The rezoning of approximately 864 acres from residential and planned development-general industrial to planned development-housing will not only help set in motion the development of the land for up to 2,861 dwellings, but could also provide the county with two school sites.
The county Planning Commission Monday night voted unanimously to support the rezoning request by Loudoun Valley Associates L.P. of Dulles. The property, located south of Ryan Road (Route 772) and west of the Brambleton development about a mile west of the Dulles Greenway interchange with the Loudoun County Parkway in the Dulles district, includes plans to construct a mix of single-family homes and town houses as well as road improvements including contributions to expand both the Loudoun County Parkway and Claiborne Parkway to four-lanes; a 100,000-square-foot retail center; several trails and acres of open space. But, what may be most important, the applicant is proffering 30 acres for an elementary school, as well as a proposal for a contiguous piece of property totaling 112 acres for use as a high school and park land.
"We've walked the site ... I haven't seen any deal breakers at this point," said Sam Adamo, director of planning and legislative services for Loudoun County Public Schools, of the contiguous site. "We've identified the need for another high school. ... We have yet to get an appropriation from the board to go out and buy this.
"From my perspective, ... land is more valuable than money right now."
Adamo said the school system has identified the need to acquire at least 25 new school sites and so far has only five.
A REZONING APPLICATION for the project, Loudoun Valley Estates II, had been submitted nearly a year ago. Originally, the plan called for the construction of 3,184 homes on the site. That figure was eventually reduced to 2,861. The rezoning had originally received the commission's blessing, but in December 2003 the decision was reconsidered and support was withdrawn due to some concerns over proffers. Several changes resulted in the reduction of homes and the additional school site, if approved.
"This is not a new, unheard of community," said attorney Tony Calabrese, representing the applicant. "We went through many iterations."
Calabrese said among the changes was the inclusion of the contiguous piece of land, which is located on the east side of Broad Run and now zoned as industrial, to be used as a high-school site, should the county choose to exercise that option. The land had to be included in the rezoning application because public schools are currently not permitted in the industrial zone.
While the Planning Commission is recommending approval, the Board of Supervisors are the ones who must actually approve the rezoning request.
"I'm not suggesting for a second you give away all your industrial sites [for schools]," Calabrese said. "The county can save about $5 million to $8 million pursuing the site. It's not good as an industrial site."
He said the land is located off the road and has environmental issues that would not make it attractive to developers for an approved industrial use. Of the site's total 112 acres, Calabrese said, only 70 were usable. The developer was offering to proffer the site for a school and convey the remaining portion to the Department of Recreation and Parks.
"If the county does not want to exercise this option, we simply give you the money [through capital facilities contributions]," Calabrese said.
THE ONLY real disagreement over the project came between Planning Commission chair Lawrence Beerman and Art Smith from the Office of Transportation Services. The proffers offered by the applicant include funding for two commuter buses, however, Beerman, who represents the Dulles district, wanted to earmark the money for regional transportation needs when he made the motion to support the rezoning.
Beerman said completing the roadways, such as the Loudoun County Parkway, were needed more than the buses.
Smith disagreed, saying, "I appreciate you trying to [accelerate road construction], but we have capacity issues for our communities in the east. That's why we're taking a multi-modal approach."
The motion, with Beerman's rededication of the transportation funds, passed 9-0. The application now goes onto the Board of Supervisors for approval.