Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Public Hearing - March 11, 2026

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on March 11, 2026. Supervisor Laterno participated remotely from Washington, D.C., after the county attorney determined that his request met the qualifications under Virginia Code Section 2.2-3708.3; a physical quorum was present in the boardroom. The Board approved all three agenda items by identical 7-0-2 votes, with two supervisors off the dais.

Consent Calendar / Consolidated Agenda

• The Board consolidated Items 1 and 2 for a single hearing because there were no outstanding issues, staff recommended approval, the applicant waived presentation time, and no advance public speakers were registered.
• Item 1 - Revised Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Plan and Streamlined Annual Public Housing Agency Plan (Countywide): The Board approved adoption of the revised plan as provided in the March 11, 2026 Public Hearing Item 1 staff report. The motion passed 7-0-2.
• Item 2 - BDCOR-2026-0007, Ordinance of Partial Vacation for Landscape Buffer Easement at 43269 Wembley Lane (Dulles District): Supervisor Laterno moved approval, explaining that the resident had been trying to add a screened-in patio and deck but encountered older landscape buffer easements recorded in 1998; bringing it as a staff item avoided a longer resident application process. The Board approved the vacation 7-0-2.

Public Comments & Testimony

• One public speaker, Mr. Sam Wong, approached the podium. He referenced a special exception concerning data center debates, but the Chair told him that item was not on the March 11 agenda and that public comment is limited to items on the public agenda. The Chair offered to check the next agenda and contact him; a county official suggested the matter might be the Concord application coming to the Board on March 17.

Discussion Item: Shiraz Farm LLP Kennel Special Exception

• Item 3 (LEGI-2023-0091, SPEX-2023-0026, and SPEX-2025-0122, Little River District) was heard separately. Planning and Zoning staff described a proposed kennel in the AR2 zoning district near Clarke County, with a reduced buffer width along the northern property line from 20 to 5 feet and a setback reduction from 100 to 5 feet. The Planning Commission had voted 9-0 to forward the application to the Board. Staff identified an issue for consideration regarding the kennel's location relative to other residential properties and surrounding agricultural operations, but staff and the Planning Commission determined that the proposal, as proposed and conditioned, was consistent with plan policy.
• Applicant Roger and Azita Rudy, owners of Shiraz Farm LLP in Upperville, presented in support. They described a 99.15-acre family-run agricultural operation breeding and training German Shepherds for service, therapy, and companion work, inspired by their deaf daughter's experience with a service dog. They stated there are currently 42 dogs on site, about 15 of them over six years old, 10 to 15 breeding dogs, roughly one litter per month, and 50 to 100 puppies produced per year. Puppies stay 8 to 12 weeks before adoption. They said there is no boarding or daycare service, dogs are housed indoors in existing buildings, the kennel is more than 1,300 feet from the public road and about half a mile from the nearest single-family home, traffic is about 10 to 15 work-related trips per week, and waste is spot-cleaned, bagged, and removed weekly without runoff. They also cited regular inspections by Loudoun County Animal Services, the USDA, and the American Kennel Club, no land disturbance, no expansion, tree planting of 60 trees this year and more than 150 over the past few years, no neighbor opposition, and letters of support.
• Board discussion included questions about acreage, distances to nearby homes, the kennel's operations compared with other kennels, waste disposal and groundwater protection, and the number and categories of dogs. Supervisor Turner said he was not opposed and was just curious about the difference from a kennel operation generating complaints. Supervisor Crony noted that the conditions had been met, nearby homes are about 880 feet to the south and 2,390 feet to the north, and the use was consistent with the rural policy area.

Key Outcomes

• The Board voted 7-0-2 to suspend the rules for Item 3 so it could be considered outside the consolidated agenda.
• The Board approved LEGI-2023-0091, Shiraz Farm LLP, SPEX-2023-0026, and SPEX-2025-0122, subject to the conditions of approval dated February 12, 2026, and based on the findings for approval provided as attachments one and two to the March 11, 2026 staff report. The motion passed 7-0-2.
• Items 1 and 2 also passed 7-0-2 as noted above.