HomeMy Public PortalAbout2023_tcmin0613 COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
Council Chamber, 25 West Market Street, 7:00 p.m. Mayor Kelly Burk presiding.
Council Members Present: Ara Bagdasarian, Todd Cimino-Johnson, Zach Cummings,
Kari Nacy, Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg, Patrick Wilt and Mayor Kelly Burk.
Council Members Absent: None.
Staff Present: Town Manager Kaj Dentler, Town Attorney Christopher Spera, Deputy
Town Manager Keith Markel, Director of Public Works and Capital Projects Renee
LaFollette, Director of Planning and Zoning James David, Director of Plan Review Bill
Adman, Director of Utilities Amy Wyks, Deputy Town Attorney Christine Newton,
Deputy Director Parks and Recreation Kate Trask, Senior Planning Project Manager Scott
Parker, Transportation Engineer Niraja Chandrapu and Clerk of Council Eileen Boeing.
AGENDA ITEMS
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION was given by Council Member Nacy.
3. SALUTE TO THE FLAG was led by Mayor Burk.
4. ROLL CALL
a. All Council Members present.
S. MINUTES
a. Work Session Minutes of May 22. 2023
MOTION 2023-113
On a motion by Vice Mayor Steinberg, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the May 22,
2023, Work Session minutes were moved for approval
The motion was approved by the following vote:
Aye: Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt
and Mayor Burk
Nay• None
Vote• 7-0
b. Regular Session Minutes of May 23, 2023
MOTION 2023-114
On a motion by Vice Mayor Steinberg, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the May 23,
2023, Regular Session minutes were moved for approval.
The motion was approved by the following vote.
Aye. Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt
and Mayor Burk
Nay• None
Vote. 7-0
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
6. ADOPTING THE MEETING AGENDA
MOTION 2023-115
On a motion by Mayor Burk, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the meeting agenda was
moved for approval.
Mayor Burk requested item 14.a. —TLZM-2021-0006, Hamblet Property Rezoning be
moved forward on the agenda to after the Petitioner's section. There was no objection from
Council The agenda was amended accordingly
The motion was approved by the following vote:
Aye. Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt and
Mayor Burk
Nay: None
Vote: 7-0
7. CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
a. None.
S. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS
a. Juneteenth
Mayor Burk read the proclamation for Juneteenth and presented the
proclamation to The "BURG" Family Reunion Club President Irvin Greene and
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation President Steve Williams. Both
recipients made a few remarks.
b. Master Gardeners
Mayor Burk read the proclamation for Master Gardeners.
9. PRESENTATIONS
a. None.
10. REGIONAL COMMISSION REPORTS
a None.
11. PETITIONERS
The Petitioner's Section opened at 7:11 p.m.
Debra Gilmore, 105 East Market St. Spoke to Council as the CEO of LAWS
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services in support of the resolution initiating
amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to define the use, create use standards, and specify
zoning districts for Congregate Housing.
Tyler Peak, 112 Prosperity Ave. SE Spoke to Council as the Development Manager
of LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services in support of the resolution
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
initiating amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to define the use, create use standards, and
specify zoning districts for Congregate Housing.
The Petitioner's Section closed at 7 17 p m.
14. PUBLIC HEARINGS
a. TLZM-2021-0006. Hamblet Property Rezoning
The Public Hearing opened at 7:18 p m
Mr. Scott Parker presented Council with the rezoning application to amend the
Zoning Map to rezone 6.77 acres from R-E, Residential Estate to R-8. Medium-Density
Attached Residential to allow 25 attached (townhouse) dwelling units. Mr Parker noted the
property is also subject to the Gateway District(Overlay).
Council and staff discussed the application
Mr. Matt Leslie, Land Use Planner with Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P C.,
representing the contract purchaser of the property Can Homes, presented Council with the
applicant's rezoning application.
Council and staff discussed the application with Mr. Leslie.
Public Speakers:
Tori Furphy, 822 Bow Lake Place NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of the
rezoning application
Katie Crandall, 818 Saddleback Place NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of the
rezoning application.
Elias Fahel, 818 Bow Lake Place NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of the
rezoning application.
Tim Furphy, 822 Bow Lake Place NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of the
rezoning application.
John Paul Andrews, 827 Sandpomt Court NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of
the rezoning application.
Bradley Blinn, 823 Saddleback Place NE. Spoke to Council to support denial of the
rezoning application.
The public hearing closed at 8:25 p.m.
Council discussed the rezonmg application and stated reasons for denying the
application.
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
MOTION2023-116
On a motion by Council Member Nacy, seconded by Vice Mayor Steinberg, the following was
proposed:
I move to deny the proposed ordinance application TLZM-202.1-0006 based on finding that the
proposed use is not consistent with the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan nor the regulations of the
Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance based on the traffic generated by the proposed development
in conjunction with the traffic associated with the existing residences and the Harper Park
Middle School placing too much ofa burden on and presenting an unacceptable intensification
of the use of the existing streets
The motion was approved by the following vote.
Aye: Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt and
Mayor Burk
Nay: None
Vote. 7-0
12. APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA
MOTION 2023-117
On a motion by Vice Mayor Steinberg, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the following
consent agenda was proposed
a. Special Event Fee Waiver for Loudoun Freedom Center Juneteenth March 2023
RESOLUTION 2023-079
Waiving Special Event Fees for Loudoun Freedom Center Juneteenth March 2023
b. Plaza Street Sidewalk Project—Design Task Order Contract Authorization
RESOLUTION 2023-080
Authorize the Town Manager to Execute a Design Task Order Contract for the Plaza
Street Sidewalk Project to Rinker Design Associates, PC(RDA)in the amount of
$262,631.44
c. Supplemental Appropriation—Airport Runway Pavement Rehabilitation Project
RESOLUTION2023-081
Approve a Supplemental Appropriation in the amount of$120,000 for the Airport
Runway Rehabilitation Project
d. Automated Water Meter Reading System Upgrade and Annual Contract
RESOLUTION 2023-082
Approving a Contract for the Upgrade of the Town's Automated Water Meter Reading
System and Annual Maintenance to Aclara Technologies in the amount of$314,345,
Authorizing a Sole Source Procurement and Authorizing the Town Manager to Execute
the Contract
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
e Extending Cable Franchise with Verizon Virginia LLC for a Period of Six Months
RESOLUTION2023-083
Extending Cable Franchise with Verizon Virginia LLC through December 27, 2023
f Appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission—Russ Shaw
RESOLUTION2023-084
Appointing Russ Shaw to the Parks and Recreation Commission
g. Congregate Housing
RESOLUTION 2023-085
Initiating Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to Define the Use, Create Use
Standards, and Specify Zoning Districts for Congregate Housing
h. Air Traffic Control Update and Control Tower Project Addition to the Capital
Improvements Program
RESOLUTION2023-086
Amend the Fiscal Year 2024-2029 Capital Improvements Program to add the Airport
Control Tower Project and Appropriate$270,000 for Fiscal Year 2024 from the
Unassigned Fund Balance
i. 2024 Legislative Program
RESOLUTION2023-087
Adoption of the Town of Leesburg's 2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative
Program
The Consent Agenda was approved by the following vote:
Aye. Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt
and Mayor Burk
Nay: None
Vote: 7-0
13. RESOLUTIONS /ORDINANCES / MOTIONS
a. Downtown Traffic Study and Travel Demand Model
Ms. Niraja Chandrapu presented Council with a proposal for an engineering
services task order m the amount of$382,123. In fiscal year 2023, Council authorized
$250,000 for a Downtown Traffic Study and$125,000 to develop a Travel Demand
Model. Council requested staff to come back to discuss how the $250,000 would be
utilized for the traffic study. Council and staff discussed the request
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
MOTION 2023-118
On a motion by Council Member Nacy, seconded by Council Member Cimino-Johnson,
the following was proposed:
RESOLUTION2023-088
Approve an Engineering Services Task Order for the Downtown Traffic Study and
Travel Demand Model in the amount of$382,122.90 to WSP USA Environmental and
Infrastructure, Inc.
The motion was approved by the following vote.
Aye. Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt
and Mayor Burk
Nay: None
Vote: 7-0
b. Appointment to the Board of Architectural Review
Council Member Cummings nominated Mr. Richard Brown to the Board of
Architectural Review. There were no other nominations from Council.
MOTION2023-119
On a motion by Council Member Cummings, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the
following was proposed:
ORDINANCE 2023-0-010
Appointing Richard Brown to the Board of Architectural Review
The motion was approved by the following vote.
Aye: Bagdasarian, Cimino-Johnson, Cummings, Nacy, Vice Mayor Steinberg, Wilt
and Mayor Burk
Nay. None
Vote: 7-0
15. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. None.
16. NEW BUSINESS
a. None.
17. COUNCIL DISCLOSURES AND COMMENTS / ADDITIONS TO FUTURE
MEETINGS
Council Member Cimino-Johnson disclosed he met with the applicants for the
Hamblet Property.
Council Member Cummings disclosed he met with Ms. Debra Gilmore and Mr. Tyler
Peak of LAWS to discuss the congregate housing amendment and had a phone conversation
with Mr. Matt Leslie to discuss the Hamblet application.
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
Council Member Wilt disclosed he met with the applicant of the Hamblet Property.
Council Member Bagdasarian disclosed he met with Mr. Matt Leslie and other
Mr. B nan said he
representatives of the applicant to discuss the Hamblet Property. a dasa
P PP prtY• g
participated in a fusion class with staff to see how students put together a town of the future
leveraging green technology under the guidance of Planning and Zoning Director James
David.
Council Member Nacy commented that she was impressed with the Potomac Station
residents that came out to support Council's denial of the Hamblet Property rezoning.
Vice Mayor Steinberg disclosed he met with Ms Debra Gilmore and Mr. Tyler Peak
of LAWS to discuss the rezoning Mr. Steinberg disclosed he met with Mr. Peter Kalaris and
Mr. Bruce DeAtley in regard to the Meadowbrook CCF rezoning
18. MAYOR DISCLOSURES AND COMMENTS / ADDITIONS TO FUTURE
MEETINGS
Mayor Burk disclosed she met with Stack and Peterson's representatives to discuss
data center heights. Mayor Burk met with Delegate Reid and Mr. Markel on the Town's
Legislative agenda. Mayor Burk stated that Del. Reid doesn't represent Leesburg any longer,
but that he offered to assist Leesburg during this time until the new representatives are
elected. Mayor Burk attended the monthly lunch at the Airport hosted by Projet Aviation.
Mayor Burk thanked the Parks and Recreation staff for a wonderful Memorial Day program
on the Courthouse lawn. Mayor Burk noted she vacationed in Niagara Falls and remarked
on how majestic it is to see and said it was worth anyone taking the time to visit. Mayor
Burk was joined by Mr. Steve Williams and Mr. Irvin Greene for the flag-ceremony
celebrating Juneteenth. Mayor Burk attended a ribbon cutting at Serenity House which is a
refuge for families and victims of addiction Mayor Burk met with Mr. Taylor Chess from
the Peterson Company to talk about data centers. Mayor Burk thanked Ms. Tara Belote, Ms.
Eileen Boeing, and Ms. Kara Rodriguez on the Town staff for helping her organize the State
of the Town address and to Vice Mayor Steinberg for attending. Mayor Burk met with the
representatives from LAWS to get an update on the housing proposal they have in Leesburg.
Mayor Burk attended a ribbon cutting for the new 26 airport hangars and 11 tie-downs at the
Leesburg Executive Airport and thanked Smokehouse Pilots for putting on such a good
show. Mayor Burk attended an event at ION that showcased all typed of skaters from
beginners to Olympians skating to the Loudoun Symphony and thanked Mr. Luiz Taifas and
Ms. Mitra Setayesha for donating tickets. Mayor Burk met with Mr. Peter Kalaris to discuss
the zoning for continuous senior care. Mayor Burk thanked the Potomac Station residents
and said she was impressed with how they came out to speak to Council on the Hamblet
Rezoning. Mayor Burk said she wished more residents would realize the importance of
coming to Council Meetings to discuss their concerns. Mayor Burk wished Town Attorney
Chris Spera and Rabbi David Greenspoon a happy birthday.
19. TOWN MANAGER COMMENTS
a. None.
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COUNCIL MEETING June 13, 2023
21. ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Vice Mayor Steinberg, seconded by Council Member Nacy, the meeting was
adjourned at 8:49 p.m.
4r774"4C......._--
Kelly Bur ay
Town of Leesburg
ATTEST:
2:&t. 11001
Clerk of Council
2023_tcmm0613
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June 13, 2023—Leesburg Town Council Meeting
(Note- This is a transcript prepared by a Town contractor based on the video of the meeting. It
may not be entirely accurate. For greater accuracy, we encourage you to review the video of
the meeting that is on the Town's Web site — www.Ieesburgva.gov or refer to the approved
Council meeting minutes. Council meeting videos are retained for three calendar years after a
meeting per Library of Virginia Records Retention guidelines.)
Mayor Kelly Burk: I would like to call to order tonight's June 13 Town Council meeting If anyone in
the room needs hearing assistance, please see the Clerk Council Member Nacy will be giving the
invocation Followed by, I will do the salute to the flag Council Member Nacy
Council Member Kari Nacy: Thank you Please join me in prayer Heavenly Father, we come to you
today asking for your guidance, wisdom, and support as we begin this meeting, help us to engage in
meaningful discussion and allow us to grow closer as a group and nurture the bonds of our
community Amen
Mayor Burk: Thank you Would everyone please stand and join me?
All: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it
stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all
Mayor Burk: All right, let the record reflect that all Town Council Members are present We have two
sets of minutes The working session minutes of May 22nd Do I have a motion to accept them?
Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg' So moved
Mayor Burk: Vice Mayor Steinberg
Council Member Nacy: Second
Mayor Burk: Seconded by Council Member Nacy All in favor indicate by saying, "Aye"
Members*Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed'?That passes 7-0 Regular session minutes of May 23rd, 2023
Vice Mayor Steinberg: So moved
Mayor Burk: Vice Mayor Steinberg
Council Member Nacy. Second
Mayor Burk. Seconded by Council Member Nacy All in favor?
Members: Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed? That passes 7-0 I would like to move to adopt the meeting agenda Do I
have a second'?
Council Member Nacy• Second
Mayor Burk- Second, Council Member Nacy I would also like at this point to ask if we could move
14 a ,the public hearing to after 11 the petitioner section
Vice Mayor Steinberg: Second
Page 1 JJune 13, 2023
Mayor Burk' Does anybody have any objections to that? All right Then all in favor of adopting the
meeting agenda as with the amendment indicate by saying, "Aye"
Members. Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed? That passes 7-0 Certificate of recognition We have none tonight, but we do
have two proclamations One of them is a proclamation that I will be taking to the Master Gardeners
meeting and the other proclamation is for Juneteeth Let me read into the record the proclamation for
the Master Gardeners Whereas since 1992, the Virginia Cooperative Extension Loudoun, VCE
Loudoun Master Gardeners have educated the public on gardening methods through the
demonstration gardens at Ida Lee Park
Whereas VCE, the Loudoun Master Gardeners have dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers who
look forward to answering any horticultural question from the public Whereas VCE, Loudoun Master
Gardeners have proven through agricultural experimentation that organic gardening is possible in
Loudoun County Whereas VCE, the Loudoun Master Gardeners, have been recognized within the
community improvement award, the John W Tolbert Award, and the Signatures of Loudoun Design
Excellence Award for Public Landscapes
Whereas VCE, Loudoun Master Gardeners donates between 1 to 2,000 pounds of fresh produce to
the Loudoun Hunger Relief annually Therefore, proclaimed that the Mayor and the Council of the
Town of Leesburg hereby recognize the VCE, Loudoun Master Gardeners' dedication and continued
efforts and applaud the continued success of the demonstration garden at Ida Lee Park I will take
that with me when I go to their meeting
The next item is the Juneteenth Proclamation This one, I will be going down to the floor to present
Whereas President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863
declaring the slaves in the Confederate territory free and paving the way for the passing of the 13th
Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States of America Whereas news about
the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was delayed some two and a half years to June 19th,
1865 in reaching authorities in the African Americans in the South and Southwest United States
Whereas June 19th has a special meaning for the African American community and is called
Juneteenth, combining the words June and 19th, and has been celebrated by African American
community for over 150 years Whereas the year 2023 marks the 404'h anniversary of the arrival to
Jamestown settlement of the first Africans, where they were enslaved marking the beginning of nearly
250 years of slavery in the British colonies and then the new nation which would become the United
States Whereas today, Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievements, while
encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures, as it takes on a more national
symbolic and even global perspective to ensure the events of 1865 are never forgotten
Whereas the Leesburg Town Council recognizes the following organization, the BURG Family
Reunion, and its president, Irvin Greene, for their efforts to encourage residents to become more
aware of the significance of this celebration in the African American history and preserving the
memories of the Black descendants, and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and its
President Steven Williams for his efforts towards the passage of the Juneteenth Independent Day
Legislation and for the coordination and organization of the Juneteenth flag-raising event held here
June 5th, 2023
Therefore, proclaimed that the Mayor and the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia hereby
declare that Monday, June 19th be observed as Juneteenth in the Town of Leesburg, Virginia We
urge all citizens to recognize the importance of remembrance of all the lives lost during the tragic
period of slavery Proclaimed this 13th day I would like to ask Mr Greene and Mr Williams to come to
the front and let me present these to you
[silence]
Mayor Burk. Thank you Hello gentlemen [laughs] There's the shirt Why not the BURG?Yay
Page 2IJune 13, 2023
Irvin Greene. That's right
Mayor Burk: I want to thank you very much for being here today and accepting these proclamations
and for what you do It's been really significant and in just the short time that you've been involved in
bringing this to our attention, it's really made a big difference We really appreciate the fact that you're
so committed to bringing this forward and making sure that we continue to honor and remember
Would you like to say a few things about your organizations?
Irvin Greene: Sure First, thank you for this proclamation We truly appreciate it I know this is our
third annual Juneteenth celebration that we'll be having on Saturday at Ida Lee Park The BURG
Family Reunion Club, we not only just do Juneteenth, but there's a lot of things that we do We do
things in the community, helping families in need Gosh, I could go on and on and on with some of the
things that we do, but we're really excited about this Saturday with the Juneteenth celebration
If you are in Town, you want to come out and have a good time, my arms are wide open for any and
everyone to come Please come on out and enjoy Come to have a good time at our Juneteenth
celebration
Mayor Burk: Now, where is it and what time?
Irvin Greene: Ida Lee Park Thank you Ida Lee Park, which is right down the street here, and it starts
at 12 noon Gates open at 11 15 and it ends at 6 00 PM
Mayor Burk. Is there a cost?
Irvin Greene: There is a cost
[laughter]
Irvin Greene: Wow It's $20 to get in and we'll have food vendors, non-food vendors We'll have
entertainment, all kinds of stuff, so it'll be a great day and it's family-friendly event Come on out if
you're available to
Mayor Burk: I can testify that it is truly a great event, so I hope everybody will come out Now Steve,
would you like to explain about your organization?
Steve Williams: Hi Thank you, everybody I'm Steve Williams I'm a former Leesburg resident, but I
live in Sterling I used to have a business in Leesburg
[laughter]
Steve Williams. You guys got downtown together now, so when I came here, it was rough My mom
was the only business on Loudoun Street, so it was tough Anyway, but it is good It's good now I
love it Maybe even want to come back I'm the president of the National Juneteenth Observance
Foundation They call us America's Official Juneteenth Foundation Most of you might know Opal Lee,
the grandmother of Juneteenth That's the media calls her She's been here several times and she'll
be probably through here Monday sometime We'll be at the White House grounds during Juneteenth
this year It's not as big as we wanted it to be, but it'll be better next year
The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation is in the business of bringing attention and
observance to the issue of Juneteenth by celebrating everybody's common bond of freedom We all
love freedom Everybody wants freedom That's what we concentrate on through certain tenets like
education and awareness We're paired with great foundations and organizations like the 400 Years
of African-American History, the original Project 1619 with Calvin Pearson He was going to be here
this last year This last Monday he had illness
He couldn't make it but we paired with great people to bring information and knowledge about
American history, not African American history, just American history I'm so thankful for the support
that I've always gotten out of the Town of Leesburg since I first, my mom moved back here in 1980
Page 3IJune 13, 2023
something and then I came in about 2000 and I've always loved everybody and everybody I always
gotten 100% support, so I really appreciate it and go out and support the BURG Family Reunion
Mayor Burk:Absolutely, and here, thank you gentlemen for what you do and we really appreciate it
Irvin Greene: All right, thank you
Mayor Burk: Thank you
[applause]
Mayor Burk: All right, we are now at our petitioner's section and one of the first orders of business is
to hear from the public All members of the public are welcome to address the Council on any item
matter or issue Please identify yourself and if comfortable doing so, please give your address for the
taped record Any public speaker will be requested to state their name and spell it for the purpose of
closed captioning In the interest of fairness,we ask that you observe the three-minute time limit
The green light on the timer will turn yellow when you have one minute remaining At that time, we
would appreciate your summing up and yielding the floor when the bell indicates your time is expired
Under the rules of orders adopted by this Council, the time limit applies to all The first name that's
signed up on the petitioner is Juan Pablo Sagora Is he here? Okay He's not here yet Debra
Gilmore,followed by Taylor Peak, Tyler Peak, sorry
Christopher Spera: And Madam Mayor for the record, there were no presentations or regional
commission reports We skipped items 9 and 10
Mayor Burk: I skipped it again There are none [laughs]
Christopher Spera: Now the record is clear Thank you
Mayor Burk: Okay,thank you Yes
Debra Gilmore: Good evening, Mayor Burk, Vice Mayor, and Council Members My name is Debra
Gilmore, D-E-B-R-A G-I-L-M-O-R-E and I'm the CEO of LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Services We are asking you to pass the resolution to initiate amendments to the zoning ordinance
that will define and add a congregate housing use LAWS is Loudoun County's designated domestic
violence and sexual assault services provider
We offer emergency shelter to victims fleeing danger and much more, including legal representation,
safety planning, court accompaniment, other advocacy support, a 24/7 hotline response, and
therapeutic services to more than 1,100 survivors every year 20% to 25% of these survivors identify
as Leesburg residents We also work to stop violence before it starts through our violence prevention
initiatives, operate the resourceful women thrift store on Loudoun Street, which engages the
community in our work, and our main office sits close to the courthouse in the heart of this Town
For many reasons, LAWS needs to provide a new domestic violence shelter for the community's
survivors The current shelter is nearly 40 years old This area has experienced exponential growth in
population and the recent pandemic increased domestic violence locally and globally The current
shelter's three-bedroom, 12-bed capacity isn't enough to meet demand Its remote location takes
emergency responders more than 20 minutes to reach, and that location is no longer protected by
being"unknown"due to innovations like GPS tracking
LAWS has identified potential property in this Town for larger and secure shelter that would empower
survivors by living near basic needs,jobs and emergency responders We believe the shelter fits in a
congregate housing use, which exists in Loudoun County zoning ordinances but not yet in the towns
Congregate housing is an important part of the housing continuum Generally, it allows people who
are able to live independently yet need certain supportive services the type of housing that supports
that need
Page 4IJune 13, 2023
Our emergency shelter is just such a place It is for individuals and their dependent children in the
midst of experiencing domestic violence Those individuals have had their independence quashed
through dangerous and psychologically damaging dynamics Research suggests that 99% of
domestic violence survivors also experience financial abuse These survivors need support to regain
power and control over their lives, finances, and decisions to have not only the courage but real
support to break free from domestic abuse
By building safety, hope, and empowerment together with survivors, we enhance our communities as
places where all people can live self-sufficient lives free of violence We urge you to pass the
resolution and initiate amendments to the zoning ordinance that will define and add a congregate
housing use Thank you
Mayor Burk: Thank you Tyler Peak
Tyler Peak: Good evening My name is Tyler Peak, T-Y-L-E-R P-E-A-K I'm a resident of the Town as
well and I serve as the development manager for LAWS Tonight, I also ask the Council to approve
the resolution to initiate amendments to the Town zoning ordinance to define, create, use standards,
and specify zoning districts for congregate housing By the simple act of approving this resolution, the
Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County will be one step closer to having a domestic violence shelter
that truly embodies safety, hope, and empowerment for adult, youth and child survivors of domestic
and sexual violence
The resolution shows survivors that our local government understands the importance of proximity to
public transportation, grocery stores, county resources, such as the courthouse, to where they would
be able to walk if they're staying in our shelter or to the workforce development center, to where as
they're leaving this household, they're able to enter the workforce and start providing for their child
and family More than that, it gives them the opportunity, it makes it a little bit easier to start to live a
life free from the violence they were once subjected to
On behalf of the LAWS team, I'm super appreciative of the Town staff for all their guidance through
the conversations we have and the Council Members we've had the opportunity to meet with thus far
for their support and guidance on this process We obviously hope that it results in an approval from
the Council tonight Thank you so much
Mayor Burk: Thank you, Mr Peak Mr Town Manager, is this on the agenda for tonight?
Kaj Dentler. Yes
Mayor Burk: Okay Just wanted to make sure I hadn't seen it There is nobody else signed up to
speak Is there anybody in the audience that would like to speak on anything other than the Hamblet
Property Rezoning that didn't get to sign up that would like to speak at this point? Seeing nobody, I
will close the petitioner section, and we will hold our public hearing
I will call to order this June 13th, 2023 public hearing on the Leesburg Town Council Unless there is
an objection, I will dispense with the reading of the advertisement If you wish to speak, we ask that
you either sign up on the sheet in the hallway outside the Council Chamber, but if you did not get the
opportunity to sign up, we will give you the opportunity to speak
In the interest of fairness, we ask that you observe the five-minute time limit The green light in front of
you will turn yellow at the end of four minutes, indicating that you have one minute remaining At that
time, we would appreciate your summing up and yielding the floor when the bell indicates your time is
expired Under the rules of orders adopted by this Council, the five-minute time limit applies to all
citizens
However, rather than have numerous citizens present remarks on behalf of the group, the Council will
allow a spokesperson for the group a few extra minutes I am allowing six speakers, seven minutes to
make their remarks tonight as they are representing a group of residents If there are any other
speakers representing the group, we would ask that the speakers, when they sign up, indicate their
status as spokesperson,the group they represent, and the request for additional time
Page 5jJune 13, 2023
Our procedure for tonight's hearing is as follows First, there is a brief presentation by staff about the
item before us Second, there is a brief presentation by applicant, and third, members of the public
that have signed up to speak will be called to make their comments The public hearing item on the
agenda tonight is for TLZM-2021-0006, Hamblet Property Rezoning 'Yes, sir
Scott Parker Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, my name is Scott Parker I am the Project
Manager for the Town on this project for this evening This is a rezoning TLZM-2021-006, Hamblet
Property rezoning The subject property is indicated by this map as 6 77 acres It's comprised of two
parcels They are both zoned R-E, and it is adjacent to a variety of users surrounding, including
Potomac Station Residential, where the access to the property is provided off of Bow Lake Place as
indicated in this vicinity right here that is not working on my map
You also can see that the Stone House, which is an existing feature, it's considered a feature that's
not on any register, but it is a resource to be preserved as provided for in our Town Plan There's also
adjacent to the Clarion Hotel business area, which is B3, and Harper Park Middle School This
request, this evening is to amend the map to rezone the 6 77 acres from R-E residential estate to R-8
medium density attached residential to allow 25 attached townhouse dwelling units This property is
also subject to the Gateway District Overlay, architectural control district
The zoning map is indicated, shows that this is R-E and it's surrounded by B-3 The green that you
see there is the Potomac Station neighborhood as well as Harper Park, and they are all zoned PRC
or Planned Residential Commercial zoning category Then the B4 across the street is the Village of
Leesburg The Legacy Leesburg Town Plan has a character designation of the property for residential
neighborhood In the Town Plan, the residential neighborhood is characterized the residential
neighborhood as a single type of unit,which is a single-family detached unit
However, the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan, which is the more specific guidance for this
application, also states that this particular property is called out specifically as being appropriate for
single-family attach that is appropriate for the neighborhood and is appropriate and its surroundings
It's also designated as an area to enhance the Town Plan which is consistent with the adjacent
properties
As I stated, this is also part of the Gateway District Overlay plan The entire property is subject to
these regulations There is also a noise abatement corridor that's part of Route 7 It's 300 feet from
the center line of King Street, Route 15, right here, I'm sorry That's right Should be Route 7, but this
does not affect any of the residential units The residential units are arranged as such that the noise
abatement corridor and mitigation measures are not required However, the applicant did do a noise
study for the property, even though it's not required
This is the layout of the proposal It's 25 residential townhouse unit and the incorporation of the Stone
House is included as an outdoor amenity feature As indicated by this, all of the units are rear-loaded
garages They have two-car garages and two spaces in the driveway for parking The houses to the
left of the screen facing Route 7 are facing a storm-water management pond The sticks of
townhouses at the bottom, the 10 units, are facing the residential units of Potomac Station, and the
units adjacent to Harper Park Middle School are facing an interior courtyard
As I stated, they are all internally loaded and rear-loaded access garage townhouses These are
some examples of the architecture that is being provided for this This is the front, the rears with the
two-car garages, and the sides of the units As I stated, this is in the Gateway District Board of
Architectural Review has oversight of these units The BAR reviewed this as a referral on November
16th
The BAR for items in the Gateway District review for conceptual issues such as building placement
orientation, context, heights, scale, and massing They also addressed items conceptually as referred
to before the Stone House, the Stone Harper House as is alternatively known, and the protection
thereof as an outdoor amenity only The BAR was generally comfortable with the application, but
COA, Certificates of Appropriateness will be required for everything that is built on the site, including
anything that is done to the Stone House amenity
Page 6IJune 13, 2023
The storm-water management that's included on the site is utilized for both quantity and quality
requirements It meets state and local requirements and handles the stormwater runoff for the
development The Stone House amenity, which is called out in the Town Plan in the Eastern Gateway
Plan for protection as well, is going to be repaired The applicant will probably go over that more with
their presentation
The outdoor area is going to be amenity area seating trails connecting it, and the exterior will be fixed
up and presented to the HOA in a condition that maintenance will probably not be required for a while,
but the access to the inside will not be available for a variety of reasons It will be made watertight and
airtight and will be a amenity that will be protected on site but for outdoor gathering only There will
also be a public easement across this space to allow the public in the Potomac Station neighborhood
to access this amenity area if that is the desire
With the proffers of this, all of the proffers that we have received have been per guidelines outlined in
the various documents that the Town has There's an offsite contribution of 66,779, and then there's
fire rescue in the capital facilities contribution per our current standards for contributions for residential
units Transportation, there's a traffic technical memorandum as a result of a meeting that was held in
December It was indicated by residents, some of which are staring at me from behind right now that I
can feel taking a look at me
The traffic study was redone as a result of that meeting to have current standards not applicable to
Covid and that if the results were the same, there's 25 townhouses will create 12 gross vehicle trips
per hour over peak period and a potential for 141 total daily trips There's 149 here, it's 141 and that's
total daily trips in and out over the course of a day
From a technical perspective, from a technical perspective and from an engineering perspective,
there's no appreciable effect on the surrounding roads from this new development The roads can
handle it They function at a level of service that is acceptable Bow Lake Place is the only legal
access for the property There is no access from Route 7 nor will there be for any reason being that's
limited highway access designation, but Bow Lake Place is the legal access for the property for
whatever use goes on here of a residential neighborhood as called out into the Town Plan As stated
before, offsite transportation contributions have been provided
The school impacts the number of students that this information was provided to me by Loudoun
County Public Schools for 25 townhouse units You can see here that they estimate 12 total students
to be generated by this neighborhood, five elementary, three middle four high school As a result of
the 25 units,they have contributed $457,125 for school impacts
Affordable dwelling units are not required for this neighborhood 25 is the threshold, but being that the
R-E zoning category that currently exists probably equates to two by right units That means that only
23 are accounted for Therefore, the threshold has not been reached and no ADUs are proposed for
this development The fiscal impact analysis that this Town did for this shows a negligible impact
under any scenario for this
As you can see from this, I will go into this in more detail if you were to want me to at the end of the
presentation This assumes a by-right development of two homes, as I stated before The proffers
have been voluntarily submitted by the applicant They go over things such as the dwelling unit
maximum, the stone house amenity details, fire and rescue contributions, school capital facilities,
maintenance responsibilities of the HOA et cetera as you would typically find with a development in
their proffers
From staffs technical aspect of this and their review, we believe that Section 3315 compliance for
rezoning criteria has been met with compliance, binding agreements, traffic impacts surrounding uses
and adequate public facilities I have provided the recommendations for you should you decide that
that is a direction that you wish to go I also have one for denial With that, that sums up my
presentation and I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have on this application
Thank you
Page 7IJune 13, 2023
Mayor Burk: Thank you Mr Parker Is there anyone who has any questions for Mr Parker at this
point? Guess you're off the hook Oh, no, you're not off the hook Sorry
Council Member Zach Cummings: Sorry Mr Parker, explain to me the no access to the property
via Route 7 Is that a Virginia Department of Transportation rule? Is that a Town rule?
Scott Parker: Both We go by VDOT and since the addition Route 7 now is designated by VDOT as a
limited access highway after the construction so no access to Route 7 is allowed, proposed, or can
happen for this property Okay
Council Member Cummings: Okay Would the applicant, not to speak for them, but would they not
be allowed under these same guidelines to negotiate with the owner of the Clarion Hotel to gain
access to the property via the hotel?
Scott Parker: They could enter into that, but and I know that the 120 eyes behind me probably won't
agree with this, but you would be entering a commercial property to get to a residential property in
that respect, as opposed from residential to residential That would also require a rezoning to a B
district and the Town Plan states that this is only appropriate for residential development
Council Member Cummings. Okay Thanks
Mayor Burk: Council Member- is that Mr Wilt, that's yours to sign?
Council Member Patrick Wilt:Yes
Mayor Burk: Mr Wilt
Council Member Wilt' Okay Scott on page 17, I wanted to get a little more clarity on the no
appreciable effect on surrounding roads from the new development It occurs to me in a residential
neighborhood of this character, there's about 12 dwelling units per block 25 units would be two
additional blocks worth of similar dwelling units, which then give you additional cross streets, which
then accept and disperse some of the traffic load
Scott Parker: Yes sir
Council Member Wilt. In this case, the technical depth, you're saying no appreciable effect What
does that mean?
Scott Parker: That means that the number of trips that's generated by this development won't create
congestion, will not create a level of service problems at the intersections, and will not create a
dangerous situation based solely on the number of trips that's coming out Will they be additive in
nature to what is existing in the neighborhood?Yes, sir They will be, but when there's no appreciable
effect That is from a technical standpoint, not an impact of the additive nature of it
Council Member Wilt. Okay There will be increased density of traffic, but in terms of the width of the
roadways, the conditional road, it won't break an intersection or overwhelm a roadway?
Scott Parker. That is correct
Council Member Wilt: Technically
Scott Parker: Technically
Council Member Wilt: Okay Thanks, Scott
Mayor Burk. Council Member Nacy7
Page 8IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Nacy: Thank you I'm curious at what point in the process would, if any, fire and
rescue, the Fire Marshal, for instance, have a say in how easily they would be able to access this
property if there were a fire, an emergency, given that it's a cul -de-sac, there's one way in, one way
out Do they get a say in this?
Scott Parker: Yes, they have already reviewed this They reviewed-- we send all of our referrals for
development applications to fire rescue, as well as the Fire Marshal's office They look at conceptual
issues such as fire hydrant coverage access, et cetera They did not have a problem with this
application in its form or layout
Council Member Nacy: Okay Thank you
Scott Parker: That has happened now Further down the road, they will have a say as far as a further
review as it goes through, if it were to get that far to a site plan or building, but as far as conceptually
about whether it's doable from a fire rescue standard, they have already reviewed this
Council Member Nacy. Okay, because I would just be concerned about the size of the streets and
being able to get an ambulance or a fire truck to the corner of the property that might be furthest away
from the fire hydrant, that sort of thing
Scott Parker: What they do, and I'm just maybe going in the weeds just a little bit here, and I
apologize, but when we look at it, they look at turning radiuses for the fire trucks, they'll look at
hydrant locations, they'll look at the availability to get around the units in order to fight based on
height They do a pretty thorough look at that If the Fire Marshal had issues with this, it would not
have come this far
Council Member Nacy• Okay Thank you
Mayor Burk: Council Member Bagdasanan?
Council Member Ara Bagdasarian: Just for context, thank you, Mr Parker Was this part of the
original Potomac Station property?
Scott Parker: This was not part of the original Potomac Station property, and it has remained in
private hands It has a history on it, but it has never been part of Potomac Station As it stands right
now, they are not proposing to be a part of Potomac Station or their HOA It's going to be an
independent HOA at this point sustaining its own community
Council Member Bagdasarian: Obviously there was some sort of vision or anticipation for some
redevelopment in that location based on the roughed-in driveway in the cul-de-sac What was the
original vision or anticipated use for that property?
Scott Parker: Residential As I stated before, in the Town Plan, there is the general residential
neighborhood designation on it, and that does state only one unit type, which is single-family
detached but the Eastern Gateway Small Area District plan, the Eastern Gateway plan, which gives
more specific guidance and specifically calls out this property, says that it can be single-family
attached or detached compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods, which obviously is a subjective
term, and as well as the protection of the Stone House amenity It specifically refers to the property at
the end of Bow Lake Place
Council Member Bagdasarian: I know we've discussed this, but there are no alternate options for a
second entry point to this property Obviously, we talked about Route 7 Is there a possibility near the
school?
Scott Parker: This is their legal access that could be looked into, but the chances, knowing what the
programmed elements are of the school, the chances of the provision of that are slim to none, I would
say, because of the schools wanting to provide access through an institutional use and then the Town
would also have an issue with the provision of access through a commercial property
Page 9IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Badgasarian: Thank you
Mayor Burk: Council Member Cimino-Johnson
Council Member Todd Cimino-Johnson. Thank you, Scott, for your presentation Are there any
instances in Leesburg where we only have one entrance and exit like we have on this'?
Scott Parker. There are instances of that What I will say is that this is a rarity to have single-family
attached units accessed at the end of an extremely long block of solely single-family detached units
We have not been able to identify that typical scenario in the Town
It's not illegal but it is definitely unique and the access point of Bow Lake Place being an existing
access point provision for it as called out in the plan and being the legal frontage limits that option,
especially being that it is called out for residential development in the plans
Council Member Cimino-Johnson: Okay, thank you
Scott Parker: Yes, sir
Mayor Burk: Vice Mayor
Vice Mayor Steinberg: Thank you Actually, I have no questions just a comment at this time I
wouldn't want the room to take my lack of questions as a lack of interest This is now the third time I
have seen this application and sat through these proposals I have a fairly decent grasp of the details
of the project Regardless of the decision this evening I wouldn't want anyone to mistake what
decisions we make, whatever they may be as a condemnation of the staff because they have done a
lot of hard work They do what they do and oftentimes their decisions are made based on certain
factors as as ours Thank you
Mayor Burk• Thank you, Mr Parker Appreciate the information Does the applicant have a
presentation?
[pause]
Matt Leslie: Checking that this is on Good Great Okay Good evening, Mayor Burk, Council
Members, thank you for the opportunity to present before you this evening My name is Matt Leslie
I'm a Land Use Planner with the law firm Walsh Colucci here tonight representing Carr Holmes who is
the contract purchaser of the Hamblet Property and applicant for the rezoning application before you
tonight
I want to thank staff for working with us on this project Over the past almost year and a half, we have
worked hard to resolve all outstanding technical issues and stand before you tonight with staff support
for approval of this application by the Town Council This project is something we are very excited to
see move forward with the hope that this project can assist the Town in addressing the need for
additional housing while serving as an opportunity to preserve the Stone Harper House and enhance
the Hamblet property overall
Throughout the application process, we've worked with Town staff to ensure that this project provided
a cohesive vision that met the design guidelines of the Gateway District Overlay while providing
compliance with the policies and goals of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan, and most
importantly the newly adopted Legacy Leesburg Comprehensive Plan As a bit of background, the
subject property is a 6 44-acre site outlined in green and is bordered to the south by Route 7, to the
north by Harper Park Middle School, to the west by the Clarion Hotel, and to the east by Bow Lake
Place, Potomac Station HOA protected open space as well as the single-family detached homes from
that community
The property is currently zoned to the R-E residential estate zoning district The property is also within
the Gateway District Overlay, and as such development on the site will require a Certificate of
Appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review Under the recently adopted Legacy
Page 10IJune 13, 2023
Leesburg Town Plan, the property is designated as an area to enhance and is also within and subject
to the policies and guidance of the Eastern Gateway District's Small Area Plan
The current re-zoning district designation was never intended to be the zoning that the property was
developed under but rather used as a holding zoning designation until urban services became
available and or completion of Town land use and zoning studies led to other recommended zoning
classifications following annexation decades ago Urban services are certainly readily available
In addition to guidance on preserving the Stone Harper House, the Eastern Gateway District Small
Area Plan, which was fully incorporated into the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan overall, specifically calls
out this property as appropriate for single-family detached and/or attached housing that is compatible
with the character of the adjoining residential neighborhood We looked at compatibility from multiple
angles and tried to consider not only density and design but development pattern and overall fit
In terms of development pattern, the images on the right of the screen with the top image being
directly from the small area plan itself shows just how compatible the proposed development pattern
is with the existing community Given the guidance of Legacy Leesburg and the Eastern Gateway
Small Area Plan, the applicant proposes to re-zone the property to the R-8 zoning district While the
proposed density is well below the density allowed in R-8, the R-8 district was necessary in order to
allow for single-family attached units as unit type
I will also highlight that the proposal before you tonight includes zero zoning modifications As a part
of the rezoning proposal, we have committed via our proffer statement, to limiting development to a
maximum of 25 townhomes with a max height for those homes of 35ft for all units We have also
committed to providing two-car garages for [inaudible] car driveways for every home, and four-sided
architecture throughout the development utilizing high-quality materials such as brick, masonry, and
cementitious siding At a max of 25 townhomes, the maximum density proposed would be 3 89 units
per acre,which is similar to the existing density of Potomac Station
The applicant also proposes to enhance and amenitize the area around the Stone House As a part of
the proffer commitments made with this application, the applicant will provide a public access
easement over the entire Stone House amenity area so that not only can future residents enjoy this
enhanced area, but nearby residents of Potomac Station can walk to and enjoy this area as well This
slide provides a visual for the proffer landscape and buffering To provide some scale, the fronts of
units 1 through 5 and 6 through 10 are over 60ft away from the property line at the bottom of the
screen, and landscaping shown along that border is over 40ft wide
We are providing a 25-foot wide landscape buffer between the property and the middle school, a 50-
foot wide landscape buffer between the property and the Clarion Hotel, and a 75-foot wide
landscaped buffer between Route 7 and the stormwater pond, which does include tree-save area
With the exception of the existing corner house on Bow Lake Place, which has no windows facing the
property, the other Potomac Station homes that back up to the property are further shielded by the
existing 70-foot wide HOA-protected open space that is in between those lots and the Hamblet
Property, and that area is heavily vegetated
An important part of this development is the opportunity to preserve and enhance the Stone House
and the area around it While there's a lot of local lore about the Stone Harper House, I do want to
clarify that additional valuations have been done by the applicant and reviewed by the Town that
confirm the Stone House is not eligible for listing in any historic register, and that the house is not
associated with significant specific events or broad themes of local, state or national history
That being said, we understand that there are at least some members of the community who have a
connection to the house and that it carries, at the very least, some amount of sentimental value if
nothing else With that in mind, we are proposing to preserve the Stone House in a way that makes it
structurally sound and watertight A pergola and picnic tables will provide an area for family
gatherings, an interpretive signage along the trail areas around the amenity will allow an opportunity
to tell the history of this area in a meaningful way
Page 111June 13, 2023
As shown, we have committed to providing four-sided architecture utilizing high-quality materials that
will complement the existing Potomac Station community Its hard to see in a two-dimensional
drawing, but the varying setbacks of each unit in concert with other architectural design elements will
help to break up the visual plane and prevent the appearance of a monotonous solid wall The
materials chosen elevate the appearance of this entire development with a cohesive and inviting
design
As I mentioned earlier, the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan specifically calls out the
Hamblet Property as appropriate for single-family detached and or attached housing that is
compatible with the character of the adjoining residential neighborhood We took that guidance to
heart and incorporated it throughout the proposed development We are proposing a density that is in
line with that of the single-family detached areas of Potomac Station and well below almost half that of
the nearest cluster of single-family attached homes within Potomac Station
We are proposing single-family homes, single-family attached homes of similar scale design and
materials to those existing As proposed, the community will provide an appropriate transition
between the nearby single-family detached homes and the existing and future potential institutional
and commercial uses adjacent to the property
I did want to take a moment to address the concerns of the community We are aware of the online
petition that was circulated and sent to the Town in regards to our application Want to acknowledge
these concerns We actually met with the residents of Potomac Station in December of last year and
heard quite a few of the same concerns Immediately in response to that meeting, we spent both time
and money to completely overhaul and update our transportation study While the results of the
updated study were similar to the previous one, we felt it was important in a show of good faith to use
the latest data and traffic to ensure an accurate representation of the situation on the ground
The study notes that the proposed development will result in 141 daily trips, which on its face certainly
sounds like a lot of trips This perception of whether this will be a significant impact starts to come into
focus when compared to the trips that are generated by the closest 92 single-family detached homes,
which currently result in 935 daily trips To really quickly touch on some of the other concerns, the
amount of parking provided at over 4 5 spaces per unit makes overflow parking unlikely Additionally,
while we have not had any discussions to date about this topic, we are certainly open to discussions
regarding annexation into the Potomac Station HOA
This slide provides a visual of the area we are discussing with the single-family detached homes Just
noting that the 92 homes results in more trips in the AM and PM peak hours at 151 trips than are
expected to be generated over an entire day from the proposed development Additionally, all
intersections continue to operate in an acceptable level of service Finally,we did want to address and
bring to light an opportunity to address the community's concerns as it relates to traffic from Harper
Park Middle School While the proposed development is within the walk zone for both schools, we
understand the traffic for Harper Park Middle School is impacting the existing community Significant
relief could be achieved with rather minor adjustments in the flow of traffic Additionally, this issue is
not related directly to our zoning and should not be held against us That being said, the over$66,000
in off-site transportation dollars being contributed by this application does present an opportunity to
have this application be a part of the solution to this issue
We appreciate that any change raises questions of the unknown and can be difficult to process The
Town of Leesburg has had two widely participated in public processes that resulted in this same clear
policy directive, which is that this property should be developed and it should be developed with more
than just two large manor homes The proposed development is in direct response to these and
several other Town policies that identified a desire by the Town for residential development on this
property as well as the preservation of the Stone Harper House
We believe that the proposal before you tonight aligns with these policies in a manner that enhances
the property while being respectful and mindful of the existing community we seek to join That being
said, we are certainly open to having this application forwarded to a future business meeting should
the Town Council desire to continue to work with us on this application Mayor Burk, Members of the
Page 12IJune 13, 2023
Town Council, we thank you for the opportunity to present before you this evening and we are
available to answer any questions that you may have Thank you
Mayor Burk: Thank you Appreciate the information Is there anyone at this point that has a
question? I do I'm not sure what slide it is On this slide that you presented up on the screen
Matt Leslie: I think it's slide 10
Mayor Burk: It was about traffic How many acres is the townhouse development?
Matt Leslie: 6 44
Mayor Burk: 6 point?
Mall Leslie. 44 About six and a half
Mayor Burk:About six acres How much is the yellow area?
Matt Leslie: I don't know for sure
Mayor Burk. Looking at it, is it similar in size?
Matt Leslie: Yes, [crosstalk] [unintelligible] maybe 24, maybe 30, somewhere in there, 24, 30
Mayor Burk. Is it similar in size to the townhouse?
Matt Leslie: Oh, certainly not No
Mayor Burk: By comparing the amount of traffic that where it would go in this particular development
as opposed to in this townhouse development, you can see that they have more area that you are
adding additional traffic onto While theirs is spread out, yours is very condensed, and we'll add traffic
directly onto where their regular roads are at this point
Matt Leslie: Respectfully, the densities are actually almost identical That area is 3 32 units to the
acre, we're 3 89 It's 92 homes versus 25 homes Slightly larger area versus a smaller area The
density in terms of unit per acre is very, very close
Mayor Burk:All right Ms Nacy
Council Member Nacy. Thank you How far from the edge of Route 7 to the first set of townhomes? I
know the stormwater management pond is in between, but how far of a distance is that between the
edge of the property, which is, that's right to Market Street and the townhomes?
Matt Leslie: Something that would tell me that [pause] From the edge of the property line to the front
of the townhomes is 261 feet On the near side of the internal road, you can see there's a dotted line
going through the interior of the stormwater pond there, that line is 300 feet from the center line of the
westbound lanes for Route 7
Council Member Nacy: Thank you The reason I ask is because there are sound panels that are
right there at the very end of that cul-de-sac to help block those homes from the very noisy Route 7
Market Street I'm just curious if these townhomes would be, as they're in the selling process, be
notified that they were that close to a road I just foresee lots of noise complaints down the road
about-- and eventually some kind of wall being put up to block that if it's not already planned now I
can't imagine the amount of distance between 7 and the stormwater pond and the townhouses would
help the noise
Matt Leslie: As Mr Parker alluded to, while we weren't required to do a noise study, we did complete
one That noise study measured the sound during peak rush hour traffic times at various points on the
Page 13IJune 13, 2023
project That noise study showed that the sound on the property today was within the Town's noise
ordinance limits for outdoor noise in terms of what you would consider acceptable for residential
homes
We are maintaining a tree-save area on the south side of the Stone Harper House there They
obviously have that 75-foot-wide buffered yard there, but our noise studies show that there wasn't any
noise mitigation that would be required That being said, we are actually proffering to go above and
beyond and have proffered to a higher-rated window and door What do you call it? Better doors and
windows That will help mitigate that sound even more, even though we're not approaching a
threshold that would be considered obnoxious
Council Member Nacy: I appreciate that you're doing extra buffering landscaping-wise, but
whatever's going to be removed there and then replanted is going to take years to grow There's
going to be a period of time where the noise is a lot worse You know what I mean? Before all of that
landscaping, you're not going to plant full-grown trees, right?
Matt Leslie. Yes, the noise study takes that into account It doesn't assume that there is a 25-year-
old, 75-foot-wide buffer there It measures all those things at various points in time Much like the
traffic study has adjustments over time, the noise study does as well
Council Member Nacy: Okay,thank you
Mayor Burk. Council Member Wilt
Council Member Wilt: Thank you First, I wanted to comment, looking at the elevations, it's actually
very attractive aesthetic, so compliments on that. The one question I did want to inquire about was
attached housing, in my view, whether it's townhouses or condos or apartments even, the primary
benefit of that mine is density That's very valuable, actually a characteristic in the right location
When I look in this general area, I look at Potomac Station, I think on Belmont Terrace, there are
townhouses currently Potomac Station Marketplace has attached housing The location of each of
those is the ingress and egress is directly on to a main thoroughfare They don't pass through any
other development for any traffic issues Directly onto a thoroughfare I'm curious about the choice of
this location Why is this? It does seem to deviate from what seems to be the normal location
selection for attached housing, so why is this the right location?
Matt Leslie. Respectfully, it's the right location because the Town's plans and policies, and guidance
suggest that this is the right location The Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan specifically says,
"Put homes here Specifically put single-family detached or attached housing that's compatible with
the Potomac Station neighborhood Put them here"There's a curb cut that exists on Bow Lake Place
today that has always been the intended ingress-egress point for this property, so this application is in
response to those policies
Council Member Wilt. Thank you
Mayor Burk' Mr Cummings
Council Member Cummings: Thank you Do we know what the average cost of the townhomes will
be?
Matt Leslie: It'll be determined by market
Council Member Cummings: Okay Are there any affordable dwelling units offered in this
application?
Matt Leslie: There are not No
Council Member Cummings: Thanks
Page 14IJune 13, 2023
Mayor Burk: I have two additional questions The stormwater pond, this might be for Mr Parker The
stormwater pond will be right next to Route 7 Does it come under the state's hazardous pond
regulations that the Exeter Pond has to honor?
Scott Parker. I'm sorry, ma'am I don't know if I understand the question Is the--
Mayor Burk: Well, maybe Bill would be better to answer that
Scott Parker: I present to you, Mr Ackman, who understands the question
Bill Ackman: It would not qualify as a dam under the state's DCR Dam requirements It's just not
quite big enough for that
Mayor Burk: Okay Thank you I appreciate that information Thank you, Mr Leslie, I appreciate you
coming forward Now we have our public hearing speakers, and the first speaker for today is Tori
Murphy'? Furphy?
Tori Furphy: Good evening, everyone My name is Ton Furphy I live at 822 Bow Lake Place, only
four houses in from the Hamblet property line I, along with my neighbors, the concerned residents of
the Potomac Station neighborhood, am here tonight to share concerns about the development of the
Hamblet property connected to Potomac Station Over the last year, my neighbors and I have been
doing hours of research, meeting regularly, advocating within our community, and meeting personally
with several of you to show you our neighborhood
It's nice to see you all again and we appreciate the time that you took out of your schedules to come
meet with us and hear our concerns and see the location of the proposed development Before I
begin, I would like anyone here in the gallery to stand if they're joining us in opposition of this
development We are lucky to have so many concerned Homeowners and Potomac Station come out
to help us challenge this development However, know that this is just the tip of the iceberg We have
collected over 400 signatures of Potomac Station homeowners on our petition opposing this rezoning
development off of Bow Lake Place
Additionally, the Planning Commission meeting in April, we had a strong showing with a packed
house of neighbors in attendance It was standing room only with what I estimate to be around 60 or
more people in attendance Neighbors, please be seated Thank you As you all know on the Town
Council, the Planning Commission voted for denial of the rezoning request for the Hamblet property
with a 4-2-1 vote They voted this way for many reasons, and we are here to outline those for you
tonight The Planning Commission's lists of reasons for denial were as followed, and this list has been
provided to you by the Clerk in hard copy for your reference
Number one, the health and welfare of existing residents In this regard is safety during construction
and beyond traffic, noise, and parking issues Number two, the interest of the Town This is an
overstuffed parcel by size There is no increase in amenities It is not adding to the Town character,
and there are concerns regarding green space preservation Number three, concerns for new
residents in the proposed development It is not walkable to anything in Leesburg
The HOA provisions will be insufficient There is lack of adequate green space for the number of
residents There will be noise issues and insufficient parking Tonight's speakers will touch on each of
these items We have provided on that same document and hard copy, an outline of our comments to
make it easy to reference our concerns during your discussion and voting period For those of you
that came out to visit with us in the neighborhood, you are aware that Bow Lake Place doesn't see
much, if any,through traffic on a daily basis While we are standing there on the street with you all,we
barely saw any cars drive by in that timeframe The only cars that drive along our street and
neighboring Saddleback Place belong to the homeowners that live on those streets
There's nothing that my neighbors and I care more about in this world than the safety of our loved
ones We want our children to have the freedom to play in their front yard with peace of mind We all
purposely chose this street for our homes in a quiet, low-traffic area of Potomac Station We were all
well aware of the vacant lot at the end of our street when we moved in, but we did our research before
Page 15IJune 13, 2023
making our purchasing decision We knew that the lot was zoned for Just two single-family estate
homes That was the only threat of new houses and increased traffic down our quiet street To be
clear, our neighborhood would be completely content with two single-family homes being built on the
Hamblet property as it is currently zoned Neighbors, please raise your hand if you agree with me on
this We welcome those new residents in and include them in our community, despite them not even
being a part of our HOA Never did any of us dream that a developer would plan to put 25
townhouses on that tiny plot of land at the end of a very quiet cul-de-sac Tonight you'll hear from five
of my neighbors about the traffic, noise, safety, and generational impact of this proposed townhouse
development on our street I implore you all to listen carefully to our concerns, to the concerns of the
people that you represent here in Leesburg The Planning Commission recommended denial of this
rezoning for many reasons
We are now asking you to vote against this rezoning and townhouse development and help us keep
Potomac Station and our little corner of Leesburg protected against the disproportionately negative
impact of a development on a tiny six acre plot of land Thank you As our next speaker I'd like to call
it Katie Crandall to share her thoughts
Mayor Burk•Actually, I'll be calling up the speakers
Tori Furphy• Oh I'm sorry, Mayor Burk I'm sorry
[laughter]
Mayor Burk. Katie Crandall will be coming up to speak, followed by all Elias Fahel
Katie Crandall: Good evening My name is Katie Crandall and I live at 818 Saddleback Place I'm
here to talk to you tonight about our concerns with traffic The proposed development will add 180
additional car trips down our quiet street every single day To say that I'm scared about the influx of
traffic and risk of excessive speed is an understatement Our quiet corner of Potomac Station with no
through traffic will now become the only entry and exit point for homeowners, renters, visitors, delivery
trucks and service vehicles for a new development and one that isn't even part of our HOA
Couple this with existing traffic problems on Saddleback, Bow Lake Place, and Bonnie Ridge Drive as
the designated entrance for staff of Harper Park Middle School and the designated exit point for
parents dropping their children at school each morning We clearly already have a huge issue with
safety on our roads
Despite this new development exacerbating it We have sent you a time lapsed video that shows the
traffic on a typical school morning between the hours of 8 05 and 8 40 AM This video shows at a
span of 35 minutes over 250 cars pass through this two-way stop intersection We have seen many
car accidents at this intersection We have seen animals hit and killed, and we have seen children
almost hit had there not been vigilant adult intervention
I think it's plain to see our concern here is our children's walk to school through this intersection every
day Adding a townhouse development at the end of the street will aggravate the safety concern by
dumping additional traffic on an existing problem area Through our individual meetings with the
Planning Commissioners this year, we have been told that the proper channel to address this issue is
with the Leesburg Residential Traffic Commission, also known as RTC, not the school and the police
as we have previously thought
I have personally attended the monthly RTC meetings in both May and June in hopes of getting this
safety issue addressed I have also connected with the current Harper Park principal once again to
make sure all parties are fully aware of the safety concern arising from using this emergency exit in
this manner Unfortunately, as of today, there is still no change or clear path forward to resolving this
existing traffic issue As I have been told very clearly by the RTC, this process does take time and I
may not get the results I'm hoping for
While we recognize that this traffic problem is not a concern of the developers, and Matt Leslie
alluded this to us in a previous meeting that it was not their problem, it is a huge concern for our
Page 16IJune 13, 2023
neighborhood In addition to these traffic problems that will arise when the neighborhood is fully built,
we are extremely concerned about all the construction traffic that will go through our streets As the
only entrance and egress this land, every single tree that is removed, every bulldozer, dump truck,
crane, cement truck, you name it, that comes through, every ounce of dirt removed for grading, every
single material needed to erect these townhouses will go through our streets for what could be years
Our quality of life and safety of our children will be terribly impacted Living in a construction zone for
five years, for potentially five years will impact our children being able to walk to school safely Our
roads will inevitably be damaged and need to be fixed by the Town There is potential for damage to
cars on the streets or property of our homeowners as a result of massive trucks coming through our
neighborhood With the only entrance and exit of the construction site being right at the end of our cul-
de-sac This is a huge issue to the health and welfare of existing residents Thank you for your time
Mayor Burk: Thank you Elias Fahel, followed by Tim Furphy
Elias Fahel: Hi My name is Elias Fahel, and I live on the cul-de-sac at 832 Bow Lake Place Our
single family home is adjacent to the Hamblet property I'm here to present to you all about the
negative impact to the health and welfare of existing residents in the area of noise pollution We have
an existing problem with noise from Route 7, and this problem will be exacerbated if this de
development is allowed to proceed As an acknowledgement of the noise problem, the Town erected
a sound wall many, many years ago to mitigate the highway noise directed at Potomac Station homes
that are adjacent to Route 7, but the wall ends at the border to the Hamblet property A tree line
currently picks up where the wall ends and continues through the Hamblet property towards the
Clarion Hotel on the other side With the proposed development you have before you, the tree line
acting as a noise buffer is going to be reduced and open up a direct line of noise from Route 7 to our
homes on Bow Lake, as well as the proposed 25 townhomes
This poses a very negative impact to our residential community and our quality of life Not to mention
making these townhouses undesirable to buyers who are looking for a similar quality of life I've lived
with this noise problem for almost 20 years The amount this traffic noise has increased year after
year in those 20 years is astounding and never would've predicted that the home I was buying would
be this impacted by what has now turned into a very busy highway The builder has not put forward
any plan for extending the existing sound wall that dead ends at the Hamblet property boundary
There are no plans for berms to act as a sound barrier There's no plan to retrofit our windows due to
the additional noise from Route 7 introduced by this development Opening up that tree line without a
solid wall is a very painful step backwards for us homeowners I want to give you an idea of the
intensity of the sound we hear in the cul-de-sac The dBA scale is used to measure sound level as the
human ear experiences it A whisper is around 30 dBA and a vacuum cleaner is around 70 dBA a
passing truck or motorcycle is way up here at around 90 dBA It's very common to measure 55 dBA in
the cul-de-sac outside of the rush hour
During rush hour, morning and afternoon traffic, 65 to 75 dBA is very common Route 7 never goes
away It doesn't sleep at night like we do There's always traffic there and there are always varying
intensity levels of noise This is where we live This is where we like to come home from work and
relax I think it is reasonable to expect some quietness in our suburban neighborhoods and homes
We chose to live in the suburbs for this reason We didn't choose a city
Is it unreasonable to expect to walk around our neighborhood in quietness, to sit down on our decks
and have a barbecue outside in quietness, to open our windows on nice spring and summer evenings
without being bombarded by noise from Route 7? This is a problem we face now on Bow Lake Place,
which will be made worse by allowing this development to proceed Please, do not exacerbate an
existing noise problem by allowing this development to proceed We're here to argue against this
development Thank you
Mayor Burk: Thank you,Tim Furphy,followed by John Paul Andrews
Tim Furphy: Good evening My name is Tim Furphy I live in Potomac Station at 822 Bow Lake
Place Tonight I want to highlight several facts and raise a few questions Fact, in December, our
Page 17lJune 13, 2023
HOA hosted a meeting whereby Hamblet property representative Matt Leslie, spoke in front of
concerned Potomac Station homeowners and Town officials A question was posed him asking why
they wanted to rezone the property His answer, "To maximize the landowner's retirement plan" This
was their 401k plan While one family and one developer seek to maximize their profits, there are 50
families directly and negatively impacted by this proposed development on a daily basis for decades
to come
Additionally, over 400 Potomac station residents have signed a petition against this proposed
development Are we prioritizing profits of one family over the needs and concerns of current Town
residents? Fact,this proposed development is for brand new townhouses We understand the Town's
desire for high density development, but these townhouses are not walkable to downtown Leesburg
They are not adding to the culture of city life Residents will be automobile dependent, thus only
adding more traffic to our roads Fact, the proposed development is for 25 townhouses I suggest to
you this was on purpose because the developer can avoid the ordinance requirement for affordable
dwelling units I understand the Town Council is concerned about affordable housing, but this does
not address that issue From a letter between Carr Homes and Scott Parker, Carr Homes states, "The
townhouses are anticipated to be higher end of price points for these types of units" It continues
"The homes provided here do not appreciably provide for a range of housing options" Fact The letter
between Carr Homes and Scott Parker also states, "The Harper House amenity area, which will be a
significant feature of this application, will be available for use by the adjoining community and is a
significant part of this application"
In this letter there's a table entitled Summary of Legacy Leesburg Criteria of measuring Positive
Growth and Change This table has 11 criteria listed Five of the criteria reference the Harper House
This should raise your eyes Why? This structure is not eligible for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places This house has been boarded up for over 20 years and will continue to remain
boarded up It's non-accessible and most likely prone to vandalism This house is not being brought
back to life yet This is considered a significant feature of the application They even say, "The Harper
House on this site will be preserved as an amenity" You can't even go inside It's a no more of an
amenity than the shed in my neighbor's backyard While the Town promotes the use of parks, this
gathering area in front of the stone house is the size of my front yard
How enjoyable will the gathering area be when it's located right next to Route 7? Let's read between
the lines here Carr Homes is trying to leverage this building and open space as a major benefit to the
entire community, including Potomac Station, when in reality it doesn't benefit anyone Fact During
the Planning Commission hearing in April, the applicant presented traffic calculations that after some
fairly simple due diligence proved to be inaccurate and misrepresented the table sent to you ahead of
this hearing shows some of the traffic data presented by the applicant and more accurate database
on Current Institute of Transportation engineer's rates
To summarize the data in the table briefly, traffic through the existing cul-de-sac on Bow Lake Place
would increase by 743% with the proposed development compared to an increase of only 168% with
the development of two by right single family detached homes for which the land is currently zoned
This seems like a much more reasonable option Fact The proposed development will not have a
significant impact on Town revenue when compared to the current zoning for two single family homes
It was revealed during the Planning Commission meeting that the proposed rezoning will only
generate an additional $9,246 in Town revenue, per the Leesburgva gov website In March, 2022, the
Leesburg Town Council adopted the fiscal year 2023 budget totaling $153 million That's about
$9,200 towards a $153 million budget The fiscal impact associated with this rezoning application is
absolutely immaterial and inconsequential
In summary, and to recap, I hope the profits of one family and one developer do not override the
concerns and lives of 50 homeowners and over 400 residents who have signed our petition The city
seeks high density development, but this development is not located within downtown Leesburg
Nobody is walking Everyone is driving These will be expensive townhomes and will not support the
Town's goal of affordable housing The application promotes a stone building that you can't access
and an open space with no sound barrier from Route 7 This new development channels right through
an existing neighborhood directly contradicting the Leesburg Legacy Town Plan There is no
significant fiscal impact to the Town of Leesburg with this rezoning My goal was to factually present
Page 18IJune 13, 2023
information to you tonight I reasonably believe the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, and I hope you
draw the same conclusions I ask that you reject this rezoning application Thank you
Mayor Burk. Thank you, Mr Furphy John Paul Andrews, followed by Bradley Blin
John Paul Andrews: Good evening, Madam Mayor, Members of the Council For the record, my
name is John Paul Andrews I am a resident at Potomac Station I reside at 827 Sandpoint Court I'm
here to speak briefly, not only as a concerned resident, but also as a professional in the development
industry I currently work as a Director of Real Estate Development for Costco Wholesale I've been in
the business for 20 years Over those 20 years, I have been a part of a lot of applications, a lot of
contentious applications, and in most cases, in fact, I've been before the City of Leesburg before for
an application In that case, I was the applicant and I was dealing with the concerned residents I
found that over these years there's very few contentious applications that you can't find a common
solution This, in my opinion, is one of those rare cases where I just don't see the common solution
When you look at the overall design of Potomac Station today for such a large development and a
diverse development, it was designed pretty well You basically have a core at the center of this large
development That core is the higher density component of this, which does have more direct access
to arterial roads, the amenities of the community
Off of this core radiates these secondary roads A network of secondary roads that are unmarked and
are lined with single-family homes and in most cases end in a cul-de-sac The problem with this
proposal is that contrary to this well-thought-out design, it forces a higher-density component at the
end of those secondary rows and cul-de-sacs The real concern here is that these cul-de-sacs were
never designed in anticipation of such traffic volumes The concern is further exacerbated by the
limited means as there would be only one point of access, as everyone is aware, to this high-density
component at the back end of our cul-de-sac area
You have a concern of high traffic volumes, excessive speeds, and most concerning to me is the
limited access for emergency vehicles, which has also been touched on tonight Then there's the
issue of traffic, or sorry, parking, adequate parking supply The developers plan states that the
community will have 114 parking spaces that includes two garages and two spaces, and a driveway
that leaves 14 spaces for visitors and other things that might be work vehicles, their children's
vehicles, trailers, boats, motorcycles
I think the reality is these garages won't necessarily be parked I've seen it, I think most of you have
seen it Garages are, I think, most often used at least one bay for storage We have a concern about
cars spilling out and lining our curbs being in front of our houses Not only creating inconvenience,
particularly on holidays and other celebratory events, but also safety concerns for the existing
residents Also, it could be a liability for us homeowners In conclusion, while I do appreciate the
applicant's efforts in working with the Town and us, the community, I just don't see the logic in trying
to arbitrarily force such a high-density component into an area Potomac Station that was never
intended to accommodate such I ask you, we ask you as our elected officials of Leesburg to really
think on this, that we all think this through, and that on delivering the Town's vision of future growth
and greater diversity, that it's not forced and that these proposals make sense Most importantly, that
they will maintain and ensure a certain degree of safety to our community With that, I thank you
Mayor Burk: Thank you Our next speaker is--Thank you, Mr Andrews Our next speaker is Bradley
Bum
Bradley Blin: Good evening My name is Bradley Blin I live at 823 Saddleback Place Thank you for
your service to our Town, and thank you for visiting our neighborhood The current Town Plan known
as Legacy Leesburg, was formally adopted by the Leesburg Town Council in March 2022 Required
by the State of Virginia, it is a comprehensive plan to guide and shape the Town's future for the next
20 years and beyond We are just one year into this plan, and my question to the Town Council is
simple Do you want to follow this comprehensive plan'?
I assume your answer is yes I pose this question, because this new development directly contradicts
principle number three of the Town Plan Let me explain Principle number three is about enhancing
neighborhoods, and the very first sentence states, "Protect and enhance the quality and character of
Page 19IJune 13, 2023
existing residential neighborhoods" Adding 25 townhomes to the end of the road turns a cul-de-sac
community into a thruway for 141 daily car trips or 51,000 trips per year Please, let's all use common
sense here What would you say if Carr Homes came into your quiet neighborhood and wanted to put
25 houses at the end of your street? Would that make sense to you? Would that increase the
character and livability of your existing neighborhood? Now, what will decrease the character and
livability of our existing neighborhood on a daily basis for years and decades to come?Traffic
On page 125, the Town Plan finds it important enough to address this exact issue to help protect
existing neighborhoods It reads, "Avoid channeling traffic generated by new development through
existing residential neighborhoods" The Town Plan specifically says not to do this I've researched
the location of townhouses within the current Potomac Station community Every single one of them
has two entrances and exits onto major four-lane roads How many single-family homes must be
passed by to reach any of these townhouses? Zero Not one single-family home is impacted by
through traffic from the current townhouses in the Potomac Station community This is a case for all
townhouse communities in the Town of Leesburg
To disregard our Town Plan will not only impact the livability of our existing neighborhood, but your
decision will set a precedent that will have a generational impact If one road for in and out traffic is
allowed for 25 townhouses today, then what prevents tomorrow's development of one road to support
50 townhouses? 100 condos? Please think about the importance of this decision Our Town Plan is
designed to support growth over the next 20 years and this issue of channeling traffic through an
existing neighborhood is important enough to be included in this document, and it tells us not to do
this
We are asking the Town Council to follow the denial recommendation of the Planning Commission
and reject this rezoning application This is a small parcel of land that significantly impacts a much
larger adjoining community I implore you to vote with the 400 Potomac Station residents that have
signed a petition I implore you to vote with the Potomac Station Homeowners Association that wrote
a letter objecting to this rezoning application Protect all Leesburg homeowners by setting the right
precedent for decades to come
Before I conclude, I would like all Potomac Station residents and concerned citizens here tonight to
stand if you agree with the concerns we have shared thus far, thank you In conclusion, I'm reading
straight from page 39 of the Town Plan "No matter what, we need to have a vision in place and be
proactive so that we're not reacting blindly to any opportunity that may arise Developers will come
and go, they will present ideas, and some will threaten to walk away At this stage and Leesburg's
history, it is important to remember that we only get one chance to get it right, and sometimes waiting
for what we really want will be hard" Thank you for your time
Mayor Burk: Thank you, thank you very much, Mr Blin That is the last of the people that are signed
up to speak is there anybody in the audience that did not sign up that would like to speak at this time?
All right That being the case, then I will close the public hearing, and I will ask if there are any
comments or questions anybody has to ask of the applicant or the staff Okay Thank you I am going
to have to respectfully disagree with staffs conclusion about the transportation aspect of this
proposed project As I've listened to the people speaking tonight and doing the research on it, I think
the traffic from this new development will have a very significant negative impact on the already
established neighborhood One of the core principles of the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan is to provide
a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system that promotes, enhances mobility and connectivity
between neighborhoods and destinations In my judgment, this proposed development does not do
that Rather it simply adds to the traffic on the existing neighborhood roads, which are already subject
to traffic associated with the Harper Park Middle School for the greater part of the year
Now, while the Eastern Gateway Area Plan specifically identifies this parcel as appropriate for single-
family detached or connected homes, the identification of this parcel as a development site does not
excuse the Council in considering a proposed project for approval from assessing the transportation
impacts on the existing neighborhood I think we can all agree that the analysis of the transportation
impact would be very different if the site could be directly accessed off Route 7 rather than going
through existing residential streets as proposed For this reason, I will not be able to vote for this
proposal tonight Council Member Nacy
Page 20IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Nacy: I was just going to make a motion if people have comments before I do
Mayor Burk: Does anybody have any comments? Mr--
Vice Mayor Steinberg: Would you prefer to wait until after the motion is made and second?
Mayor Burk• She is giving you the chance
Council Member Cummings. Okay Great Well, I just want to quickly say I appreciate the applicant
and their representatives being here tonight and the work that they've done with staff I appreciate all
the resident's efforts to engage the public process tonight and before at the Planning Commission as
well as with your private meetings Thank you It certainly makes a difference to hear from the public
A lot of times we make decisions here based on what we hope you all want us to do and the guidance
that you provide, so it's nice to be hearing from folks
I echo Mayor Burk I also respectfully disagree with the staffs conclusion based on the transportation
aspects of the proposed project I also really want to lean on principle three in the Legacy Leesburg
Plan about enhancing existing neighborhoods I printed it out and they're right A bullet there says,
avoid channeling traffic generated by new development through existing residential neighborhoods
Now this is going to be difficult, because we have a lot of infill applications and developments to
happen in the Town, because we're 97, 98, maybe 99% build-out
I just think we can't take our eye off of our existing neighborhoods and our residents that live there I
too will not be able to vote in favor of the application due to the traffic impacts and the quality of life for
the residents and our existing neighborhood Thank you to everyone Thank you to the applicant
Mayor Burk• Anyone have anything else to say?Council Member Nacy, you have a motion?
Council Member Nacy: I do I move to deny the proposed ordinance application TLZM-2021-0006
based on finding that the proposed use is not consistent with the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan nor the
regulations of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance based on the traffic generated by the
proposed development in conjunction with the traffic associated with the existing residences and the
Harper Park Middle School placing too much of a burden on and presenting an unacceptable
intensification of the use of the existing streets
Mayor Burk: Seconded by Vice Mayor Steinberg Any comments at this point? Yes, Mr Stein
Vice Mayor Steinberg: I just want to say, first of all, I truly appreciate the effort by all of the residents
and the effort you've put in I also absolutely understand the time, the expense that the applicant has
put forth in this effort That said, I trust our Planning Commission and they also put a lot of time and
effort into this project and fully vetted it In the end, based on quality of life issues and good planning,
they voted to deny I am also the Planning Commission Liaison I am comfortable with their decision,
and so I will also not support this application Thank you
Mayor Burk• We have a motion by Council Member Nacy of denial, seconded by Vice Mayor
Steinberg All in favor of the motion to deny indicate by saying Aye
Members:Aye
Mayor Burk. Opposed?That passes 7-0 Thank you all very much
[applause]
Mayor Burk: Our next item is for the approval of the consent agenda Yes,we're not done
Vice Mayor Steinberg: Don't move
Page 211June 13, 2023
Mayor Burk. Special Event Fee Waiver for Loudoun Freedom Center Juneteenth, March 23rd The
Plaza Street Sidewalk Project Design Task Order Contract Authorization C, the Supplemental
Appropriation for the Airport Runway Pavement Rehabilitation Project D, the Automated Water Meter
Reading System Upgrade and Annual Contract E, the Extended Cable Franchise with Venzon,
Virginia LLC for a Period of Six Months F, the Appointment to the Parks and Recs Commission of
Russ Shaw G, Congregate Housing Initiating an Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance H, Air Traffic
Control Update, and Control Tower Project Addition to the Capital Improvement Program I, the 2024
Legislative Program Is there any item that anybody would like to have removed or added? All right
All in favor indicate by saying aye
Chris Spera: You need a vote You need a motion
Mayor Burk: Oh, I'm sorry [laughs] All right Vice Mayor Steinberg made the motion Can I have a
second?
Council Member Nacy. Second
Mayor Burk. Second Council Member Nacy All in favor of the approval of the consent agenda?
Members: Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed All right Thank you All right The next thing we have is a Resolution for the
Downtown Traffic Study and Travel Demand Model Let me see if there's I have to say for that
Niraja Chandrapu: Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council Members My name is Niraja
Chandrapu, and I'm a Transportation Engineer with the Department of Public Works and Capital
Projects I'm here asking for your approval of an Engineering Services Task Order in the amount of
$382,122 90 In the Fiscal Year 2023, the Town Council authorized a $250,000 for a Downtown
Traffic Study and a $125,000 to develop a Travel Demand Model Council requested staff to come
back to discuss how the$250,000 would be utilized for the traffic study
This task order has three main components, one is developing a travel demand model such that it will
help the elected officials to make decisions The second component is prepare traffic operations study
to analyze existing and future conditions with a focus on the potential implementation of one-way
streets The third component that got included in this task order is to study the impacts of the
proposed redevelopment of the Liberty Lot on the surrounding roadway network
This map shows the study area The study will include the intersections that fall inside the Catoctin
Circle, the developments that will be considered in predicting the future volumes for the future year
are Harrison Street Academy, Courthouse expansion, Church & Market Street, Church & South,
Virginia Village, and Meadow Glen, and we would study the impacts of these on the streets The one-
way streets that would be looked at in converting the two-way to one-way are North Street, West
Market Street, Loudoun Street, Birch Street from South Street to Market Street, Liberty Street from
Royal to Loudoun, and Royal Street from King to Liberty
The methodology would include studying 27 intersections for both AM and PM time periods, analyze
existing 2023 and future 2030 conditions Analyze the potential for one-way streets and its impacts on
businesses, parking, pedestrian, and traffic The study will also identify any safety deficiencies at any
of these study intersections and also identify short-term and low-cost improvements When I say
short-term and low-cost improvements, it's more like changing the signal timings, increasing the
[unintelligible] to help with queuing, pavement markings, improving the sight distances or enhancing
pedestrian safety This is a breakdown of the budget for doing different tasks in the task order The
travel demand model would cost approximately $154,000 Studying the impacts of the Liberty Lot
would cost approximately $50,000 The rest is studying the traffic impact study Operation impacts
study The anticipated contract start date is September 1, 2023 and the contract end date is expected
to be September 1, 2024 With that, I come to the asking for your approval to conduct this study
Mayor Burk: All right Thank you very much Does anybody have any questions? Yes, Mr
Bagdasarian
Page 22IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Bagdasarian: Thank you Not to get in the weeds—
Mayor Burk: But you're going
Council Member Bagdasarian• --but I will I'm just wondering how our intersections actually studied,
is there like using video analytics and Al technologies or is there actual counters? How is the actual?
Niraja Chandrapu: Cameras The cameras will be utilized in collecting the data We will process two
hours in the AM and two hours in the PM to find out what is the peak hour We already have counts
from the region from the downtown study That will let us know what is the peak hour for our
downtown area and we are planning to collect in those time periods for the counts The camera is a
technology that the consultant would be utilizing in order to do that
Council Member Bagdasarian:These are existing cameras, correct?
Niraja Chandrapu: Not existing camera, this will be installed by the consultant to capture it
Council Member Bagdasarian: Just for the study?
Niraja Chandrapu• Yes
Council Member Bagdasarian: Okay I'm just wondering if you know, from a long-term perspective,
if we had cameras at intersections that run video analytics, we could continuously monitor for traffic
patterns and do this on an ongoing basis This is outside the scope I'm just saying, okay [laughter]
Thank you
Mayor Burk. Mr Wilt
Council Member Wilt: Thanks A couple of questions First, on slide five with one-way streets I'm
looking at Market and Loudoun I see some arrows there I take that you're looking at those would be
the direction of conversion to one way What about what I see Royal and Wirt I don't see arrows
there What's the thought pattern there?
Niraja Chandrapu: That is not yet determined, the study will determine what is the best direction
That is the reason why we are not showing any arrows on what would be analyzed will be determined
at this
Council Member Wilt: Then how do you do that, is there some sort of once you take traffic data
study, use some sort of simulation to project what they would behave as one-way streets?
Niraja Chandrapu: What they use is a synchro analysis tool That will tell them whether it is operating
with acceptable level of service by converting the streets and diverting the traffic If it does not, then
they will change the direction and look at the other options
Council Member Wilt: Okay Then thinking about Market and Loudoun Street in this model, are
these a one-lane, one way or multiple lane one way?
Niraja Chandrapu: I think it will be multiple lanes one way based on the traffic, but that will again be
determined that the study, based on the volumes in the peak hour
Council Member Wilt. Okay I'm wondering in this case, if they were one lane one way each does
that provide us that a parking opportunity?
Niraja Chandrapu: Yes, it will increase the parking opportunities, it will enhance pedestrian safety by
reducing the crossing distance and all that, but operationally what we have to check in the model is, is
it feasible to have only one lane in each direction That will be determined at a later stage
Page 23IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Wilt: I assume, for example, current volume, not a future increase in volume if I
have two streets, westbound each handling half the volume I can put that into one street dedicated to
westbound at the same volume I would assume?
Niraja Chandrapu: Yes
Council Member Wilt: Generally?
Niraja Chandrapu• Yes
Council Member Wilt. Okay You will be assessing the need for one lane or two lane I'd be
interested in seeing the one lane with a park in something Personally, I think parallel parking is
difficult for everyone and angle parking is easier to ingress egress and no doors opening and the
traffic Is that part of the study, looking at that parking model?
Niraja Chandrapu: Yes, They evaluate everything If operationally one lane is ideal, then they will
look at suggesting what are the other things that could be done,which is parking
Council Member Wilt: Okay Very good Then you mentioned this is to develop a tool Is this then
the consultant's tool or is this going to be the Towns?
Niraja Chandrapu: Travel Demand Model Tool, you mean?
Council Member Wilt: You--
Niraja Chandrapu- Yes Travel Demand Model Tool is something that will be developed on using the
Loudoun County Travel Demand Tool, so that would help us in determining what the growth would be
in the future at a future date, but that model is developed based on a lot of assumptions
Council Member Wilt. Okay I'm wondering, is this a tool that's used for this study'? It's a one-time or
is this a reusable tool?
Niraja Chandrapu• No, this tool will be used for any future project
Council Member Wilt: It'll be an asset we'll have for the future
Niraja Chandrapu: Yes
Council Member Wilt: All right Very good Thanks very much
Niraja Chandrapu: Thank you
Mayor Burk: I have a question for you Oftentimes when I'm in the downtown area and someone
wants to turn left and it really blocks all the traffic, is there any-will there be any look at whether there
should be no left turns or--
Niraja Chandrapu• The different things that they will be looking at is restricting left-hand movements
during peak hours, and is there something that could be done with the signal timings changing from
coordinated signal system into a fixed timing'? They will be looking at different options to improve the
efficiency of the corridor
Mayor Burk: Okay because the left-hand turn really do slow things down Anyway All right
Niraja Chandrapu. Thank you
Mayor Burk: Is there a motion'?Anybody?
Page 24IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Nacy: Sure Why not? [laughs] I move to approve the resolution ordinance to
Approve the Engineering Services Task Order for the Downtown Traffic Study and Travel Demand
Model to WSP USA Environmental and Infrastructure Incorporated in the amount of$382,122 90, and
authorize the Town Manager to execute the task order
Mayor Burk: Second?
Council Member Cimino-Johnson. Second
Mayor Burk: Seconded Oh, Dr Cimino-Johnson got in there Yay Sorry [laughs] I was going to say
it was going to be you too all night long All in favor of the Downtown Traffic Study Demand Model as
moved, indicate by saying Aye
Members:Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed? Okay That passes 7-0 Appointment to the Board of Architectural Review
Did you have somebody you wanted to recommend?
Council Member Cummings. Yes I'd like to recommend Mr Richard Brown to the Board of
Architectural Review
[laughter]
Mayor Burk: Seconded by Ms Nacy [laughs] All right Anybody have any issue with that? Eileen is
there any problem with--Okay All in favor indicated by saying Aye
Members: Aye
Mayor Burk: That passes-- Nay? Passes 7-0 Council Member future Council meetings and agenda
topics Dr Cimino-Johnson
Council Member Cimino-Johnson: I only have a disclosure I met with the applicants for the
Hamblet property on 6/8 Thank you
Mayor Burk: Right Cummings?
Council Member Cummings: Just two disclosures The first I had a meeting with Ms Debra Gilmore
and Mr Tyler Peak with LAWS about the congregate housing amendment and their efforts to build
congregate housing Then my second disclosure is I had a phone conversation with Mr Matt Leslie
on the Hamblet application
Mayor Burk:All right Mr Wilt
Council Member Wilt: One disclosure I also met with the applicant of the Hamblet property, and that
was on May 25'h
Mayor Burk. Mr Bagdasanan
Council Member Bagdasarian: I also had a meeting with Matt Leslie, and the folks from the Hamblet
Property Project today 6/13 Also wanted to share I had a enjoyable experience with Mr James David
and Ms Schmidt's fusion class We got to experience the students Greenville Project, where they put
together a town of the future leveraging Green Technology under the guidance of David here Help
them lay out the whole city plan, and it was quite the experience, so
Mayor Burk• Great Ms Nacy
Page 25IJune 13, 2023
Council Member Nacy: I don't have any disclosures, and my only comment was going to be about
how impressive the residents came together tonight, and I think we should absolutely be talking to a
few of them if we ever need Planning Commissioners
[laughter]
Mayor Burk: Vice Mayor
Vice Mayor Steinberg* Thank you No comments Two disclosures One also with Tyler Peak and
Debra Gilmore of LAWS to discuss the rezoning and a meeting with Peter Kalans and Bruce DeAtley
regarding the Meadowbrook CCF rezoning
Mayor Burk. On the 24th I met with Stack and Peterson's representatives to discuss data center
heights On the 25th I had a delightful opportunity to meet with Delegate Reid Though he doesn't
represent our district anymore, since we have open seats and no representatives, he, as the senior
representative for Loudoun, was willing to meet with myself and Mr Markel and talk about the
legislative agenda that we just passed the other night It was a very productive meeting and he's
willing to stand in until our representatives are finally elected
On the 26th, I attended the monthly luncheon at Projet Aviation It's great to talk to all the pilots and
the airport employees who work at the Airport It is amazing how many employees there are at our
airport, I don't think people realize that On the 29th, thanks to Parks and Rec, the event group, they
planned and executed a wonderful Memorial Day program on the Courthouse lawn The rest of the
week, I had a chance to take a few days off and go to see Niagara Falls, which I had never been to
before The beauty and the majesty of that natural wonder is just amazing and very much worth taking
the trip to go up and see, and then you can go to Mr Bagdasanan's hometown
On June 5th, I met with Mr Williams and Mr Greene, and we held a flag-raising ceremony to
commemorate Juneteenth right out front On June 6th, we held a ribbon cutting at Serenity House, it is
a refuge for families and victims of addiction On June 6th, I also met with Taylor Chess from the
Peterson Company to talk about the data centers On June 7th, I want to thank Tara Belote and Eileen
Boeing, and Kara Rodriguez for helping me to organize the State of the Town It's always interesting
to look back at what we've been able to accomplish in a year I want to thank Vice Mayor Steinberg
for attending also
On June 8th, I met with the representatives from LAWS to get an update on the housing proposal they
have here in Leesburg On June 10th, a ribbon cutting for the new 26 airport hangars and 11 tie-
downs Thanks to Smokehouse Pilots for putting on such a good show On June 10th, ION held a
show for skaters, all the way from darling little kids skating to Olympian skaters skating to the
Loudoun Symphony It was a wonderful performance, and I thank Mitra and Luiz for so generously
donating tickets
On June 12th, I met with Peter Kalans to discuss the zoning for continuous senior care I too want to
thank the residents that came out today I wish that more people realized how important it is for
people to come to the Town Council meetings and talk to us about their concerns I want to wish a
happy birthday to our Town Attorney and to Rabbi David Greenspoon, who celebrated his 60th
birthday this week That is all I have Town Manager?
Kaj Dentler No comments
Mayor Burk. Is there a motion to adjourn?
Vice Mayor Steinberg: So moved
Mayor Burk. Second?
Council Member Nacy: Second
Mayor Burk: All in favor?
Page 26IJune 13, 2023
Members:Aye
Mayor Burk: Opposed?We are adjourned
Page 27IJune 13, 2023