Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains is continuing to actively oppose the construction of the proposed Eastwind Resort Complex, near the intersection of Route 50 and Blue Ridge Mountain Road. Preliminary plans call for a “boutique” hotel with 40 guest rooms across two buildings, an 88-seat full- service restaurant, and a spa.
The property acquired by the developer is in three counties – Loudoun, Fauquier and Clarke however the proposed construction will all be in Loudoun County.
The building site is within Loudoun County’s zoning designated Mountain Overlay District (MOD) and about 1,000 yards from the Appalachian Trail.
Friends’ opposition to the project is based on many factors including the impact it will have on the ground water. The recently released Loudoun County Ground water study underscores the growing severity of our water crisis. Wells have run dry, streams have vanished, and some communities have been forced to impose strict water rationing. Equally concerning is the question of wastewater—where will the sewage from such a large facility go, and how will it be treated? Other concerns include the impact of the traffic the resort will generate; the disruption to wildlife and the ecosystem and the destruction of the tree cover increasing storm water runoff.
Friends has formed the Paris Mountain Alliance, a coalition of twenty organizations including Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), Loudoun Wildlife, and Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association working together to oppose Eastwind Blue Ridge.
To date one of the most visible expressions of our concern is the many yard signs that residents have put up along Route 50, along Blue Ridge Mountain Road and other locations near the site.
The Clarke County Board of Board of Supervisors has strong objections to the Eastwind proposal and has sent a letter to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Randal expressing their concerns. However, because the proposed construction is exclusively in Loudoun County, Clarke County is limited in their legal authority to prohibit the project.
As of early February, the developer, Mountain Resort LLC, has had preliminary meetings with Loudoun County Planning Staff about the proposal but has not filed a formal application.
The Eastwind proposal is a symptom of a larger problem. The current Loudoun County zoning ordinance does not provide adequate protections against development in the MOD. Currently rural resorts and full-service restaurants such as Eastwind are a permitted use in the MOD. Loudoun County is in the midst of a formal process to amend its zoning ordinance (Zoning Ordinance Amendment – ZOAM 2024-0002). Friends, as well as many other environmental / conservation organizations, is working hard to make sure that the revised ordinance provides protections against Eastwind and similar commercial developments in our beautiful backyard.
As part of our efforts to strengthen the zoning ordinance Peter Weeks, President of Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains spoke before the Transportation and Land Use Committee of the Board of Supervisors at their January 22 meeting. He spoke to the importance of prohibiting commercial type development in the MOD and preserving this world class resource.
His testimony is available here.
Orchestrating opposition to the proposed Eastwind Resort Complex and strengthening Loudoun’s zoning ordinance are going to be a top priority for Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains throughout 2026. We will keep you informed.