The Loudoun County Planning Commission held a work session and public hearing on March 24, 2026, to consider several land use applications including a substation, agricultural district withdrawal, a government warehouse, a compressor station, and data center-related special exceptions. The meeting began at approximately 11:00 AM (UTC) and included a work session item followed by six public hearing items. Votes were recorded with Commissioner Frank absent for all votes.
Good evening, everybody. The March twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six Allden County uh planning commission work session of public hearing uh will now come to order and as is our custom, let's stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. We have uh minutes from the February twenty fourth, twenty twenty-six public hearing uh to approve and review. Uh if you have had a chance to review them, I'll accept the motion. So moved. Second. Any discussion on the motion. No, okay. All those in favor say aye. Opposed. That motion will pass eight zero one with Commissioner Frank absent for the vote. Uh next up we have uh disclosures, and I will start to my right. If you have any disclosures, please turn your light on. Commissioner Jasper. Um, I met yesterday, I met with um Bill Junda and Ernest Brown on the Tuscar Crossing uh project. Um, and then on Monday, March sixteenth, I met with Supervisor Tacroni and the applicant team on the Leesburg Compressor Station. All right, thank you. Commissioner Motoretti. Um I have quite a few here. Um March 2nd, I met with the applicant team from Hoppy Happy Plus. Um on Wednesday March 11th, I met with Mike Romeo and the applicant team from Foxgate mixed use application. Um 12th. No, not 12th 13th. I met with uh SGC Ashboon um representative and the applicant. Um March 17th, um I met with Bill Gender and uh Arni Brown uh regarding the Tuscarora crossing. And on March 10th, I met with South Riding um intergenerational property and its applicant team. Thank you. All right, thank you, Commissioner Miggs. Commissioner Myers. Um I met with Friday virtually with uh Bill Genda regarding the Tuscan World application for the county. Right. Thank you. Um for myself on March 16th, uh I met with Dominion uh applicant regarding the barrister substation application tonight. On March 16th, I met with Bill Junda and Ernie Brown regarding the Tuscarora Land Bay D application. And today I met with uh Ron Meyer about the SDC Ashburn One application and tour to data center under construction. And that is all for myself. All right, folks, so we're gonna start tonight with the uh work session item first, and then after completion of that, we will move to the public hearing agenda. So with that, the uh first item we have is for work session is Ledgy 2024-59, Novec Demo substation, Commission permit 2024-10. Good evening, my name is Aaron Fisher with the Department of Planning and Zoning. I'm here today to present the application for Novec Demos substation. As you know, the subject property is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and our Cola Mills Drive and is zoned industrial park under the Loudoun County zoning ordinance. The application is for a standalone commission permit to establish a public utility on approximately eight acres of the subject site. On the screen, you see the proposed site layout you're familiar with. When the application was originally heard by the planning commission in December, screening consisted of a 12-foot tall screen wall and enhanced vegetative screening. At the February work session, the applicant added berming along both road frontages, increased the height of the screen wall to 16 feet, and placed the wall on a on the berm along our colour mills drive. A stone masonry facade was also proposed. Following the February work session, the applicant revised the substation screening measures in response to the commission's request for improved screening of the interior of the site to protect views from southbound Belmont Ridge Road, eastbound Arcola Mills Drive, and the Evermont Trace neighborhood to the north of the site. The applicant expanded the 16-foot tall screen wall to enclose the entire substation and included a graphic of what the wall will look like, as you see on the screen. And additionally, proposed to dedicate a tree conservation easement to the county for the forested areas flanking the north side of the substation. After the packet was published last week, staff received feedback from the county attorney's office that it would be best for this commitment to include a time frame for dedication.