Loudoun County Facility Standards Manual Public Review Committee Meeting - April 28, 2025
Loudoun County Facility Standards Manual Public Review Committee Meeting - April 28, 2025
The Facility Standards Manual (FSM) Public Review Committee met on April 28, 2025, to review proposed amendments to the FSM, focusing on Chapter 8 (construction and stormwater amendments) and Chapter 5 (stormwater management and design specifications). Staff presented edits based on previous comments, and the committee discussed technical details, potential conflicts with state standards, and next steps for the amendment package.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes from the April 3, 2025 meeting (motion by Matt, second by Keith; all in favor).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public were present.
Discussion Items
- Chapter 8 Amendments (Grading and Drainage Plans): Staff presented cross-references and edits to sections 8106, 8107, and 8111 to clarify requirements for existing conditions plans, grading and drainage plans, erosion and sediment control plans, and tree conservation plans. A debate occurred over whether the Director should approve additional grading plan sheets; the committee tentatively agreed to remove the phrase” the director may approve” and instead allow applicants to provide additional sheets without approval, pending further input from the staff team.
- Invert Labeling on Grading Plans: The committee discussed the requirement to label invert elevations for culverts and manhole tops on grading plans. Staff clarified that inverts for inlets and other structures are not needed. The text was adjusted to specify labeling culvert inverts and structure tops, with a note to update the cross-reference accordingly.
- Removal of Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook References: Most references to the Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook were removed from Chapter 8 to avoid duplication, with one exception retained for super silt fence in section 8111.
- Chapter 5 Amendments – Tree Planting BMP: Staff recommended prohibiting the new tree planting BMP (BMP) from the state handbook due to concerns about pollutant removal, survivability, and inspection burdens. They suggested allowing it only through a variance request for pilot projects. The committee took no formal action but noted the position.
- Runoff Coefficient Table (Table 3): Discussion focused on revising the open space/lawn runoff coefficients after comments that the proposed values were too high compared to the VDOT ranges. The committee agreed to adjust the values downward to better align with VDOT standards and will double-check before finalizing.
- Level Spreader Specifications: Extensive discussion on level spreader requirements, including maximum length and discharge. Staff and committee expressed concerns about the state’s allowance of up to 30 cfs and 200-foot length. The committee favored retaining the existing county limits (15 cfs, 144 feet) but acknowledged the need to distinguish between BMP-level spreaders and non-BMP (erosion control) spreaders. Staff will develop separate specifications.
- Other Technical Edits: Minor corrections were made to practice names (e.g., “Sheet Flow to Vegetative Filter Strip/Conserved Open Space”), figures, links, and references to state standards. The committee also discussed the need to clarify that underground detention liner and underdrain requirements apply only to infiltration practices, not wet ponds.
- Tech Memo and Timelines: Staff presented a draft Technical and Procedural Newsletter summarizing the amendments, including prohibitions on certain BMPs and corrections. The newsletter will apply to plans accepted after July 1, 2025, with allowances for comprehensive plans and variations. The committee agreed to send the package for a 45-day agency referral before final issuance, with a possible brief committee review if substantive comments arise.
Key Outcomes
- Committee approved the Chapter 8 edits (with a few minor items to be adjusted) and agreed to move forward with Chapter 5 edits pending finalization of the runoff coefficient table and level spreader language.
- Staff will prepare a revised draft incorporating today’s discussion and send it for agency referral (45-day period). A final review by the committee may occur if substantial agency comments are received.
- The committee will continue coordination with the Director on unresolved items (e.g., grading sheet approval language) at a future coordination meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah. Sorry, so we're gonna try to get started here. Um I like to call it order the April 24th, 2025 Facility Standards Manual Public Review Committee meeting. No members are prevent participating remotely, and committee members disclose that they are members of one or more affected groups and respected declarations of interest are kept on a file in the minutes of the facility standards manual public review committee. So today, in addition to being in a different room, although we've been here before, we've got a hybrid uh coordination and leadership. Uh Laura's on a screen from uh she is remote. Um is gonna help out with a lot of the content here, and uh I'm gonna struggle to try to fit it all together. Um I'd like to start. We have minutes from our last meeting, and I wasn't present, so um someone hopefully someone has reviewed them and get a motion to approve, or there's corrections that's that's here. I'll move to accrue the motives. Thank you. Second, thank you. Any of the okay, I'm struggling to hear. Was that Matt and Keith? It was very good. Okay, I guess I can speak off. I'm sorry. I was long line. Okay. Um all in favor approving the minutes from the April 3rd meeting, please say aye. Aye. Opposed. Good. All right, close that screen. Uh I don't believe we have any members of the public present. So in a meeting, we're gonna move right on into the group set of control and stormwater amendments. And Laura, are you gonna try to do this? Scroll through the FSM edits or I am. I'm gonna give it a go since I'm sharing my screen. Um, I think maybe what I'll do is have staff members present in the room who are there to speak to this, introduce themselves because I heard some voices from general services. If you guys could just introduce yourselves real quick. Uh just me, Chris Stone from General Services. Okay, good here. Oh, I mean that I thought she remembered from general service. I'm sorry, I didn't need to leave you out to role for that too. Yeah. Yes, and Jimmy will be um coming in. He's a couple minutes behind um due to a car accident on his way here from someone else. But um, I would like to switch the order up a smidge um and just start with the episode chapter eight amendments. I know I had them a second here on the agenda, but the chapter eight amendments had a lot of things that um we kind of ran out of time at the last meeting, and I said we would put this some of our agency referral comments off to this meeting. So a little bit of a hybrid going on with this. Um I am presently on screen in 8106 a 10. This is where you might recall we have the new existing conditions plan. And we had gotten a comment from Ryan Souter, and yeah, what he had said from BD staff was um try to kind of cross-reference things, tie them together a little better, and I think we were struggling to understand the comment. But after clarification with him, um and doing this editing working with him, um, this is sort of what he had in mind. It's just when we talk about this grading and drainage plan, we reference the section number, which is A18 below. And when we talk about the erosion sediment control plan, um, we talk about five three hundred of the manual and the tree conservation landscape plan is 7302. Um, so we have cross-references here down to those sections. And then you'll see later here in chapter in this section in 8106 when we talk about the grading and drainage plan, we say you also need to do the items in A10. And the same thing happens when we mentioned that erosion control plans required with your CPAP.
openpublica.com