Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Public Hearing, Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia
Length: 4h 31m (video)
Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7903
Meeting page: https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7903

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-11. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:09:01] thank you well good evening supervisors good evening staff and good evening Loudon I'd like to call to order the Loudon County Board of Supervisors March 12th public hearing this room has a hearing loop if you need hearing assistance please switch your hearing aid to the telecom mode if you need a headset we have those available as well please see the clerk to request one if you don't mind would you all please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance

[00:09:40] America, to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, for all's actually in it, though.

[00:10:00] Okay, as a reminder, if you are here and you want to address the board this evening, you may sign up to speak only on matters that are actually on the agenda on this public hearing. Due to the broadcast delay, any member of the public who are not in the boardroom, if If you wish to address the board on items number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, those items are on the consolidated agenda.

[00:10:25] Please call the number that you see scrolling across the bottom of your screen at this time. If you signed up to speak, you will be allotted two and a half minutes. If you're in the boardroom, we ask when your name is called, please come to the podium that is closest to you, either one, and indicate and say your name if you don't mind, you may say where you're from.

[00:10:43] The timer on the podium will indicate your remaining time. When your time has expired, you may yield the floor to the next speaker. If you're providing your comments on the phone, I'm going to ask that you time yourself because you may not be able to see the timer in the room. I don't like stopping people while they're talking because it throws you off, but I will stop you when you're two and a half minutes are up.

[00:11:04] So if you can keep your own time if you're on the phone, that would be really helpful. When taking items for public input, I will first ask for people in the boardroom and And then I'll go to ask the people who are on the phone. Our moderator this evening is Lisa Kinnis.

[00:11:23] She will tell me if there's anyone on the phone. And please know that there's a slight delay between the broadcast and the boardroom. Lisa, can you hear me? Yes, I can. Wonderful. Wonderful. Supervisors, Ms. Glass will not be here this evening.

[00:11:39] And so any motions for the broad run district on the consolidated agenda, I will be making those motions for Ms. Glass. Mr. Letourneau is on his way, but he will be running a little late. And so if there are motions on the consolidated agenda for the broad run, for the Dulles district, I will be making those as well, which means I am making all except for one motion on the consolidated agenda tonight, which is absolutely fine.

[00:12:03] So the following items of the consolidated agenda, I want to remind everyone that things on the accelerator agenda means that there are no outstanding issues, staff has recommended approval, the applicant has raised the presentation time, and no public speakers have been signed up in advance to speak.

[00:12:21] And again, those items are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Item 1 is the correction of amendment to chapter 1450 of the codified ordinance of Loudoun County, the affordable dwelling ADU program. It's a countywide motion. Item two is consideration of development agreement to develop the former Ashburn North Parking Ride with attainable housing.

[00:12:44] That is consideration only, so just be aware of that. That's in the Broad Run District. Item three is revised housing choice voucher program, administrative plan, the streamlined annual housing agency plan, and five-year public housing agency plan.

[00:13:01] That's a countywide item. I will make that motion. Number four is community development block grant reallocation, that is a countywide item. Number five, proposed conveyance of county property, conveyance of multiple easements within Claude Moor Park, which is in Sterling.

[00:13:17] Mr. Sains will make that motion. He is here, right? He is here. He was. Okay, okay. Okay, I thought so, but then I looked down and he wasn't there. Number six is the Commonwealth Center Commercial, which is in the Broad Run District. I will make that for Ms. Glass.

[00:13:35] And I'm a little confused as to why we have this item. It's a daycare. It's Nautilus, it's Nautilus, Happy Hearts Daycare. It's a Spex. We haven't seen the Spex Daycare on our agenda in a long time, Mr. Rogers. And so I'm happy to make the motion.

[00:13:52] I'm curious as to why we have a daycare motion because we haven't had one in, I don't know, four years or something. So when I get there, let me know why we have that one. but I'm happy to make that motion as well. So is there anybody in the boardroom or on the phone that'd like to speak on any of those issues?

[00:14:10] Seeing none, I'm going to close the consolidated agenda, and I'm going to make these motions so we can get through them. Number one, I move the board of supervisors approve motion 2B for the approval of the amendments to Chapter 1450 as provided in the March 12, 2025 public hearing action item number one staff report.

[00:14:30] there. That's a motion. Is there a second on the motion? Seconded by Ms. Bricksman. Discussion on that item? Seeing none, that motion will pass 7-0-2 with Mr. Letourneau and Mr. Sainz being off the dais for right now. Number two, move the Board of Supervisors approve motion 2B for the approval of the development agreement. It's provided in the March 12, 2025 Public Hearing Action Item Staff Report. Is there a second for that motion? Motion is made, second by Ms. Bricksman discussion on that motion seeing none on people who say aye oh yes the question motion Ms. Bricksman I just wanted to point out that you know we've been working on this for a

[00:15:07] really really long time and the proposal that's coming before us is going to provide I believe 132 attainable units for the county so I'm really looking forward to the zoning application when it comes through thank you Madam Chair and having said that I want to say that the motion is actually the item is actually a consideration. So that doesn't mean anything is going to come through yet. It's a consideration. So, because otherwise we can misunderstand that. All in favor, please

[00:15:40] say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 702. Number three, I move the Board of Supervisors approve Motion 2B for the adoption of the Revised Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Plan Streamlined Annual Public Housing Agency Plan and Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plan as provided in the March 12, 2025, public hearing item number three, staff report.

[00:16:02] That is the motion. Is there a second? Motion made and seconded by Supervisor DeCarone. Discussion on the motion. Seeing none, I'm afraid to say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass. Mr. Sainz is back. Are we missing somebody else?

[00:16:21] Oh, no, no, no. That's still 702. You know what? The other ones, I'm sorry. The other ones are 603 because I was counting them off today. Sorry about that. This is 7-0-2, Supervisal, Turn Supervisor Glass being off the dates. Number 4, I'm with the Board of Supervisors to approve.

[00:16:37] Motion to be for the approval of the amendment to the annual action report that's provided on the March 12, 2025 public hearing action item. Number 4, Staff Report. That's the motion. Sir, second. Motion by second by Supervisor Crony. Discussion on that item.

[00:16:54] Ms. Bixman. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll talk to staff offline about this, but I was a little bit concerned because it was nearly a million dollars that for some reason we weren't able to use for affordable housing projects. And I thought the item didn't satisfy why that didn't happen. So I'll talk to staff offline about that. Thank you. You wanted to go forward? Yes, ma'am. Okay. All the people say aye. Any opposed?

[00:17:24] That motion will pass 702. Number 5, Mr. Sainz would like to make a motion. Thank you. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve Motion 2B for approval of the proposed conveyance provided in March 12, 2025, Public Hearing Item Number 5, Supplemental Staff Report.

[00:17:40] Motion is made second by Supervisor Kirchner. Discussion on that motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion passed 802. Number 6, will the Board of Supervisors approve Motion 2B for the approval of the Zoning Concept Plan Amendment provided in March 12, 2025, Public Hearing Number 6, Staff Report.

[00:18:02] Motion is made second by Mr. Kirchner. Thank you, sir. that item? Seeing none, I would like to say aye. Any opposed? That motion class 702 and number 7, I'll make the motion and then come to you for the answer Mr. Rogers. Move the board supervisors approve. Motion 2B for the approval of the minor special exception as provided in the March 12, 2025 public hearing item number 7 staff report. Motion to remain seconded by Supervisor Brixman.

[00:18:30] Discussion on that motion. I have no issue with the item. In fact, I believe we should have more child care options and i think home child care options are fantastic and we want to do that it's i think it's good for the kids because it's usually a lower ratio it's good for business it's never an issue the thing is we still have these on our agendas all the time and we move them to be an administrative process and so i'm just wondering how what what's different about this one this is a minor special exception to allow an increase from nine children to 12

[00:19:05] children it's on a residential lot that's less than 4 000 square feet so we have to the board would have to approve the minor specs oh so it's three more children that's right that's the issue you're really adding three more children okay okay i think that's fine i think that's fine all the people who say aye any opposed that motion will pass 702 and that is the end of our consolidated agenda supervisors i am going to take item nine before item eight because as of right

[00:19:39] now item eight has at least 35 speakers probably more common do we have more speakers down there

[00:19:47] we have more speakers can you bring those up to me yes uh yeah what's up good evening good evening

[00:20:35] madam chair how are you doing good to see i'm supporting some uh readers very good embracing my age. I'm not. I'm not. I didn't have a choice in this instance. I'm not. Otherwise you'd see me like this all night long. So thank you. I know you've got a lot of speakers tonight. We'll get started. This is Cross Mill Center. I'm sorry I skipped right past their orientation. This is south of Leesburg at the corner of Sicklin Road and Cross Trail Boulevard. A little over 22 acre site. Okay. Three proposals. First is to remap the property from JLMA 20 to PDIP. This would

[00:21:14] allow up to about 127,000 square feet of data center uses and an option for other industrial uses limited to the same trip generation which is about 921 trips. Two special exceptions to increase floor area and also increase lot coverage on the property. This is an annotated concept development plan. You'll see Sicklin Road to your left, Cochrane Mill along the southern boundary. This demonstrates a number of conservation areas and also traffic circulation.

[00:21:43] I'm sorry, go back and say that one more time. I misunderstood what you just said. I'm sorry. This shows the boundaries of the property, Sickland Road, Cochran Mill Road. In the red and blue are improvements to both of those roads as part of this application. They're also showing conservation areas along the western and southern perimeter, and this also demonstrates traffic circulation within the property.

[00:22:04] Two outstanding issues, very similar to Greenland Park that you reviewed several months ago, both with architectural and site design and building height. This is the JLMA employment place type.

[00:22:21] J-M-L-A? Yes, alphabet soup tonight. Okay. Place type, two key design features. One is screening from these uses from adjacent properties, industrial uses, and also adjacent roads. So we've, again, spoken with the applicant about architectural design commitments, which help minimize the visual impact from both roadways and adjacent properties.

[00:22:43] So that's an outstanding issue we continue to discuss with the applicant. similar to Greenland Park they are willing to approach us about providing very similar design commitments and layouts that they did for Greenland Park and they'll discuss that more in their presentation so second outstanding issue we've asked the board to weigh in on is building height this is again the number of stories conversation unlike Greenland Park here uses are anticipated up to four stories in heights staffs analysis that would be at 48 feet the placed are there requested districts allowed 60 so only a difference about 12 feet but

[00:23:20] again the applicants agreed to approach us about to work with us to try to use the topography of the site to bury the scale and massing into that topography and reduce the visual impact from Sicklin Road very similar to how they approach Greenland Park. This just is a graphic representation apologize the writing is small but you'll see the different place types the corresponding stories for each place site and then the heights of buildings within these areas so the height the area the subject property is in red they're proposing up to 60 feet and you'll see the

[00:23:58] approved heights for buildings that are around it so okay the commission did recommend approval staff does not support board approval at that time but as i've acknowledged several times we are working with the applicant to further address design layout and building height so happy to take your questions thank you this is in the leedsburg district correct yes ma'am i will go to miss umstead first thank you madam chair um marshall are the discussions with the

[00:24:32] applicant um proving to be productive to allay staff's concerns yes ma'am they've assured me that we'll we'll take the same planning approach that we did for greenland uh they were waiting we were waiting for your board direction this evening before we we move forward on that but based on your direction this evening we do we'll meet within the next week or so finalize the design commitments and then bring it back to the board assuming you send this to a future meeting all right thank you thank you uh mr uh crony oh thank you chair randall and thanks marchand so um

[00:25:08] what are the setbacks to sickland road cochran mill road and cross trail boulevard cross trail boulevard they're not a directly adjacent to i want to say 75 feet for sickland road crock room mill road may be the same or a little bit less i would have to confirm that it's the required setback 75 feet is the required setback correct now they may correct me i want to say on sickland they may have committed to a larger setback but they'll confirm that with their presentation okay and then um will there be an enhanced sickland road buffer because i know with greenland park There was a 20-foot wide enhanced type 3 road corridor buffer. Yes

[00:25:47] There is areas of conservation of existing vegetation and some supplemental plantings along sickland. Okay, so there will be And do you know how many buildings are proposed on the property? I think I saw two. Is that the issue as far as an outstanding issue? They showed an illustrative that shows the two buildings that are parallel to sickland road That's a discussion point. We'll continue to have finalizing those commitments to those two buildings. Okay, and is there, so I understand there are some residential unit uses across Sicklin Road and Cochran Mill Road to the west and south. Is that true? There's some existing, but I think some of those may go

[00:26:26] away with subsequent approvals, recent approvals. There are some currently, right? Yes, ma'am. Okay, thank you. Mr. Kirshner. Thank you, Marshawn. Thank you for being here. Can you go back to map real quick where it showed the various heights all right so there the applicant is in red correct yes sir and they're proposing as of right now without and one of the concerns staff has 60 feet correct correct so basically the adjacent ones 45 40 and 50 to 100 and then one is the 100 foot

[00:27:00] actually oh there you go i've got the chair's pen this is wow it works well too um 100 feet is this is this is this property adjacent to it as well uh by by way of adjacency to cocker mill road but they're not directly related they're not but that's the panda that's the panda power okay and that's 100 feet right now that was the approved height yes sir okay um and those i'm sorry to copy those plans predate the the revised general plan okay and you mentioned that they were talking to you about how the layout would to help reduce the the visual of the height is that correct and but you haven't gotten to the fine details on that yet no they had are during

[00:27:39] the planning commission discussion they did show elevations that uh lessen the visual height from cross trail and also from sickland road but it was an illustrative uh and this was around the same time that they were negotiating greenland park same applicant and so i believe they're going to when we meet next week or hopefully soon they will commit to that that graphic versus that's where we're headed are there other screening options that are being discussed right now yes sir okay and i want to get a horse cart ahead of the horse okay no the heart yeah the cart ahead

[00:28:11] of the horse i got that right um the other question i had if i can remember now um hold on i've still got a minute 22 even if we had to sit here in silence i'm ready um now i don't remember i was so intent on the the building i oh i know what it was was this this is the property and i think i just want to make sure i remind my fellow supervisors but i want to confirm that this is the property where we we we donated some land to the applicant in exchange for a widening or giving them land for a widening of the road is that correct i believe that's still under negotiation

[00:28:48] i don't know the exact terms of that but yes i believe that's part of it all right thank you i thought it had been completed but okay thank you i appreciate it um do you oh actually one last question do you think we are getting close to getting where staff needs to get because i know there's one there's one motion up here to try to um move this to tluck but it sounds to me like you feel like you can work with the applicant i know i don't i'm not asking you make promises but obviously you've worked with this applicant before do we feel like we could get there assuming the proper screening and whatnot similar to greenland park yes sir with similar commitments to greenland park they will meet our policy outstanding issues or we anticipate they'll meet their policy okay

[00:29:27] Great. That's all I wanted to hear. Thank you. Mr. Sainz. Thank you, Madam Chair. Does the applicant, and I don't know if Mark Jordan, you know this or not, so if it's an applicant question, just let me know. Do they have to build a substation or is there power readily available for this if it goes through? On the first question, they're not identifying a substation on this site. The second question, I'm sure the applicant has a response to the power availability. Okay. That's my only question, so I'll wait to hear from the applicant. Thank you.

[00:30:00] Ms. Bricksman? Thank you, Madam Chair. Do you know if they've identified on-site power generation? To date, they have not. No, ma'am. Okay. Thank you. I was curious about the total trips identified in Table 4. Yes, ma'am. It seemed to me like the number of trips were a little bit higher than we might normally see with this type of application.

[00:30:23] Okay. Did staff have an issue with that at all? We had agreed on the parameters of the traffic study, and this was a result of that. Okay. we can be prepared to answer more in detail should this come back to the board okay right because it says total proposed trips 921 weekday total trips yes ma'am and the difference is plus 893 correct the exist it's based on the existing uses today which are residences so it's simply math comparing to what's today versus what they're proposing okay and i'm sorry if i missed this

[00:30:56] miss this what's the existing um zoning uh the existing zoning is jl jmla 20. 20 meaning one per 20 acres one home per 20. yes really let me confirm that so i'm sure sir mr yud has the answer to that question for me if it is one home per 20 then this use would be way more intense than what it's originally zoned for so correct but the the place site with the adoption of 2019 plan it it

[00:31:31] allowed for a higher intensity of uses, employment uses, which would make up for, so the zoning, this district is a district that implements that place type. Okay. So we would anticipate that higher intensity of uses. Okay.

[00:31:47] And then what, could you just expound a little bit on concerns about sufficient buffering and screening that staff has? Correct. So again, the emphasis of the policy is to visually minimize the scale and massing of these buildings with Greenland that was done with a combination of birming increased evergreen plantings and also using retention walls to sink the buildings into the the property itself using this property as you're coming up Sickland Road the elevation comes up from the creek goes higher

[00:32:25] so they're actually proposing to build into the hillside which will further reduce the visual height as seen from the roads. Okay and I'm sorry why are you mentioning Greenland? Oh I'm sorry so this is the same the same applicant for this property was Greenland and the conversations have been with the applicant to to mimic the same mitigation done on Greenland for this property.

[00:32:49] Oh I see and and was staff satisfied with that mitigation? On Greenland yes ma'am we were. Okay all right thank you very much a couple questions tell me so you uh go to page two please slide two yes please okay tell me what uh are these houses is that a house that is a house in some outdoor storage areas that's a house there yes ma'am and what about this that is part of the uh stonewall

[00:33:23] business part okay all right you said that you said the residences may go away so you're saying that they've been brought out i think this is a contract purchase and so i believe that the current owners would if they were to sell then that those structures would would come down as part of this proposal okay um have we seen illustratives on this yes ma'am there's included in the plan set there's one of six or there's six um illustratives we're recommending them they commit to one of those

[00:33:53] six illustratives. I agree. And to Mr. Kirshner ask, I guess he basically asked, if I get your question wrong, let me know. In what time period do you think that the applicant, as you all work with him, because right now we still have work to do on this, you still have work to do with this, are you saying that if we move this to a business meeting and not TLUC, you believe that all the outstanding issues could be addressed? Because truthfully, Mr. Crony does make a good point in

[00:34:28] that when supervisors, when we still have questions about an application, the appropriate place for us to move to work those out is TLUC. Are you saying that you just believe that we'll be within the same time period that we would get to a next meeting, you could work all those things out? To clarify, if you had no other direction to the applicant to amend the application, Our policy issues we think could be addressed by the second business meeting next month.

[00:34:55] But you don't even know what design they're going to use yet, so how can you say that? You don't even know what illustratives they're going to use yet. So they've shown some illustrative building layouts already. The issue that we had is they weren't proffering to those. They were simply illustrative. So we've already evaluated some conceptual layouts that they've had.

[00:35:12] It's just a matter of their level of commitment to those. But there's six, correct? There's only two buildings that are proposed. No, no, no. Six illustratives. Six illustratives, and those were the same illustratives that were proposed for Greenland, and they selected one of those six, and so I assume they'll be picking one that's of a similar design.

[00:35:32] We don't know what they're picking yet, though. Correct. Let me say this back to you. What I hear you say is all six would be acceptable, but you don't know which one of the six they would choose. All six would be acceptable, yes, ma'am. We would recommend you pick one.

[00:35:48] By the time it got back to us, we wouldn't know which one they chose until it came back to us, and then at that moment, we're supposed to decide on it? Potentially. I will always take more time for staff to evaluate if you would like to evaluate it. Okay. Thank you, sir.

[00:36:04] Good evening. How are you all doing? Yeah, it's good to see you. You have 10 minutes. You can sit there, or you can use the podium. Either way, it's fine with us. Thank you, Madam Chair. Appreciate the greeting. My name is Michael Romy. I'm a land use planner with Walsh Colucci here in Leesburg.

[00:36:22] With him this evening is Mr. Charles Yudd from JK Land Holdings. We also have Mr. Clayton Tock from Urban Engineering and Miss Erin Steele from Growth Slade Transportation if you have specific questions about the plan set as well as the layout on the site. I hope a lot of the stuff or a lot of information I'm gonna present to you will address the questions that the board had at the diocese here so far.

[00:36:44] And for site context, Marchant did a good job of explaining where we're located. We're located within the Leesburg JLMA employment place type, which actually calls for industrial uses to be located there. Even though we're zoned JLMA 20 today, that zoning is out of place in the current place type.

[00:37:02] By us rezoning it to the IP district, we are now conforming with the new place type. This is the place type as it is shown in the conference of plan. One of the things I do want to specify on this site, which is a difference, a major difference from Greenland, which may also address the transportation question you had, Supervisor Briskman, is we are not proffering to data center only on this site.

[00:37:25] It is data center plus the other uses that are permitted in the IP district, which if you look on the screen here as the core uses, those are the types of uses that are also allowed on this site with this rezoning. So it is a different application than Greenland, but there are similarities there. Just for the compatibility, this gets at the place type designation and why we are designated what we are.

[00:37:47] We're located right in the flight path of the Leesburg Airport, we do have a letter from the FAA saying 60 feet is appropriate for this location. But surrounding this site, in addition to airplanes flying directly overhead, we have data centers, we have quarries, we have electrical power lines, we have treatment plans. All of that is located in this emerging industrial area. This is a location where this type of use is planned for and where it's appropriate. For the site itself, the blue line on the left there are the Sickland Road improvements that we're providing, that is a dedication area to bring the ultimate condition to 55 feet in conformance with the CTP, from the center line that is,

[00:38:26] so it'd be 110 feet of total right of way. The orange line on the south side, or the bottom of the site, is a 25 foot from center line right of way dedication for Cochran Mill Road, so that would then allow for a 50 foot wide roadway through there. The areas that are hatched around the right and bottom sides of the site, existing tree conservation area, or I should say, existing tree area that we will put into a tree conservation area, which includes specimen trees. We also, for the overall site, we'll have over 40 percent open space. One of the things you will notice on this image are there are two

[00:39:04] buildings which are outlined in kind of a clouded shape. Those are the two building locations for data center. Unlike Greenland Park, which we had three different options, for this site we have one option that option is what you see on the screen here and i do want to point out too the little arrows if you can see them there's three little arrows one two at the top and then one on the left side facing sickland road those are the principal building facades where we will have architectural treatments facing toward that was one of the comments that came out of the planning commission they wanted very good architectural treatment for the gateway here at cross trail

[00:39:38] and sickland and we agreed to do that i will also note in response to one of the comments made about the two parcels left over from cross trail boulevards right away going through there those are under contract by jk they are not owned yet but we have to perform certain things in the contract in order for that to occur those are properties that are not part of this application but they could be part of a future application the cross sections that we have provided which are currently in the plan set are shown above you these cross sections there's three of them here

[00:40:11] stop stop it's time go back go back and say that again so they're they're on the property though right they're not within the limits of the rezoning there are two parcels if you look just on the upper part of the screen you can see on a faint line there's a kind of a road that curves around sickland goes up north and connects with cross trail there's two parcels just north of this property which are not part of the rezoning application and those are the two parcels that are under contract. Okay. I think the confusion is on our slides, on the slide two that staff

[00:40:50] showed us, they were included, they were inside the boundary lines, and you're showing us that, you're saying it's actually not inside the boundary lines. Correct. Okay. Yes. Start this time again. Thank you for that clarification. Sure. So if the cross sections you see on the screen here, I'll go from upper left to upper right to bottom left. The key on the bottom right there shows where these cross-sections are coming from. The one on the upper left there is from Cross Trail Boulevard down through the building on the left of the property. This one is a significant cross-section

[00:41:24] to focus on. On the far left of the upper left image, you see Cross Trail Boulevard. As you go across that image to the right, you get to the eventual building, which is 60 feet tall. What happens in between the building and the road is you have a 26-foot drop-off from cross trail side to the building footprint.

[00:41:44] In between that drop off and Cross Trail Boulevard, there's an existing grade that serves as a very large berm. You can see the red line slicing through that dashed area. That will effectively block the entire view of this building from Cross Trail Boulevard. If you go to the cross section on the right, there's an 18 foot drop off, and this is a view from Sicklin Road.

[00:42:04] So that is banks 18 feet into the property. If you go to the bottom left there, where you go down further south on Sickland Road, you're basically at grade with the building entrance. So this is one of the items that we have provided to staff.

[00:42:20] We will commit to this as part of our follow-up discussion with staff. I'm not gonna spend too much time on this. This is just building heights. This is the same image that Marchant showed that does a good job of identifying the 60 to 100 foot buildings that are in proximity to this site.

[00:42:35] For building design, this is one of the things we wanted to clarify. the image on the right is the image we eventually committed to for Greenland Park. We're currently in process of working on an image for this site specifically. So what we were going to do or what we have currently in the plan set or we did have in the plan set are six images.

[00:42:54] Those are the images that were discussed previously. Those images are going to go away. They're going to be replaced in favor of an image like this but specific for cross trail. This is the item that we have to work on further with staff which I fully believe and I agree with Marchant we can work on in advance of a business meeting. For profit commitments, a lot of these we've already discussed. I won't spend too much time on those. I do want to focus on the Planning Commission application updates for just a brief moment. These are all the items that we changed at the Planning Commission level. It's oftentimes when we get to the board level, a lot of these items are just lost. I mean, they're not lost, but they just are forgotten. They happened at the Planning Commission level. We don't get credit for them. We don't take credit for them.

[00:43:33] But I just want to identify that we went through all these different changes to get the support of the Planning Commission. One of these changes was to agree to a 95-foot setback from Sicklin Road, which replaces the 75-foot setback that was mentioned earlier. So it is an additional setback beyond that.

[00:43:51] So for the conclusion, I just want to confirm that the Planning Commission recommendation was 621. This does implement the place type, and I fully believe that the two issues that are referenced by staff in terms of building height and architectural design and site design can be resolved over the next week and in advance of any board meeting in April.

[00:44:10] With that, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Okay. Thank you very much. That was very helpful. Ms. Umster, I'll go back to you again, to your district. Thank you, Madam Chair. I think you folks are all familiar with the work that Supervisor Sains did.

[00:44:29] It may have been our first term on the board on improving the designs of data centers. Do you feel that you are able to meet his fairly high standards?

[00:44:46] Yes, we will, Supervisor Armstead. In fact, the bullet points that are on the left side of that rendering image slide that we had do meet all of those standards. As I think, as has been mentioned on the dais, there is an alternative motion on the dais to send this to TLUC instead of a board business meeting is it your your belief that you can work out all remaining issues with staff on this yes

[00:45:23] I believe we can all right thank you as I'm said by my normal practice and and out of respect for district supervisors I will come to you first anyway for the first motion um mr crony uh thank you chair randall um and i uh want to bring up the question i had earlier for staff i'm hoping the applicant can answer this um will there be an enhanced sickland road buffer that's 20 foot right 20 foot wide um just like you um that was

[00:45:58] proffered in greenland park so it is a type 3 road corridor buffer yes we can commit to that. That's something that we do have existing tree conservation area in a portion of the Sickland Road frontage, but if you would like for us to upgrade our buffer, we can certainly see if we can accommodate that. Yeah, because I think it's just the minimum requirement right now, right? And I will say that the southern part of southwest portion of this property needs better screening. I think that's the portion that you showed at the bottom left, so

[00:46:31] So that one is, there's more, it's more visual from the road, the southwest portion. And we did not have commitments in place prior to the planning commission. We did make those commitments for that area to be better screened or preserve vegetation through there for that reason.

[00:46:47] But the corridor buffer would help along the corridor. We can definitely take a look at that and make sure if we can do that. And why not principal facade fronting Cochran Mill Road? Why not? Why not that? Because I know you did the other two roads. was not brought up as an issue at the Planning Commission but if it's a concern of the board we can certainly look to do that. Okay and I noticed that the intersection at Sicklin Road and Cochran Mill Road that there needed to be some improvement. I'm wondering if that's something the applicant could work on either a traffic signal because that that was brought up as as being unacceptable

[00:47:24] at that um at that intersection sickland road and cochran mill road um for the tis it said that that was at an unacceptable level i would defer to our transportation consultant aaron steel to address that if there's any additional mitigation that's needed at this time uh with this project i don't believe there is any additional mitigation but i would ask for aaron yeah and this is why i wanted to send it to tluck i have a list of like 10 things and this was one of them that that isn't unacceptable level that intersection of sickland road and cochran mill road

[00:48:01] operated at an unacceptable level service without the site under the future conditions and then it continued to operate it unacceptable with the site traffic so that is why dtc ind did not ask for any medications at that intersection um i think the other piece here is that intersection is proposed to be relocated with cochrane mill road realignment so that's not the the ultimate location for um for the ctp okay um i do have more questions chairman i don't know if we can there will not be there will not be a second round of questions

[00:48:38] there will not be a second you can ask questions within the motion um after after the public comments but there will not be another round of questions Ms. Brixman. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks for coming in this evening. Thanks for your presentation. How many times did you meet with the district supervisor on this application?

[00:48:56] I would have to go back. I know we've met with her a couple times at least, maybe more. And were some improvements negotiated on the application? I think we did agree to some additional improvements. I don't recall what they were, but I'm sure we had discussions about improvements. On the schematic that you showed here, what's going to go between the buildings? So there would be equipment yards?

[00:49:21] so generators yes okay and then do you have a um commitment from dominion power for power or you are you planning on-site power generation yes so we we actually were so katherine bond who's also here as one of our consultants can probably explain this better than i can but we do have we were already in place before this rezoning was even submitted uh for power uh for this site so any of the projections that you have seen for any of the analysis that has been done This site is already included in those projections.

[00:49:53] Okay. And you said there's going to be some tree planting. Do you know what kind of trees will you commit to doing noninvasives? Yes, we have 80% native species commitment in the proffers that would presume noninvasive. Okay, great.

[00:50:09] You mentioned that you're proffering to all IP uses, so that means there's a chance that this wouldn't be data center? It's a possibility. What percentage possibility do you think? I try not to handicap possibilities. Handicap possibilities.

[00:50:25] Okay. Would you proffer out data center use and just agree to the IP uses that are listed? We will not proffer out data centers. You won't proffer out data centers. Okay. Okay. And what's the FAR on this? This is a .6, but we're requesting a special exception for up to 1.0.

[00:50:47] Oh, I'm sorry. Say that again, please. We're requesting a special exception for a 1.0 FAR for the site. I see. So if it were just rezoned IP, you would be permitted to have 0.6, but you are asking for a special exception to go to 1.0?

[00:51:06] Correct. Okay. Do you know what the increase in square footage of data center space that means, or, yeah? So the total is about 920,000 square feet of data center on the site. So if you just round up to 1,000, it's probably 300,000 square feet, give or take.

[00:51:25] A little bit more than 300,000 square feet. I'm sorry, can you repeat that? So at the 1.0, we're allowed up to over, I think it's 927,000 square feet on the site. Okay. If you take away 40% of that, then you're probably less than, or a little over 300,000 feet less.

[00:51:45] Oh, I see. So normal IP would be 300,000, and you're asking for 900,000. Normal IP would probably be around 600,000 square feet in that ballpark. Okay, thank you. Mr. Sainz. Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor Brisbane went through a lot of questions in her time.

[00:52:03] Took actually a couple of mine. All right, so you said yes or no to a substation? There's no substation on the site. Okay, so you'll just tap into the power that's there now, and I'm assuming you're a proffer to underground wherever you can for the lines? Yes, for any new lines on the property, they would be underground.

[00:52:20] okay and then to kind of piggyback off chair reynolds questioning about the on-site when you look at the the land there is about two uh two or three houses it looks like um and then some industrial use looks like a park um you know for parking trailers or something to that effect there and then looks like some solar panels so can you clarify again so what that industrial i guess park and the housing and the solar panels, will that all go away or are you guys in negotiation with all those folks?

[00:52:56] Yeah, so there was a contract on the property. As of about a month ago, the property was purchased by the applicant, so those owners no longer own the property. So those uses will go away. Okay, so all those people have been negotiating with the applicant and they will be, if this goes through, then they will all be leaving?

[00:53:18] I don't think anyone lives on the site right now okay those are just older buildings older buildings okay all right very good thank you wanted to just clarify that okay and then so is it not possible to do this application with the point six instead of a 1.0 so we're requesting the 1.0 because that's what permitted by the place type we're not requesting anything that's beyond what the plan is already calling for I think that's the purpose of the but is it possible to do a data center at point six I don't think I have any answer for that question. Okay well if I don't know we'll have motions to send it to April or TLUC or whatever but whatever happens obviously it's going to come back in

[00:53:58] front of us so I would like to get that answer from now until whenever it comes back in front of us. All right you said like with Greenland you submitted a few different designs with this one you're gonna have two buildings is that correct?

[00:54:13] Yes for the data center option that's correct. There's gonna be two buildings and both buildings i'm assuming you want them to be at the same same height if possible they'd be the same height yes okay and do we have an end user already identified or no okay and okay i think all right i think that is it for me and oh again just to clarify again you can't build a data center by right on on this property right now correct okay and then if it was to go for houses how many

[00:54:49] houses can be built on this site? So the JLMA 20 district, I know there was some confusion about that earlier. I'm not sure if it's one per 20 acres or one per 20,000 square feet. That's something we would need to clarify. So I can't give you an answer on that, but I'm sure we can get that for you. Thank you. Madam Chair, clarify, it is one per 20 acres. Okay. Didn't you talk already? No, okay. I talk, but not this one. Okay, yes, yes. Do I get a chance? You do get a chance, sir.

[00:55:17] Just making sure we'll still apply. Thank you, Romeo and Mr. Yad. I think kind of three primary questions, kind of a follow-up to what staff said. My understanding is there's some discussion about us donating some land for use of the road as a part of this application, and we have some need for it can you you what is your understanding of that thank you for the question the board directed in december of 2023 that staff enter into a purchase and sale agreement regarding the

[00:55:54] disposition of the two parcels immediately to the north of the site those parcels became sort of residual of one acre and um two points two point one six acre very small two small parcels after the construction of cross trails boulevard so cross trails boulevard punches through left over these pieces and those are the areas immediately to the north and the the there was shown in the section that mr romeo described you also directed at that particular time that the an access easement

[00:56:33] on the property be be vacated and so the board did give that direction that um act is evident in our application um after this application has action um we would anticipate that we would come in for the rezoning of the residual piece okay um thank you um the other question the second question I have, why was the screening of the building not an issue? I know Mr. Romeo mentioned that the screening on I think the Cochran Mill side was not an issue that the

[00:57:09] Planning Commission had. Is it screened over there already? Yeah, there is. Not only do you have the elevation issue from the road, but you have an awful lot of tree conservation area and so really it's just not gonna be that would otherwise be there right um so um yes that was your understanding why the planning commission didn't really i mean i i just i it perked my interest when mr crony asked that question and i think it was i think it was mr crony um and why they didn't talk about it but it sounds to me like it's significantly screened so it just isn't going to be seen yeah if i could yeah um i don't want to run your clock i got one more question

[00:57:49] Just give me 10 seconds. The issue of the prominence of the intersection of cross trails and sicklin. Imagine, if you will, the four-lane cross trails intersecting ultimately with the four-lane sicklin. That corner is going to be a very prominent corner. So just like in other applications when we say, could we get some direction on what you'd like to see, we've already gotten moved quite farther down the path with architectural elevation.

[00:58:18] My last four seconds. My understanding is you're going to come in with one building design. Correct. So we don't have to, we won't have to choose. We'll have one. That's correct. Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. Are you proffering the tree conservation area?

[00:58:34] Yes. So that's a hard proffer. It is a hard proffer. Okay. Can I ask, Madam Chair, do you mind if I ask staff a question? No, that's fine. Staff, we had a recent example where a tree conservation area that was in the approved site plan somehow was impinged upon and clear-cut. And we got the impression that unless there is an easement on the tree conservation area, that it is subject to removal. Does the hard proffer of the tree conservation area lock in the trees and protect them, or do they need an easement for those trees?

[00:59:06] I'm not familiar with that example, Mr. Turner, so I'd have to follow up with you on that. We can confirm that. Okay. But as far as you know, a hard proffer of a tree conservation area locks in legally the tree conservation area. That is our understanding, yes, sir. Okay. Thank you. for the most part when an applicant comes forth to do anything it is appropriate to meet with the county super county chair and the district supervisor I have not met you all at all that's fine I don't if I if I had questions I would have called you so that's not an issue for me let me just

[00:59:41] finish if if a motion is made to send this not to TELUC but to a meeting the next meeting would you commit to meeting with any supervisor obviously it's Ms. Umsatz district, and so she should meet with you first, and I understand that's already happened. But if Mr. Crony or anybody else wants to meet with you between now and then, would you commit to that? Absolutely, and we reached out to every board member to see if you would like to meet with us. We received some responses, but we'd be more than happy to meet with anybody. Because I know that there are questions between now and then. Yes. Next,

[01:00:15] to the tree conservation issue, so I really do appreciate when applicants proffered the tree conservation areas clear cutting trees makes me absolutely crazy there's no reason for it and it's actually just lazy building to be quite honest the the but there are also times when you're when you you will cut down trees and then the trees you put down back a little saplings so then you say well we will it won't be seen from the road well it won't be seen from the road in 20 years and those trees grow back up so not only are you going to do the tree

[01:00:52] conservation area, but to the degree possible, if this were to pass, could we either not cut even the trees that are not in the tree conservation area or perhaps put up more than sampling trees when that time comes? Yeah, so we in the tree conservation area, if any trees are taken out, there's to be replaced by a certain minimum width caliper for new trees. We can look at that for other portions of the site too to see if there's opportunities to save additional trees or to replant if we can't save them with larger trees. That'd be great. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. We have,

[01:01:26] I think, like 11 speakers on this item, including one that is virtual. I will go to the speakers first, and then I will go to Ms. Umstadt for a motion. Our first, and I'll call you three in advance. When I call your name, please come to the podium closest to you. You have two and a half minutes. You can use all your time or not. I'll try to call you three in advance so that you know kind of be get ready to be up next our first speaker is noah holt followed by jeff um taraj i think that is and then the next one is reverend roy trammell senior either side is fine sir good

[01:02:05] evening how are you doing well how are you good evening um my name is noah holt and i'm a leesburg resident and i'm the general manager at the fixed base operator over at leesburg airport i've been been involved with the airport for a little over a decade and in that time nearly a thousand new homes have been added to the immediate surrounding area.

[01:02:25] That along with additional residential properties that are being approved for development we're very concerned about the number of noise complaints that we've been receiving. As the airport continues to grow we see increased heavy jet and corporate jet traffic that will in turn increase the number of noise complaints that we receive. We strongly support any development that is not additional residential homes to the area. This new development would also help to ease any additional traffic concerns. The new FedEx distribution center along with the already existing soccer fields has created heavy congestion along Sicklin Road and we're in favor of any development that would not contribute

[01:03:04] additional traffic to the area. Furthermore, this development would fit in well with the office and business development that already exists along Sicklin Road and in addition to the other existing uses in the area. The proposed design and landscaping of this project will look attractive and will aesthetically help to improve the look of the overall area. We think that a data center would be a good neighbor to the airport. We have no issues with this application and I ask that you all support this proposal. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Jeff Taraj, I think that is, and then followed by Reverend Roy Trommel,

[01:03:40] followed by Reverend Jonathan Jackson. Good evening. Good evening, Chair. Good evening, Chair and members of the Board, my name is Jeff Tara. I am a 20-year resident as I was thinking about this today coming over here. I appreciate the chance to speak tonight and support for this application. I know projects like this take a lot of thought and I respect the process that you all lead to evaluate developments that are aligned with the visions of the community and the Board.

[01:04:16] Simply put, I believe this is a project that's in the right place, it's the right use, and it fits the county's long-term plan and includes benefits to both the businesses and the community in the area. I wanted to speak tonight because I felt there were three specific things that I wanted to convey. One is that it's appropriately located. In my opinion, this is an area that's already planned for industrial and commercial growth, so it makes sense to allow development here rather than in places that may not fit the county's vision. The other is that includes the needed infrastructure for this corridor which has grown over time tremendously.

[01:04:54] So you know it makes sense to allow development here from a standpoint of planned road upgrades will help traffic flow which is important to the corridor. The last is that I think the standards are important to the previous architectural requirements both that the county as well as the community have required from you all and you have delivered simply put this meets in some cases exceeds that plan um so i was it was nice to see uh that uh so as a long-term resident i uh i believe it's a good fit for the area i appreciate your time and consideration and hope you'll

[01:05:29] support it thank you thank you sir reverend roy tramell followed by reverend jonathan jackson Followed by, let me just stick here, Lashon Moravostick. Good evening, sir.

[01:05:46] Good evening. Good evening to each and everyone, to the chairman. And I'm the pastor of First Baptist Church Cyclone, and I'm looking forward to any kind of development around that because, as I said before here, it's lonely out there.

[01:06:07] But I believe this would be beneficial to the community to have something to come in different from what we have because all we have out there now is old trucks and cars and all that stuff around.

[01:06:32] And this would be, to me, to be beneficial. And my congregation, I've talked to them about it, and we're in agreement with the data centers to come in. And I believe it will be an access to the community again.

[01:06:48] Thank you. Thank you. Reverend Jackson? Good evening. Good evening. Like I say, we're the only thing that's really close to the data center. And we've seen the plans and everything. And I don't think it will affect us in no way.

[01:07:06] And we've always been good partners with the airport. So I'm in favor of the data center. Thank you, Reverend Jackson. Thank you. You were followed by LaShawn Moore Bostic followed by Pastor Michelle Thomas and Anna Thomas. Good evening Good evening madam chair and members of the board and everyone I'm LaShawn Moore Bostic and I serve as the director of Northern Virginia Data Center Academy a training academy that

[01:07:43] where IT training creates pathways for women and underrepresented represented, excuse me, individuals in the Loudoun County community. Our mission is to bridge the skills gap by equipping individuals with knowledge and hands on experience needed to enter and thrive in the IT and data center industry.

[01:08:06] That said, I want to offer a statement of support for data centers, for the data center build out and workforce development. centers are the backbone of today's digital infrastructure, powering everything from cloud computing to enterprise applications and global connectivity.

[01:08:26] As these critical facilities expand within Loudoun County, so does the demand for skilled professionals who can support and maintain their operations. However, addressing the workforce shortage requires a collaborative effort between data center operators, educational institutions, and community organizations.

[01:08:45] At Northern Virginia -- at NOVA DCA, we are a proud partner -- we are proud to partner with industry leaders to provide accessible, hands-on IT training that fosters workforce development and creates sustainable career pathways.

[01:09:01] Through these partnerships, we offer specialized training programs, provide mentorship and career coaching, collaborate with local employers, and host community outreach and awareness. By working together, we can cultivate a diverse and highly skilled workforce that not only supports the growing data center industry but also strengthens our local economy.

[01:09:29] We look forward to continuing our mission of empowering the next generation of IT professionals and ensuring that data centers remain a driving force for us both technologically innovation and workforce transformation within loudon county and beyond i'm asking that the board vote in favor of jk land holdings and the development in the data center build out and development of cross mill center thank you thank you pastor michelle thomas followed by anna thomas followed by chris tandy

[01:10:17] Good evening. I'm Pastor Michelle Thomas. I'm the president of the NAACP, also the founder of the Loudon Freedom Center and also the founder of the Nova Data Center Academy. I want to stand and offer my support for the Cross Mill Center build out and here's why. The Cross Mill Center build-out is adjacent to our property, the African-American Burial Ground at Sicklin.

[01:10:41] We had some issues with that property just recently, where one of our neighbors had just kind of dumped a lot of trash and dirt onto this property. And we have no way of curbing this probably $2 million issue.

[01:10:59] The good thing about data centers coming into the community is they're problem solvers, not just job employees, but the things that the community needs to uplift itself. That is the power of having data centers in our community.

[01:11:19] This is a valuable historic site, and the data center provides historic preservation. This is not something that's trial and error. We've just been allotted a 10-acre buffer by this same landholder to ensure that Belmont is protected in perpetuity.

[01:11:43] These types of collaborations could only be made possible with this partnership. There's an education component, not just the IT education component, but Supervisor Kirshner. We do field trips maybe to the tune of 2,000, 3,000 kids per year.

[01:12:04] It is data centers that is providing the funding and the grants. Danielle Nadler of LEF just left. It is those types of partnerships where data centers give money to support the things that this community needs that we readily cannot afford.

[01:12:22] It's bigger than a data center. is bigger than what we often see as the surface, I ask, please, please consider bringing this data center here. It is not disruptive. For the one time, you got the placement right, and so this is the best place to put this data center, and now is the time to uplift our community and provide workforce training. Thank you. Thank you. Anna Thomas, followed by Chris Tandy. Good evening,

[01:12:58] Ms. Thomas. Good evening, supervisors. My name is Anna Thomas, and I believe the last time I spoke before you guys, I was eight years old. So let's see how I do this time. I'm a junior and president of the Riverside High School NAACP chapter. As a rising ninth grader, I had the incredible privilege to take two IT classes over the summer to gain certifications in the CompTIA Cloud Plus and ITF fundamentals through the Nova Data Center Academy. The Nova Data Center Academy's mission is to increase the pipeline of under-represented minorities and women in IT. These opportunities are only possible through the resources that data centers in our communities provide. Funny enough,

[01:13:37] during the summer when I took my classes, both of my instructors were actually Riverside graduates, class of 2021. The instructors were later offered Microsoft internships as seniors, they will be graduating this May by the way, all from the education and support of the Nova Data Center Academy. This is the power of partnership with data centers and community organizations in Loudoun, where nearly 80% of the world's data runs through. I support the CrossMose Center application for two reasons. First, it's their commitment to education, to their first commitment to educating future IT professionals like myself through the Nova Data Center Academy's partnership.

[01:14:17] And second is their dedication to historic preservation sites, where We're neighbors through two of their future data center sites. Just recently, JK Land Holdings donated 10 acres to the Loudon Freedom Center to buffer the African-American burial ground, ensuring its protection and its perpetuity.

[01:14:34] This proposed site of this data center is adjacent to the African-American burial ground at Sicklin. This site is endangered due to a grating error that dumped tons of dirt and trash on the site. Through the community partnership with the Loudon Freedom Center, we're working on a remediation plan to rebuild the cemetery and making it fully accessible to the community again.

[01:14:53] Whether it's historic preservation or the education of future IT workers, none of it would be possible without the unwavering support of data centers and developers like JK Land Holdings. At some point, you've heard all the recommendations and you're going to have to take a vote.

[01:15:11] My ask is that when you take your vote, you remember my future and the futures of women and minorities who may not have the opportunity to enter the field of IT without partnership of data centers that support our future education and our future workforce goals. Thank you. Thank you. We have three speakers left. Chris Tandy followed by Tia Ehrman and then on the remote speaker would be Keith Mainland. Good evening Mr. Tandy. Greetings Supervisors. I'm here representing only myself this evening. I'm here to ask that you deny the request to rezone the land for Cross Mill Center. We have too many data centers in the county already and literally any other use for that land would be a better option than a data center.

[01:15:50] Data centers have created an energy crisis in this county. If I heard the applicant correctly, they're getting their energy from the grid, further exacerbating an existing problem, causing us to need more energy infrastructure, which quite a few folks showed up to the meeting on the 4th to complain about. It'll be more fossil fuels and more greenhouse gas emissions.

[01:16:06] I'm guessing most of you have read the JLARC study on data centers from December of 2024. I'll quote it, building enough infrastructure for unconstrained data center demand will be very difficult, and meeting half that demand is still difficult. That same study also suggests that burdens of continued data center development in Virginia are going to impact rate payers.

[01:16:24] They just need to figure out how to power these things sustainably. It just hasn't happened yet. I haven't seen it. The data center would be practically surrounded by sports fields, and clearly there's some residential nearby. I never think that data centers should go near residential.

[01:16:41] Some sort of use that's complementary to those other things around it would be nice, or really pretty much anything that's not a data center. I'd, of course, prefer more homes. Sorry, I'm repeating myself there, but we have a counseling affordability problem in the county still. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Tandy.

[01:16:58] Tia Ehrman, and then our remote speaker is Keith Mainland. Good evening, Ms. Ehrman. Good evening, supervisors. For the record, my name is Tia Ehrman, speaking this evening for the PEC, asking you to deny this application with the data center use included. This is another application for an extremely large hyperscale data center.

[01:17:18] As you know, we have no shortage of these in Loudoun, nearly one million square feet on, to quote the applicant, a very prominent corner in a zoning district which supports many other options from a diverse list of uses. Indeed the application allows for other uses which we appreciate and find to be better suited for the long-term needs of our residents, the broader business community, and serves to better preserve the fiscal health of our county.

[01:17:45] If the applicant were willing to proffer out the data center use, we would feel very differently about this application. This is a great location, so close to Loudon's excellent soccer facilities with so many opportunities for public-facing businesses to better use this valuable space.

[01:18:01] Imagine restaurants, a brewery, places teams can go to celebrate wins. Speaking firsthand as a mom who drops off kids for practice there, or used to drop off kids for practice there, there are a few options in the area to take another child for entertainment for an hour for that practice. Imagine having something there that you could actually do.

[01:18:21] Why must every scrap of commercial space available in Loudoun turn into just yet another data center with a low number of long-term employment opportunities, further monopolizing our economy, and further fatiguing the visual impact this industry has and degrading the sense of place in our community? We could be using this very visible site to add to. We strongly oppose the the now standard issue special exceptions also included with this application.

[01:18:49] For such a visible site along a major thoroughfare, it is even more inappropriate to magnify all of the negative impacts of this facility on our community and region by making it larger still. This applicant has also followed another disturbing trend, failing to provide adequate design documents to make an informed land use decision.

[01:19:10] We hope the applicant will continue to work with staff on this issue; however, not having these documents prior to an application proceeding through the Planning Commission Board review process significantly impacts public input and the ability of our elected and appointed officials to make informed decisions.

[01:19:27] The county and the public should know what is being approved prior to approval with time to respond appropriately. Thank you. Thank you. And we have one remote speaker, Keith Mainland. Good evening. My name is Keith Mainland. I'm the owner of Pine Ridge Landscaping, a company proudly headquartered here in Loudoun County. I have also had the honor of calling this community my home for nearly 10 years. I cannot overstate the impact that data centers have had on the success and growth of my company over the years. Without the presence of data centers in Loudoun County, I can say with certainty that Pine Ridge Landscaping would not be the thriving,

[01:20:07] growing business it is today. Because of this industry, I've been able to build and expand my company, creating stable and well-paying jobs for 82 Loudoun County residents. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County Economic Development Team for their dedication and hard work in attracting, supporting and retaining the data center industry.

[01:20:30] Your leadership has not only strengthened this sector, but also uplifted countless local businesses like mine that rely on opportunities it creates. That being said, I'm in full support of this project. Thank you very much. thank you sir all right i will go to the district supervisor for a motion miss umstop

[01:21:38] thank you madam chair just waiting for the motion i know i'm trying to find it i move that the board of supervisors for forward legy 2023-0064 cross mill center zmap 2023-0064 specs 2023-006 and specs 2023 0007 to the april 15 2025 board business meeting for action second motion made

[01:22:16] and taken by supervisor uh kirschner discussion on the motion miss umstock thank you madam chair we've heard from quite a few members of the community tonight uh in support of this and i have to say i'm listening very carefully to what they had to say uh tonight this um this proposal is um as we've heard from both staff and the applicant um going to result i believe in

[01:22:51] another beneficial use in an area that is planned for industrial uses very close to the formerly panda power plant but the potomac power plant it is lower than some of the permitted buildings in its vicinity it had this applicant has taken great pains to preserve trees on the property the applicant has is working

[01:23:27] diligently with staff on a very high-quality design for the building. That was one of the discussions that I had had with the applicant previously when I had mentioned to them that Supervisor Sains had been, I think, the first board member to bring forward high-level architectural designs for data centers and was kind enough to share that with other board members. That was quite a few years ago. But those designs, those high-level

[01:24:04] designs, I think are equaled in this proposal. We all know that the data centers bring a tremendous amount of revenue to the county. They're the reason we can do everything we want to do, fully fund the schools, we can fund mental health, we can fund social services, buy parkland, provide for public safety in the county. But I would say of equal importance to that right now

[01:24:38] is the fact that there is a great partnership between this applicant and the data center industry in general, but especially this applicant and the speakers we heard tonight who are trying to educate our children, especially young women and minority members of our community in technology so that they can get high paying jobs and be incredibly successful as they move forward for their lives. So for all of those reasons and the fact that this completely complies

[01:25:15] with our planning for this area, I would urge support for the application. Thank you. I'm going to go to Mr. Sains. Ms. Sains, was it really you that did all the data center performance standards? No, I'm just messing with you.

[01:25:30] We all did a lot of work. We all did a lot of work during the rewrite and in the first term, but mainly definitely in the second term as well during the ZOMA and stuff. But yeah, we all did a lot of work, so I'll say that. Madam Chair, if I could ask a question to the to the applicant.

[01:25:48] Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you. So there, if you look at the, you know, the Google map image of the location, there's clearly a lot of mature trees now and I know you mentioned about doing replanting of trees and stuff. So can you clarify for us, does that mean there will be clear cutting of all the trees that are here and then doing replanting or will there be, you know, strategic cutting of where you need to cut down some trees to build, but we'll still have a nice perimeter of those mature trees that we see now.

[01:26:17] Yeah, so I'm glad you asked that question. I'm glad that Marchant was able to put this on the screen here. The area that you see along the entire bottom border facing Cockermill Road and up along the right-hand side, it's kind of a hatched area with some circles in it. That's all going to be preserved trees.

[01:26:33] We're not going to be touching those trees, except for there's an outfall that goes through one portion of it for stormwater management. - How many, how far in per se? - It's hard for me, I don't know the distance, but I can get you the distance. - If you could please get me the distance from now until this comes in front of us, 'cause again, yes, your hatch follows along Cochran Mill, then goes up left towards a cross trail.

[01:26:59] But yeah, if we can get the exact square footage or yards of how far in you're gonna be leaving those mature trees, 'cause there's definitely a lot of mature trees. I just got an answer it's between 120 and 160 feet of width for that area that goes around. 120 to what? 120 to 160. 260 feet? Feet. Feet. All right I'll look I'll dive into that and maybe have some questions offline because that's one thing that we with the data well not just data centers but with in general with construction they say oh we're going to preserve some trees and then when you look at it once they start getting the work it's not much. So I want to

[01:27:38] to make sure we are preserving a lot of these mature trees because you know I think somebody mentioned it earlier yeah they're saying we're gonna replant trees but what you're replanting is young trees it's gonna take 20 30 years to mature and get to that's what we're seeing now so yeah so thank you mr.

[01:27:57] crony so thank you to Randall and thank you to the residents who spoke tonight one resident mentioned that there aren't a lot of things to comment on and I I would agree as far as the architectural designs and the specific building layout, and that is the reason why I have an alternative motion to send it to TLUC, but I do want to ask the applicant and staff a question first.

[01:28:26] For the applicant, will you be including many of the same proffer conditions that you have in the Greenland Park proffer statement to this application? Yes, the answer is yes, and I think you need -- if I could answer, you probably need to be speaking to the staff project manager, because the ability to lock down the commitments about design will come with an updated proffer statement for the business meeting.

[01:28:58] Okay. But TLUC, we could also do that in committee as well. If I could respond, you know, we did meet with you about a month ago, just having general conversation, and I think the concept of sending applications obviously at your discretion to TLUC is probably a good idea, but for this one who's got that final step of commitment to the architectural layouts and answering the questions today, I don't think it's necessary.

[01:29:29] I also don't think it's fair to Marchant with the workload that he has to turn around a separate item to go to a separate meeting and then another meeting to come out of that so and and we are sensitive that because it has taken us a long time to get to this point due to the um the staff workload issues and that's a very frank response but i hope you i hope you hear okay so um so the noise um what's missing in the proper statement statement right now i don't see any noise studies or noise mitigation. I don't see cooling, a commitment to liquid

[01:30:07] cooling systems, environmentally friendly building features. I saw that you guys had a solar tree and solar light poles and then electric vehicle charging stations. These are all in Greenland Park. We anticipate all of those to be added.

[01:30:24] I will just say to you, this, as you saw early in the presentation, it's in the airport noise overlay for the Leesburg Airport. It's in the 60 to 65 LDN. If you're out there and you're spending some time, you will hear the plane noise. So your ordinance requires a noise study.

[01:30:43] The ability to proffer that, if that's what you want, is fine. But it's a little bit different situation because of this location. Okay. All right. And for Marchant, Marchant, do you think you could finish some of the outstanding issues with the applicant by the business meeting?

[01:31:02] Yes, ma'am. Okay, thank you. Ms. Brooksman. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to address one thing that has been said a couple times, and that is comments about the overall data center revenue in the community, which we do obviously really appreciate.

[01:31:19] We are putting it to good use and lowering costs for our taxpayers. But we should remember that Virginia, at the state level, provides tax incentives for data centers to locate in Virginia. And that's one of the big reasons why we have so many data centers in this area.

[01:31:39] There is a tax incentive right now. And while we appreciate the revenue, they aren't giving it to us out of the goodness of their heart. I mean, they are paying their taxes, which we do appreciate. I am disturbed that the application and the schematic in the application doesn't show the generators.

[01:31:59] And it's not just your application that has had this. There was another one recently down by Metro. And when I asked what would go in the blank space, it was called an equipment yard. An equipment yard means very big, loud generators. And I think that it is antithetical to transparency not to put that in the schematics.

[01:32:21] I think it is denying the community an opportunity to really see what they could be living next to or what their business could be next to. So I want to encourage the community to start putting that in there because, honestly, it's unfair.

[01:32:36] It's unfair and it's not transparent to the citizens and the residents of Loudoun County to not be transparent about your potential generators or even potential on-site generation of power. so i just wanted to put that out there um i think that uh i know you're doing 80 natives how about 100 i know that i know that you probably can afford it so 100 native plantings i think would be a nice gesture um also i notwithstanding the the the data center academy the nova data center

[01:33:12] um academy i think it's great but um and and i appreciate everything that the existing data center community has done to help our students and, you know, put forward technology education and supporting that, but unless the end user in this data center can proffer that they're going to be doing something like that, you know, that's something that remains to be seen.

[01:33:35] I don't think that that is really necessarily a valid argument to be approving data centers because you can't proffer to what the end user is going to do, correct? You can't proffer to what the end user will do as far as like contributing to education or training or anything like that.

[01:33:52] You can't proffer to that, correct? If you're asking me the question, I would say all of our proffers are meant to mitigate the impact of the use. We would not be opposed, and I don't think you would be surprised to hear me say it, to entertain the possibility of such a contribution, and there's the person who can commit to it.

[01:34:11] Okay. I'm out of time. Thank you. answer your question, of course we can. Thank you, Mr. Coon. Thank you, Ms. Brixman. So a couple things. One, this will not come to the board for an entire month. In fact, a little bit over a month.

[01:34:30] And so we have plenty of time for anyone to meet with the applicant between now and April 15th if they'd like to. This vote is to move this application to April 15th. It is not to approve anything today, it's to move it to April 15, just so people, or rather, this motion, just so people understand that.

[01:34:52] If we put it, if we send it to TLUC, it would add probably two more weeks. And Mr. Yepp, with the respect, because I have such respect for you, I don't think it's really appropriate for you to say, which would be too much for Mr. Marchant. I'm not really sure that's in your purview to say, sir.

[01:35:08] I am always surprised when people come up and they speak completely one way or completely the other way about the data center. practitioners are a very double-edged sword. They do bring amazing revenue, and no one can say they don't, and most data centers are becoming much more active in the county.

[01:35:27] But there's also some negatives about data centers, too. They use a lot of land. They push out other uses, although you all haven't -- you have left all the core possibilities in there. We are not allowed to discuss some utilities, and thankfully they don't use as much water as they used to use.

[01:35:48] And it makes for a very non-diverse commercial economy. And so there's double-edged swords to them. And so when I'm making these decisions, my decisions are largely land-use decisions because that is my job.

[01:36:03] My job is to not consider all the other things that get talked about, including the academies. Because you know what? will come back up today and say next week of a data center someplace else how much they hate the data center community. We have to make decisions based on land use.

[01:36:21] That is what we're doing here, and that is all we're doing here. So all the they are wonderful or they are terrible statements for me, I appreciate people saying things, but there's not -- I am not legally allowed to consider any of that.

[01:36:36] I am required to consider with some fairly limited things that I can consider, and most of that is land use. So I will make this decision on land use.

[01:36:51] Having said that, the reason I am happy that you're not proffering other things out is because we also do need other things. We need flex land. We need other uses as well. And so those things have also, at this point, not been proffered out.

[01:37:09] And so we will see where this vote goes. If this motion passes, it will come to the dais on the 15th for a final vote. Ms. Umstead, would you like a closing? No, Madam Chair. Thank you.

[01:37:26] The motion was made by Supervisor Umstead, seconded by Supervisor Kirchner. All in favor to sending this to the 15th, please say aye. I'm opposed that motion will that motion will pass eight did you vote I miss miss can I finish asking my question did you can I finish ask my question Mr. Crony did you vote aye thank you that motion will pass 801 with Ms. Bricksman abstaining thank you everyone we will go to the next item Madam Chair yes I'm sorry I need to bring an issue to your attention on the

[01:38:04] consolidated hearing sheet for item number two i made a mistake on the motion the motion you read had the board approved motion 2b it should have been motion 2b and 2c so if it's the pleasure of the board for item two we would need an additional motion from the board to also move motion 2c in addition to motion 2b for the approval development agreement can i just ask if supervisors has if Is there any objection to adding motion 2C to that motion that was read on item number

[01:38:42] 2? Do I need to go through the whole thing again? You would need to vote on motion 2C. Okay. So, Supervisors, I'm going to make a motion. I move the Board of Supervisors to approve motion 2B and 2C for the approval of the Department of the Development Agreements provided on the March 12th, 2025 public hearing item number 2 staff report that is in the Broad Run District.

[01:39:02] Is there a second on this item? Mayton seconded by Mr. Turner, discussion on the item. All people say aye. Any opposed, that motion will pass 801. Okay, we're going to go to our next and final item. This item has a lot of speakers. We will try to get through as many speakers as possible. We'll try to go as far as possible before we take a break, but sometimes it's better if we actually get a break because there's a lot to do on this item. And we have right now 35 speakers as of right now.

[01:39:37] so we will we will get there though this item is our number eight is magnolia rose it's in the catoctin district good evening to staff good evening to the applicant staff we're ready when you all when you are thank you good evening my name is allison britain i'm with the department of planning and zoning and i'm here today to present the application for magnolia rose 1880.

[01:39:59] of note and of correction in the staff report staff has received a total of 121 public comments on this application from about 22 unique commenters the subject property is just over 50 acres located east of berlin turnpike and west of milltown road the site is accessed from rickard road and in the catoctin election district the property is zoned agricultural rural one and is located in the rural policy area in the rural north place type this site is currently used as a private residence with active agriculture the applicant is requesting a minor special exception to permit

[01:40:36] a banquet and event facility for up to a maximum of 199 guests and up to 100 events per year. Additionally, the applicant's requesting to modify the required road access standards for the internal driveway on site to accommodate a 30-foot rather than a 40-foot easement.

[01:40:54] The applicant's not proposing to modify road access standards with respect to travelways. The banquet and event facility is proposed primarily in the northwest corner of the subject property to include a seven thousand two hundred square foot indoor building indicated here in dark blue a three thirty six thousand square foot outdoor area in light blue and a fifty thousand square foot parking area primarily for weddings and other events staff recommend a condition of approval to provide enhanced buffering on the northern portion of the parcel located in green

[01:41:30] here and other conditions i'll get to momentarily the loudon county 2019 general plan supports business use is consistent with the rural and natural character of the area provided certain performance criteria are met in general a banquet event facilities consider the type of rural business use anticipated in the rural north place type to ensure compatibility with the surrounding area and rural character staff recommend a number of conditions of approval including limiting the hours of operation of the outdoor area including any music to no later than 7 30 pm limiting the

[01:42:05] indoor area to no later than 10 pm prohibiting fireworks at any time limiting the number of attendees to 199 the number of total events to no more than 100 enhanced buffering where residential is nearest the proposed use to storm water volume reducing measures a reforestation area where there is floodplain on site limiting exterior lighting to no more than four feet in height shielded directed downward and reducing any spillage and providing all other road access standard including that 18-foot travel way and the two-foot gravel shoulders

[01:42:44] additionally staff recommended condition to construct the 100-foot turn right turn lane taper on berlin turnpike as requested by the virginia department of transportation staff support approval of this application subject to the conditions of approval as condition this application is generally consistent with the rural north place type and the revised 1993 zoning ordinance and staff is happy to answer any questions i do have marie fam from dtci transportation as well thank you thank you very much this is in the catoctin district so i will go first to mr kirschner good evening thank you staff i thank you the applicant

[01:43:21] i know you're going to go here in a second and i want to thank everyone for meeting with me both staff and the applicant with my i've met with the applicant originally about i think a year year and a half ago on some original plans express some of my concerns there and I still have a lot ongoing concerns I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get around to supporting this but I do have some ongoing questions that I think staff can answer to give us some clarity first of all this is a this is a minor special exception so this has not been in front of the planning commission correct that is correct so really this is a this is an applicant staff thing and they're bringing this to us because that and the and and there are basically two minor special exceptions One of them being, of course, the widening of the entrance to the facility.

[01:44:01] Is that correct? It is to reduce the width of the easement. Correct. So one of the questions I have is the requirement for the taper on 287. That raises a ton of alarms for me. And is this something that staff asks that they do?

[01:44:16] Is this something that VDOT is going to require? Because I've been out on Rickard Road. This is on Rickard Road, correct? It's a dirt road from 287 to the proposed facility. Is that right? Gravel, correct. Gravel, dirt. correct um um and we know we can have we can talk about dirt roads a lot up here we've had a few discussions on those um gravel roads sorry um so that's is that's maintained by vdot as well right now uh this is a public road correct yes so can can you tell me what the current trips on that road are right now per day do we have that by chance uh we do uh about 330 vehicles per day 430 per day?

[01:44:55] Correct. Okay, and this application would allow for up to 100 events, up to I think 200 people, which would be about 100 trips for each event, potentially maximum, is that around, am I saying that correctly?

[01:45:13] Yes, correct. Okay. So it would increase it by at least a fifth on the specific days that they had events potentially maximum. Okay. a big concern of mine is this record road where two two cars can get by or are there some places where someone has to pull off there are some places where someone has to move over okay um another concern of mine how does they can do some buy right things on this piece of property correct that's correct and some and that would be like a country in they wouldn't need these this minor special exception that's correct okay and the intensity of a country in is less intense than

[01:45:52] in the current banquet facility they're asking for is that right uh the country in includes a overnight guest component um so you know longer term stays on the site and potentially um with board approval uh could allow a restaurant use so um but it's up to 20 annual parties per year correct why special is that right correct all right i'm out i'm about out of time i have a lot more questions but those are a couple of my concerns um that i just want to ask staff about for the folks to hear. Thanks. Thank you, Mr. Kirshner. Mr. Letourneau. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[01:46:26] So jumping in kind of on that, the biggest concern that I have with this application is the vehicle access. So you said about 400 trips a day on Rickard Road. Is that that specific stretch from 287 just a little bit east here, or is that for the entire length of that road? That is from Berlin Turnpike to Bullington Road, that segment. Oh, just that little segment there. Okay.

[01:46:54] So what impact would the additional trips have? The Saturday, Sunday trips obviously are the highest, and then I think we look at something like 75 on Friday, if I remember right, from the chart. Yeah, 72.

[01:47:11] But what does that 200 trips additional do to the sort of condition of the road? I mean, we've seen these roads that when they do get a lot more traffic, they don't necessarily get maintained that well. start having a lot more maintenance problems on them i will defer to transportation for that question supervisor loturna so vdot would keep a gravel road for this would potentially take them up to let's say less than 600 daily trips on the weekends when those events were taking place and

[01:47:45] so this is still a standard that vdot would operate a gravel road in it would be more wear and tear so the problem is though like it's one thing if it's 200 trips spread out over a long period of time. But if this is an event venue, chances are it's all coming at the same time.

[01:48:03] In this case, I'm guessing most of the 400 trips a day are probably people who live in the vicinity. These would be people who probably don't. So they're kind of navigating this. What's the width of the road, the Rickard Road? I believe it was about 16 or 17 feet wide. It varies in certain areas it's um between 14 and 18. okay and what do we consider sort of normal for a like a royal rustic road let's say 20 feet 20 feet so it's it's more narrow than that yeah i mean short of you know asking the applicant to actually address that which i think is probably a big project that

[01:48:39] they you know it's obviously clearly off-site anyway i i do have a lot of concerns about that so we'll see where conversation goes thank you um mr crony thank you chair randall and i do have transportation questions so i'm glad you're here um so uh i understand that the construction is beginning um at route 9 with the route 9 287 roundabout am i correct on that i know that they're in design i don't know if they've started construction with that yet so um milltown road

[01:49:14] um was that included at all in um the traffic impact study no they did look at the fact that they were analyzing i believe 15 of the traffic heading to the east that direction but that intersection was not included with the traffic study okay because that's probably going to be an access point when that construction starts at um nine and 287 at the roundabout so milltown road is already a cut through you know it goes um uh through waterford um but it's already a

[01:49:49] cut through so i am concerned about milltown road um being used as an access point during the construction of the roundabout um with these additional trips and i i don't know that that's one of my concerns um so why was the 100 why did vdot accept the 100 foot taper it sounds like they wanted the 200 foot taper and then vdot accepted the waiver that's correct okay so there were a few reasons that the applicant had listed in their application to vdot for the waiver

[01:50:26] one i believe was the financial hardship that the cost of a 200-foot taper would just be somewhat excessive for them um i would need to go back and look again at the other couple of reasons they they had limited um events it was only a hundred times per year so you're talking maybe a couple on the weekends okay and they dropped the number of guests as well but vdot did ask for a 200 foot right at first okay and then um to get off transportation what

[01:50:58] time will all the exterior lighting including security lighting be powered down lighting would be prohibited during off hours so the latest that the indoor operation would continue through is 10 p.m. so between so after 10 p.m. it would need to be shut off how about exterior lighting that it would be included at 10 o'clock okay and the are the hours of the our operation does it end at 10 or does it end at midnight because i saw that midnight is actually in the zoning ordinance correct the zoning ordinance would require an end time of midnight but staff recommend

[01:51:37] based off the surrounding character uh the end time of 10 p.m okay thank you mr zanes thank you madam chair um would it staff or the transportation person would you consider this road similar to if i'm on hogback mountain because that's a dirt gravel road would you would you consider this similar if you're familiar with that road i wouldn't need to go out there to compare the two supervisor saying the staff are you familiar with that road i would need to compare as well oh okay

[01:52:15] all right um if we can if this comes back to us that we i'll be glad would love to hear your recommendation or what you think on comparing the two roads that's dirt and gravel and it goes to a uh a venue that hosts a lot of events uh as well in a rural setting so like to come get the comparison there is is this road in your opinion can it take say if people wanted to take a motor coach or a bus accommodate it would be tight it's a narrow road so to bring a larger vehicle like a

[01:52:55] bus down that are you asking if the condition of the road like the underlying surface could accommodate it yes i would say you could run it out there doing this on a regular occurrence is going to add more wear and tear to the road okay all right well if you can again compare that to the the room i'm talking about um and give you more detail the the venue i'm talking about is um

[01:53:20] oh gosh uh stone tower okay okay that hosts a lot of events um if the written your image here where is the can you point to us and show where would the venue be located in the on the site this top corner here okay and how far is that from the the neighbors to the to the top of it uh it's required to be set back um about 200 feet here i think i might show it so how far is it so the parking

[01:53:58] areas are set back 100 feet from the property boundary but the um but the outdoor party area is set back 200 feet okay well that's just the property line but how how far do we know how far from like the say the actual uh the neighbor's structure i do have a graphic here these are the surrounding residential uh homes in the area and their distances to the event venue approximately Okay, so it looks like the furthest is 1,587 feet.

[01:54:30] The nearest is 584, it looks like. Correct. Okay, all right. That's, okay. So that's pretty far. Okay, and then those are far away, yes. All right, and then I have questions for the applicant, but thank you, and if you can get those answers to the questions.

[01:54:49] Thank you. Did you just say a motor coach? Yes, ma'am. Motor coach, okay. i don't quite even know um so by by right this could be a country in correct correct and it could have a restaurant uh to have the restaurant component would require a minor special exception in this process how large could a restaurant be uh i believe uh because it's discretionary um it might depend on what what is compatible and what the supervisors would approve and how many

[01:55:24] people could come to a restaurant a day any restaurant and how many days could the restaurant be open every single day yeah right right so you can have a restaurant open every single day with no real limit of how many people could come to that restaurant every single day as is my special exception also right okay and what else by right could happen on this site a number of agricultural and residential uses in this ar1 zoning district specifically there are a few other uses that would

[01:56:02] permit private party or private events as well with just less less intensity right uh they are limited um based off the maximum number of parties or the number of attendees for those other uses how how what give me an idea of how limited they would be uh they could range um but a country in like the one um mentioned could have um up to 100 attendees but 20 yearly parties so so just less parties is what it would be but 100 attendees so right now we're asking for

[01:56:35] 200 basically i'm i don't know why we're saying 199 but 200 and 100 events um what constitutes an event so so is a wedding an event because a wedding could involved a um a rehearsal dinner and then and then the wedding i mean so when you say an event i mean is it an event have to be limited to a day or what constitutes an event if somebody's having a wedding and they have a rehearsal dinner and then the wedding and rehearsal and and reception is that a one single

[01:57:15] event or what is what is that what's that called with respect to this use the banquet and event facility use. As part of the definition, it includes private parties at which food and beverages are served to groups of people. So it doesn't have a limit on the number.

[01:57:31] I don't think I got that question answered, though. So, but, okay, let me ask it this way. Could people, if people are at a rehearsal dinner, they leave, and they come back the next day for the wedding, is that two events? Yes. That's two events. Correct. And so a wedding possibly could be, that would be two events, not one.

[01:57:51] Correct. Ah, okay. They're events that are not open to the public and by invitation only as well, private parties, private events. Wouldn't they all be private events? Right, right. We're not all going to come to the wedding.

[01:58:12] Just going to show up and eat at your wedding. For scale, though, a smaller... I understand. I'm just messing with you. I'm just messing with you. Thank you very much. Good evening. Thank you all for being here. You all have 10 minutes. You can sit at the table or stand to the podium.

[01:58:28] Either one is fine. Can you go to the what? Yes.

[01:58:43] That stage coach, motor coach. What is he doing? Oh, he wants to do the, he wants to do his.

[01:59:06] Hi. Good evening, members of the board. Good evening. I'm going to start my time because I'm going to cede some time to Rita. My name is Ben Wales, land use planner with the law firm Curator Partners. Really pleased to be here with you this evening with Steve Baker and Rita Baker.

[01:59:24] the applicants, along with members of their family who are also with us. We've heard from staff this is a minor special exception. As such, the use is deemed to be permissible in this district, so long as it meets certain standards set out in the zoning ordinance. Staff has undertaken a really thorough review over the last couple of years of this application and has obviously deemed that it does meet those standards, and we hope that you would agree.

[01:59:49] I wanted to start with some information on the Baker family. That helps explain why we're here. So Steve and Rita purchased a 50-acre application property, a 50-acre farm as their forever home. It's where they raise their family.

[02:00:05] They plan to be there for a long time, but also as a location to create a really attractive event venue. Why do they want to do that? Why are we here? Steve and Rita have been in the wedding industry and the event industry for over a decade. Through that time, they've created a clear vision of what works in an event venue, what doesn't work.

[02:00:26] how venues can fit in with their surroundings and be compatible. And that's something that we've been working really hard to bring before you tonight. Steve and Rita operate a photo and video business that takes them into the industry. In Rita's spare time, she's also a full-time special education teacher.

[02:00:46] And for that reason and others, she was recognized as one of Loudoun's 40 Under 40 in 2024. that gives us an introduction into steve and rita um working in the community these are just a selection of events programs um collaborations that they've been involved in over the last year or so where they volunteered their time to help be part of a community and and why do i mention this because it's important because it gets to the point of why we're doing this but also we've worked really hard again to create something that fits into this community

[02:01:25] so it is a an event facility that will accommodate a range of event types we all you know it's easy to go straight to a wedding this could be a breakfast it could be a lunch the wedding is obviously the worst case scenario but I mean if if it was as easy as doing a hundred events 100 weddings with 200 people. It wouldn't be Stephen Reacher's of the world. Are you married? I am. Because, listen.

[02:01:54] But if this was as easy as just having 100 weddings, maximum capacity, it wouldn't be a Stephen Reacher in front of you. It would be a corporation. This would be a bigger business than it is. So we're going to have to survive on smaller events, too. It's not just weddings. This will help, as you've seen in numerous letters of support in the last week. This is going to help create additional spaces where we can host events in Loudoun and people don't have to go out of Loudoun County for Loudoun events, helping the local rural economy, which the board and the comprehensive plan favor. And there's other elements of this slide that I'll touch on. They're

[02:02:33] not things that we can put in a condition, but it helps get to who Steve and Reacher are and why they're doing this. They'll prioritize vendors who work with local farmers and sustainable techniques. We're hoping that members of the local community can be employed here. You know, I'll note that this is a really small-scale operation, so there's no full-time work here, but they're also dedicated to donating a portion of the proceeds to Laws and other Loudoun County organizations.

[02:02:59] This is the application property. I'm not going to focus on it because I know staff has, but I'll just point to the right, to the east of this parcel, and it's approximately 200 acres of farmland. And this is the view that the visitors to this site will have.

[02:03:14] Stephen Reiter's farmhouse is on the right-hand side. That's where they live. Obviously, they're invested in this being a compatible operation in more ways than one. But this is a beautiful part of Loudoun County. Even in this time of the year when the colors aren't as great as later in the year, we want to share this with visitors.

[02:03:36] I mentioned to Supervisor Umstad when we met last week that growing up in Britain, we have a Right to Roam Act, and people have access to the countryside and rural areas. We don't here, other than parks. And so views like this are restricted to a limited few, and we want to share it.

[02:03:55] This provides an image of what the use will look like. Obviously, we've heard it's a building and a parking area. Again, Stephen Reiter's house and home is to the bottom of this slide. So there are two applications. One is the minor special exception for the event facility.

[02:04:11] We've got information here about the size that we've talked about, up to 100 events per year. This is a restriction we put on the application after meeting with the community last year. We wanted to provide some limited scale to it. The zoning ordinance doesn't limit these uses. Maximum attendees, the zoning ordinance has a maximum attendance of 260 people for this size of site.

[02:04:33] Again, we wanted to limit it. Preservation of natural resources. I'm very proud to say we've got an NRT recommendation of approval. That's not easy with any land use application in Loudoun County, but Steve and Rita wanted to step up and address all the comments.

[02:04:49] And reduced hours of operation, again, zoning ordinance talks to midnight. We actually limited the hours of operation to 11. We wrote it onto the plat. And so, yes, everything has to stop by 10, but people aren't hanging around here until midnight.

[02:05:06] We talked about conditions, and staff has. It's important to know these are things that we've submitted very early in this application, bar the last one that I know is going to be discussed further. But these are things that we wanted to impose on this application to ensure that it would be compatible and work with the community.

[02:05:25] Number of events, attendees, noise mitigation, low-level lighting, enhanced buffering and screening, and it goes on and on. I'll note that there are other uses, Chair Randall, Virginia Farm Winery, a brewery, by right uses here that would have no hours of operation limit, no noise standards beyond the ordinance, no lighting standards, no restriction to how many days a week, how many number of events, how many people.

[02:05:55] Again, Steve and Rita wanted this to be an open project. We've heard comments, we've been able to respond to them, we've been able to make commitments. Minor special exception for the road, I'm not going to dwell on. We're required to provide an 18-foot minimum travel lane, and that's what we're doing.

[02:06:13] There's an easement discussion, but I'll be pleased to answer those questions. And then Rickard Road, yes, it's unpaved, as clearly a lot of roads in Loudoun County, Western Loudoun County are. But importantly, this is well posted.

[02:06:31] We see the signpost there. It's a straight shot directly from Berlin Turnpike to the application property, half a mile. And this slide just gives you an indication on the left. These are wedding venues. All have this same situation, all unpaved road, all unpaved road that also serves other properties.

[02:06:52] And on the right, obviously, wineries and breweries too. We've worked hard with staff to create some appropriate conditions. Again, Steve and Reacher have been up front in making commitments to them. And I'm going to give the rest of my time to Rita. Good evening, esteemed members of the Board of Supervisors.

[02:07:15] We would like to personally thank each and every one of you who has come out today to learn more about our vision, as well as those who have written in and are speaking here tonight on our behalf. Our lifelong relationships with our supporters represent the heart of Loudoun community, whether as small business owners or as residents.

[02:07:33] We are truly grateful for their unwavering support. As a small, family-owned, and majority women-owned business, I'm proud to stand tall as a minority in Western Loudoun and lead this Magnolia Rose as CEO. I am a preschool special education teacher for 20 years.

[02:07:52] I am a business owner for a photo and video company that has served Loudoun's wedding industry for over 10 years. I am a Loudoun County 40 Under 40 women honoree, which represents excellence and diversity that defines Loudoun County.

[02:08:07] We want to show the next generation of young women that when you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything. We have done our very best to be proactive, to listen, to address neighbor concerns, and to work collaboratively with our community. The conditions of approval that you see today are a direct result of the conversations we've had with our neighbors and the feedback we've received.

[02:08:29] We have strived to ensure that these conditions reflect the needs and values of everyone involved, and they are a result of the thoughtful planning and engagement that took place during our community meeting. There have certainly been moments when others have expressed their concerns in ways that felt less respectful.

[02:08:46] However, we have worked in good faith to better understand the concerns of others with the intention of creating a venue that represents and respects the dreams we have for our family, our business, the land, and the community that we are proud of. We are not just business owners.

[02:09:03] We are also residents of Lovettsville. This is our home, and it is where we are raising our children. We are here to stay, and we have been committed to being an active and positive part of our community. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisors, questions for the applicant. Again, this is Mr. Kirshner's district. I will go to you first, So thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Baker and Mr. Wales for coming in and working hard on this application.

[02:09:32] I think from the first time we met to now, I think it's a far better and certainly improved application. You heard some of my concerns over here. I may ask you to address a couple of those things. The first thing I do want to put out there is, and this is for my fellow supervisors as well as the applicant and those watching, I am a big proponent of these sorts of facilities when it makes sense, obviously, and that's because we want to encourage our rural economy.

[02:09:59] We want to make sure that our land use is being preserved as much as possible, and if you can't monetize your land, obviously it becomes more difficult. I think specifically with this application, and I'm still unresolved on how I'm going to handle this, I think really it kind of boils down to the intensity of the use at at the end of the day.

[02:10:19] And so, and I appreciate some of what you have suggested up here, but obviously it's a minor special exception, which has not gone through the Planning Commission, so it's come to us for the first time. So obviously the reductions in the intensity that you've put up there are certainly, I think, really good steps in the right direction.

[02:10:34] It doesn't mean you automatically get those. I understand that's what's in the zoning ordinance, but you don't automatically get those unless you get the minor special exception. I think we're gonna hear from a lot of folks tonight. As I understand, we have a number of that. So my first question is the VDOT, I guess, turn lane requirement.

[02:10:54] Was that something that VDOT required? Was that something you proffered as part of working with staff? That's one, it really kind of seems unfair to me for our rural uses because that's just astronomical. And is there a reason that is there? So as part of the traffic study, we were required to analyze that intersection.

[02:11:14] So VDOT required you to do that? Yes. That's shocking. Required to analyze whether turn lanes are required, turn lanes weren't required. All that was required was a taper on the right-hand side. Okay. I think, obviously, this application would probably be a far lot easier for me to come do if it wasn't for Rickard Road.

[02:11:34] If it was sitting on 287, I think we'd be really in a really different spot. And I think that's probably, for me, the issue, the biggest issue. I mean, there are others, and I think some of the community is going to speak to that. My fellow supervisors will have to make up their mind. But Rickard Road is really a problem. My planning commissioner texted me while we're sitting up here.

[02:11:51] He said comparing Hogback to Rickard is like comparing 95 to, you know, Route 7. I mean, I think there is a big difference between those sorts of roads. And I think that is, for me, and I can't speak for Mr. Letourneau, but I think he somewhat alluded to that, is kind of the concern here with the number of events.

[02:12:10] And have you talked amongst yourselves about how to improve that, maybe reducing the number of events, that sort of thing, in terms of how, because that is a big concern of mine. And you can say all day long, well, it's going to be smaller events, larger events, et cetera, and that's probably going to be the case.

[02:12:28] But when you're talking about larger events, oh, I'm out of time. Can you help me understand that a little bit? We have. We talked about it. We were challenged by your office last week to consider a reduction in scope. The bakers went back to their family and are willing to make a reduction in the number of events from 100 to 75.

[02:12:47] Okay. Thanks. I'm out of time. Mr. Crony. Thank you, Mr. Kirsten. Mr. Crony. And thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Baker. nice presentation um what are the noise mitigations what noise mitigation measures are you putting in place so there's obviously the zoning ordinance standard we said we would at the time of site plan we work with an acoustic consultant uh use necessary building materials to demonstrate that we're meeting the noise standards we know that the concern is that when a noise standard's checked and how easy is it for somebody to come out and take a reading what we wanted to do up

[02:13:24] front would say this is how we're meeting these standards there were concerns raised at the community meeting about doors potentially being left open so we came out and said okay well we will commit to self-closing doors it's not something that staff felt should be a condition we wrote it onto the special exception plan we've tried to think of additional standards that we can impose on ourselves to try and address this concern okay thank you mr. Saints thank Thank you Madam Chair. Actually that was one of my questions in regards to talking about

[02:13:59] reducing the number from 100 to 75 so it sounds like you would be willing to do that in your previous comment just a second ago. Would the applicant or have you guys discussed also possibly reducing the number of attendees from 199 down to a smaller number?

[02:14:17] We feel like 199 is an appropriate number. We know that's consistent with other event facilities and it's it's important for this to be successful too I know I mentioned that we always think about the worst case scenario and that is a 199 people wedding but that's not going to be all of these events right well we're trying to trying to help you get to your your magic number up here so I think you guys would definitely take that into consideration it looks like we're gonna be voting for this to go to and come to another business meeting so So I highly suggest you go review that.

[02:14:52] I will do my field trip to go out and see Rickard Row because I'll be honest with you, I'm not familiar with the road, but I've definitely been to a lot of the other venues that you had on there. And you're absolutely correct. There's a lot of dirt roads and gravel roads that lead to a lot of those venues that have high traffic for these activities.

[02:15:10] So I will go this weekend and do my field trip and put my eyes on it. And then, you know, you are, correct me if I'm wrong again, you said you're going to reduce or limit the outside activity at 7.30, is that correct?

[02:15:25] I've heard you? Yes, sir. All right, that's, I don't know how many weddings you've been to, but 7.30, that's the time the fun starts kicking off, in my opinion. So limiting everybody to get inside is, I think that's very generous. Buy right again, just for curiosity, buy right, how many homes could you do on this property?

[02:15:47] Ten. 10 yeah okay and then i think it was mentioned earlier you could technically do you buy right a winery or brewery and don't have to come in front of us for any hours or correct number of attendees or anything of that nature nothing okay so um okay again buy right they could do a winery or brewery and we have no say so about hours attendees or whatever days of operations okay all right okay thank you and we will see you um when it comes back mr wells could you email us your presentation as well? Sure, certainly. Because I liked how you had the distances there

[02:16:23] in your presentations. I'd like to take a look at that further. Thank you. All right, thank you. I do want to just do a real quick point of clarification. I do not believe they said attendees have to go inside at 7:30. I think they said we stopped the music at 7:30. Is that correct? There's two conditions. There's another one also that says no outside activity after 7:30. Okay. So they go together, but we can't do anything outside.

[02:16:48] cool mr brixman well can you define out outside activities does that mean people can't even stand outside after 7 30 and have a glass of wine like what what outside activities are you going to be limiting at 7 30. i think the condition was no outdoor music past 7 30. so if you wanted to step out on the patio and have a glass of wine and have a conversation with the closest person 500 feet away i don't imagine they could hear you talking which we've positioned the patio to the south side of the building, which is the opposite side of the closest residents.

[02:17:25] Oh, okay. Okay, great. Do you happen to know -- Supervisor Bressman, one point of clarification? It is two separate conditions of approval that staff have recommended, but they are subject to change -- Okay. Recommendations for the board. Okay. Thank you.

[02:17:40] Okay. I'm really curious about the Right to Rome Act that you talked about, but maybe we can talk about it at some other point. Do we know, and I don't know if you know the answer to this question, but how many women and minority-owned businesses do we actually have out in the rural policy area?

[02:18:00] I don't know. That's a great question. Okay. Yeah, I'll see if I can ask DED if they have an answer to that question. I appreciate the investment and happy to support this going to the next business meeting.

[02:18:16] Really appreciate your investment. And since you said that it's not all weddings, frankly, I'm okay with 100 events a year. That's just me. I'm one of nine. But if it's going to be luncheons and a baby shower and those sorts of things, and like Mr. Wales said, worst-case scenario could be a couple weddings a year.

[02:18:43] I don't think it's going to be 100 weddings a year. So I want, if this passes, I want your business to be successful and viable. So personally, I'm okay with 100. So I think those are all the questions I have.

[02:18:59] Thank you. And congratulations on your awards and recognitions. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to commend the applicants. I think it's a terrific application. I think it's in the right location. It's exactly sized for this location.

[02:19:17] It's exactly the kind of venue we want in Western Loudoun County to bring people to Loudoun County and generate business in Loudoun County. I just want to clarify, and I know we're drilling this down, is it no outside music after 7.30 or no outside amplified music at 7.30?

[02:19:35] I mean, you could have a string quartet out with no mics, and no one's going to hear that. Supervisor, can you repeat your question? Sorry. Is it no music after 7.30 or no amplified music after 7.30?

[02:19:56] Supervisor Turner, the condition is no outside music at all after 7.30, but if that is something the board would like to modify, that these conditions are imposed by the board, so. I mean, I would like to be able to go out and play my harmonica at 9 o'clock if I want to, you know.

[02:20:12] We don't want to hear. Okay, we'll clarify. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. First of all, I will also go out and do a field trip, as I always do, but I will say that I have been to almost every one of those event centers, breweries, wineries, events, sentences that were on that script, and I have seen -- I have driven down some pretty small dirt roads where you couldn't pass another person to get there, and so if that's the one thing, then that would not be the thing that I make a decision on, because I have

[02:20:48] -- I don't know how I would say no to this, having seen other ones that -- if the conditions were similar, but I don't know that until I go out and look. Before I go to public comments, let me say this to the public. This is my 10th year in office. Never have I seen so many comments, both for and against, that were so respectful and so just appropriate

[02:21:22] and spelled out. I like it for this reason. I don't like it for this reason. Not one person called us any names I'm not kidding not one person said we were well not one person said like how dumb we were and I mean none of that I mean I mean my staff and I would look and we're like oh my gosh the the comments and the feedback and the and your rationale no matter where you fell on the on the issue your comments and your feedback and your rationale it was it was so refreshing to

[02:22:00] read those comments and get that feedback and have that rationale. So I want to just say thank you, wherever you are, you are, but I want to say thank you for that, just me to you, thank you for that. Secondly, I would say, interestingly, the closest home is over double the length of where a data center could be to a home right now, over double.

[02:22:27] Right now, a data center could be 200 feet from a home, which we need to work on that, But the closest home, I think, was 584 feet away. That's also interesting and something that maybe we should take a look at a little closer because, yeah, that was for us.

[02:22:49] So thank you all. And I'm going -- there are -- I don't think I have any virtual speakers. I do have 35 speakers, 36 speakers. It is my practice to call elected officials first, just out of professional courtesy.

[02:23:10] I'm going to do that. And so my first speaker will be the mayor of Levittsville, Chris Hornbaker. He will be followed by Kevin Oliveira, followed by Danielle Natler. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, Chair Randall, Vice Chair Turner, distinguished members of the board.

[02:23:32] It's not lost on me the two topics that are before you, the previous topic and the topic that is here before us. So I'm going to make a promise I'm not going to talk about gaggle of geese in honor of weddings, bevies or flights of turtle doves or any other grouping, formal grouping of fowl, birds or other animals.

[02:23:59] But what I will start by saying is, as the mayor of Lovetsville, I've been telling you for years how great the folks from Lovetsville are, and it's just confirmation in your comments, so thank you all for coming out. But I am here not just as the mayor of Lovetsville, not in the official capacity, but keeping in mind that I'm the ex-officio member of the Rural Economic Development Council, and I do not speak for them tonight.

[02:24:29] And I am an individual who's traveled about 4,000 trips down Milltown Road. I am a 40 under 40 graduate. When you talk about Hogback Lane, I say forget Hogback Lane.

[02:24:44] Go look at Creamer Lane in the Catoctin District on one of the most dangerous stretches of Route 9 in the county. There's a 30-acre substantially similar use that operates today.

[02:25:00] And I don't see, besides having another 20 acres, what the difference between that use is, whether it's celebrating at least two of us as a member of the 2023 class, 40 under 40 with members of this board, or a wedding last year for a friend there in Lovettsville.

[02:25:22] I sure would have loved to have traveled two and a half miles and not just under 20. As a member, again, in the 19 years that I've lived in Lovettsville, I've had about 4,000 trips from inside of Lovettsville down Milltown Road, and that's going to be the route I take.

[02:25:42] If this doesn't go through and it wasn't a brewery or it wasn't a winery and they wanted to put 10 more houses on it, you'd have another 30 trips. And I would bet my office that the difference of 70 trips a day, which, mind you, is not going to be on the – Mayor Hornbaker, you can go first, but you can't go alone.

[02:26:06] That's fine. That's fine. All I'll say is the number of cut-through commuters on Rickard Road is probably substantially more than that. Mayor Hornbaker, thanks so much. I support this. Thank you. okay um kevin oliveira followed by daniel natlin followed by david greenspoon good evening sir good evening my name is kevin oliveira our family has been residents of loudon county since 1988. we also own oliveira music entertainment and our leaders in the special event

[02:26:46] community i am in full support of magnolia rose 1880. i have known steven and rita for seven years they are outstanding members of the event community and do amazing work with their photography company bakerture photo and video i serve on the board of directors with rita of hunt country celebrations a group of special event professionals she is a leader in collaborating with community businesses and she is a joy to work with in 2024 as mentioned she was honored as one

[02:27:25] of Loudoun's 40 under 40. I agree with the county staff's recommendation for approval of this special exception application. This is exactly the smart type of development which benefits the county, helps a local business, and preserves the unique landscape of western Loudoun. I am confident the bakers will be great stewards of their property as well as good neighbors to the surrounding landowners. As a wedding vendor, I know the positive impact a successful wedding

[02:28:04] venue can have on other local businesses. Weddings and special events need florists, planners, catering, accommodations, transportation, event rentals, and of course, music entertainment. Tourism is flourishing in Loudoun County, adding venues like Magnolia Rose 1880 is quite simply a smart business decision thank you thank you sir danielle natler followed by

[02:28:37] david greenspoon followed by rick thompson hi how are you i know you're daniel's daniel's husband and so i'll let it go let yeah that's fine let it go thank you yes uh i'm mayor natler um daniel's husband uh she had to take our son home for for bed uh so we can have a successful day at school tomorrow. So this is a statement from my wife, Danielle Nether. Good evening, Chair Randall and supervisors. I wanted to share my personal and professional support for the request of a minor

[02:29:10] special exception for Magnolia Rose 1880 event venue. It is rare in our beautiful county when a project not only supports the local economy, but also preserves the area's natural rural beauty. The Baker's vision for their property, Magnolia Rose 1880, does just that. At the Loudoun Education Foundation, we host three large events each year and with other local nonprofits and community organizations are faced with very few event venues and options locally. This drives up the price and in some cases pushes some events outside the county. At the heart of this application

[02:29:50] is the Baker family who lives and farms the property. They bring valuable experiences through their established photography and videography business. Their existing relationships with local vendors event planners and visit loudon will create a beneficial network supporting this new venue and strengthening our local economy thank you for your service and leadership thank you thank you david greenspoon followed by rick thompson followed by um mina i don't know when good evening good evening chairwoman randall good evening board of supervisors i'm david

[02:30:26] greenspoon i own and operate joutique concierge rabbinic services and recently i do's with david I am here in support this evening of Steve and Rita Baker's petition for their project Magnolia Rose 1880 and urge you to approve the Magnolia Rose 1880 application as recommended by county staff for all the compelling reasons you will hear this evening and many, many more.

[02:30:49] It's been a privilege to know Steven and Rita the last four years as colleagues in the wedding industry. By respect and appreciation for their deep personal integrity, incredible professionalism, and exemplary professional standards led me to be their client for my own business needs. I know from that experience that attention to detail, commitment to excellence, and outstanding quality are the hallmarks of their work.

[02:31:13] As the wisdom notes, how one does something is how one does everything. I also deeply appreciate how this project aligns with and complements Loudoun County's self-understanding. We are a world-class destination with urban, suburban, and rural aspects to our landscape. This project aligns with the rural character of its location, preserves the pastoral feel of its farming environment, and it is also a beautiful site absolutely aligned with the vision of any wedding couples, especially brides, and even bar and bat mitzvah families who might be seeking venues for their celebrations. The more opportunities we have to attract outside dollars to Loudoun County,

[02:31:53] the better. They propose a plan that has a ready, willing, and extremely able potential client base across and beyond our region that is hungry for options like Magnolia Rose 1880. Steve and Rita are committed to Loudoun County as residents, as you have heard. The opportunity for other members of this industry to be lifted up are significant, as you have already heard. I will add to that list makeup artists, hairstylists, officiants, and yes, coach services as well. Steve and Rita care for this project because loudon county is their home and they have intentionally limited this project to

[02:32:29] relatively restrictive parameters for their success again i urge you to approve their application thank you for your attention thank you rick thompson followed by mina newin followed by ian latte good evening good evening my name is rick thompson i own rick's flowers we're a wedding and event company so i guess you can tell who all the other people are here are all in the wedding industry it's been a great pleasure to work with steve and rita over the last 10 years in the wedding industry i i cannot and i want to expand on the way that they have built their business

[02:33:08] to reflect the deep community commitment to their clients and serve them with beautiful photographs that create lasting memories and beauty for a lifetime their example of how to run a business with integrity kindness and excellent customer service is always evident when i first heard of their project to build magnolia rose immediately thought of how much it would add to the loudon county and to serve us a need for our wedding industry i know that their attention to detail and thoughtfulness for couples will shine brightly and add to their special day steve and rita will be great stewards of this project and enhance and make many couples dream

[02:33:48] days come true. I'm going to say one thing. I deliver flowers in a van. I drive over country roads. I would challenge everybody sitting up there to just go down Ridgeside Road to a couple of the venues, wedding venues, go to Spinks Ferry Road, my favorite with all the ruts and the big buses, and also maybe just drive down Hogback Mountain and see how many cars come in and out.

[02:34:17] but i don't think any of those venues or any of those roads i just mentioned have any turn lanes for me to turn my big van filled with flowers on but i'm just going to say this is that when you're when you're thinking about this venue think about just going to all the other venues that are out there and think about the roads and the people that are driving on it and and and just show some kindness. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Me, Mina Nguyen, followed by Ian Lade,

[02:34:53] followed by Al Cabot. Good evening. Good evening. How are y'all doing? Well, thank you. My name is Dr. Min Nguyen. I am the owner. I'm so sorry. I did not pronounce your name right. I apologize. I just assumed it was me. That's fine. Thank you. I'm really sorry. It's fine. It's okay. But thank you for allowed me the opportunity to speak today. I'm here in full support for Rita and Steve Baker for Magnolia Rose 1880. I'm a Loudoun County native. I grew up in Loudoun County since 1990. I guess I

[02:35:29] can try to consider myself to be a quintessential Loudoun County student. I was the second graduating class of Dominion High School. Grew up in East Loudoun. There we go. Went to JMU, VCU, Howard University, West Virginia University, and after over a dozen years of school and professional training, trying to figure out with my fiancee at that time, all right, we're going to have an office of our own, where are we going to go?

[02:35:55] And then we decided to park it in Percival, Virginia. And as we were trying to plan out for our wedding, ran into Rita Baker over at George Mason, remember that day, and as an avid photographer myself, and I'm like, all right, this is a wedding vendor, we'll just walk right by it.

[02:36:14] Then I actually looked at their work, and I'm like, wow, it's actually better than my portrait photography you guys are hired you're in um but i was just so excited because they were like oh we're actually from lovetsville i'm like oh i'm i'm gonna be opening there in like two more years hopefully whenever construction is done um but in the process from just hiring them for the wedding and building up my office uh excelsior orthodontics um they've now become just like you know awesome friends and are actually the official photographers and videographers for excelsior

[02:36:48] And that alone has completely separated my business from, I challenge you to find any other orthodontist that's different than mine, my office and in the whole county. But I have full support for them. If you pay attention to any of their care and detail of their work, I have no doubt they're just here to be a part of ingrained in the community.

[02:37:08] And this is a lot of work. I mean, I just have a little 2,000-square-foot office, but this is a lot of paperwork that they've got to do. And they're here not just trying to push stuff around and make things their way, but clearly work together with the community and for and against to just make it work and what's cumulable for everybody.

[02:37:24] But thank you very much for having me to talk. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Al Cabot. I'm sorry. Ian Laidie, followed by Al Cabot, followed by Donald Murray. Good evening.

[02:37:41] Good evening, Madam Chair. Good evening, Board of Supervisors. My name is Ian Laid. I have been a resident of Loudoun County since 1989 and I currently reside with my wife in Ashburn, Virginia. I own a private events DJ business and have worked in the Loudoun County area as a vendor for nearly 30 years, specialising in wedding events. I am here today to express my support for the proposed building of Magnolia Rose 1880 by Steve and Rita Baker. I have known

[02:38:17] Steve and Rita for over 10 years, first meeting Steve while I was working as the DJ at a large wedding event in Loudoun County. Steve was the photographer for the couple getting married, where he did a wonderful job. It was obvious to me that Steve was a professional in his business.

[02:38:37] He was well prepared and he politely instructed and managed the bridal party and guests to obtain the specific shots he required. Since that date, I have worked with Stephen Reeter many times over the years at numerous wedding events, both large and small.

[02:38:56] From my perspective, being MC at these events whilst working with a wedding coordinator, it is very important that the other vendors, especially photographers and videographers, are reliable, professional and punctual so the event can run smoothly. I have found all these qualities in Steve and Rita. They are dedicated professional and set a benchmark for excellence. I have always observed their passion and courtesy whilst working with me at wedding events, providing a first-class service for their

[02:39:32] clients. Their ability to work well will aid them in their future endeavour as venue owner operators. Steve and Rita most definitely contribute to the community and industry. I am confident that they are more than capable of establishing and running a first-class venue here in Loudoun County.

[02:39:54] I'd like to thank the board members for their time and consideration with this very important matter. Good evening. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Al Cabot, followed by Donald Murray, followed by Ryan Bellier.

[02:40:11] Good evening. Good evening, members. and community members. My name is Al Cavett, and I'm honored to speak in full support of Magnolia Rose 1880, an establishment that will enrich Lovetsville in a meaningful and lastful way. I'll keep it brief. Anyone that knows me knows I can be passionate when I believe in something. I believe in this. With a background in engineering and over 15 years of service with the Department of Homeland Security, my career has been built on structure, security, and the

[02:40:45] well-being of communities. I know the importance of careful planning, integrity, creating things that stand the test of time, not just physically, but in the impact they leave. That's why I'm here tonight. A wedding venue is not just a business. It's a place where love is celebrated, where families and friends come together, and where lifelong memories are made. This venue will strengthen our local economy, create jobs, and support small businesses, from caterers to florists and photographers and videographers.

[02:41:20] It will foster joy while respecting the charm and values of Lovettsville. I've known the Bakers for over 20 years. I can personally vouch for their integrity, their dedication, and their deep respect for community. They're not just opening a venue.

[02:41:36] They're creating something special that will be built on trust, care, love for bringing people together. With thoughtful planning and responsible stewardship, Magnolia Rose 1880 will not only succeed, It will become a cherished part of Lovetsville fabric. I urge you to support this vision, knowing it will be led by people who prioritize excellence and community enrichment. Thank you.

[02:42:07] Thank you. Thank you. I'm Donald Murray, followed by Ryan Belia, followed by Tiana Hossein. Good evening.

[02:42:24] Hi, my name is Don Murray. First of all, I want to thank you for hearing me. And what I've prepared to say, I can't say. I'm just going to speak from my heart. you're about to hear the other side i've lived on rickard road for 40 years i have 325 foot that borders rickard road at the top of our hill we live at the crest of the hill we're 400 foot down from the baker's uh entrance so when you're coming up that hill you can't really see what's coming down the other side or the other way we have of course back riders we have kids we have up to 10

[02:43:01] to 20 bicycle groups come through there i mean 10 or 20 at a time come up that hill and the little kids that are playing there that ride their bikes uh dog walkers there are within i'd say three quarters of a mile of any direction on the three roads that come into the that little intersection near the baker property there there's at least 17 horses that people ride we have one family it has horse and buggies they have several buggies they ride on that road what i'm what i'm trying to say here is i know the bakers are nice people i've met them they're they're nice people and they're

[02:43:36] professionals i mean i know you guys would have a beautiful place there's no doubt in my mind but it's going to change our way of life 200 cars or 100 cars doesn't seem like much but when you're coming up record road the the dust is unbelievable the foot traffic is on weekends that that's when we get out and enjoy the the wildlife in the area speaking of wildlife we have deer we have turkeys we have bears i've seen a bear in your trash can down there but i mean uh bald eagles are in my yard i have great horned owls i mean there's so much wildlife and my good neighbors here i'm sure

[02:44:12] you're going to hear more about all this but it's going to change our way of life it's i'm not opposed to wedding venues but this is just the wrong place i mean our neighbors have horses they have large herds of beef they have uh one family has 30 goats and they raise goats it's just an agricultural royal community and like i said i've lived there 40 years uh the one thing i want to say is and with all respect to the bakers they're one family and yeah they're they're raising their

[02:44:47] family there like we all have but what about the hundred families on the three roads coming in there this this record road when when you come up record most of the local people know to stop and turn off place and let people pass them i'm sorry your time is up thank you thank you thank you very much appreciate you very much um ryan bellier followed by tani i think it is hussein followed by aaron that oh aaron's already spoke madam chair and um members of the board i want

[02:45:21] to thank you as well for allowing us to speak um i prepared some statements too but i think i'm going to just talk from the heart i live in the property directly north of this adjacent to it in one of the 450 foot houses from the property we hear their conversations in their backyard at night last night about 7 15 7 30 as i was sitting on the back porch enjoying the finally warm weather up here we could hear casual conversations and we don't think they're bad people or anything but you amplify that by 200 and it's going to be loud and we have to work the land during all points of the

[02:45:56] the day as well as our livestock and we will all be exposed to this with no escape from it. I do want to talk about the hazards on Rickard Road. We have a bad problem with drinking and driving on that road already. You only have to go back to November 15th of 2024 when there was an accident on the 287 and Rickard Road intersection that caused property damage that was done by drunk drivers. This venue will amplify the risk along with the treachery of Rickard Road. This is a risk we cannot take with our citizens we cannot take it with the people who live around there

[02:46:31] and we cannot accept that as part of our county and only go back to november of last year when thankfully nobody was killed but on the intersection that we were talking about of 287 and nine or 287 and record road there was an accident that easily could have cost somebody's life during one of these events i drive the road i drive at all times of days and night we see cars behind us and you do have to know exactly where to pull off. The landscape is unforgiving. If you're inexperienced driving that way, you will hit a tree. You will hit the ditch, and you will be pulled right into a tree. The residents know whose driveway to pull off to, and there's often a negotiation between

[02:47:11] cars on these roads. So in sort of in closing, since I could talk for hours on the subject, the GPS route people up through the other direction. We don't think that was adequately studied gps the people who will be coming to this will not be savvy with the road and it will cause damage to the surrounding community and that's the bottom line i do appreciate the time and i want to share my strong objection to these exceptions and we do not need to make these significant safety concessions for this particular property and these exceptions should not be

[02:47:46] granted thank you very much thank you sir um tanya i'm hussein followed by henry wilkins followed by Brooke Darby. Good evening. Good evening, Madam Chair and members of the Board of Supervisors. My name is Tanya Hussain, and I'm a Northern Virginia wedding and events photographer, and I'm thrilled to share that I work in Loudoun because of friends like Rita and Steve Baker. I love weddings, and it's one of the most happiest occasion where everybody

[02:48:23] gets to be a family, but also to one of a kind event where, you know, photographs are taken and memories are made. And that's what echoes in my mind when I think of Rita and Steve Baker. I've known them for over five years and every single event and networking event I go to that Rita attends, there's this face that always, you know, smiles at me and I always feel welcome because of her and I know that there will be great stewards of this of this property and they will create this beautiful venue

[02:49:03] where many of us will be able to come visit and enjoy you know our events we will have events there as well I'm obviously here expressing my heartfelt support for the proposed development of Magnolia Rose 1880. I just know how hard they work to come before you. And obviously, you know, for me, it's anytime I come to a Loudon venue, it's a dream come true to work here. But for Rita and Steve, it's their home. It's where

[02:49:39] they're raising their family. And I know who they are as people. And my friends, that have spoken, you're hearing a reflection of who they are as people and I have no doubt that they will be, they will treat their land with utmost respect and work with their neighbors and to that end, I did email you a few days ago and I'm rather emotional listening to my friends and looking at my friends. I would kindly encourage you to approve this application.

[02:50:15] magnolia rose 1880 will help ensure that loudon county continues to be a shining example of smart and forward-thinking growth let's welcome this lovely addition to the love loudon community because rita and stephen truly deserve this joyful dream come true thank you so much thank you henry walkins followed by brooke darby followed by eric hein good evening thank you madam chair and esteemed board members.

[02:50:47] My name's Henry Wilkins. I live very close to the venue. I applaud entrepreneurship. I am an entrepreneur here in Loudoun County. But I think the venue is the wrong place. I'm a former law enforcement administrator.

[02:51:04] I've had 20 years of helping develop traffic patterns for safety issues and things like that. For those of you who are going out to Rickard Road to look at that venue, I would ask you to approach Rickard Road also from Rehoboth Church Road.

[02:51:24] If you look to the west, you can't see traffic coming up that way. If you look towards the venue, you can't see traffic coming that way. It's a Jesus-take-the-wheel movement when you get out into that intersection. So I just would beseech you to look at that from that perspective.

[02:51:43] It's a safety perspective that I'm most concerned with. Thank you. Thank you. Brooke Darby, followed by Eric Hine, followed by Caitlin Lozinski. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you so much, Madam Chair and members of the board.

[02:52:00] I live on Rickard Road between Berlin Turnpike and the proposed site, that little weird triangle there on Rickard Road. And I just want to say at the outset that my concern about this venue has absolutely nothing to do with the Bakers.

[02:52:16] I'm sure they're lovely people. are a very friendly community and welcome them personally to our community that said while their venue may technically require an exception a minor exception it is not a minor exception to the people who live in this community who move to a rural neighborhood for a bucolic existence and to take advantage of the surrounding beauty of the area you don't know us but i want to emphasize that we are a neighborhood we are not a place you saw a nice picture of their venue and

[02:52:53] how they look out on a wide expanse of land we're not all sitting on 200 acres a lot of us are sitting on three acres which are very close the site sits in a bowl we sit at the top which means all the sound comes up in our direction we will hear the noise it'll disrupt the quiet of our homes and our enjoyment of our yards. We'll face risks to our safety every weekend as cars race up and down those roads, which as numerous people have told you, clearly are not wide enough for

[02:53:27] two cars. We've seen many people in the ditches. There are no sidewalks. We have no choice if we're going to walk to visit our neighbors, take our dogs for a walk. If our neighbors want to go horseback riding, we have no choice but to be out in those roads, which as my husband just pointed out or blind in a number of spots nobody can see you coming. We're also going to face deteriorating road conditions. Our road, as you will find out when you go look at it, is full of potholes, it's in rough shape already, and it can barely keep up with current use. That's only going to get worse. So I just implore the board to stand with the citizens who are going to have to deal

[02:54:06] with the consequences of the decisions that you're going to be making here tonight. thank you very much for the opportunity to address you thank you very much um as mr heinkums um supervisors are you do we need to take because we have a lot more speakers and then we have to go through the motion um how about after the next four speakers we we take about a 15 minute break i we've been on the day since six o'clock so it would be almost three hours and we probably have another hour to go so we're just going to take about a 10 minute break and then we're we won't be long but we need to take care of things and then we'll come back and um but we will finish

[02:54:43] the next four speakers which would be eric hein caitlin losinski scott brock and alex marcus and then we'll take a break good evening sir hello my name is eric hein i live in that second square below the word acres i am asking the board to deny the approval the magnolia rose excuse me 1880 wedding venue application due to its many negative impacts on our neighborhood

[02:55:06] This facility will bring an excessive amount of traffic to an already overburdened historic gravel roadway, Rickard Road, as well as impact adjacent gravel roads, Rehoboth Church Road, and Ash George Road, due to many automotive GPS navigation systems that will direct travelers who come from the east to cut through Waterford, which, of course, the Waterfordians are not happy about either, and arrive via Milltown Road.

[02:55:33] Turning onto Rickard from Milltown will cause negative impact as the corner is blind. Trying to turn into that corner is often difficult because people coming on Rickard can't see you until their way out onto Milltown. If the GPS sends them up Ash George to Rehoboth Church, as was previously mentioned, the intersection there with Rickard is bad, and just generally Rehoboth Church down near Snow Lane is not for the faint-hearted.

[02:56:04] even the venue's recommended route turning on a record from berlin turnpike 287 is also a concern as route 287 is a 55 mile per hour road clients will need to slow down quickly on 287 to turn on the record they must travel down record through selection sections of roads that are often only wide enough for one car at a time as we've discussed where the intersection with rehobe church is also blind due to being on top of the ridge after a wedding function and possibly a few drinks clients who are unfamiliar with the area will most likely entrust their gps to navigate them home leading to accidents when they are suddenly presented with the same road concerns blind corners tight sections gravel surfaces etc possibly in the dark the additional wedding

[02:56:44] venue traffic also negatively affect our community by causing problems for numerous walkers joggers bicyclists and equestrians that use our scenic gravel roads daily for their own health and wellness another area of concern is noise by its celebratory nature wedding venue tends to include music talking like talking laughing and singing um for hours at a time um one of the things we hear again and again this is is the baker's dream um almost 30 years ago my wife and i moved out to this area and it was our dream to be out here and to have the quiet and so forth and not have to

[02:57:24] listen to somebody else's wedding music selection um in summary i i request the denial of this application thank you thank you thank you katelyn losinski scott brock and alex marcus are our next speakers good evening ma'am good evening thank you so much for your time my name is katelyn losinski i live on rickard road i live two houses above the site right below where it says rickard road up top i moved from dc with my family around five years ago for the intent of peace and quiet for

[02:58:03] the most part we have that but you did see the rolling hills sound travels when the bakers play music at their their current home for personal use which is no problem i want them to enjoy personally their land we can hear it so well that we can actually identify specifically which song they are playing so the noise is a concern however i'm on the roads every single day i train for long distance runs i run my i walk my dogs i'm on them multiple times a day they are dangerous current state. The potholes cause drivers to drive erratically and swerve out of the way

[02:58:39] unpredictably because they are terrible. The roads are narrow. One of my neighbors mentioned people often in ditches when cars drive by. That's me. The visibility is terrible. There are three blind hills and three blind 90 degree-ish turns. It should also be mentioned that the traffic study is absolutely inconclusive if it is only from 287 to Bullington because GPS will take you up Milltown. It'll take you on that whole two-mile stretch of Rickard Road. The roads are for our neighborhood. We are a neighborhood. This is not for commercial use. If we allow even more cars,

[02:59:18] this will be completely exasperated of all of these issues that I'm scared of. I'm truly scared for my safety. This is, I was out for a run several months ago. Well, it's green here, but it was last year. If I was a little bit faster, I would have gotten hit by this car. This is just a regular day. This is somebody who actually lives here. When there are people who are unfamiliar with the roads, they're not going to know. The bakers live at a 90-degree turn, and for whatever reason, that is where my closest calls have been when I am out on the roads. I am scared for my safety as is, let alone if we increase the traffic volume. And we've all been to a wedding. People

[02:59:56] do not leave sober. I'm concerned for my safety. I'm concerned for my neighbor's safety. I'm concerned for everybody who rides horses. We have a young entrepreneur who loves to sell lemonade on the side of the road, and I don't think I'll get lemonade anymore because she probably shouldn't be out there if there's so many cars out here who are racing to get to the start time of an event. So I really please ask you to consider how many of the neighbors are out here, our safety, and to maintain the integrity of the piece of Western loud and thank you so much I realize I'm over thank you so much our last two

[03:00:32] speakers before we take a break will be Scott Brock and Alex Marcus good evening sir good evening I had some notes I think I'm gonna be a little more like Don earlier and make some new stuff up so there was a lot of discussion in

[03:01:05] the presentation about accomplishments and woman-owned business I think I get a little closer to the mic so we can hear you for the mic a little closer to you there you go face me so there you go there was a lot of discussion about your accomplishments and a woman-owned business and I think that's great but chairman Randall as you stated earlier in this meeting that's not what we're hear about we're here about the land use and i am concerned with the pedestrian safety and

[03:01:42] you've started hearing it from some of the neighbors here and i have not heard that discussed with any of the vdot analysis or in any of the presentations but that is a big concern and i utilize these roads for exercise with me and my dog and reduce stress and as do many of my

[03:02:12] neighbors and uh i surely believe that any increased traffic is a safety hazard and i think it would make it to the point where that enjoyment of the neighborhood that would just not be feasible i i think that pretty much covers my points but i just wanted to deviate from my

[03:02:48] notes and i thank you for listening and no hard feelings on my comments but the land use is what we're here about so thank you thank you sir thank you um our last speaker is alex marcus when we come back we will pick we will pick up with um um saeed kobisi and rick denny and carla denny good evening sir well good evening i'm uh i'm glad you have it a break because we didn't have dinner

[03:03:24] i'm sure neither of you have good evening uh chair randall and members of the board of supervisors thank you for this opportunity to express our concerns from the neighborhood and also for your service to the county we appreciate that very much just a quick introduction i'm a an entrepreneur a ceo of a company that supports services and products to the hated data centers in nashburn virginia and we're also regenerative cattle farmers out in lovett'sville and a church ministry

[03:03:57] leader and i serve on several boards my wife and i were led to come to loudon county and specifically out to this area for the peaceful quiet enjoyment and refreshment from all the demands of our work and and during the day and during the week the peaceful quiet enjoyment is what drew us to it we started a cattle farm cow calf a grass genetic breed we want to contribute to the health and well-being of people in the county we're sure the bakers are very nice people we live about 500 feet away just on the other side of the property we've never met them and this issue is really not about

[03:04:33] whether they whether about their integrity it's not about their business i think the the issue that's at hand we've heard a lot of arguments we're hearing a lot of things to consider with respect to traffic with respect to noise i think the real thing to consider is beside all the studies the charts the details the real question is what is the wise thing to do there are a lot of things we could do a lot of ways we could use the land but is this the wise thing to do on this land when you consider the role aspects and this commercial operation that could potentially take place so it's you know we consider noise and traffic and in those issues this is not last

[03:05:11] this is not ashburn this is not data center land so 500 foot setback or 200 foot setback is different you have the the white noise of the area surrounding so 55 decibels in the country is much different than 55 decibels in ashburn i know that's i work around these these data centers so it's you know the conversations that you can hear we can hear a band playing in lovetsville six miles away on a friday night at a school so it's a much different surrounding i invite you to come on out you've heard we live on rehoboth church the traffic study is flawed many people will drive up through right up rehoboth church ask george different different roads they're very

[03:05:50] very difficult i've had cars knocked out of alignments dented rims just from driving on the roads we love them but they're very dangerous and uh this will disrupt our quiet enjoyment that's what we invested in that's why we moved out there thank you thank you very much thank you very much sir we're going to take 10 to 15 minutes to break and again one more time when we come back it would be um saeed kobesi rick denny and carla denny thank you let's take a break supervisors

[03:31:00] okay we are back everybody back with us thank you for allowing us to take a take a little break there we appreciate that all right um saeed uh kobesi followed by rick denny followed by carla denny good evening good evening good to see you again um my name is saeed kabaisi i live and own the property adjacent to them right in the north with the the two boundaries along the driveway there um so i have a few points i'd like to make uh in opposition to this um

[03:31:38] for more than 20 years property owners have been told that um just give me one second pull your mic up and can stop this time are the mics high because testing there you go okay now let's just now we can keep going all right um so i have a few points i'd like to make um for more than 20 years property owners have been told that it's too dangerous to build multiple homes back there on that property because that driveway was too narrow so i'm not sure why we're having this conversation about granting an exception to allow 200 people back there if we can't have five or ten homes

[03:32:15] back there right um i saw the fire response when the milltown barn went up a few years back and you can see the tank just having to go back and forth there and there's no way they're going to do that down that road that's just not going to happen um so i think that's a big danger um as everybody has said the traffic on our roads is harsh on the surface and we have multiple blind corners especially that robus church road as mentioned right over the crest there um so when you come out please do look at that um also the people who are saying you can't hear anything when it's 500 feet away uh you aren't familiar with our area come out and listen you can definitely hear

[03:32:54] for miles um that's safe you actually hear conversations on other people's back porches when they happen right um it's not the great place for it right everybody who's speaking for isn't actually a neighbor right they're all coming from around and they support steven and i understand that but this is our home we'd like it quiet we like it peaceful they showed the view that they want to share with others but in doing so they're going to put a house there which is going to change my view completely having a big venue i had that same view right because i'm I'm right there, looking east, up on a hill there, so we hear everything.

[03:33:33] And I just urge you to not do this. Thank you, and I yield the rest of my time. Thank you, sir. Carla Denny, followed by, I'm sorry, Rick Denny, followed by Carla Denny, followed by Matthew Brennan. Good evening, sir. Good evening. My name is Rick Denny.

[03:33:49] I am a traffic engineer. I work for the Federal Highway Administration. Please don't hold that against me. And we've lived at the eastern end of Rickard Road near Milltown Road for 25 years. You've seen the estimate of trips, but I bet it didn't include pedestrians and cyclists.

[03:34:11] And all of the trips for a wedding venue come from one direction, unless the wedding is being held there. If the wedding is being held at a church, then everybody comes from the church to the venue. And so all of the demand is compressed into a short period, maybe a half an hour.

[03:34:29] So it's not like it's 100 trips that day. It's like 100 trips in a half an hour. Here's the problem. Rickard Road's cross-section is not designed for that level of vehicular demand.

[03:34:45] As you've heard, it's 14 to 18 feet of dirt. If you go out there this weekend, you'll see gravel because they just scraped it. So do your field trips in a couple of months when it's more like it usually is. It has drainage, it has trees, it has steep overgrown slopes on both sides.

[03:35:07] It has very limited sight distance at many locations. There's no accommodation at all for pedestrians, cyclists, or horses except in the road itself. A significant increase in demand from vehicles will fundamentally undermine its uses for other modes.

[03:35:24] And those uses are frequent. My usual five-mile jogging and walking route from our house travels from our home down to Bullington Road, up Bullington Road to 287, and back again, going right through this area.

[03:35:41] During those runs, I frequently see as many or more pedestrians as I do cars, especially on weekends. And Rickert is one of the few roads that cross between Mountain Road 287 and Milltown Road that can serve gravel bike cyclists, and so we see quite a lot of them.

[03:35:59] Again, my usual 24-mile cycling route extends from our house down Rickard Road, up Bullington, across 287, and eventually to Mountain Road on my way to Lovitzville and back. Alcohol consumption at weddings isn't exactly unexpected, but if I'm the one walking or jogging on Rickard as that big slug of unfamiliar...

[03:36:27] sir i'm sorry your time is up thank you so much i recommend against the exception thank you carla denny followed by matthew brennan followed by deborah salem hello thank you for letting me speak tonight i appreciate it um i'm asking to deny the application for the magnolia rose wedding venue and to deny the exception to widen the driveway i um i i think that the logistics of it with the

[03:37:03] road is the main concern and everybody's been nice i i haven't met um steve and rita baker but you know they sound wonderful but it's really not you know nice people is the issue the issue is is the road and the neighborhood was a lot of people moved to the neighborhood because it's quiet and unfortunately we all do have to go out on the road to do our hiking or biking or you know it's

[03:37:36] it's the only place there's no sidewalks so um the traffic is really an issue and it an increase of traffic like this would disrupt um all of us that have invested in these properties and that use you know the road it would disrupt our way of life and so you know i i think you know a business at that location is good i'm just not sure this is the right business because the effect it will have on everybody in the neighborhood there are two 90 degree turns on that road one is at the venue's

[03:38:15] driveway you would just go straight but the road turns left and then you go i don't know 200 feet and you turn right it's a 90 degree turn so there's kind of blind curves and so there is blind spots and um i do i just think it would disrupt everybody there's also a lot of dust um dust a gentleman here just sold his house yesterday um he said when they at one point vdot put down millings and it turned the dust in his house to black it was from the millings on the road So there's a lot of dust.

[03:38:55] So I just, you know, the kids, we do have a lemonade stand person and hot chocolate. There's an atmosphere. I grew up on Mount Gilead. I'm familiar with the back roads of the county. And this road is similar to the, you know, culture of Loudoun County, you know, many years ago.

[03:39:18] And I just hate to see it change, but I see my clocks out. So thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Matthew Brennan, followed by Deborah Salem, followed by Vicki Swain. Good evening. All right. Good evening, Madam Chair, esteemed members of the board. I want to thank you for listening to our neighbors, my neighbors, this evening as it pertains to the special exemption that's being considered tonight. You know, to consider a special exemption or exception, excuse me for uh you know commercial event venue i would imagine that the community in some way is

[03:39:54] possibly underserved in this capacity when you take a look at our community you find that that is actually not the case within a five mile radius of the proposed location there are 10 wedding venues and then within a 10 mile radius there are 19 wedding venues with the closest being 0.1 miles away winding creek farm directly off of milltown road and so let's get to rickard road so we've heard a lot about rickard road tonight you know it's a dirt road lots of potholes it's

[03:40:30] pretty dangerous not passable by two-way traffic without one car having to concede and pull over so you know any added traffic not just 200 cars on a friday night 200 more on a saturday night possibly 200 more on a sunday night would greatly accelerate the deterioration of the road make it unsafe for drivers vdot tends to come out maybe three or four times a year to regrade the road i would imagine that would need to increase five six-fold in order to maintain the road if we were to see these these added cars finally you know i'm a resident of the hawthorne

[03:41:09] division up there so uh when it comes to the noise uh you know i am greatly affected uh we can certainly hear them maybe they can hear us um you know which is fine but when it comes to you know a wedding you know two people uh getting married invite you know 150 of their best friends have the biggest party of their life um you know i know my wedding was was pretty crazy um so um you know we moved to this area uh to experience peace and tranquility and the last thing i want to do when sitting out on my porch on a nice summer evening is to hear bruno mars on friday night saturday

[03:41:48] night and sunday night no offense to you bruno mars fans um so you know obviously i am in opposition to uh the exception here and i want to you know thank you for your time and your civil service thank you thank you although i don't quite know why you went after bruno mars but that's okay all right there you go um all right uh deborah salem followed by vicky swain followed by kylie taylor good evening yes good evening everyone i've lived on rickard road since 1991

[03:42:25] and i probably am the only one here who has ridden every square inch on horseback of the original 200 acres, which include the wedding venue we're discussing today. I also, I think I have some unique experience to share with you about what it means to be a rider on horseback coming up Rickard Road at the turn, the blind turn that we have discussed many times as being

[03:42:57] an issue, not only for the cut-through traffic, but for the wedding venue traffic that has been predicted for us. You are on a cut bank, and as you're going up that gravel road, you cannot see the cars coming towards you. You listen, and then you put spurs on your good old pony, and as you hear a vehicle approaching you, you go right up a 90-degree cut bank for safety because the car coming towards you has no idea that you are on horseback, and they are going to have to pass you

[03:43:35] at their rate of speed. So when you hear people talking about the various issues and challenges of Rickard Road, come to me, I'll tell you all about it. I do also want to follow up that we'd heard about other wedding venues on country winding roads. Rickard Road is already a cut through road, and now it's going to be turned into a venue road, but it's all going to be the same traffic. And I don't think that is very often found in the rural roads we've talked about

[03:44:12] in Loudoun County. But I'm also interested in how the applicant is planning to supply, believe it or not, enough water resources for sanitation, guest comfort, and entertainment without compromising the wells of those homeowners all along Rickard Road who already have wells.

[03:44:31] Some of us have already had to drill 300 or more feet for new wells, frack existing wells, or plan to drill new wells, all on relatively small properties of three acres or less. We're concerned that if the applicants plan to drill multiple wells to supply and support their business requirements, those new wells could draw off enough groundwater to compromise the wells, costing thousands of dollars, of adjacent homeowners.

[03:45:04] This is just another reason why the facility itself and the usage envisioned by the applicants will have significant negative impacts on all aspects of our small community of neighbors. I have to urge the supervisors to vote against this application.

[03:45:24] Thank you. Vicki Swan, followed by Kylie Taylor, followed by Tara Wazkowski. Good evening. Good evening, Chair.

[03:45:40] and esteemed members of the board. Thank you for the opportunity to come and speak to you tonight. I'm in uniform because I took some hours off today. I'm on shift. I work for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. My husband works for Loudoun County, and we are proud residents of this county. I moved here into Ashburn, got a little too crowded for me.

[03:45:56] We moved out to Round Hill, got a little bit more crowded for me. Went to Lubbysville. We found our dream home. We found property. We built a property. We kind of, just to the left side of Rehoboth Church, we're actually on Campbell Farm Lane. We're about a half mile as a crow flies or as noise goes across Little Valley there to where the property is proposed at.

[03:46:13] We love our home. We love our neighborhood. We love our community as all of our neighbors here have come out. We love the rural roads. That was one of the big things that attracted me here. I get out. I like to hike. I like to run. I like to walk. I got a chance to do snowshoeing this winter. Very rare out here. But it's always an enjoyment to get out on the roads.

[03:46:31] As they've all attested to, there's a very small, narrow road that's got shoulders that are kind of steeped down. And you really have to jump out of the way when cars come. Most of the time it could be fairly quiet. Most of the time when I go from my house, it's a five-mile to Milltown Road, coming back on Rickard all the way back. I might only pass four or five cars that whole five-mile trip.

[03:46:49] And it's a joy to be out there in the peace and quiet. That's why I moved out there. That's why my husband moved out there. I think that's why a lot of us have moved out there. This is not a character situation. I've never met the Bakers. They sound like wonderful people, but it's a road safety. It's an environmental issue for those of us that have our dreams there as well.

[03:47:06] We don't want to have that impacted in a negative way that we're having to deal with more of the road traffic, more of the safety issues, more of the cars and the horses and the dogs, all those type of dangerous situations that we can get into. Being in public safety, we run that a lot.

[03:47:23] In Fairfax County, we don't have as much rural, but I know the impact that it has and the devastation it has, whether it be property damage or life and limb damage as well. so i hope that you would just consider the impact that it's having to all of us other people that are out there homeowners and people that love our environment love the way it is we don't want it to be disturbed with the safety we don't want that involved the traffic to be impacted and just get the involvement with more of those people coming on the roads and i know it's supposed to be only like 100 people or 200 people maybe 100 cars but then you've got the vendors you've got the people setting up you've got the caterers so it really is a lot more than those 100 cars coming each time

[03:47:59] So I thank you for your time and I thank you for your consideration of this being opposed to this matter. Thank you Thank you very much. Thank you for your service Okay, I highly Taylor followed by Tara was out Kowski followed by Debbie Church meet good evening. Good evening. Thank you My wife and I've lived on Rickard Road for 19 years now. It's our home We enjoy the people peaceful country lifestyle and based on our experience with the road in the quiet neighborhood We can't believe that this proposed location is suitable for this type of venue.

[03:48:32] The road, as you've heard, is a country road. It's narrow, unpaved, gravelly. It's punctuated by a series of blind turns, series of blind hills, and it will sit in a quiet community in close proximity to a bunch of hopes. My first concern is the venue's noise.

[03:48:49] No matter how carefully you try to contain the noise within the walls, a party, any party, is going to be noisy. No matter how you constrain it with the time, it's going to be noisy. You're not going to be able to keep everybody in at 730 and all that. But during events, residents are going to have a steady background of the people talking, yelling, having a great time.

[03:49:11] There's going to be a lot of lights, and the sounds are going to carry out there in the country. We're going to hear it. We already hear it from the other wedding venues that are further away from where we sit. and the haunted attraction that's at the end of Milltown Road where we can hear the chainsaws at night. Anyway, so we're already losing out there. As much as I don't want my community's peace disturbed, my bigger concern is for our safety, right? Rickard is not a straightforward driving experience. It's on either end. It's got hills that are steep. You can't see what's coming on the top of the hill. We've all experienced driving up one of these hills and you're surprised by what

[03:49:50] you see on the other side. It could be another car, could be somebody walking, could be one of us on our horses, could be, you know, somebody's pet or our resident lemonade stand. Cyclists, animals, it's too easy for those blind turns to be a problem. And as everybody said, there's no other place to go. You got to ride your horse on the road, you got to ride your bike on the road, you got to walk on the road, you got to walk your dog on the road. And visitors don't adhere to the 25 mile an hour speed limit. And then finally, of course, weddings are going to include alcohol, which is going to lead to drunk drivers. And it's not a stretch to envision party guests,

[03:50:28] possibly drunk guests driving too fast in the dark on a windy gravelly road around Blind Curves and Hills. And then next thing you know, they've hit one of the residents, hit a pet or run into one of our pieces of property out there. And if you've heard about the dust, I won't go there.

[03:50:43] But finally, again, between the noise, the lights, the dust, a couple thousand drunk and distracted drivers, we beg that you please do not let this quest cause our suffering in our neighborhood. First of all, thank you for speaking. Secondly, I was going to come out there, but if you have a haunted house at the end of your road, I'm going to chainsaw, now I am absolutely not coming out there.

[03:51:07] You don't want to hear the chicken dance, I am. I do not. Debbie Zerzmi, followed by Annie Minoui. Good evening. Good evening, Supervisors. I'm Tara Raskowski, and it's a delight to be with you this evening, and we appreciate you hanging in there as we share our concerns.

[03:51:27] So I live on Rickard, and if you look at that map behind you, we're the L-shaped property, and we have that largest stretch right off 287. The side of our property runs about, it's about half of the distance going up to the entrance of the wedding venue.

[03:51:46] So we have a lot of concerns, and we have a lot of challenges with the road there on Rickard. It is really narrow, and I have a picture of it here, and I'm happy to sort of circulate that. I don't know if it's appropriate, if I can circulate that or not, but it shows just how narrow this road is and how much dust is on it.

[03:52:05] Dust is the least of our concerns. Dust is an inconvenience. There's also a lot of damage with potholes on the road because there are places when you pull off of 287 where there are these natural potholes that occur because there's moisture in the road, and then we add rain to that, and the road is slanted down, and we have a lot of water that's just running off into our pastures.

[03:52:30] And I mention pastures because my husband and I are both equestrians, and we keep horses at our property. We moved out to the country for this purpose, We love it. We ride on the roads. And what ends up happening is our neighbors, we know each other, we're courteous. You cannot have two cars go past.

[03:52:47] If there's a horse coming up the road and a rider, the cars slow down. People are courteous. My worry is a safety concern that when we have folks that aren't from our community and they're racing to get to a wedding or they're racing because they've had a few drinks to get out of the venue at night, that it really becomes a safety issue for those of us who live in the community so i would ask you this is a land use conversation that you think about is this really the right location for uh this venue thank you thank you um now debbie zerschmied followed by um

[03:53:24] ann minuit followed by revan james niniger hi thank you for your time tonight i'm debbie zerschmied and those of you that recognize that name you will recognize bluemont vineyard great country farms and dirt farm brewing. My parents dropped us in this venue, in this venue, in this county 50, over 50 years ago. So I can tell you a lot has changed in 50 years. The first light we hit on Route 7 when it was two lanes was Tyson's Corner, so a lot has changed in the east.

[03:53:51] I am here to support Rita and Stephen Baker and to further their efforts in having their dream of opening Magnolia Rose 1880 as a wedding venue in Lovettsville. Through the wedding industry, I've known Reed and Steven as industry leaders for over 10 years. Loudoun County is a premier wedding destination known for its breathtaking landscape, historic charm, thriving hospitality industry. However, with the increasing demand for unique, high-quality venues, there remains an incredible opportunity to create a space that not only meets the needs, but also serves as a greater purpose. Reed and Steven envision a wedding venue that goes beyond

[03:54:29] celebration. It becomes a force of good in our community. First, the market demand is undeniable. Loudoun County has consistently ranked as one of the Virginia's most sought-after wedding destinations, with couples drawn to its rolling vineyards, scenic farms, and elegant estates. Yet many venues book out years in advance, leaving engaged couples searching outside Loudoun County by opening a new, by searching outside Loudoun County. By opening a new and thoughtfully designed venue, they can offer couples a stunning available option while elevating the overall wedding experience in our county but what truly sets the bakers apart is their commitment to giving back

[03:55:03] imagine a venue where the every event contributes to something bigger this could support a local non-profits benefit all families regardless of their budget and provide wedding experiences for military couples and first responder responders this is more than a wedding business it is a chance to create a lasting legacy for generations to come i'm a firm believer of saying a rising tide lifts all ships magnolia rose 1880 will be a venue that does not just host events it changes lives let's build something extraordinary together thank you thank you um annie minuit followed by

[03:55:39] reverend james nunninger followed by bernadette delgetti good evening yes thank you i'm annie menu thank you for your time hearing us um i have lived in laudan for 19 years and i've lived on on Rickard Road for 13 years. Our house is, I think, maybe the closest. I think it was 540 feet just north of the Baker's property. And the Bakers are a beautiful family. Their children are beautiful. My daughter loves playing with them. Initially, when I heard about their project, I was really excited for them because it sounded neat. I was impressed with their pursuit of this

[03:56:18] project. And I think, um, over time I've reflected more on the negative impact that I perceive it to have. Um, I cherish the rural character of Rickard. We moved 13 years ago and I loved the quiet for our children, um, to be able to walk and just go to a neighbor's house and send my six-year-old riding a bike and feel comfortable doing that. And it's just a tricky road to navigate. Approaching

[03:56:56] another vehicle, if you're driving, you do have to kind of communicate or figure out how you're going to, either one is going to go first. And that's a thing I'm teaching my 16 and 17 year old to be aware of as they're learning to drive. And they're already aware of it because they know the road and I don't know what that would like be like for people who are not familiar with driving on it um I'm also concerned about the noise impact because we can hear conversations

[03:57:28] I'm sure they can hear us um and that's fine but I am imagining that magnified um and just the volume of traffic and noise the intensity of that are my concerns so I do oppose the exception um thank you so much for your time thank you thank you reverend james nineger followed by bernadette dalgetty followed by amanda wall good evening chairman and supervisors thank you for your work and your service to us um my first parish i served in a parish where the farm was changed into a

[03:58:08] racetrack near grantville pennsylvania we saw the country the company the the culture there change and it was a hard change people wanted to keep their land people wanted to racetrack some didn't same things happening here i can't believe that i'm first parish was there to race track the second the last parish is going to be over a wedding venue my i've been living at on rehobe church road for 35 years i serve a church rehoboth united methodist church one of the oldest if not the oldest church methodist church in loudon county it's been an

[03:58:46] ongoing church for all those years the cemetery borders rickard road and along that rickard road is the cemetery of persons who were indentured we are attempting to save this cemetery and we're going to be talking to the the chair of the naacp to help see if we can't get this protected and get it restored because it's really a landmark. Also in that cemetery we have Confederate and Union soldiers as well as World War I and II so it's just it's a tourist site it's part of the tradition and the history of our county. I'm

[03:59:23] worried about Rickard Road because it's inevitable that that road will have to be or had to be widened and what's going to happen is it's going to push my neighbors land back because it's adjacent to a cemetery. The cemetery is right along the road i would want to choose to save that cemetery that's a 200 and almost 250 year old cemetery there hundreds of people are buried there from our tradition so we want to save that my daughter was married in the new jerusalem church we had that church because it was large we rented or used a game commission down in lovetsville for the reception that's where we

[03:59:58] went to the reception so i can understand the need for an area having a larger wedding venue place churches aren't used as much as they used to be that's sad they could be but we can't get people to come back like they used to covet has hurt us big deal um i i contest a little bit against the procedure i wish that we were able to have more dialogue prior to these meetings that we had more information pro and con so that it could be settled more in the community gotta give up i want to be in the neutral of that i am a minister i serve all people and i welcome them thank you so

[04:00:36] so much. Thank you. Bernadette Dalgetty, followed by Amanda Wall, followed by Cheryl Singh. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Bernadette Dalgetty. I'm the owner of an Endless Pursuit Photography, a Loudoun County-based wedding photography studio. I've known Steve and Rita for almost 10 years now, and we met through the wedding industry and Visit Loudoun events.

[04:01:03] They've been incredible peers in the industry, always showing collaboration over competition, willing to share knowledge and experiences helping my own business. I've run a successful wedding photography business for 14 years, and with it being a full-time venture for the past seven. One of the things that has always impressed me is the way that Steve and Rita have scaled their business to serving 100 couples a year, which is no small feat and requires an incredible amount of operational expertise and quality service.

[04:01:30] Wedding photography is a very personalized service and is highly word-of-mouth driven. One bad client experience can lead to bad reviews and a whole ripple effect. It is a business that can't afford anything less than amazing service. And Steve and Rita have found a way to do that on an impressive level, which speaks to their character and their business acumen.

[04:01:49] The other thing I've always been impressed with is the way that Steve and Rita are community forward. They do not run their business on an island or keep to themselves. They show up everywhere and always giving back to the community. I run into them at every industry event and, as I mentioned, visit Loudoun tourism events.

[04:02:06] They're involved in the Chamber of Commerce and constantly having conversations about Loudoun County small businesses to make this a better community. I know from their track record that this new business venture of Magnolia Rose 1880 will follow their past behavioral pattern.

[04:02:22] First, that they have the experience to run a complex operation with excellence. And secondly, they are very conscious of the community and will serve their customers, their industry peers, and the broader community with generosity and integrity. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amanda Wall followed by Cheryl Singh followed by Mary Baker.

[04:02:44] Good evening. Good evening. My name is Amanda Wall and I moved to Loudoun County in 1987. My family of five has resided on John Wolford Road since 2008. We live three miles from the proposed wedding venue. I am asking the board to approve the wedding venue to preserve what is left of our rural community. I am their neighbors as well, and I am in full support. Any other use of the land will negatively impact all of us. The opposition cites traffic volume and safety

[04:03:21] as a primary concern. Yes, traffic will increase when guests arrive and depart from the venue. However, this pales in comparison to what could happen if the venue is denied and the Baker family sells the land to the highest bidder. The highest bidder will be a land development firm. And although the property is zoned one home per 10 acres, the 50-acre parcel could be developed into a cluster subdivision yielding 10 homes. This is exactly what happened on my road, John Wolford

[04:03:56] Road with Carrington Home. You do not want this to happen to Rickard Road. Let me share with you what your experience will be. If any residential development begins on Rickard Road, whether it's five houses or 10, every tree will be removed from both sides of the road. The road will be widened and it will become a paved speedway. Your home and property will be covered in dust and debris and your lives will be placed at constant risk from the construction vehicles arriving at 6 a.m.

[04:04:31] and exiting at 7 p.m. every day. Your ponds and waterways will become polluted with runoff resembling cappuccino despite the use of required silt fencing. My farm animals have been greatly impacted by the construction that has occurred in my neighborhood. Your property is also at risk of no longer producing water and this is exactly what happened when the Glenmore farm was developed a short time ago in Waterford. Once construction ends, you might feel relief from the air and noise pollution, but you will be wrong. The new residents will begin their daily commutes at 4 a.m.

[04:05:11] and return late at night. You will then see an influx of FedEx, UPS, and Amazon vehicles speeding down your road, further endangering your lives and the lives of your livestock. Ma'am? Oh, shoot.

[04:05:24] I know. I'm sorry. Your time is up, though. Thank you. Yes. Good evening. Good evening. Hi, I'm Cheryl. How are you? Thank you for hearing our concerns. I choose to live in the country. We moved 27 years ago. I live off a record right there, the first one on the left. So if anybody wants to come out and sit with me on the weekend, feel free. You're invited.

[04:05:53] I choose the quiet the slower pace and the peace the proposed venue kind of goes against that from what I see no offense and you guys say I'm like really wonderful people it's nothing about character it's just seems like it's not the right fit for me an increase in traffic and you've heard all this it's just unsettling to me there's so much traffic that goes by our gravel road is favored by cyclists and walkers and bikers you've heard that um it just brings an increased risk for

[04:06:27] adverse safety events for me the dust is nearly unbearable it is terrible um probably a respiratory hazard and my concern is once in a lifetime travelers running on the road driving on the road to an event are not in a frame of mind to revere sacred space. To me, the space means not only the road environment, but the space that our ears hear, the debris in the air, the noise, the music, and the stuff that we see, you know, just increased traffic, the space that our furry friends

[04:07:06] traveling the roads, crossing the roads. I've had cats and dogs and children. It just concerns me. It is a threat to me and an invasion of privacy with the increased people going by that concerns me It just feels like it's an unwelcome violation to what I hold dear. So thank you for taking concerns I appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you. Mary Baker followed by Bob Sheldon

[04:07:45] I was doing a little test run when I sent the speak, but since I was called I I just want to, I guess we've all heard the characters, but we're like a family of caring people.

[04:08:03] I mean, as you've heard, Rita's a special ed teacher. She loves her children, cares about them. Kelly, my daughter-in-law, she's a companion for an elderly lady who just wants to live in her home. You know, we care. We are, we care about people.

[04:08:21] I've worked in the emergency department for 16 years. I've worked through COVID, not a shift I ever called out. But we just care about the community. You know, we'll address, you know, the safety concerns we have.

[04:08:41] And we're just dedicated family to our community and everything we do. And we appreciate you listening and for your considerations to all. Thank you. and thank you all for everyone coming thank you miss baker and our last speaker is bob i'm sorry rob sheldon good evening sir good evening thank you very much and if your name's robert you're trained to go by rob or bob or bobby or roberto or whatever the case so thank you very much um i am a neighbor i live on ballington road which is just sort of north of the site um i also oppose

[04:09:19] the granting exceptions that we're talking about tonight and i will associate myself with the the concerns raised by my many neighbors who are still here. I am probably the newest neighbor from among the sites that are the properties that are depicted here. I've only been there for a year and I moved from Washington, D.C. in search of peace and quiet. The street I lived on in D.C. had a number of shootings including some that actually hit the facade of my house. That was a sign for me to seek out a dirt gravel road which is like the type of community that I grew up in and I was

[04:09:55] really really excited to find this community with all these wonderful neighbors. Plainly if if this venue were operating I just wouldn't have chosen to live in the neighborhood and it's not because that you know Wendy venues aren't good or because the bakers aren't good people or anything like that it's just not what I was seeking when I moved in so it feels like a little bit of a rug pull frankly to you know to be talking about it and in a way that's like sort of we're talking about worst case scenarios here kind of blithely uh whereas there's a lot of people here who you know feel the same way as me um i do think it's impressive that the bakers were able to get out

[04:10:33] um the sort of wedding industry industrial complex to you know to sort of associate themselves with um their plan but the people whose properties like mine are depicted on this map you know the 70 or 80 or so. These are the people that are still here at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday. We're the people who are in the community, and I think it's probably fair to rate our views with some degree of importance over people who live in far-flung places in the county or possibly outside the county. I want to thank everybody who agreed to take a field trip out to the road. I think you'll

[04:11:12] find that my neighbors have represented some of the precarity there accurately. And conversely, I don't think that some of the imagery that you saw from the earlier presentation kind of depicts the grade in a way which is accurate, so I welcome people coming out there. And then finally, I can hear acoustic guitars from over 1,500 feet away playing, just given the shaping of the land, contours which my neighbors also spoke about. Thank you very much for the time. Thank you.

[04:11:40] Thank you very much. Do we have two speakers on the line? We have one. Is that Carol Devers? Okay, you can do that. hello um thank you for uh letting me speak tonight um i'm here to endorse magnolia rose 1880. um as you heard my name is carol deavers and i'm their real estate agent and so i've been part of their dream from not the very very beginning but pretty close probably i would say

[04:12:20] to their plans and um they were like to work with they're very patient they're very thoughtful and um the whole process you know as we watched and waited for properties was you know it's just wonderful being part of their vision um they have a thriving photography business and they have an earnest desire to serve the public and they will be able to do that to carry out that new endeavor and treat their clients wonderfully a little side note about me i grew up on a farm in lower loudon

[04:12:59] county um which is now all covered in houses and everything except across the road from where i grew up is that nice brambleton farm um well barn on the farm and um i spent a lot of time there and i'm glad they took care of that but what i love about western loudon is how um they've been able to keep it rural and they incorporate different venues and that type of thing but keep

[04:13:32] the beauty of western loudon alive and well and um which i can't really say for the eastern part of the county though it's beautiful and i grew up there and i graduated from broad run high school it's not the same as western and i really appreciate the fact that they live on the farm and they want to keep it a working farm and they don't want to destroy the landscape they just want to incorporate in it they're very thoughtful people and they planned accordingly so that people can as they come and enjoy the venue they can enjoy the sites that the bakers love so

[04:14:12] much um and that's going to be a small family business and support local businesses in the area and um enhance the local economy and bring visitors to beautiful louden and they're very intentional about being good community stewards and aligning their plans i'm not sure if you can see the clock but your time is up ma'am okay thank you thanks for the opportunity thank you very much mr kirchner this is your district we'd like to make a motion yes thank you madam chair i move

[04:14:47] the board of supervisors for leji 2023 dash zero zero five three magnolia rose 1880 and um special minor or spmi dash two zero two two dash zero zero one five and s pmi dash two zero two three dash zero one two to the april 15 2025 board of supervisors business meeting for action motion has been made and seconded.

[04:15:13] Discussion on the motion, Mr. Kirshner. - Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, this is not my endorsement of this, one way or the other. Kind of expresses my concerns in the beginning. I will continue to review this and I appreciate everybody that has come out. Maybe it's just me, I feel like all the tough ones are in my district.

[04:15:32] And this is definitely an incredibly tough one because on one hand, we've heard from the neighbors and we've heard the concerns about water and we've heard the concerns about the road, some of that I expressed. And we've heard concerns about how this has and may have and probably will have to some degree an impact on the way of life that everyone has here.

[04:15:53] And then on the other hand, we have an applicant who has followed the process, who has come from minor special exception. I'll get to that in just a second. We encourage as part of our land use process for small businesses such as Magnolia Rose to utilize their land for this sort of thing because it, as I think one of the speakers has mentioned, it avoids building houses, which is something that if you're dotting the west with rooftops, that's why I've always been

[04:16:27] a huge proponent of our conservation easements, which by the way, have been severely impacted as a result of some of our ag soils. I'll get into that another time. We only had 600 acres this past year put into conservation easement, I've just learned.

[04:16:46] But anyway, so, you know, and that is really one of the reasons we encourage the economic use of this land in this sort of fashion. But on the other hand, as a supervisor, we have to come and we have to look. And the reason a banquet facility like this is a minor special exception comes directly to us because it may have impacts on the community.

[04:17:03] So that's really the balancing approach that I, as a supervisor, have to take. And I agree that if this went into houses, it's going to have some of the similar impacts. And so I want to take that into consideration, but I also take into consideration the number of trips that are going to result all at one time going down this road and some of the other impacts that have been mentioned.

[04:17:26] So I want to say I am appreciative of the applicant for being willing to lower it to 75. I think it would be, regardless of how this goes, how I vote or anybody else on this will vote at the end of the day, which is not going to be today. I think it's probably going to pass unanimously to go to the business meeting just so everybody knows.

[04:17:43] That's the traditional way that we do this. I do appreciate them trying to limit the impacts while at the same time, also trying to figure out how you're going to make your business work. And I think that'll be very important to the community. I hope the community takes that into consideration in the event that they do it, that you have a good neighbor that's trying to work with you.

[04:18:03] But I do hear everybody's concern, and I'm gonna try to do my best to weed through it. I still have some severe concerns. I'm gonna come out and try to record again myself to take some look at it. and ultimately each supervisor has to make up their own mind. Thank you. - Thank you, you have a closing as well if you need it.

[04:18:19] Miss Umstead. - Thank you, thank you Madam Chair. Please forgive me because I may have gotten the speaker incorrect, but I think it was Amanda Wall who made the points about what happens if there's residential development.

[04:18:38] One of the speakers in opposition brought up, I think a valid point, which is water availability. I live less than a mile from an event center just outside of Leesburg, and they are on well and septic.

[04:18:57] They do not use their well or septic system for any events. They bring in portable restrooms, and they bring in any water they need.

[04:19:14] They don't actually use the well water. So I guess my question before this comes for a final vote is what are the plans for water use and restroom facilities when there is a large event at the venue?

[04:19:33] I have not found the facility near me to be a problem. And the cars have to go on a very narrow road. They, and I walk that road at least twice a day, so I'm used to venue traffic.

[04:19:55] But I guess for me, the water issue, I think, is a really good issue. So if staff and the applicant could get back to the board with more information on the applicant's plans for use of their well and septic versus bringing in water and restrooms, that would be helpful.

[04:20:21] Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Briggsman. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for everyone who came out tonight. We do appreciate your comments. I think Supervisor Kirshner was kind of getting to this point, but we hear what everybody is saying, but if you look at the staff item, staff's analysis is that there are no, not they have not identified any outstanding transportation issues they have not identified any

[04:20:53] outstanding safety or utility issues and just so folks understand every application goes through an agency review so every agency looks at the application so that means our professional fire department looks at the application and gives a review Road engineers look at the application and gives it a review. So that's what we have to weigh against when we're hearing folks concern is that we have a lot of you know

[04:21:28] Really great staff and professionals that are used to analyzing these applications and they are telling us they haven't identified any major issues with the application Also to the point about potentially houses going there if the applicant were to stay with a hundred events um a year so say they don't have more than one event on a day so let's just say that's 100 days that's 30 percent of the year whereas if you had houses there that's 100 of the year

[04:22:02] and and forever so that's something that i'm i'm weighing you know if if it went to houses they're there 100 of the time the traffic's there 100 of the time this is more of a controlled type of situation in in my opinion um and then the other thing and and i don't want to discount anybody's concerns but i just don't know that we can deny an application based on the possibility of future bad behavior right we're talking about future bad behavior somebody might drink and drive

[04:22:39] somebody might accidentally go in a ditch these are land use considerations so i don't want to downplay the concerns but i also need to say we can't necessarily vote something down because there may be an accident something we think about absolutely but anyway i'm happy to support uh sending this this forward and um might want to have another conversation with mr wells uh before it comes to the full board thank you thank you mr zanes thank you madam chair thank you to all the

[04:23:14] residents and the many business owners that came out and spoke in favor against and sharing your opinions and your your reality with this this section uh in loudon county appreciate it because you could as i say many times during public hearing could have chose to be anywhere uh this evening doing a whole bunch of things but you chose to be here and sit from six o'clock most of you been here since six to we're at 10 18 so we're probably gonna get done here by 10 30.

[04:23:42] so that's a long long time to be here with us but obviously you care about this uh this uh application and it shows so we appreciate that as i said earlier definitely we'll go out this weekend do my field trip and see the sights and the sound see what you see and and hear and uh we'll reach out to the to the applicant and ask more questions and and talk to staff some more more as well and um so no that's it but thank you thank you mr crony uh thank you chair randall and and I want to thank everyone who came out to express their support and also their concerns.

[04:24:19] I think it's, I heard you and I listened. I plan to visit the area to see the condition of Rickard Road, Rehoboth Church Road, and Milltown Road. I believe the issue is the road and traffic.

[04:24:38] I heard about the limited sight distance and the blind curve, so I actually want to go out and experience what you're experiencing on these unpaid roads every day. A traffic study is good, but I think it's important to actually drive the roads and actually see what's going on out in the community.

[04:24:59] We've been trying to establish a trail system in Western Loudoun County, which has been proven challenging. Currently, trails for riding bikes and cyclists and equestrians are these rural roads.

[04:25:17] So we need to think about the impacts of adding an intense use, how that impacts our pedestrians, our cyclists, the equestrians, because we really do need to make accommodations for that use, because those are gravel roads are our trail systems.

[04:25:36] We really don't have, you know, like the LPAT system as much as we do in Eastern Loudoun. We don't have that in Western Loudoun. So it is our gravel roads. I also want to hear a little bit more about the water resource issue that somebody brought up.

[04:25:54] I agree with Supervisor Umstead. That could really compromise some adjacent homeowners. So I want to understand what's going on, how the event center plans to deal with water, if you're going to drill multiple wells to serve your business, or if you're able to accommodate what you're planning with the wells that you currently have.

[04:26:20] But I look forward to visiting the community, and hopefully the lemonade stand will be out there when I go. Thank you. First of all, thank you for everyone coming out. A couple of things. We have a cemetery ordinance, and so you can talk to the president of the NAACP, but the Loudoun County has a cemetery ordinance.

[04:26:41] And so if you want to talk to your supervisor or me, we can talk to you about the cemetery ordinance. Secondly, I do want to know if somebody mentioned can a fire truck get through. I want to know if that's actually an issue. I'm not sure that that is an issue. I'm not sure that it's not an issue.

[04:26:57] I want to know if that is an issue. I will go out, and by the way, I have done this twice. I go out all the time, but twice when I went out and walked through a neighborhood, somebody called the sheriff's department on me. Do not call the sheriff's department on me when I come out and walk through your neighborhood, please. Just know I'll be out there and expect that.

[04:27:14] But I will come out and drive around and walk around. This is hard because I think that this is a rural use. I mean, we want to have rural businesses. We want to diversify the economy, the rural economy. I am not going to assume that they're going to sell their property and put homes there.

[04:27:33] As much as they've talked about how much they love their property, and they've never said they're going to sell their property and put homes there. So I'm not going to make that assumption. When we make these decisions, as I said before, we have to use land use as a guiding factor. We can listen to constituents on either side, and we are absolutely allowed to use our good common sense.

[04:27:54] And truthfully, my good common sense tells me that people do go to events and drink. But it's also, my good common sense tells me it's up to the venue to not let that person then get back out on the road and drive. So there's so many things that we have to take into account.

[04:28:11] I don't know how narrow this road is. I know I've seen some really, really narrow roads, and we don't seem to be having issues on them. With due respect, I will not take dust into account because if you move to a dusty road, it's like moving to an airport and then hearing airplanes.

[04:28:32] I'm not going to take dust, but I will take blind curves into account. I will take not being able to know what's over a ridge into account. Those things I will do. I always say that, oh my God, how adorable is he?

[04:28:49] I always say that, you know, I always look at safety. Safety is always an issue for me and something that I look at. And I do often think, if this were my house, what would I want and how would I feel? Which I think is an okay thing to say, too.

[04:29:05] And so I will come out. I will look around. I will listen. I will do all the things that I do. And I do quite a bit of due diligence when I'm making these decisions. And if I need to call any of you, I actually have your numbers.

[04:29:23] If I need to come to your house to sit down with you to ask questions, I'll do that too. So do not be surprised if you get a call. Do not be surprised if I show up at your doorstep because those things are all very possible. All right? Thank you all for coming out.

[04:29:38] We really, really appreciate it. Mr. Kirschman, would you like to close me? Very briefly. Thank you, Madam Chair. And again, I want to reiterate, thank you for everyone coming out. These are very hard, hard decisions. And I don't loathe, I mean, I kind of loathe making these sort of decisions because someone is a loser in the end, in one way or the other, and I think in terms of your position.

[04:29:56] So we're trying to make the best decisions we possibly can up here and what's best for the community, given everything that the chair said and a number of my other fellow colleagues. I will, I did want to address very briefly the water question, because I had a lot of those same concerns, and I did talk to staff about this, and I may ask a question of staff briefly in my time.

[04:30:13] But is my understanding that this will be treated as a public water supply, and it requires at some point, I think during the site plan, some sort of stress test to evaluate the drawdown. And they'll do a hydraulic analysis, geographic, or geological analysis, and evaluate the impact on the wells within a certain radius.

[04:30:35] Is that correct and that will determine the permitting of the site, is that correct? Depending on how, in what way, would that determine how many guests could or could not come or is that a pure land use question? It could determine number of guests that the hydrology has the capacity to serve.

[04:30:54] There are also other alternatives that might be identified, bringing in different types of like potable water and things like that, other alternatives. Okay. All right. Thank you for that. For those of you who question it, want to know about that, I think a couple of the supervisors up here asked about it too, so that I think is helpful in knowing, but it would not be necessarily something we would put in the land use requirements, but that would be part of the site plan when and if that process gets there.

[04:31:21] Thank you everyone for coming, have a good night. Thank you everyone for coming. We have to vote. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion will pass 603.

[04:31:38] Thank you all for coming. I forgot about that. Supervisors, I think. Is that it? Is that it? Ms. Randall, we'll try to get that lemonade stand up for you. For her. We are adjourned. She really likes it.

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