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Home My Public Portal About2001_07_10_r127 Comments on the Draft Countywide General PlanThe Town of Leesburg, rg ma RESOLUTION NO. 2001-127 PRESENTED ADOPTED July 10, 2001 July 10, 2001 A RESOLUTION: COMMUNICATING THE TOWN OF LEESBURG'S COMMENTS ON THE LOUDOUN COUNTY DRAFT GENERAL PLAN AND DRAFT COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN WHEREAS, Loudoun County is in its last stages of review of the proposed revisions to the Draft General Plan and Draft Countywide Transportation Plan; and WHEREAS, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has recently made several changes to the Draft that directly impact the Town of Leesburg; and WHEREAS, the Town Council wishes to communicate to Loudoun County its comments and concems regarding these revisions, and recommends the Board's serious consideration of the same. THEREFORE, RESOLVED the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia hereby transmits its comments regarding the Draft General Plan and Countywide Transportation Plan as follows: 1. The current draft Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) deletes the section of Crosstrail Boulevard between the Dulles Greenway and Route 15 south. The Town considers Crosstrail Boulevard to be of utmost importance to the future development of the Urban Growth Area (UGA) and to maintaining adequate levels of service to the Town's transportation system. The Town therefore opposes the deletion and/or relocation of any section of the roadway. The Council further recommends that its classification as a major collector be maintained. 2. The Draft Plan anticipates keynote employment land use generally located just east of Goose Creek, fronting on Route 7 and bounded on the east by Route 659 (Belmont Ridge Road). The Town does not support this use at this location. 3. The Draft Plan prop°ses the use of communal water and wastewater facilities for public institutions in the UGA. The Town reiterates its opposition to such facilities as stated in Resolution//2000-101 dated May 23, 2000. -2- RESOLUTION: COMMUNICATING THE TOWN OF I.EESBURG 'S COMMENTS ON THE LOUDOUN COUNTY DRAFT GENERAL PLAN AND DRAFT COUNTWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 4. Both Draft Plans propose the designation of Edwards Ferry Road as a two- lane facility with a bike path. The Town continues to support a four-lane roadway as shown in the existing Town and County transportation plans. The Town supports the Virginia Byway designation, provided that the Loudoun County section of Edwards Ferry Road is developed as a four-lane roadway as stated in Resolution #2001-73 dated May 22, 2001. 5. The Draft Plan supports a future study of extending the Dulles Corridor Bus Rapid Transit/Rail Project to Leesburg. The Town supports establishing BRT service west of Leesburg with a station in the Route 7/Route 9 corridor, and a station in Leesburg adjacent to the Dulles Greenway. 6. The Draft Plan proposes the remapping of zoning classifications around the Leesburg Executive Airport. The Town supports only zoning classifications that are in conformance with the non-residential land use designations in the Town Plan for the UGA.. 7. The Draft Plan proposes deleting the portion of the UGA west of the Dulles Greenway. The Town has consistently opposed any alteration in the Leesburg UGA until the annexation study is completed. This objection was recently reiterated in the Mayor's comments (attached) to the Board of Supervisors on May 31, 2001. 8. The Draft Transportation Plan proposes the deletion of the Western Transportation Corridor thus ensuring Rt. 15 remains the Western Transportation Corridor by default. The Town continues to strongly support a Western Transportation Corridor, which provides a new river crossing of the Potomac. The vitality of the Town of Leesburg depends on a Western Transportation Corridor located to the east of Leesburg with a new river crossing. PASSED this l0th day of July 2001. B.J. Wl~bb, Mayor Town of Leesburg ATTEST: ~erk of Council The Town of Leesbur ..... v rg ma B. J. WEBB, Ma~or KRISTEN C. UMSTATTD LEONARD W. McDONALD Vice Mayor Councilmember GEORGE F. ATWELL Coundlmember DAVID B. SCHMIDT MERVIN V. JACKSON Coun~lmember ROBERT J. ZOLDOS 25 West Market Street · P.O. Box88 · 20178 · 703-777-2420 · Metro: 703,478-1821 · FAX: 703-771-2727 · www.leesburgva.org COMMENTS BY MAYOR B.J. WEBB ON REVISED GENERAL PLAN AND COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN MAY 31, 2001 On behalf of the Town Council, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this Town-County session. While we have some concerns, we feel that meaningful discussion can be enlightening and constructive. GENERAL PLAN COMMENTS The General Plan characterizes the Town of Leesburg as primarily a tourist and travel destination. We are much more. The Town is interested in developing emerging technology industries within the corporate limits and the UGA as well, and would like to be portrayed as such. Presently the General Plan focuses its economic development efforts and emphasis on the "new economy" almost entirely in the Suburban Policy Area. While the Plan cites Dulles Airport as an economic development asset the Town believes the Leesburg Executive Airport is also beneficial in bringing new business to the region. The General Plan eliminates a large section of the Leesburg UGA, although the County was aware that the Town of Leesburg is currently studying its UGA. The November 2000 draft of the General Plan states that the County would not act on the Town's UGA until after the Town's study was complete. This will allow the Town to assess the alternative plans for the UGA, and determine if it should be reconfigured to better balance economic and environmental objectives. The Town's study is underway and should be completed by October 2001. The Town is opposed to the action of reducing the Town's UGA. This action contradicts a number of plans currently in effect. For Route 621 and the Greenway, is designated for business uses, with a major commercial node at the intersection of Crosstrails Boulevard and the Greenway. Since the Toll Road Plan covers an area l-V2 miles on either side of the Greenway, the action to make the area west of the Greenway Rural Policy Area contradicts the Toll Road Plan. Although the General Plan states that "the County is committed to a new era of partnership with the towns", the action of removing a large section of the Town's UGA brings into question this partnership. The Town has long planned for the development of the UGA and actions such as removing a section of our future economic engine impacts the Town's long-range plans. We had hoped to have a greater input in these planning decisions. TRANSPORTATION PLAN COMMENTS The Town of Leesburg continues to support the Western Transportation Corridor providing a crossing of the Potomac is made and it does not terminate at Route 7 and Loudoun County is on record as supporting the Western Transportation Corridor as well. We cannot emphasize enough how important to plan for and build the major roads which connect to the Town's transportation system which allow us to maintain our planned level of safe and efficient service. The Town planning efforts depend on a number of proposed roadways in the UGA or outside the Town's boundaries such as Crosstrails Boulevard, Evergreen Mills Road and Edwards Ferry Road. For example, without Crosstrails Boulevard, the Leesburg ByPass will eventually become gridlocked. Because the Town is a center for business and government, much of the traffic is regional in nature. The revised Transportation Plan does not continue to include the 20% Loudoun County gasoline tax revenues. Although the gas tax funds are allocated to WMATA, we hope that you will continue to share revenue to help the Town in its critical transportation needs.