The Board of Supervisors approved several development applications, voting to suspend the rules and take action at its public hearing July 11.
Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a 214-acre country club and golf course east of Route 15 approximately eight miles south of Leesburg and north of Route 50. The 214 acres are part of a 282-acre rural hamlet, where golf courses are allowed by right. The 69,000-square-foot country club will sit on 16 acres that are not a part of the rural hamlet and will include a clubhouse, restaurants, meeting rooms, a pool and a spa.
Also approved unanimously were the Broad Run Business Center for the development of 4.2 acres along Broderick Drive for 100 percent office use; the elimination of two use restrictions at the University Center to allow for more medical and dental offices in the 15.85-acre area; and the Sheraton Dulles North, a 179-room hotel with a 4,700 square foot conference center, an indoor pool and spa facilities. The hotel was previously known as Sheraton Dulles Town Center because of its location on Atlantic Boulevard between Severn Way and Steeplechase Drive, but the name was changed following a request by representative of the town center.
THE BOARD IS still considering the application from Salvatore J. Cangiano to develop almost 102 acres for 193 single-family homes. Supervisors voted to forward the application to their July 18 business meeting for action after some members requested additional information. The development, which would be located west of Smith Switch Road, immediately north of the Cameron Chase community and south of the W&OD Trail.
"I’m not really ready to make a decision tonight," Supervisor Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) said. "If I am going to get sold on the idea, I am going to have to think on it for a while."
Supervisor Stephen Snow (R-Dulles) wanted information on the capital facility contributions of recently approved applications, stating he believed the applicant’s $13,860 per market rate unit was not enough.
"Thirteen thousand dollars seems awfully low," he said. "I don’t know why this one seems so low and maybe it’s not. I need more information."
Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) said she was happy with the lower density of 1.9 units per acre the applicant proposed.
"It would not have been appropriate to put four units per acre in this area," she said.
The proposal allocates 9.5 acres of the property for a park site including two lacrosse fields, something Ashburn resident Mark Madigan said was important.
"I can’t tell you what benefit a development like this would be for the 500 or so children who play lacrosse in the county," he said. "The problem we have is just where to play. The ability, especially in Ashburn, to add a couple of fields that the kids could use would be a real benefit to the parents and players."
PROJECTS ELIGIBLE FOR funding under the newly renamed federal program, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), were also subject to debate at the July 11 public hearing.
The program determines which projects are eligible through criteria such as scenic or historic highway programs including tourist and welcome centers, historic preservation and the provision of facilities for bicycles and pedestrians.
Loudoun County has nine projects eligible for funding: the Goose Creek Bridge rehabilitation and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail gateway, the Mount Zion Church restoration, the Arcola Slave Quarters, the Purcellville to Round Hill bicycle/pedestrian trail, the W&OD Trail extension to Sunshine Farm, the E.E. Lake General Store, the Bruceton Mills Circle sidewalk connection, the Sterling Boulevard/W&OD sidewalk connection and the historic preservation of the Taylorstown store.
Supervisors were concerned with using local tax money for the projects and with importance of funding preservation privately.
"I am into preservation, but the thing that I don’t understand, if I was prepared to buy something like this, I would have been prepared to do most of the preservation myself," Supervisor Jim Clem (R-Leesburg) said.
Some board members also believed there needed to be a prioritization of the projects before any action was taken.
"When it comes time to vote, I believe that we should set some priority," Waters said. "I think if we are going to get any of it, we might want to put our weight behind fewer projects instead of this longer list."
"You have to decide which things are a priority," Supervisor Bruce E. Tulloch (R-Potomac) said. "There is a discussion that is missing here. I believe we are kind of putting the cart before the horse."
The board voted to forward each project to the next board meeting for consideration, but Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) asked for a separation of three of the items, the Goose Creek Bridge, the Mount Zion Church and the Arcola Slave Quarters.
"I want to be able to record a no vote," he said.
Supervisors Staton and Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) said they would vote to consider the items, but were not necessarily in support of every one.
The board must take action on the SAFETEA-LU by Sept. 19.