Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - May 14, 2026
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Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - May 14, 2026
The Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission met on May 14, 2026, at 8:15 PM. The meeting began with approval of the March 18 minutes and included a citizen comment, a presentation from the Airport Commission, and discussions on multiple park and recreation topics. The commission voted to endorse a proposed airport observation area and playground.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Alex Brand, a retired U.S. Forest Service employee and member of the Tree Commission, spoke in support of a disc golf course at Veterans Park. He highlighted the sport's inclusivity, affordability, and benefits for urban tree canopy. He also discussed tree cover at West Park (a county property), expressing interest in advocating for more trees there and offering to coordinate with the county.
Discussion Items
- Airport Observation Area and Playground: Mike May, representing the Airport Commission, presented a concept for an observation area and playground on the north side of the airport near Chick-fil-A. The site is underutilized municipal land. The Airport Commission voted to support the concept. Discussion covered zoning (current designation for a fire station that was turned down, may need rezoning), FAA coordination, potential costs of $2-3 million (including playground equipment and site development), and phased implementation. The commission voiced strong support, with one member calling it a "no-brainer."
- Disc Golf at West Park: Continued discussion about the proposed disc golf course at West Park (county-owned). Alex Brand noted the demonstration was well-attended and positive. Concerns from nearby residents about parking and tree cover were acknowledged. The commission noted that disc golf is not the main driver of parking demand.
- Pickleball: Update on the pickleball groundbreaking ceremony and community info session. A concern was raised about restroom availability at Freedom Park; staff explained that port-a-johns are standard and restrooms in the park would remain closed unless usage warrants staffing.
- Adult Recreational Leagues: A member inquired about town-run adult leagues for baseball, softball, basketball, etc. Staff noted challenges with field availability, behavior, and competition with county programs. The idea was left for future consideration.
- Fitness Center Equipment: Reported that some leather coverings on machines are torn. An inventory will be conducted, with replacement funding expected before next summer.
- Bike Event Funding: Approved, with planning for next year.
- Master Plan & Vision Sessions: A virtual vision session is scheduled for May 21. The draft of the master plan is expected in May. The commission also discussed the need for a trails/master biking plan.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: Unanimously approved the March 18 meeting minutes.
- Airport Observation/Playground Endorsed: The commission voted unanimously to endorse the concept of developing an observation area and playground near the airport. A formal letter of endorsement will be sent to the Town Council.
- Next Steps: Staff to coordinate with the Airport Commission on rezoning and FAA requirements; pickleball ball artwork and tournament planning to be discussed at next meeting; fitness center equipment inventory to be completed.
- Adjourned: Unanimous adjournment.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Meeting is called the order. And first order been the approval of minutes for March 18th. All in favor? Aye. Anybody opposed? All right. Citizen comments, sir. Are you a citizen? I I am. Yeah. Thank you. Yes, please. Hi everyone. My name is Alex Brand. I've been living in the Eastburg for about seven years. I retired from working for the U.S. Forest Service. And prior to that, taught at Mississippi State University. I'm surprised I'm still in the room. So I've had a career in forestry and forest resources. And I'm also on the tree commission. And it's kind of neat to see another meeting. The reason for me coming, uh I met Ross Rusk Shaw for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We were giving public comments for the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in reference to West Park, which is actually in the town. It's an old golf course, but now it's owned by the county. And disc golf is part of what is being planned for that. But so the segue to you, I guess, is that there I understand there's a course being considered at Veterans Park. And I just wanted to speak up for that and speak up for the sport. Um as uh forestry professional, it's a great way to enhance urban tree canopy cover. It it's a really I'm sure a lot of you play golf, um, but it's just like conventional golf only with frisbees, but you there's usually a lot more trees, and so it's it's part of the sport to get around the trees and that sort of thing. It's um it's a very inclusive sport. It's uh a great way to get steps and be social. And I'm also a member of the Loudon County uh well, it's called Loco, but it's Loudoun County Disc Golf Club that uh we do a lot with uh the county we put on uh we've raised total of 250,000 over the past 11 years for charities like Loud and Hunger Um at different tournaments, that sort of thing. But I mean if you have any questions about disc golf, I can answer them, but I just wanted to show up as a strong advocate for the merits of the sport um in terms of uh all ages, um all genders, it's very inclusive, it's affordable, and I think it's a good uh recreational activity. Thank you. Thank you. Um it's part of the plan for that part of the plan. Um so kind of what we will do, what what is our proposed plan to happen is once the park is developed, then we will have a joint meeting with both the um disc golf volunteer group as well as the mountain bike volunteer group. So the two groups are willing to utilize the space, and I think we'd probably do best if we have both groups and both groups work in tandem and work kind of route both amenities at the same time so that we don't impact on you know if we're too disc golf heavy, then we outside and vice versa, so that we can have a setup that works for both groups. Sounds like sounds like you volunteered to help with April, right? I yes, by all means. So any concerns about West Park because there's no trees there now for the proposed course. Right. Well, as a member of the city, you're trying to advocate for more trees there. Tree commission, yes. Uh I'm pushing that. Yeah. Uh yeah, and I think it'll serve the concerns of the residents that want screens and that sort of thing. So I think it's a win-win to get more trees on that property.
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