Loudoun County FSM PRC Meeting - October 9, 2025
Loudoun County FSM PRC Meeting - October 9, 2025
Note: The agenda and transcript consistently refer to this meeting as October 2, 2025, creating a discrepancy with the user-provided date of October 9, 2025. The summary below follows the actual content of the meeting as recorded on October 2.
The Facility Standards Manual Public Review Committee (FSM PRC) met to discuss updates to recent DOAM amendments, continued work on floodplain amendments to FSM Chapters 5 and 8, and an update on the 10-year private road reserve fund.
Consent Calendar
- The committee approved the minutes of the September 11, 2025 meeting as amended, changing the phrase "whether there isn't an internal" to "interim procedure." The motion passed unanimously.
Discussion Items
- DOAM-2025-0002 Update: Staff reported that the package—including the fourth zoning warrant to rewrite interim standards tech memos (chapters 7 and 8), the chapter 6 preliminary soils review timeline change from 30 to 60 days, and January Stormwater Manager handbook updates (chapter 5)—went before the Planning Commission, which recommended approval. The item is scheduled for the November 12 Board of Supervisors public hearing. Committee members noted healthy debates on level spreaders and C factors, with consensus ultimately reached.
- Floodplain Amendments (FSM Chapter 8 and Guidance): The committee reviewed proposed edits to Chapter 8 regarding how floodplain boundaries are shown on construction plans. Discussion centered on whether to require floodplain depiction on all plan sheets or consolidate onto specific sheets (existing conditions, grading, erosion sediment control, tree conservation/landscape, and reforestation plans). The committee decided to delete note A21 (requiring floodplain on all sheets) and instead add reforestation plans to the list in note A10, cross-referencing subsection 7.305. Staff will revise accordingly.
- On broader floodplain guidance for Chapter 5, staff provided background: floodways were mapped in 1985, but in 2001 the county chose to treat all floodplains as floodways, leading to a no-rise requirement. After a 2014 FEMA audit, the zoning ordinance was revised. The Board of Supervisors declined to remap floodways in 2023. The committee debated the applicability of FEMA's 2023 floodway guidance, given that county maps do not show designated floodways. Some members (e.g., Megan) argued that minor projects like storm outfall channels should not require a full hydraulic study (Type 2), and that staff should have discretion to accept narrative no-rise certifications. Others preferred a specific list of examples. Staff indicated they will consider committee input and may produce a scenarios table to clarify when different analysis levels are needed.
- 10-Year Private Road Reserve Fund Update: Staff presented a revised approach moving away from a specific dollar amount. Three scenarios were outlined: 1) Existing HOA with funded reserve – a confirmation letter from the HOA suffices; 2) New development without HOA – a letter from the developer acknowledging the requirement and committing to fund the HOA and reserve studies; 3) Small developments without HOA (e.g., two-lot subdivisions) – a letter from the owner committing to maintenance. This interim approach will be supported by a template letter and a technical memorandum, while longer-term updates to covenants are pursued via a "quick fix" zoning ordinance amendment. The committee discussed enforceability, successor liability, and the county's role in HOA disputes.
Key Outcomes
- The September 11, 2025 minutes were approved as amended.
- Staff will implement the Chapter 8 edits to remove note A21 and add reforestation plans to the list of sheets requiring floodplain depiction.
- Staff will consider committee feedback on floodplain guidance and may produce a scenarios table to clarify when Type 1 vs. Type 2 analyses are needed.
- The 10-year private road reserve fund approach will shift to letters of acknowledgement; a template and technical memorandum will be developed. The committee will continue refining this approach.
- Next committee meetings: October 16, 2025 (Sycolin Road) and November 6, 2025 (Dulles Room).
Meeting Transcript
All right, everybody. I'd like to call it order the October 2nd, 2025 facility standards manual public for committee meetings. No members are reporting participating remotely. And committee members disclose that they are members of one or more affected groups and their respective declarations of interest are kept on file in the minutes of the facility standards manual public review committee. Everybody got a giant package of attachments from Laura to prepare for a meeting today. So if you go ahead and talk about the delay members, then we'll address the minutes. Okay. So we had a public hearing on September 23rd for Delia 2025 000 2. This is quite quite the combination Doam. This was the fourth zoning warrant to rewrite interim standards tech memo, chapter seven and eight. This was also the chapter six preliminary soils reviewed timeline change from 30 to 60 days. And the January Stormwater Manager handbook updates. So chapter five, and that was also its own tech memo that went effective on July 1st. So that whole package went before the planning commission. Ultimately, they recommended they ordered it to the board with recommendation of approval. That item is scheduled for the November 12th board public hearing. Um and Ivan did a great job. They asked if there was um if basically uh one of the commissioners always asked us if there's any discussions that maybe were more colorful and uh maybe where there was an agreement title, but and Kevin always does a good job answering this question. He knows he's gonna get it, so I don't let you share what you shared. It's it's a blur. Um I I do try to point out that there's uh there are things like we were talking about the uh level spreaders, right? We had a healthy discussion about that. Um while it was batted back and forth, that I felt that we came to a conclusion or resolution that was fair and reasonable and everybody was happy with it. And I forget what the other thing is. Jimmy had all he said he wanted to talk, so I so I said the C factors we had a fairly good debate about, but again, you know, we came to a reasonable conclusion. Um and then um Betsy from that. Yeah, Betsy brought up about the plat and how additional information and how uh provide reference sheets and that type of thing, and then we had a fair amount of discussion on that. So um I we have to show that we're doing work and earning our key. So that was uh that was my comment. Did a great job. I mean, they asked some questions about the timeline change from 30 to 60 days, and I think the fact that PSR Gwen handled that masterfully, but the fact also that PSRs aren't required for every application type, only if you're on LOD or MOD helped resolve some of that concern, and that was the timeline we were getting to today. Gwynn also explained that you could also have an asset consultant do it. Yeah, there's lots of options. You don't have to have a staff prepared PSR. Um, but there were a lot of comments about how technical the committee is. I don't know if you all are familiar that but um the planning commission chair is Cliff Kears, used to sit on this committee. Um so he's like, Well, if you've ever been in a committee with those guys, you know how technical it is. And a lot of commissioners, even before they ask questions, right? This is way more technical than I'm you know prepared to comment on, but can you explain that's you know that kind of thing? But it was we were in and out really quick. Um Kevin always has to say that we're all still friends. Correct. Laura brings a baseball bag to the meeting, but sorry. There, but it's I think they don't believe it. They get a lot of things for staff that initially disagree, and I think we always come, you know, we work it out, but I think they don't realize what we really do in these meetings. We we were candid and we see that. That's true. That's probably why that's probably yeah, that's a good point. So it was it was a good experience as usual. Um the packet was almost 200 pages, it's just a lot of work.
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