Comprehensive Plans

On The Ground Updates – December 2024

On The Ground Updates – December 2024

Posted on by PEC

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.

Albemarle & Charlottesville

  • After many years of resident input and advocacy by PEC and others for more open space and access to nature in the designated growth area, Albemarle County has closed Free Bridge Lane to vehicle traffic. This little-used road in Pantops is now available for walking, biking and quiet enjoyment along the Rivanna River. If the closure is still popular after a one-year trial, permanent amenities will be added as part of a much larger Rivanna River Greenway / Blueway network. Learn more at albemarle.org/Home/Components/News/News/989/1681
  • The Albemarle County AC44 Comprehensive Plan update is in the third of four phases. Phase 3 focuses on Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors work sessions addressing the growth management framework, future land uses and a future land use map, place types, and draft topic chapters. PEC continues to strongly advocate for the protection of the Rural Area and smart growth in the Development Areas.
  • Albemarle County is near its goal of opening Biscuit Run Park to the public. The final phase of construction involves a parking area near Route 20 for the more than four miles of trails expected to open to the public by the end of the year. 

Clarke

  • On Oct. 29, PEC organized and helped host Clarke County School’s annual Student Conservation Day at Powhatan School in Boyce. All Clarke County 4th graders rotated among stations set up by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and other organizations to learn about wildlife habitat and rehabilitation, invasive species management, composting and active play. The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center also gave a big presentation enjoyed by everyone!

Culpeper

  • In August, Clevenger’s Corner developers submitted a request to increase the allowable height of buildings within their proposed “Employment Center” from 45 feet to 75 feet to ”increase the marketability of the Property for Data Processing.” PEC alerted neighboring communities, and when the proposal began receiving public scrutiny, the developer withdrew the proposed height waiver but submitted a request to reduce the setbacks required between the development and Route 211. PEC is opposed to the proposed changes, and the Planning Commission recommended denial on Nov. 13. 
  • Culpeper County is trying to address sprawl by increasing the minimum lot size for Agriculture and Rural Area lands and adopting enhanced standards for private roads. PEC supports the proposed amendment because it will help prevent the loss of working lands to development. The Planning Commission has delayed any action until its next regular meeting on Dec. 11. 
  • The developer behind the Culpeper Technology Campus, approved by the Town and County in 2023, has proposed multiple changes to this data center campus. Most alarming, the developer wants to renegotiate the noise standards agreed upon when the development was initially approved. PEC opposes the change, which grants the data center more noise standard exceptions and weakens certain protections for residents. Unfortunately, the Planning Commission recommended approval on Nov. 19. 

Fauquier

  • The County is currently weighing three different rezoning proposals for data center campuses in Remington. PEC and our partners — Citizens for Fauquier County, Protect Fauquier and Protect Catlett — are staunchly opposed to all three. We’ve been gearing up for some of the first public hearings on these rezoning requests by attending the developers’ outreach events, the Remington Fall Festival, and organizing a community meeting Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Remington.
  • In September, the Board of Supervisors approved a zoning text amendment requiring substations to undergo special exception approval in all industrial zones. Unfortunately, the Board “grandfathered in” the substation that will serve the approved — but still unbuilt — Remington Technology Park, allowing it to be built without such approval. 
  • East Point Energy submitted an application for a Comprehensive Plan Compliance Review for a 150-megawatt battery storage project in the Village of Morrisville, adjacent to Mary Walter Middle School. At its November public hearing, the Planning Commission determined the project to be inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan, though East Point could file an appeal to the decision to the Board of Supervisors. 

Greene

  • As the Virginia Piedmont continues to experience extended periods of drought, water supply infrastructure is a priority for the County. PEC continues to closely follow the County’s efforts to address water supply planning, which includes funding and building a new reservoir and replacing treatment plants and aging sewer and water supply piping. PEC is also closely following the state-mandated Regional Water Supply Planning that will ramp up in early 2025. Greene County is part of the Middle James River 1 Planning Area. We will continue to engage Greene County on this critically important planning work.

Loudoun

  • The Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows concluded its 2024 Volunteer Season on Oct. 5. The farm welcomed 569 individual volunteers and donated over 49,000 pounds of produce to food pantries in Clarke and Loudoun counties.
  • This fall, Part 1 of the County’s Data Center Comprehensive Plan Amendment and accompanying Zoning Ordinance Amendment moved to the Planning Commission. A first public hearing was held on Sept. 24, and work sessions will continue throughout December before it moves back to the Board of Supervisors for action. Residents are encouraged to email the planning commission at [email protected] with their input on this vital amendment. 
  • The Board of Supervisors voted to begin the Western Loudoun Comprehensive Plan Amendment and accompanying Zoning Ordinance Amendment in its Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC). TLUC is holding a series of intensive stakeholder sessions through the end of 2025 on a range of topics impacting the rural policy area. Public comment is needed, and the most up to date information and schedule along with the public input form can be found at loudoun.gov/6088/Western-Loudoun-Rural-Uses-and-Standards
  • Legislative applications for more data centers in Loudoun continue to move through the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Three applications that came before the Planning Commission at its Sept. 24 public hearing totaled an astonishing 1.7 million square feet of data center space. The smallest application, the Arcola Grove Rezoning, got a recommendation of denial, but the other two applications moved to future work sessions with little opposition.

Madison

  • A revised preliminary plan to repurpose the former Criglersville Elementary School into a boutique hotel has been presented to County officials, and the property owner is planning to seek a rezoning of the property from Agriculture to Business. In June, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources approved the owner’s request to prepare and submit a formal nomination for the state and national historic registers. Approval would mean the project could be eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits.

Orange

  • Land in the County’s agricultural district can be divided an unlimited number of times into lots as small as two acres by-right, without public or legislative input. PEC believes that the current rules, more permissive than neighboring jurisdictions, invite sprawl, intensify the conversion of farmland, and strain groundwater resources. The process to rewrite the county’s zoning ordinance is expected to start soon. PEC will follow the process closely and advocate for changes that ensure agricultural viability, such as protections for prime agricultural soils or an increase to the minimum lot size, so that rural parcels remain large enough to farm. 

Rappahannock

  • In September, the Town Council and Board of Supervisors approved the proposed Boundary Line Adjustment of the Town of Washington, and in October, the Town Planning Commission was briefed on some initial concepts for the new land brought into town, called Rush River Phase II.
  • Piedmont District Supervisor Christine Smith introduced proposed changes in the Rappahannock County Code that would remove from Conservation Zoning certain uses allowed by special exception, such as country inns and resorts. The Planning Commission will review the amendment in more detail at its meeting later this month. 

This article appeared in the 2024 winter edition of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s member newsletter, The Piedmont View. If you’d like to become a PEC member or renew your membership, please visit pecva.org/join.

AC44 Phase 3 Begins in Full Force

Posted on by Rob McGinnis

The following text was sent out via email on Nov. 15, 2024. Sign up for PEC email alerts →

Dear Supporters, 

The Albemarle Comprehensive Planning process is once again underway, this time with a robust agenda and communications materials to match. PEC has followed along since the beginning, but especially since our last update in August. Read on for a summary of where we are now and what’s happening this Tues., Nov. 19. Stay tuned and share this email with those interested in engaging with Albemarle’s future; we’ll resume our regular emailing schedule. Also, sign up for the County’s alerts to hear it from them first. 

This has been a long process but it will end in mid-2025, and with your effort and ours, resulting in a better future for Albemarle County. Thank you for your engagement.

Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use
Tues., Nov. 19 @ 6 p.m.
Lane Auditorium, County Office Building
401 McIntire Road

What’s Been Going On

Since the close of Phase 2 and the AC44 team’s July presentation outlining the new Comp Plan structure and next steps, the ball has kept rolling. County staff unveiled:

  • An updated Growth Management Framework, which PEC is largely supportive of, should it include more language about the County’s commitment to unlocking the potential of the Development Areas and protecting the Rural Area for climate resilience.
  • The Future Land Use Categories designations and map, which shows what and where specific types of land uses like for single family housing like an HOA or a mix of commercial and residential could occur, like the Downtown Mall.
  • A draft of Activity Center place types, which describes four types of community spaces that can exist now or in the future with various businesses, services and housing where people can gather, shop, stroll, work, and meet our daily needs.

County staff have also reworked elements of the draft Comprehensive Plan over the summer and have come up with 10 plan topic chapters for implementation, with actionable steps for each, that will be shared throughout the rest of 2024 and early 2025.

The chapters now are:

  • Development Areas Land Use
  • Rural Area Land Use
  • Transportation
  • Thriving Economy
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Historic, Scenic, and Cultural Resources
  • Resilient Community
  • Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
  • Housing
  • Community Facilities & Services

There was an all-CAC (Community Advisory Committee) meeting to address the draft Growth Management Framework and future land uses on Oct. 30. And the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have held work sessions on the Development Areas Land Use chapter in the last couple of weeks. 

Going forward, plan chapters will be released on the AC44 Engage website roughly monthly – or via the staff memo a week prior to future work sessions. Staff will then seek feedback from the Planning Commission during a work session, and the Board of Supervisors during a later work session. There will also be a monthly virtual lunch & learn events in order to ask staff specific questions – the first will be held on the Development Areas policies, goal statement, objectives, and actions this Thurs., Nov. 21 @ noon: register to attend.

Watch this County-produced video on the importance of the Rural Area. Source: Albemarle County’s YouTube channel.

Nov. 19: Rural Area Land Use Planning Commission Work Session

From the beginning of this process, PEC has highlighted the importance of the Rural Area. To this end, there is much we can support in the proposed Rural Area Land Use draft chapter that will go before the Planning Commission this Tuesday, Nov. 19 @ 6 p.m. These include:

  • the Rural Area Land Use Approach;
  • the focus on strengthening Land Conservation;
  • the recommendation for the development and adoption of a Rural Area Land Use Plan into the comprehensive plan; and 
  • protection of rural communities.

However, like our support for the Rural Area from the beginning, many of our concerns have stayed well into this process. We are concerned that:

  • focusing on potential land uses at the rural Yancy and Shadwell I-64 interchanges could lead to sprawl along US250 east and west of the Yancy interchange and US250 east of the Shadwell interchange.
  • the County’s proposal to review and update the legacy or stale commercially zoned parcels in the Rural Area. These are parcels that were zoned commercial before the Rural Area zoning was established in 1980. This approach could lead to sprawl and adverse impacts to Rural Area resources and communities.
  • the County’s proposal to identify land uses and potential ways to support existing businesses and services in the Rural Area. Unless driven by a rural community’s input and consensus, this approach could result in sprawl and overdevelopment.
  • the County’s proposal to identify an overall acreage or maximum percentage for land conservation in the Rural Area. Our assessment is that we’re very far away from reaching anything like maximum-desired conservation. The County’s “how much is enough?” quantitative approach could result in missed opportunities for conserving our most important resources that support resilience and quality of life.

Submit Comments:

As this is a work session and not a public hearing, there will be no opportunity for public comment, but you can still:

  • Submit Comments in Writing: Public comments will be accepted in writing at the meeting, or by emailing comments to [email protected] and copying  [email protected]
  • and [email protected].
  • Attend the Work Session: It is important for elected officials to see that community members are paying attention to the decisions that impact them. 
  • Join a future AC44 lunch & learn: County staff will virtually give a brief presentation about each chapter and answer any questions. See their events page for information on when the Rural Area will be. This Thurs., Nov. 21 @ noon will cover the Development Area.

We hope to see you at the meeting and hear that you submitted comments.

Upcoming Dates

  • Nov. 19: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use – 6 p.m.
  • Nov. 20: AC44 Board of Supervisors Work Session: Development Areas Land Use – 6 p.m. 
  • Nov. 21: AC44 Lunch and Learn: Development Areas Land Use – Virtually 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Dec. 10: AC44 Planning Commission Work Session: Rural Area Land Use – 4 – 5:30 p.m.

Thank you!

Rob McGinnis, PLA FASLA
Senior Land Use Field Representative
Albemarle & Greene Counties
[email protected]

Upcoming Work Sessions to Bring Rural Area Policy Changes 

Posted on by Tia Earman

This text was taken from an email sent out on Nov. 14, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →

Aerial view of PEC's Community Farm
PEC’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows in Aldie, Va. Photo by Hugh Kenny/PEC.

Dear Supporter,

In an effort to address harmful inconsistencies and reduce negative impacts on neighboring properties within Loudoun’s Rural Policy Area, the Board of Supervisors will be spending the next two years reviewing and updating both the Loudoun Comprehensive Plan and the accompanying zoning regulations. Originally part of the 2023 Zoning Ordinance Update, this new effort is called the Western Loudoun CPAM/ZOAM. 

Twenty-six years ago, Loudoun County proposed a “200,000-acre solution” to support rural area businesses and curb residential development. Since then, the county has been highly successful in attracting new businesses looking to leverage Loudoun’s stunning rural open spaces. But under the current regulations, some businesses, especially traditional agricultural businesses – farms, equine centers, etc. – have been unable to innovate for an ever changing economy and customer base.

The businesses most supported by today’s ordinance are  primarily non agricultural in nature as adjustments have been made to support the newer industries coming online over the years. Unfortunately, the agricultural based businesses have not benefited from updates or adjustments in the same way, and residents have felt the negative impacts of unexpected large public gatherings now located nearby. 

Seven stakeholder work sessions will begin on Nov. 21, covering topics ranging from agricultural processing facilities to farm wineries. The official county webpage lists the topics and the dates they’ll be discussed. We encourage you to submit an official public comment form on any or all of the topics, to support the rural area and share your experiences and concerns for western Loudoun.

First Rural Area Stakeholder Meeting
Thurs., Nov. 21 @ 5 p.m.
1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg

Submit Comments

We know many of you gave input in the past, but it is vital to submit comments again! Filling out this form at least once and giving early input is very important as specific issues are still being identified and language has not yet been set. 

Rural Loudoun is a valuable resource for all Loudoun residents and businesses, for farm-based enterprises and local food security, as well as tourism and the broader rural economy. It is also Loudoun’s primary source of climate mitigation, where its soils, trees and green space capture carbon and heat. This region has benefitted from that long-standing recognition in county policy; we need you to help ensure that continues into the future. 

Gem Bingol speaking to the Board of Supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors needs to hear from the public as well as PEC staff on this and other topics of importance. Photo by Hugh Kenny/PEC.

Review Process & Stakeholder Group

Although the process will include opportunities for public input throughout, it is vital that the public and interested parties give their input now, at the jumping off point, while there is ample time to address the most pressing issues.

  1. The Board will start the process with intensive stakeholder work sessions managed by its Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC). The first of seven meetings will begin next week on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. They will run through 2025. 
  2. Then, in 2026, county staff will develop draft language for the comprehensive plan and zoning amendments, to be reviewed by the Zoning Ordinance Committee (ZOC). 
  3. And finally, the amendments will move on to a Planning Commission public hearing and work sessions, and a Board of Supervisors public hearing, for any final revisions and adoption. This process is expected to conclude in 2027.

Also participating in the work session discussions will be three distinct groups of stakeholders as defined by the Board: residents, agro-businesses, and preservation and agricultural businesses.

  1. Residents: These will be nominated individually by the three supervisors whose districts comprise western Loudoun. Contact Supervisors TeKrony or Kershner, or Chair Randall if you’re interested in serving as one of these representatives.
  2. Agro-businesses: These have been recently defined by Supervisor Kershner’s motion to include only wineries, breweries and distilleries. Representative stakeholders will be chosen by Beth Erickson of Visit Loudoun. 
  3. Preservation and Agriculture: This group represents all other agricultural businesses and farmers of western Loudoun. Loudoun leads the Commonwealth of Virginia in 11 different agricultural industries, including equine, hay, vegetable production, cut flowers, berries and goats. Chris Van Vlack of Loudoun Farm Bureau will choose the representatives from this broad stakeholder group.

Meeting Schedule

The tentative schedule for the stakeholder sessions:

  • Meeting 1: Liveries/Stables/Outdoor Recreation Scheduled – Nov. 21, 2024
  • Meeting 2: Ag Processing / Other Farm Related Uses – Jan. 2025
  • Meeting 3: Value Added Farming / Other Farm Related Issues/ Conservation Easement Density – Date TBD
  • Meeting 4: Mountainside Overlay District / Signage Anticipated – Date TBD
  • Meeting 5: Farm Wineries / Limited Breweries / Limited Distilleries/Events – Date TBD
  • Meeting 6: Food Trucks / Food Service / Rural Restaurants – Date TBD
  • Meeting 7: Outstanding Issues – Date TBD

Greatest Concerns for Nov. 21 Stakeholder Meeting

PEC and many advocacy groups have worked hard to support residents’ needs and keep active agriculture thriving in western Loudoun. And for many years, we have offered input and shared our concerns, as have many of you. Unfortunately, the bulk of specific, long-identified issues went unaddressed in the last zoning ordinance update. 

Now is the time to make adjustments that prioritize support for the agricultural businesses and farming communities that Loudoun County is so well known for. We will keep you updated as this process moves along, and share our concerns in advance of each meeting. Up first on Nov. 21: Stable, Livery, Outdoor Recreation

Photo by Charlotte Clements.

Loudoun County leads the Commonwealth in both number of horses and number of equine farms. Because the equine industry is one of the strongest agricultural sectors in Loudoun today with a great deal of potential for growth over the coming decade, it is vital that our county’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance are supportive of these farms. The current ordinance, however, places severe restrictions and regulations on their operations, far exceeding those on non-agricultural based businesses operating in the same region.

For example:

  • The stable/livery has been incorrectly categorized as an “accessory agricultural use” in the zoning ordinance, instead of what they are, which is an essential standalone agricultural use. 
  • The setback and buffering requirements for stables and liveries is currently far greater than those for other rural businesses. They should be brought onto an even playing field as landscape buffers are expensive and represent a potential barrier to entry for new businesses, especially ones that are often vital components of the rural scenery itself.
  • The current ordinance’s limitations on building square footage creates issues for the construction of indoor arenas for equine training and events. This prevents the equine industry from training year-round, which would boost Loudoun’s economy. Reasonable limits should be developed with industry input. 
  • Any outdoor recreation facilities built in western Loudoun should respect the setting in which they are created, with features like unpaved roads/parking lots and with no event style lighting to contribute to light pollution and detract from the county’s dark skies policies.

The Board of Supervisors is already looking to add a new equestrian facility, and existing equine facilities are considering expanding to host more national horse shows in Loudoun. With adjustments to the regulations governing stables and liveries, the county can support the equine sector to make an already impactful industry even more robust — to keep the rural economy growing, even as other sectors are reaching a saturation point.

Thank you for all of your support and for submitting your input at this critical time for these amendments. This is the moment to show the Board of Supervisors the public is watching and engaged on these issues!

Tia Earman
Senior Land Use Field Representative
Loudoun and Clarke Counties
[email protected]

On The Ground Updates – September 2024

On The Ground Updates – September 2024

Posted on by PEC

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.

Town of Orange Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting

Town of Orange Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting

Posted on by Don McCown

This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 16, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →

main street usa streetscape with blue sky and road signs crosssing that say E Main Street and Short Street
Share how you’d like the Town of Orange to look in the future at a community meeting, Sept. 23. Photo by Sophia Chapin/PEC.

Dear Supporter,

The Town of Orange is seeking input from residents on its Comprehensive Plan, next Monday, Sept. 23, at a community meeting hosted by the Town of Orange Planning Commission. The chance to update the Comprehensive Plan only comes around every five years, so if you care about making Orange an even better place to live, you should definitely attend!

The Comprehensive Plan is a critically important document that represents the community’s vision for the future of Orange. It sets the framework for how land is used, identifies needed improvements to public facilities and programs, and it guides policy priorities and decisions around growth and development for the next 5–20 years.

Town of Orange Community Meeting

Monday, Sept. 23 @ 6–8 p.m.
Town of Orange Community Room
235 Warren Street, Orange

We hope that as new land use proposals come before the town, the updated Comprehensive Plan will help steer future economic growth and residential development, including affordable housing, into the town’s existing developed areas. PEC believes a mix of redevelopment and infill, developing vacant or underutilized parcels within existing developed areas, helps to improve infrastructure and quality of life for residents while preserving a town’s architectural assets.

Photo by Sophia Chapin/PEC.

The Town Wants to Hear From You

As a resident, you now have the chance to weigh in on the updated Comprehensive Plan, which will shape how Orange moves forward over the next 20 years. A lot is at stake, including how we will protect natural resources, ensure a healthy and vibrant quality of life and thriving economy for everyone, address the impacts of a changing environment, and preserve the town’s rural, historic character. Review the draft updates → 

The community meeting is designed to help the Town Planner and the Planning Commission better understand community needs and priorities, especially on: 

  • Economy
  • Public Facilities/Infrastructure
  • Education
  • Transportation
  • Architectural Assets and Aesthetics
  • Environment 
  • Town-County Partnerships
  • Public Safety/Fire and Rescue/Community Health/Government
  • Arts
  • Population/Demographics/Housing
  • Recreation

Planning Commissioners will welcome everyone to the meeting and give a brief overview of the process before inviting attendees to move around the room and visit different tables focused on these topics. You can visit each table, hear what the Planning Commission is proposing and respond in real time to the representative at that table. They hope to collect the feedback and continue working on a draft into the winter, but this may be one of the only chances to have this level of direct engagement in the process. There will be no online or virtual component to this event.

Please share this email with friends, family and neighbors so more voices can be heard early on. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and I hope to see you on Sept. 23.

Sincerely,

Don McCown 
Land Use Field Representative 
Orange & Madison Counties
[email protected] 
(434) 977-2033 x7047

Update on Data Centers in Culpeper and Invite to Upcoming Rooftop Solar Lecture

Update on Data Centers in Culpeper and Invite to Upcoming Rooftop Solar Lecture

Posted on by Sarah Parmelee

I’m writing today to share some good news, some hopeful developments in our continued fight against the relentless industrialization of Culpeper by the data center industry, and an invitation to our ongoing lecture series at the Culpeper County Library.