staff and the
consultant in 2020 as we
work through the process
of updating the Town Plan.
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Capital Improvements Program (CIP)
The Virginia State Code requires that local
Planning Commissions review a Capital
Improvements Program (CIP) for consistency
with the comprehensive plan. As such, every
year the Leesburg Planning Commission reviews
the draft CIP to see how it is proposed to
implement the Town Plan and to make
recommendations to the Town Council.
On February 7th, the Commission held a public
hearing on the CIP for FY 2020-2025. The draft CIP was later forward to Town
Council with a recommendation of approval subject to the following proposed
amendments:
Accelerate sidewalk
improvements projects for public
safety
Look at alternatives for the Plaza
Street sidewalk to address sight
distance and bike lane issues
Re-open Lawson Road as part of
the Town traffic grid
Accelerate the Police Station
project
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Overview of Cases Reviewed in 2019
TLSE-2019-0008 North Star School at C. S. Monroe property
Construct a new two-story structure to accommodate the Loudoun County Public
Schools Alternative Education Program.
TLSE-2019-0003 Wee Garden Daycare
Request for special exception approval to allow a family day home for up to 12
children.
TLSE-2018-0002 Old Mill Pet Center
Request for special exception approval to construct a structure to house a canine
day care facility, veterinary hospital and eating establishment on a 1.76 acre
property in the I-1 Zoning District.
Town Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendments
TLTA-2018-0003 Recertification of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area
Plan
Small area plan to develop policies that better reflect todays dynamic economy,
building upon existing employment opportunities that execute a vision for the
corridor and help guide future development.
TLTA-2019-0002 and TLOA-2019-0004 Proffer Amendment
Amendments to the Town Plan and the Zoning Ordinance to reflect changes in
proffer laws
TLOA-2019-0001 SLDR Amendments
Amendments for Lot Grading Plan
TLOA-2019-0002 Establishing Sign Guidelines for Places of Assembly
Ordinance amendment for a new category of signs
TLOA-2018-0003 Crescent Design District Design Modifications
Amendment to allow Modifications to Crescent Design District Standards
TLOA-2019-0006 B-3 Modifications
Administrative Modification of Lot Standards in the B-2
TLOA-2019-0007 Add County Districts to PD-CC-SC and PD-IP to TLZO
Addition of new planned development districts
TLOA-2017-0006 Zoning Ordinance Batch Amendments
Various zoning text amendments to correct errors and improve usability