Leesburg Planning Commission Work Session on Zoning Ordinance Rewrite - May 7, 2026

On May 7, 2026, the Leesburg Planning Commission held a work session focused primarily on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. The meeting began with routine consent items, a petitioner comment, and then a detailed discussion of nine decision points related to the rewrite. The commission voted 7-1 to forward the rewrite to Town Council with specific directions and also passed four concurrent recommendations for further council action.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda and Minutes: The agenda was adopted as submitted, and the minutes of the April 16, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously without changes.
• Disclosures: Commissioner Tuck disclosed a meeting with Molly Novotney two weeks prior. Other commissioners had no disclosures.
• Chairman’s Statement: Chairman reported on a Loudoun County Chamber housing summit attended by the Vice Chair and Director David, noting discussions on affordable housing challenges and a suggestion to eliminate parking regulations.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Suzanne Larkins (3 Royal St SE) spoke against the removal of B-1 residential use protections in the draft zoning ordinance. She argued that staff’s claim of difficulty providing protections contradicts earlier statements, that residential uses are primary in B-1, and that deleting safeguards harms historic preservation and property rights. She requested continued support for B-1 residential primary users.

Discussion Items

• Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Work Session (23rd meeting): Staff presented nine decision points derived from public and commissioner comments. Key discussions included:
  • Decision Point 1: Merging Division 10 (limited use) and Division 11 (special exception) into one division. The commission agreed to merge.
  • Decision Point 2: Changing permissibility in use tables (Division 9). The commission decided to keep the tables as proposed.
  • Decision Point 3: Modifying special exception standards for places of worship and public assembly. The commission voted not to modify.
  • Decision Point 4: Raising maximum building height in the mixed-use district from 60 to 70 feet. The commission decided to keep 60 feet but included in the resolution a direction to ensure provisions for council to allow additional building height via legislative process.
  • Decision Point 5: Eliminating minimum parking requirements for residential uses in the downtown district. The commission voted not to eliminate, noting it should be left for council consideration.
  • Decision Point 6: Eliminating the on-street parking credit in the Crescent District. The commission voted 4-0 to keep the credit.
  • Decision Point 7: Eliminating public utility major in all Crescent subdistricts. The commission decided to eliminate it in activity center, commercial corridor, and residential neighborhood subdistricts, but keep it as a special exception in the government center subdistrict for consistency.
  • Decision Point 8: Limiting the Board of Architectural Review's authority to grant alterations. The commission voted to keep the BAR’s authority as is.
  • Decision Point 9: Additional changes. The commission discussed application inactivity timelines and other minor issues, resulting in no further changes.
• Concurrent Recommendations: The commission debated and later approved four recommendations to Town Council: (1) conduct a comprehensive traffic study of intersection level of service including peak usage; (2) consider accepting town plan or zoning amendment recommendations only once per quarter; (3) review the attainable housing policy and request a Community Development staff member serve on the Loudoun County Affordable Dwelling Unit Advisory Board; (4) align the work of the Residential Traffic Committee with the Planning Commission.

Key Outcomes

• Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Resolution: The commission adopted a resolution (7-1) forwarding the rewrite to Town Council with a recommendation of approval, subject to the following staff directions:
  • Correct scrivener’s errors, faulty hyperlinks, and map designations (e.g., parcel PIN 230-18-3563-000 to RH).
  • Correct old historic and gateway overlay district boundaries, including Spring Farm Meadows area.
  • Add references to state enabling legislation.
  • Amend regulations to comply with Virginia House Bill 655 (manufactured housing).
  • Make public utility major prohibited in Crescent District subdistricts CDA, CDC, and CDRN.
  • Merge Divisions 10 and 11 into one consistent section for use standards.
  • Ensure provisions for council to allow additional building height via legislative process.
• Concurrent Recommendations: Passed unanimously by voice vote to forward the four recommendations to Town Council.
• Schedule: The May 21 meeting was cancelled. The next meeting (June 4) will include the Liberty Hotel rezoning and a lessons learned discussion on the zoning ordinance rewrite.
• Comment on Specific District Changes: A symbolic protest vote was noted by Commissioner Barnes, who opposed the short-term rental residency requirements and the rezoning of several parcels (Meadowbrook Estates lots) from R1 to commercial neighborhood (CN) with multiple by-right commercial uses.