Picked this up from WaPo. Loudoun County Supervisors will review proposal to change the zoning ordinance to the west of the County in the coming weeks.
The issue is...
"..how much housing should be allowed and what county policies should be put in place to promote and regulate rural businesses, now that the Virginia Supreme Court has invalidated far-reaching zoning rules passed in 2003."
It is a complex issue, especially when politics get into play and you have Supervisors who are pro-growth and slow-growth. Surely, it will be fascinating debates to watch.
But the debate is colored this time by a new political reality. Eight of the nine members of the previous board were elected on promises to control growth in one of the nation's fastest-growing counties, while the majority of current board members were elected after sharply criticizing their predecessors' efforts to limit building.
It's not clear what approach the board will take. Several supervisors said they hoped to reach a swift resolution.
Here's what on the table.
But Zurschmeide said the prospect of substantially increased housing in western Loudoun following the court's ruling in March was forcing the county to confront potential clashes between the desires of would-be residents and those of rural business owners. She cited lists of new, non-residential development rights that rural landowners gained under the 2003 ordinance then lost when the Supreme Court ruled.
For instance, under the rejected 2003 rules, a landowner with 100 acres could develop a conference center for as many as 100 people or a rural resort with as many as 80 rooms, both "by right," which means no board vote is needed, Zurschmeide said. Now those projects need approval, she said.
"These are intensive issues we're looking at. These are commercial uses," she said, adding that such businesses can clash with the type of added housing density now possible. A local judge has ruled that the county has reverted to old zoning laws allowing one home per three acres in western Loudoun.
A number of Supervisors said they're looking for some sort of compromise.
We'll see!
