Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Public Hearing - July 15, 2026

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on July 15, 2026, addressing nine agenda items including eminent domain, property conveyances, blight ordinances, zoning and special exception applications for a government warehouse, a baseball training academy, two electrical substations, and capital intensity factors. The meeting lasted approximately three and a half hours with public testimony on multiple items.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Farmwell Road Eminent Domain: The board approved a motion to forward the resolution approving the use of eminent domain for the Farmwell Road (Smith Switch to Ashburn Road) project to the September 15, 2026 Business Meeting for action. The motion passed 8-0-1 (one absent). Supervisors Glass and Turner expressed commitment to continued engagement with affected property owners before final action.
• Item 2 – Compass Creek Conveyance: The board approved the conveyance of county property, easements, and performance agreements within the 2025 Town of Leesburg annexation area. Motion passed 8-0-1.
• Item 3 – Riptide Square Blight Ordinance: The board adopted an ordinance authorizing removal of a fire-damaged structure at 20701 Riptide Square. Supervisor Bricksman noted the structure was an eyesore and public safety hazard following an arson incident. The ordinance includes a 30-day appeal period. Motion passed 9-0.
• Item 5 – Loudoun School for Advanced Studies: The board approved zoning conversion, concept plan amendment, and minor special exceptions to relocate the school to a new facility in the Algonkian district. Motion passed 9-0. Supervisor Bricksman thanked staff and Supervisor Turner for collaboration.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 4 – Tuscarora Landbay 4: Three public speakers spoke. Fosia Bruk (Tuscarora Crossing resident) questioned compatibility with surrounding residential neighborhoods, citing 19 pages of conditions. A second speaker (unidentified) stated the HOA does not represent residents and expressed concerns about truck traffic and safety. Emily Johnson (Piedmont Environmental Council) urged the county to lead by example with solar deployment, battery storage, and robust EV charging, and supported sustainability features added to the application.
• Item 8 – R&D Hamilton Academy (RD Baseball): Approximately 21 speakers. Supporters included local athletes, parents, and coaches who highlighted the program’s positive impact on youth development, discipline, and college/professional opportunities. Opponents included neighboring residents who cited safety concerns over traffic (estimated 196 vehicle trips per day), a narrow private access road, inadequate fire access, and inconsistency with rural agricultural zoning. Some neighbors noted the property’s prior equestrian use and expressed that RD Baseball’s operations had already caused disturbance. Two speakers (Thomas Gettings and Stephanie Van Prier, through counsel) argued the applicant lacks legal easement rights to widen the access road.
• Item 7 – Golden Substation: Five public speakers. Clement Lupton (Loudoun Chamber of Commerce) and three residents (Ganesh Subramaniam, Pradeep Gubala, Rajashekar Sheshula) supported the substation as critical for grid reliability. Victor Block (community representative) acknowledged improvements but requested further design enhancements, noting that 20-foot walls and transmission structures remain visible from the W&OD trail and Route 28.
• Item 9 – Capital Intensity Factors: No public speakers registered.

Discussion Items

• Item 4 – Tuscarora Landbay 4: Staff presented a proposal for a 130,000 sq ft government building with office and warehouse facilities on a 15-acre site originally proffered for public use (school). The applicant (Loudoun County Department of General Services) described the use as a maintenance and records repository with 150 employees, four to five daily deliveries, and a 43% reduction in vehicle trips compared to the originally planned elementary school. Changes from community feedback included parking reduction from 520 to 425 spaces, six-foot berm along Natchez Drive, building redesign to resemble an elementary school, 20 EV charging spaces, and restrictions on truck types (no box trucks over 26 feet or 15 tons). Supervisor Umstead noted the HOA’s lack of representation for residents. Supervisor Turner expressed discomfort with converting potential housing land to a warehouse use, citing the county’s housing shortage. The board voted 9-0 to forward the item to the September 15, 2026 Business Meeting.
• Item 8 – R&D Hamilton Academy: The applicant proposed three minor special exceptions to operate a baseball training academy on a 21-acre rural property: increase employees from 4 to 8, increase structure area from 6,000 sq ft to 9,256 sq ft, and reduce setbacks from 300 ft to 150/70/54 ft. Staff supported with conditions including site plan review, lighting restrictions, and safety netting. Debate centered on the private access road, fire marshal compliance, and whether the applicant has legal easement rights to widen the road. Supervisor Kirshner noted the applicant had already invested over $2.5 million and faced procedural delays. Supervisor Croney and others questioned compatibility with rural character and emergency vehicle access. The board voted 9-0 to forward to the September 1, 2026 Business Meeting.
• Item 6 – Tech Park at Dulles Substation: Staff presented a commission permit and special exceptions for a 6-acre substation on a 20.6-acre parcel, proximate to existing transmission lines and planned data centers. The planning commission unanimously recommended approval. The applicant highlighted minimal visual impact (12-foot screening wall, berm, reforestation). No public speakers. The board approved the commission permit (7-0-1 with Bricksman absent) and forwarded the special exceptions to September 15, 2026 (7-1-1, with Supervisor Turner opposing on the latter).
• Item 7 – Golden Substation: Staff recommended approval of a commission permit and special exceptions for a 500 kV gas-insulated substation with a 20-foot screen wall on 15.8 acres. The applicant (Dominion Energy) stressed grid reliability, noting the substation was already 6–12 months behind schedule and that the region narrowly avoided load shedding during a recent heat wave. The application included enhanced screening along the W&OD trail and Route 28, a decorative fence, and over two acres of pollinator habitat. Supervisor Saints proposed a 30-day delay to explore additional design options (citing a Minneapolis substation example) but later accepted a friendly amendment to move both parts to September 1, 2026. The motion passed 7-1-1, with Supervisor Turner voting against.
• Item 9 – Capital Intensity Factors: Staff presented updated standard capital intensity factors and a by-size differential option. The board amended the effective date to apply to all new rezoning applications only (as opposed to applications not yet before the board), consistent with historical practice. The motion passed 5-0 (with some supervisors absent).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: All five consent items were approved as noted above (votes: 8-0-1 or 9-0).
• Tuscarora Landbay 4: Forwarded to September 15, 2026 Business Meeting (9-0).
• R&D Hamilton Academy: Forwarded to September 1, 2026 Business Meeting (9-0).
• Tech Park at Dulles Substation: Commission permit ratified (7-0-1); special exceptions forwarded to September 15, 2026 (7-1-1).
• Golden Substation: Commission permit and special exceptions forwarded to September 1, 2026 Business Meeting (7-1-1).
• Capital Intensity Factors: Adopted with effective date for new rezoning applications (5-0).
• Supervisor Bricksman participated remotely until approximately 8:00 PM, then left; she was recorded as absent for later votes.