Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards Ad Hoc Committee Meeting - November 2, 2026

The Western Loudoun Ad Hoc Committee held its fifth meeting to continue drafting zoning text for the Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards Project. The committee reviewed four major topic areas: Animal Processing, Agricultural Education/Research, Recreation, and Assembly Uses, making specific findings of consistency with Board direction and passing several amendments and referrals.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting summary from October 13, 2026 was adopted with minor clarifications regarding alignment of timeframes and recordation of discussion points.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were heard during this session.

Discussion Items and Key Outcomes

Animal Processing (Motion 35)

• Proposal: Staff proposed a new 'Small Scale Animal Processing' use (permitted by right, cumulative structures under 2,500 sq ft) and retained 'Animal Processing' as a special exception use in the AR1, AR2, A10, and A3 districts.
• Discussion: The committee debated the size of the small-scale facility, with concerns raised about viability for beef processing versus smaller livestock. Discussion also focused on defining the 'holding' period for animals, waste management plan submission timing, and the applicability of standard 6-foot opaque screening requirements (Section 7.04) for outdoor holding areas.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Found the draft text consistent with Board Motion 35.
  • Recommended expanding the square footage allowance to exclude cold storage/freezer space, aligning with agricultural processing standards.
  • Recommended defining a maximum holding period (e.g., 7-10 days) to distinguish from a feedlot operation, with corresponding feedlot definition adjustments.
  • Recommended the Planning Commission and Staff explore alternative screening solutions to Section 7.04 for this specific use.
  • Clarified that the 200-foot setback from a principal dwelling applies only to adjacent lots under different ownership.
  • Recommended clarifying that waste management plans be provided at site plan stage.
  • Asked Staff to verify USDA certification feasibility for facilities under the proposed size.

Agricultural Education or Research (Motion 37)

• Proposal: Reclassify the use from agricultural support uses to the education use category (Section 4.05.03).
• Discussion: Concerns were raised about the intensity of allowing 225 attendees on a 25-acre lot by right without specific standards, and the appropriateness of the use on preservation farm lots.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Found the draft text consistent with Board Motion 37.
  • Excluded preservation farm lots from the locations where this use is permissible.
  • Referred the overall scale, intensity, maximum attendees, and the need for use-specific standards to the Planning Commission for review.

Recreation (Motions 53 & 54)

• Proposal: Separate outdoor recreation into Level 1 (passive: walking, hiking, trail riding) and Level 2 (active: sports fields, playgrounds, swimming pools) with distinct parking ratios.
• Discussion: The committee debated 'picnicking' as a use, the classification of mountain biking, the parking ratio for athletic fields (60 spaces per field), and the exemption of government-owned facilities from the definition.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Found the draft text consistent with Board direction.
  • Struck 'picnicking' from the Level 1 definition.
  • Classified mountain biking and BMX/cyclocross courses as Level 2 outdoor recreation.
  • Moved the exemption for government/utility-owned facilities to a footnote in the definition and clarified they are regulated under separate park use categories.
  • Recommended waiving the fee for administrative parking ratio determinations under Section 7.06.08 for uses without specified ratios.

Assembly Uses (Motion 59)

• Proposal: Create a tiered system of small, medium, and large scale standards based on maximum attendees and vehicle trips per day (VTD) for uses like Religious Assembly, Agricultural Cultural Center, Cultural Facility, and Rural Retreat.
• Discussion:
  • Religious Assembly: Significant debate over the 10-acre minimum lot size and its impact on existing small rural churches, with members cautioning about potential conflicts with the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The committee deferred definitive action.
  • Agricultural Cultural Center vs. Cultural Facility: The committee found these two uses to be functionally duplicative and voted to merge them into a single use.
  • Rural Retreat: The committee determined that the proposed standards were essentially for a lodging use and voted to move this use under the rural resort/lodging category to be re-evaluated at Meeting 7.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Found the draft text partially consistent with Board Motion 59, noting areas of expansion.
  • Supported the 200 VTD threshold on unpaved roads as requiring a minor special exception.
  • Religious Assembly: Requested staff to inventory existing small rural churches and seek legal guidance on regulatory constraints, to be provided to the Planning Commission.
  • Ag Cultural Center & Cultural Facility: Merged the two uses, utilizing the tiered attendee table and incorporating hours of operation and accessory use standards.
  • Rural Retreat: Deferred to Meeting 7 for complete restructuring under the lodging category.
  • Requested a comprehensive comparison chart of attendee intensity levels versus VTD for all assembly uses to be provided to the Planning Commission.