Leesburg Planning Commission Work Session on Zoning Ordinance Rewrite - May 7, 2026
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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.
Meeting Transcript
So that Jennifer can settle for like 30 seconds. Good evening. I call to order this May 7th, 2026 meeting of the Leesburg Planning Commission. Please rise as you can for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Let the uh record reflect that we do have a physical quorum tonight. I also heard earlier from uh town councilman Steinberg that he would not be here this evening. And uh again, wish him well. We'll miss his voice. I think he's fine. Thank you. Yes. So do I hear a motion uh to adopt the agenda as submitted? Second. All right, move the motion, any discussion. All in favor say. Aye. All right. Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes of the April 16th, 2026 meeting? Second. All right. Are there any changes, corrections, alterations? No, all in favor say aye. Aye. Let's start to my left. Do we have any disclosures tonight? Commissioner Tuck. Yes, I had a meeting with Molly Novotney two weeks ago. All right. Commissioner Robinson. No. Jennifer. No. No. No for me. None. Vice Chair. No. I don't talk. Never. Okay. Good. All right, Chair Statement. I would just wanted to say that Vice Chair McAfee and Director U David and I went to Loudoun County Chamber Breakfast meeting on a housing summit a week ago. And uh I'll say is from a general perspective, it was uh an enlightening and challenging. And the enlightenment piece is about the challenges, whether it's uh the delivery of a product, identification of of people and community, and again, looking at the various resources throughout the county as well as Northern Virginia. Uh and and one gentleman from the Washington uh think tank. Uh it's it's a national issue. It isn't just local for us, but the resolutions seem right now uh limited. And I think Commissioner Robinson, you'll like this one.
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