Leesburg Planning Commission Work Session – July 16, 2026

The Leesburg Planning Commission met on July 16, 2026, for a work session focused on the 2026 Virginia General Assembly legislative wrap-up and lessons learned from the zoning ordinance rewrite process. The meeting was called to order with five members present, a quorum. Commissioner Robinson was absent due to illness, and Commissioner Canton was also absent. The agenda was adopted unanimously, and the minutes of the June 4, 2026 meeting were approved with one abstention. No public petitioners signed up.

Discussion Items

2026 VA General Assembly Legislative Wrap-Up

Deputy Town Attorney Newton presented an overview of new state legislation requiring amendments to the Town's zoning ordinance. Key topics included:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) – SB 531: Effective July 1, 2027. Requires localities to allow ADUs as a permitted accessory use in single-family residential districts. Limits development standards localities may impose (e.g., no more stringent than primary dwelling). Town must adopt a compliant ordinance by July 2027; using the zoning rewrite is recommended.

• Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements – HB 888: Effective July 1, 2026. Requires localities over 20,000 population to adopt an administrative review process for reducing minimum parking requirements by at least 20% for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use projects. Town must develop eligibility criteria and procedures.

• Data Centers and High Energy Use Facilities – SB 94: Requires applicants for legislative approvals (rezonings, special exceptions) for facilities requiring 100+ megawatts to submit site assessments (sound profile on nearby residences/schools) and utility provider information. Town must adopt compliant criteria.

• Affordable Housing on Religious/Nonprofit Property – HB 1279: Effective January 1, 2027; expires January 1, 2031. Allows religious or nonprofit organizations that have owned property for at least five years to develop affordable housing by-right, subject to affordability and development standards (e.g., at least 60% affordable, 30-year affordability period). Town must adopt ordinance by January 2027.

• Expedited Administrative Approval for Affordable Housing – Discretionary: New state code enables localities to create an expedited process for qualifying affordable housing projects. The commission chose to postpone consideration of this optional item to focus on mandatory items.

• Solar Facilities – Amendments to State Code: Requires localities to allow ground-mounted solar facilities (1+ MW) by special exception, with specific criteria (fencing, decommissioning, etc.). Also addresses solar canopies in parking lots (optional for locality, effective July 2027). Town must establish a compliant special exception process.

• Comprehensive Plans – Social Determinants of Health: Encourages use of data on social determinants of health when updating comprehensive plans. No action needed.

• Small Lot Residential Zoning: New state code limits minimum lot area to 3,000 sq ft and minimum lot width to 30 ft in certain residential districts; requires coordinated standards. Future implementation noted.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions on applicability, definitions, and interaction with existing ordinances. Deputy Director Boschur confirmed that staff will track county affordable housing program changes and that optional items (expedited affordable housing and separate attainable housing program) were deferred to avoid overburdening the current rewrite.

Zoning Ordinance: Lessons Learned

The commission held a discussion on the process used for the comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite. Staff and commissioners shared observations:

• The straw poll approach was effective for moving items forward but could have been used more aggressively to quickly pass uncontroversial sections.
• Public outreach could be improved by creating targeted, digestible communications (e.g., short videos, articles in local media) explaining how zoning changes affect residents and businesses, particularly for residential vs. commercial districts.
• The online feedback system was useful but received mostly developer input; better resident engagement is needed.
• The overall process (section-by-section review, deep dives, public hearings) was considered effective, though time-consuming. Commissioners appreciated staff's heavy lifting and the flexibility to adjust the schedule.

No formal action was taken; the discussion will continue at the next meeting, with written comments also welcome.

Key Outcomes

• The commission unanimously approved a motion to initiate amendments to the zoning ordinance to implement four mandatory legislative items: SB 531 (ADUs), HB 888 (parking reductions), SB 94 (data centers), and HB 1279 (affordable housing on religious/nonprofit property). The motion specifically excluded two optional items (expedited affordable housing approval and separate affordable housing program) to focus on mandatory changes.
• Staff will present draft amendments for commission review at upcoming meetings (August 6, September 3, and September 17, 2026).
• The lessons learned discussion will be continued, with additional input from absent commissioners, to refine future large-scale ordinance revision processes.