Zoning Ordinance Committee Meeting - July 2, 2025

The Zoning Ordinance Committee (ZOC) met on July 2, 2025, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in the Lovettsville Room. The committee reviewed status updates on several pending comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance amendments and continued its detailed discussion of the Floodplain Ordinance Update. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Action Report for June 4, 2025: The action report was approved without dissent.

Discussion Items

• Status Updates on Current and Upcoming Amendments:
  • CPAM-2025-0001/ZOAM-2024-0001 – Data Center Standards & Locations, Phase 2: The project remains on schedule. A Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC) meeting originally set for June 18 was canceled and has been rescheduled for July 28, 2025. Committee members have been individually briefed.
  • Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Adjustments (Clean-Up ZOAM): A resolution of intent to amend is under review by the County Attorney’s office, with a target Board of Supervisors presentation in September 2025. Draft text is expected for ZOC in October 2025, followed by Planning Commission and Board consideration. The adoption timeline remains December 2025, with a possible slip to January 2026.
  • CPAM/ZOAM-2024-0002 – Western Loudoun/Rural Uses and Standards (WLRUS): A special TLUC meeting on July 16, 2025 will address equine issues, livery stables, agricultural processing, and other rural uses. Staff intends to bring initial draft language to ZOC in September 2025.
• Floodplain Ordinance Update:
  • Staff presented responses to prior ZOC comments. The committee focused on two unresolved issues: (1) notification of adjacent property owners when floodplain boundaries change, and (2) the policy of allowing active recreation in the floodplain.
  • A committee member expressed frustration that past floodplain alterations have enabled development (including buildings) on formerly flood-prone land, arguing such alterations should not be permitted. Staff noted this is a policy question for the Board of Supervisors.
  • Another member raised concerns about minor floodplain alterations (e.g., piping watercourses) being potentially prohibited by new language. Staff clarified that the intent is not to change current allowances, and they will review the language to ensure consistency.
  • Staff reported that over 100 parcels are currently out of sync between local floodplain maps and FEMA maps. The upcoming ZMAP update will correct this and include a public notification process for affected property owners.
  • Committee members requested clearer definitions for “accessory structure” in Chapter 6 to avoid confusion with the general zoning definition. Staff agreed to explore options.
  • The committee agreed to a process: after this meeting, members may submit only clarifications on their own previous comments within one week. Staff will then produce a cumulative redline document highlighting changes made since this meeting, due at least two weeks before the September meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The committee accepted staff responses on most floodplain comments, with the two outstanding issues (active recreation and minor floodplain alterations) to be revisited in September.
• Staff will provide a cumulative redline of the floodplain ordinance text by August 20, 2025, highlighting all changes from the version discussed on July 2.
• The next ZOC meeting is scheduled for September 3, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. in the Lovettsville Room.
• Staff announced the appointment of Bradley Polk as the new Deputy Zoning Administrator.