Western Loudoun Rural Uses CPAM/ZOAM TLUC Meeting – February 19, 2026
Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards CPAM/ZOAM – Transportation and Land Use Committee Meeting
The Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC) held a special meeting on February 19, 2026, to continue discussions on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM-2024-0002) and Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOAM-2024-0002) concerning rural uses and standards in Western Loudoun. The meeting focused on four outstanding issues: agricultural processing, farm worker housing, slaughterhouses, and agricultural education or research. Staff presented proposals and stakeholder input was gathered. No formal votes were taken; staff will prepare motions for the next TLUC meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kate Zerschmeid (Great Country Farms): Expressed support for flexible farm worker housing and local slaughterhouses. Opposed the 51% sourcing requirement for agricultural processing, calling it burdensome and unnecessary, and argued it would limit farmers' creativity. Emphasized that vehicle counts are a solid metric for ag education/research but urged simple, appropriate metrics to avoid driving farms to extinction.
- Harriet Wagmire (Wegmire Farms): Questioned the distinction between principal and accessory processing, noting that her farm grows crops on multiple non-contiguous parcels. Requested flexibility in vehicle limits during harvest seasons, stating that 200+ vehicles can arrive for field trips but upper limits are too small.
- Stephen Bradford (Potomac Vegetable Farms, Farm Bureau, Ag District Advisory Committee): Expressed gratitude for the participatory process and emphasized the need for diverse, low-impact, and flexible worker housing solutions. Highlighted the importance of inter-reliance among farms and supported collaborative approaches like migrant worker campgrounds.
- Stacy Karlberg (Fireside Farm): Encouraged simple and not overly burdensome regulations for farm worker housing and ag processing. Supported flexible structures (e.g., tiny houses) and collaborative farm worker housing solutions. Asked not to hold farms to higher standards than breweries/vineyards.
- Chris Van Black (Farm Bureau): Supported the 51% sourcing requirement expanded to a 50-mile radius for ag processing, but argued that farms should not face stricter rules than breweries or other non-farming rural uses. Stated that farms are being team players but other industries are not reciprocating. Warned of "all show and no grow."
- Avis Renshaw (Lost Corner Farm): Supported meaningful local sourcing percentages and creation of an agricultural campground zoning category. Urged the board to value farm retention and local food availability.
- Donnie Walker (Residential Sector): Expressed strong support for expanding ag education to fill gaps in vocational education, simplifying permits (e.g., removing grading plans). Favored bringing back slaughterhouses as by-right uses with permanent structures and employee-only processing. Urged simplified processes for farm worker housing, including addressing and safety incentives.
- Linda Stunts (Residential Sector): Stressed that water supply issues in Western Loudoun are critical (cited a study showing well water levels declining 10–40 feet over 30 years). Supported seasonal worker housing and USDA-certified slaughterhouses but opposed more breweries/wineries. Questioned enforceability of 51% sourcing and suggested using land-use program monitoring approaches.
- Robin Eve Jasper (Planning Commission): Aligned with Chris Van Black's "all show and no grow" concern, warning that permissive entertainment uses could escalate land values and squeeze out farming, similar to the data center effect in Eastern Loudoun. Supported the ag processing sourcing compromise and noted that health and safety codes already govern unconventional structures.
Discussion Items
- Agricultural Processing: Staff proposed relaxing the current 51% on-site sourcing requirement to 51% derived from agricultural operations within Loudoun County or from properties within 50 miles of Loudoun County. Discussion focused on enforceability, economic impact, and whether a percentage threshold is necessary. Vice Chair Turner questioned how the 51% would be measured or enforced. Chair Randall asked whether processing outside-sourced product still benefits Loudoun's economy; Chris Van Black affirmed it helps the region but not necessarily Loudoun farmers. Some speakers (e.g., Donnie Walker, Kate Zerschmeid) expressed concern about the burden during droughts or crop failures and suggested safety valves. The consensus leaned toward keeping the 51% from 50 miles but further refining details.
- Slaughterhouses: Staff proposed allowing smaller-scale standalone slaughterhouses as a minor special exception (or potentially by-right) to address the current unmet need (e.g., year-long waits for processing). Vice Chair Turner and Supervisor Kerschner favored by-right with strong performance standards, arguing that the market would naturally limit size. Chair Randall asked for a definition of "smaller scale"; staff suggested square footage limits (e.g., under 10,000 sq ft). Donnie Walker proposed requiring 100% of animals from Loudoun County and restricting operations to permanent structures. The committee generally supported by-right approval with health/safety standards and renaming the use to "animal processing" to avoid negative connotations.
- Farm Worker Housing: Staff presented a two-pronged approach: (1) creating a new "seasonal agricultural worker camp" use (mirroring state-defined migrant labor camps, permitted annually by the Health Department) and (2) modifying tenant dwelling regulations to allow more units, allow income from any Loudoun County farm, and permit unconventional structures (yurts, RVs, tiny houses). Fire Marshal Mike emphasized the need for addressing and access for emergency responders. Stacy Karlberg supported the flexible structures for affordability. Donnie Walker advocated for simplifying permits (no grading/site plans) and incentivizing permanent tenant dwellings. Chair Randall expressed concern about the term "migrant labor camp" and safety of workers. Vice Chair Turner suggested seasonal agricultural worker camp as a preferable name. The committee was open to exploring these options but noted complexity; staff will prepare motions for next TLUC meeting.
- Agricultural Education or Research: Staff noted that the current definition is duplicated in both public/civic/institutional and agricultural support uses with different vehicle limits. The question was whether to clarify the definition and differentiate between minor farm-based education (agritourism) and large institutional facilities (e.g., Virginia Tech research stations). Vice Chair Turner asked if it could be folded into agritourism. Chris Van Black and several stakeholder speakers felt existing agritourism zoning is adequate for current farm education activities. Stacy Karlberg cautioned against creating a use that could be abused as an event center and suggested requiring identifiable research partners. The committee generally agreed that the definition needs cleaning up but that a new separate use is not necessary; the institutional-type uses can remain under special exception.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken. The committee reached directional consensus on several issues; staff will prepare motions for the next TLUC meeting (tentatively March or as scheduled).
- Agricultural Processing: Support for the 51% sourcing requirement expanded to a 50-mile radius, but further refinement is needed regarding enforceability, drought/crop failure exceptions, and possible incentives (e.g., Loudoun Grown program). Staff will bring back draft language.
- Slaughterhouses: Strong support for allowing smaller-scale animal processing as a by-right use (not minor special exception) with defined scale limits (square footage), health/safety standards, and possibly a local sourcing requirement. The use should be renamed to "Animal Processing." Staff will develop performance standards.
- Farm Worker Housing: Staff will explore two tracks: (1) a seasonal agricultural worker camp use aligned with state migrant labor camp regulations (permitted annually by Health Department) and (2) revised tenant dwelling rules allowing unconventional structures, more units, and off-site income. Addressing, safety, and sanitation (e.g., vaulted privies) need to be addressed. Staff will bring forward proposals for committee consideration.
- Agricultural Education or Research: The current duplicative definitions will be cleaned up. Minor farm-based education will remain under agritourism accessory uses; large institutional facilities will continue to require special exception. No new standalone use is recommended at this time.
- Next Steps: Staff to draft motions and proposed ordinance language based on this meeting's guidance for the TLUC's next meeting (likely in March). The Zoning Ordinance Committee will begin review in June, with Planning Commission public hearings anticipated at year-end or early 2027.
Meeting Transcript
As a hearing loop if you need hearing assistance, switch your hearing aids to telecoil mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. For this special meeting, committee members will be allowed two minutes for questions. Tonight's meeting will occur in the following order. Staff will provide their introductory presentation. Following staff's presentation, the TLUC members will have two minutes to ask questions of staff. Then I will call on each stakeholder to provide their comments. Each stakeholder will be allotted three minutes. Because this is the last stakeholder meeting. And after returning, the invited stakeholders will move to the tables for a committee of the whole. Staff will introduce the issue topic. We will hold a 20-minute committee of the whole session with a two-minute time limit per speaker. Each person for each person will only speak once per topic. The topics will include those issues that we discussed tonight as well as some of the issues that we discussed in the first three stakeholder meetings. Recommendations. Following that, we would begin working with the zoning ordinance committee in June. We are looking anticipating roughly five to six months of time at the zoning ordinance committee committee before coming back to the planning commission at the end of the year or perhaps the beginning of next year for the first public hearing. But with that, uh having our attention focused on the meeting tonight. We don't need to make any decisions tonight. Obviously, this uh this will help the uh members of TLUC as well as staff uh going forward as we uh as TLUC makes recommendations and staff looks to draft language. Uh some of these issues we have discussed previously at stakeholder meetings, uh specifically the farm worker housing and the agricultural processing. So we will be diving a little deeper into those topics. Uh just a quick summary of the issues that we will be discussing uh related to agricultural processing. Uh at the well, we discussed ag processing in January of 2025, and uh when we left uh TLUC asked us to come back with some additional examples of primary versus secondary processing. So we would like to discuss that uh in combination with some of the general consensus that we had at that meeting to get some uh further clarification uh from the group. As far as farmworker housing goes, we also discussed that in January of 2025. Uh we were asked to provide a specific example of how we think something like this could work as far as a general concept. We have done that. Uh the third issue, uh slaughterhouses. Uh we had discussion at one of the stakeholder meetings about how it is it is a market that is uh underserved in Western Loudoun, and is there a way to uh make a smaller scale slaughterhouse available with a more streamlined uh review process, and then finally agricultural education and research, uh looking at um consistency issues as as well as clarifying some of the definitions uh related to this and how how that relates in the ordinance. Um we'll we'll dive a little deeper into that one uh when we get to the issue. But for now, that's that's all I have, madam chair. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wilson. Let me turn that on. Uh any uh questions to staff based on what was presented. No, okay. Let's rock and roll. I like that. Uh so we will now hear from invited stakeholders. All speakers will have three minutes to address the committee, whether speaking as an individual or as a representative of any group or organization. When you are speaking, please address the committee. Uh not the audience, those addressing the committee are asked to maintain decorum while speaking and while listening to others' public comments. So we'll start with the business tourism sector. Um Kate Zerschmeed is our first speaker, and it's over there, the microphone. Thank you, Kate. Hi. This is a different room.
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