Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
Little River District
PO Box 7000
Leesburg, Va. 20177-7000
Supervisor TeKrony:
Thank you for inviting me to speak about the importance of protecting the Mountain Overlay District (MOD) from overdevelopment at the September 30th stakeholders meeting of the Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC).
I want to reiterate several points I made during my presentation and subsequent discussion, as well as those I missed. I was caught off-guard when staff didn’t proceed to examine each current permitted use, which was my error. Permitted uses are a vital part of the amended ordinances.
- As you know, all uses allowed in the Western Loudoun zoning districts (AR-1 and AR-2) are allowed in the MOD. The current zoning ordinance imposes some restrictions on where and how buildings can be sited in the MOD. These restrictions are designed to protect mountain side features including the ridge line, steep slopes and mountain springs. However, the zoning ordinance will still allow construction of many commercial type uses that are too intense and destructive for the sensitive mountain environment regardless of how carefully the buildings are sited. These uses include parking lots and parking structures, Country Inns and Rural Retreats, both of which can include full-service restaurants for the general public. Attached please find a table listing the uses permitted in AR-1 and AR-2 that are not compatible with the MOD environment. You will see that in many cases I have highlighted exactly the characteristics that are incompatible with the MOD. The zoning ordinance should be revised to prohibit these commercial type uses in the MOD.
- The zoning ordinance should be revised to require that zoning violations resulting in substantial environmental damage must be corrected by returning the land to its original condition before the violation. It is not sufficient to stop the violation.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major component of greenhouse gases which contribute significantly to climate change. Trees are a carbon sink. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, a mature tree can sequester approximately 48 pounds of CO2 per year and generate about 260 pounds of oxygen. Furthermore, according to the Nature Conservancy, a single deciduous tree can intercept and filter from 500 to 760 gallons of rainwater per year. A mature evergreen can intercept and filter more than 4,000 gallons per year. Applications for tree clearing should be required to specifically include data regarding the impact on CO2 gases and storm water runoff.
In adopting the new zoning ordinance in December 2023, The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors affirmed that the Blue Ridge Mountains were of tremendous value to the County for the health and well-being of Loudoun residents, the tourism industry, the Appalachian Trail that runs through it, and wildlife and forest canopy that inhabit it.
Now, with the Western Loudoun Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOAM 2024 – 0002) you and the other members of the Board have a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen the protections for this world class asset in our midst. The three changes that I have outlined will provide those protections.
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to TLUC and for your continued support for the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Peter Weeks
President
Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains