On June 1, the county instituted a new capital intensity factor (CIF) to apply to rezoning applications. The CIF, which is an estimated cost of all non-essential amenities each new Loudoun County home will require, has further divided the pro-growth and smart-growth supervisors. Recently, the supervisors considered the first batch of rezoning applications under the new CIF and saw first-hand how it will affect the county.
Supervisors who support the new CIF say it encourages developers to work with the county. In exchange for higher density building rights, developers negotiate with the county, resulting in a series of proffers that fund infrastructure and lessen environmental impact. Opposing supervisors say that citizens are paying the cost when more homes make more demands on county services.
"I'm opposed to these rezonings that are relying more and more on taxpayers to pick up the tab," said Chairman Scott York (I-at large).
Supervisor Stephen Snow (R-Dulles) focused on the benefits the county gets from each rezoning. "We're working so hard to get the infrastructure that the last board didn't get," he said.
The three applications in question all rest with Belmont Ridge Road on their eastern borders and Goose Creek serving as a western border. All three are adjacent and, in total, will encompass 338.79 acres and include up to 796 dwelling units. By name, they are Belmont Glen/Rouse property (143 acres; 196 units), Goose Creek Preserve (163.39 acres; 500 units) and Goose Creek Village South (32.4 acres; 100 units).
Both the Rouse property and Goose Creek Preserve rezonings have received approval from the board. Goose Creek Village South was sent back to the Land Use Committee and will come before the supervisors again in September.
THE OLD CIF, established in November of last year, charged developers $37,028 per single detached home to fund nonessential amenities, or a "wish list," as Snow put it.
"The developer doesn't pay a dime," Snow said. "It's a pass-through cost on the customers." For example, Snow noted, instead of paying $300,000 for a family home, a buyer would pay $337,028.
On June 1, the CIF for a single detached home was reduced to an interim figure of $33,034, with a final figure to be determined by the end of the year. According to Snow, the lowered number encourages developers to negotiate with the county, rather than developing by-right, in which case the county receives no benefits.
"If you drive up the capital intensity factor so high, the developers go by-right and we get nothing," Snow said. "To me, that's irresponsible."
The county can also build in additional environmental protections to the proffers when allowing developers to build more densely. In the case of the three Goose Creek area rezonings, all three developers agreed to avoid building within 300 feet of the river, according to Goose Creek Scenic River Advisory Committee chair Helen Casey.
"Every one of these properties has more than met our requests," Casey said. The minimum setback from Goose Creek required by the county is 200 feet. The additional footage helps cleanse runoff by filtering the water as it seeps to the river, Casey said.
In addition, by-right development, while lower in density, "would likely cover more of a footprint," said county staff planner Lou Mosurak. For Goose Creek Preserve, for example, by-right development allowed 163 homes on 163 acres. After the rezoning, 500 units may now be built — but because of the mix of single detached homes, attached homes and townhouses, it will leave at least some open spaces in the subdivision.
THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH for Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge).
"They drain right into Goose Creek," he said. "All the impervious surfaces that go with the development ... I'm opposed to it. Even though the general plan permits it, I think we made a mistake in that portion of the general plan."
Burton irritated the pro-growth members of the board when he directed the county planning staff to draw up charts comparing the proffers the county would receive from developers under the old and new CIF. Snow called the charts "bogus" and "illegal."
"I was trying to draw distinctly between the new policy and the old policy what kind of payola was involved in the process," Burton said.
In the case of Goose Creek Preserve, Burton's chart concluded that the county would receive $3.9 million less in proffers under the new CIF.
By reducing the proffers the county would require of developers, the pro-growth supervisors are repaying developers who helped secure them their offices, Burton said.
"Every single one of them is deeply in debt politically to the developing industry," Burton said. "The developing community filled their campaign coffers with contributions."
According to county assessor Bill Gardner, higher density building provides a perk for the developer: increased property value.
"If the density increases, it stands to reason the value will increase due to increased units," he said.
According to Burton, the current board has approved the building of 4,600 homes since January.