Leesburg Planning Commission Meeting – June 4, 2026

This June 4, 2026 meeting of the Leesburg Planning Commission focused on a public hearing for the Liberty Hotel rezoning and special exception application, followed by staff reports, a discussion on the zoning ordinance rewrite schedule, and new business regarding transportation level-of-service analysis. The commission voted 4–2 (with one absent) to forward both the rezoning and the special exception to the Town Council with recommendations of approval.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was adopted as submitted.
• The minutes of the May 7, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

• Liberty Hotel (TLZM-2022-0004 and TLSE-2022-0004): Staff presented a rezoning to rezone the 8.5-acre site (including 0.77 acres of former town right-of-way) from B3 and I-1 to B3, and a special exception to allow a six-foot parapet (two feet above the standard four-foot parapet). The proposal includes a 140-room hotel (70 TownePlace Suites, 70 Fairfield Inn & Suites) and two 10,000-square-foot commercial buildings along Russell Branch Parkway. Three modifications were requested: buffer yard adjacencies to Route 7 (limited by Dominion Power easement), side yard buffer requirements, and parking (281 spaces required; 243 after shared-use reduction; 272 proposed). The applicant proffered $60,600 in contributions, including $50,000 for off-site transportation improvements. The project is estimated to create 50 jobs and have a net positive fiscal impact of $388,166. Staff recommended approval.
• Commissioner Barnes questioned the simultaneous construction of the hotel and retail buildings, asking that the retail be built at the same time as the hotel to avoid past issues of unbuilt commercial. The applicant stated the intent is to build all structures simultaneously, and staff noted the proffer requires all infrastructure (grading, landscaping, parking, sidewalks) to be completed with the hotel, but does not require the retail buildings themselves to be finished before hotel occupancy. After debate, the commission (4–2) expressed comfort with the proffer as written.
• Commissioner Robinson raised concerns about the transportation level-of-service (LOS) analysis, noting that existing LOS at some intersections is already at "E" (Edward) while the town's Design and Construction Standards Manual requires "C" for new projects. She requested staff examine current intersection conditions, available legal options, and potential updates to the traffic study methodology. This was placed as new business for future discussion.
• Zoning Ordinance Rewrite: Director David presented the tentative Town Council work plan, with kickoff on June 22, 2026, and anticipated public hearing in November 2026. The commission discussed lessons learned and agreed to cancel meetings on June 18 and July 2, consolidating to July 16 to allow staff and members a break after the intensive rewrite process.

Key Outcomes

• Rezoning Approval (TLZM-2022-0004): The commission voted 4–2 (one absent) to forward the rezoning to Town Council with a recommendation of approval, finding it meets TLZO Section 3.3.15 criteria.
• Special Exception Approval (TLSE-2022-0004): The commission voted 4–2 (one absent) to forward the special exception for increased height to Town Council with a recommendation of approval, finding it meets Section 3.4.12 criteria.
• Calendar Change: The commission voted to cancel the meetings of June 18 and July 2, 2026, and convene next on July 16, 2026.
• New Business: Directed staff to prepare a scope of work to evaluate existing intersection level-of-service data, legal options, and potential updates to transportation analysis methods for future consideration.