Board of Zoning Appeals Public Hearing - July 24, 2026: Washington Commanders Training Facility Sign Development Plan

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) held a public hearing on July 24, 2026, to consider LEGI-2025-0056, the Ashburn Training Facility Sign Development Plan (ZMOD-2025-0005) for the Washington Commanders professional football franchise. This was the third hearing on the application; the previous hearings occurred on May 28 and June 25, 2026. The applicant presented a second revision of the sign plan, addressing prior board concerns about sign size, quantity, and visibility.

Discussion Items

• Planner Presentation: Brian Fish, a planner with Loudoun County Zoning Administration, presented the revised plan. Changes from the previous submission included: removal of one wall sign from the west facade of the sports dome; reduction of the north and south facade signs from 5,400 square feet to 3,864 square feet each (a reduction of approximately 30%); and retention of the east facade sign (P1) at 1,920 square feet, unchanged in size. The applicant stated that the signs on the north and south facades now occupy about 8% of the total facade area.
• Applicant Arguments: The applicant (represented by counsel) emphasized that the signs are essential for identifying the facility as the home of the Washington Commanders and for sponsorship revenue. They noted the unique, inflatable dome structure (approximately 1 acre footprint) and argued that the signs are appropriately scaled. A series of 14 photographs taken in early July were shown to illustrate sign visibility from adjacent roadways. The applicant highlighted that the Washington Commanders have been in Loudoun County since 1992 and have no plans to relocate their practice facility.
• Board Concerns: Board members raised several issues: the sheer size of the signs (described as "enormous" and akin to billboards); the precedent for large-scale signage; whether approval could be tied to the unique inflatable dome structure and to the specific use (conference and training center); and the longevity of the structure (estimated 5-year lifespan). Member Canonico questioned the fairness of giving special treatment to the Commanders over any other business. Member Forbes expressed concern about the signs being a "backdoor to advertising" and referenced the county's historic anti-billboard stance. The board attorney clarified that content is not a permissible consideration; only size, location, and design standards are relevant.
• Conditions Discussed: Extensive deliberation focused on crafting conditions to limit future applicability. The zoning administrator suggested conditions tying signage to the dome structure and restricting sign area if the structure size changes. The board ultimately agreed to include a condition that the sports dome signage is limited to the existing structure or a structure of comparable inflatable type and size, and that if the structure size decreases, the cumulative sign area may not exceed the percentages specified in the sign plan (8% for north/south facades, 11% for east facade).

Key Outcomes

• Vote: The board approved the application (moved by Mr. Walker, seconded) with a vote of 3 in favor (Mr. Walker, Mr. Clark, Ms. Forbes – reluctantly) and 0 opposed. Two members (Mr. Canonico and another) expressed reservations but did not vote against.
• Conditions of Approval: The approval is subject to the conditions of approval dated July 23, 2026, and the additional conditions: (1) Approval of the sports dome signage as shown in the sign plan shall be limited to the existing structure or a structure of comparable inflatable type and size. (2) Should the structure size decrease, the signage may not exceed the cumulative sign area identified on page 11 of the sign plan (i.e., the 8% and 11% facade coverage percentages).
• Other Administrative Matters: The Assistant County Attorney reported that the RD Baseball minor special exception (heard July 15, 2026) is scheduled for action at the September business meeting. The Fields Farm RV storage case remains unresolved with no court date set. The Zoning Administrator noted there will be no meeting in August; the next BZA meeting is September 17, 2026.