The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors met with staff to discuss proposed changes to the comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance of western Loudoun Tuesday, Dec. 6.
In March 2005, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the January 2003 re-mapping of Loudoun’s Rural Policy Area, consisting of 227,904 acres of land including Hamilton, Hillsboro, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville and Round Hill. The court ruled the portion of the 2003 new zoning map designating properties to the AR-1 and AR-2 zoning districts was invalid on the basis of an insufficient descriptive summary. The regulations were too restrictive, allowing little to no growth in western Loudoun and the Board did not provide sufficient notice to property owners about the property changes.
The staff revised the AR-1 and AR-2 zoning district regulations. AR-1 zoning districts allow 20 acre per lot and AR-2 zoning districts allow 10 acres per lot. They created new optional rural districts RR-1, a minimum of 15 acres per lot, and RR-2, a minimum of 25 acres per lot. The staff said the uses of this land may not be restricted.
Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) said the proposal should be balanced, allow flexibility and offer land owners choices.
"We want to simplify the process for the land owner," said Waters. "We want to make it easier for people to live with less density."
It is the staff’s goal to provide a variety of sizes of land to meet the needs of the rural economy, as well as room for growth of rural residential neighborhoods.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a work session Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m., to discuss proposed changes made to the ordinances.
The issues that will be discussed include the status of rural economy, rural road capacities, traffic, ground water, sewer and fire and rescue.