Loudoun Now for Jan. 2, 2025

n LOUDOUN

VOL. 10, NO. 8

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9 | n PUBLIC NOTICES

17 | n CURRENT NEWS

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2024

The Year in Review

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YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

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Power Crunch Spurred New Debates over Data Centers

Local, State Leaders Wrestled with Regulations for the Industry

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Data centers were thrust even more into the county’s limelight this year as their increasing demand for power generated the need for more transmission lines – one of which was proposed to run through western Loudoun and the Waterford National Historic District.

The line, proposed by Florida-based NextEra Energy, would have been a 500-kilovolt transmission line traveling from West Virginia to a substation south of Leesburg. Community organizers, led by the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance, rallied public support to request that PJM Interconnection, the regional power coordinator, either not

approve the line or build it through existing rights-of-way that run through portion of western Loudoun from Harpers Ferry to Maryland, and then cut south toward Leesburg along Rt. 15.

NextEra stepped back and withdrew the proposal, allowing FirstEnergy and other utilities to build the line through existing rights-of-way – a big win for the conservation and preservation community.

At the same time, a group in eastern Loudoun was working to have another transmission line proposal changed. This one, by Dominion Energy, is expected to include 230 and 500 kV lines and run from south of Leesburg along Rt. 7 and then cut south into Ashburn. The line is part of a loop to provide additional power to data center alley.

The Lansdowne Conservancy in collaboration with the county government led an effort to have a portion of the line buried underground to preserve scenic viewsheds, property values, limit environmental impact and ensure safety at nearby Inova Lansdowne Hospital.

Dominion opposed this idea largely because of the cost of burying the lines, which would be over $1 billion as well as concerns around how long that would delay the project and greater environmental concerns.

Both sides presented their case to the State Corporation Commission in September. A final decision is still being waited on from the judges, however Hearing Examiner Renae Carter in November released a recommendation in support of Dominion’s proposal. She found that the

underground proposal did not serve the public’s best interest amid concerns about its route, constructability, and the cost.

The project is needed to ensure grid reliability in the area, she decided.

During the General Assembly session several legislators proposed ways to manage data centers and their impacts on transmission lines, however the committee punted any related legislation to 2025, pending a report on the industry and its impacts conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Loudoun County leaders also worked to better manage data center growth this year as Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) grew increasingly POWER CRUNCH continues on page 26

Sterling Home Explosion Rocked Community, Fire Service 1 Dead, 13 Injured, Manslaughter Charges Filed

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

On Feb. 16, firefighters from the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company responded to a report of a gas leak at a home on Silver Ridge Drive. Less than an hour later the home exploded killing one firefighter and injuring 11 other first responders and two civilians.

Initially, several firefighters were trapped inside, with multiple mayday calls coming in over the radio. Forty-five minutes later, all crew members had been rescued or accounted for. Ten of the firefighters were transported to area hospitals and the Burn Center at Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC – one

by AirCare helicopter.

At the scene, Assistant Fire Chief James Williams said there was “total devastation” with debris being blown into the street.

Trevor Brown, 45, was identified as the Sterling volunteer firefighter who was killed that night. He had been with the fire

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue

An overhead view shows the damage after a home exploded in Sterling Feb. 16, 2024 after an unknown ignition source sparked leaking propane.

and rescue system since 2016 and left behind a wife and three children.

Of the 10 firefighters to receive medical treatment, four remained in the hos-

pital for extended stays with second- and third-degree burns. Firefighter Brian Diamond, one of the firefighters who became trapped beneath debris in the basement,

was the last to be released from the hospital after more than a month of in-patient treatment. He underwent five surgeries.

“I was down in that basement and I said a prayer and God got me out of that.

It was crazy down there and terrifying,” he said when he was released from the hospital March 20.

A funeral was held for Brown on March 4, attended by thousands of first responders, community members and elected officials. He was hailed as a hero

by Gov. Glenn Younkin and County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

“It was a night like so many others,” Youngkin said of Feb. 16. “And at the end of a 12-hour shift, he was ready to go home, ready to get home to his wife and his kids. And just after 7:30 p.m. a call came. Trevor, along with his fellow heroes, boarded their trucks and responded.”

Youngkin said being a first responder requires having a “love so immense HOME EXPLOSION continues on page 26

YEAR IN REVIEW

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JANUARY 2, 2025

Loudoun

Loudoun Courthouse Renamed, Declared National Historic Landmark

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Seven years ago in the wake of the deadly rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, the Board of Supervisors launched a study of the role Loudoun’s historic courthouse played in the Black community’s long battle for civil rights.

That detailed exploration of the 1894 courthouse and its significance in Black history resulted in naming the building in honor of civil rights attorney Charles Hamilton Houston and its declaration as a national historic landmark.

That research was led by the county’s Heritage Commission and documented the local court’s role in cruel treatment of enslaved people, including the gruesome 1768 hanged, drawn and quartered punishment of an enslaved man convicted of murder; the support of community leaders to return freed Blacks to Africa, and many significant cases involving enslaved defendants and efforts to end segregation.

The most significant of those—and the cornerstone of the landmark nomination—featured Houston, the dean of

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Crews on Sept. 5, installed signage to the front of the historic building, now known as the Charles Hamilton Houston Courthouse.

Howard University’s Law School and legal counsel to the NAACP who led an all-Black legal team in defense of George Crawford, a Black man accused of killing two white Middleburg women. Crawford was spared the death penalty and the 1933 case, which challenged bias in the jury

selection, set the stage for U.S. Supreme Court equal justice rulings in the years ahead, culminating with Brown v. Board of Education.

In September, county leaders celebrated the naming of the courthouse in Houston’s honor. During the ceremony, elected

officials, historians and the dean of the Howard University School of Law highlighted Houston’s work to end segregation and dismantle Jim Crow laws across the South, with many of those groundbreaking efforts occurring in Loudoun County. The ceremony came four years after the removal of the Confederate war memorial that stood near the courtroom’s front doors.

“The comparative analysis shows that no other site has as much significance in conveying a pivotal moment in the history of the NAACP that led to the rise of Black lawyers into positions of leadership at the NAACP, and informed the organization’s civil rights strategies as it began formulating its targeted legal campaign against segregation,” according to the historic landmark nomination that was approved Dec. 13.

In addition to that history, the landmark nomination highlighted the architectural integrity of the courthouse, and its surrounding grounds are little changed from their appearance at the time of the Crawford trial nearly a century ago and remain illustrative of the history of technology, aesthetics and economics. n

Supervisors Overhauled Bus Service Local Routes Go Fare Free, Commuter Runs Shift

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Early in 2024, the county’s public transportation planners floated the idea of ending the $1 fee charged to riders on fixed-route bus operations. This week, that’s happening.

The county’s local bus service includes 30 weekday routes with limited Saturday service. The routes run from Hamilton through Leesburg into Sterling with connections to four Silver Line Metrorail stations. The county’s paratransit buses, offering prescheduled trips for disabled residents, also will run

free of charge starting Jan. 2.

The shift to free service was approved by county supervisors during their annual Transportation Summit in May. The fare waiver will not apply to the county’s fleet of commuter buses that carry residents to job sites in Washington, DC. Those prices will be increasing by $1 in each of the next two years, to $11 in 2025 and $12 in 2026. While increasing the prices, the board formally abandoned the policy of requiring the commuter service to be cost-neutral. At the planned $11 per trip rate, the county will be subsidizing each ride by nearly $13, according to the staff report.

Part of the supervisors’ debate over doing away with fares the local routes was spurred by avoiding a $776,000 expense of replacing outdated fare collection system on each bus.

But primarily, the move is aimed at building ridership, which, although never robust, has declined since the pandemic. According to data provided to supervisors, the average local passenger count for the the local routes was 110 people a day and 19 people a day for routes taking rider to Silver Line satiations. All of the routes combined had 348,000 riders in 2023, less than half of the number of rides in 2019.

Supervisors scaled back some of the county’s commuter bus service, including eliminating 10 routes and closing the Brambleton Park and Ride lot because of low usage.

While Loudouners may have fewer options to go to their jobs in Arlington and Washington, DC, workers coming into the county may be getting some help. This month, supervisors are scheduled to vote on a proposal, endorsed by the board’s finance committee in December, to create a pilot program to provide bus service to Dale City offering to import workers at a fare of $8.25 per trip. n

JANUARY 2, 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 5

Historic Preservation Efforts Expanded at Oak Hill, Oatlands

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The preservation of two of Loudoun’s most historic properties advanced in 2024, with a push to establish Oak Hill as a state park and the National Trust’s management take over at Oatlands.

Oak Hill is a 1,240-acre estate along Rt. 15 near Aldie that includes the home President James Monroe built in 1823. For the past 70 years the property has been owned by the DeLashmutt family. They have approached state and federal leaders to develop a plan to convert the property to public ownership and to provide greater public access.

That effort got a major boost in November when the Board of Supervisors approved a $22 million grant to The Conservation Fund to support the purchase of the property.

The property would be the only Virginia state park featuring a presidential home.

The plans hinge on the General Assembly authorizing the park and committing to its ongoing operation, with an effort to do that expected in the upcoming session.

“I am a history buff and I just think this is a wonderful opportunity for the county and the state,” Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) said of the project. “James Monroe was one of the earliest presidents, and one of the founders. The Monroe Doctrine was penned at the dining room table in that house which directs our current policies for the western hemisphere. For a history geek like me, it’s like dying and going to heaven.”

After serving as secretary of State and secretary of War during the War of 1812, Monroe was elected to two terms as president. He in inherited the Oak Hill property in 1808 and constructed its large mansion between 1820 and 1823. He retired there at the end of his second term in 1825. Around fifty enslaved African Americans lived and worked at the plantation. Monroe died in New York City on July 4, 1831.

While Oak Hill has been visited by relatively few area residents, Oatland Historic Home and Gardens located just north of Monroe’s estate long has been a tourist destination and one of Loudoun’s most high profile historic properties.

While owned by the National Trust, Oatlands for four decades had been controlled by a local board that held the responsibility to manage all aspects of the property from preservation of the structures to its community programming.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

The historic Oatlands mansion, located on the property established in 1798 by George Carter.

In 2023, the local board filed a lawsuit against the Trust seeking to gain access to an endowment established for the estate, citing a dire need for increased income.

That legal action resulted in the Trust assuming full control of the property.

During 2024, the Trust rebuilt the staff, funded repairs to the manor house roof and grounds, and expanded its calendar of public and historic programs under the direction of Lori Kimball who served as the program director from 2012 until 2019. The work was celebrated with a grand reopening in April.

Oatlands was established in 1798 by George Carter, who operated a farm, mills, and vineyard on nearly 2,000 acres.

By the 1860s, the operations were supported by more than 100 enslaved people.

After the Civil War, in 1903, the property was acquired by William Corcoran Eustis.

His heirs donated Oatlands—400 acres including the Greek Revival mansion—to the National Trust in 1965, along with a $500,000 endowment for its upkeep. In addition to the Federal mansion, the property is notable for its extensive gardens, pioneering propagation greenhouse, and extensive collection of records that help tell the story of the nation’s early agricultural enterprises and enslavement. n

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JANUARY 2, 2025

Loudoun Wine Industry Celebrated 40 Years

BY HANNA PAMPALONI

BY NORMAN K. STYER

hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

nstyter@loudounnow.org

Forty years ago, Lew Parker bottled Willowcroft Farm Vineyards’ first vintage of Riesling made from grapes grown on a ridge just west of Leesburg. From that beginning, Loudoun’s wine industry—long branded by Visit Loudoun as DC’s Wine Country—has grown to anchor the commonwealth’s leading tourism destination as measured in visitor spending.

Parker and other of the county’s wine pioneers could not have envisioned how grapes would transform, and help preserve, Loudoun’s agricultural landscape.

Wine industry leaders celebrated that 40year milestone throughout the year with special events that included the crafting of collaborative wines using grapes from several vineyards.

“We’re making world-class wines, and it came from a beginning that is hard to imagine,” Parker said during a panel discussion during Visit Loudoun’s annual meeting.

The first grape vines he planted on his Mt. Gilead property in 1980 died because of farmer error, planting them in nitrogen-rich garden soil that fueled too rapid growth. Vines planted the following season took root and continue to produce fruit today.

“The industry was so young and there really wasn’t anybody in Loudoun or Virginia that knew very much about making wine,” Parker said. “Today, the county is full of world-class winemakers.”

At the time Parker started growing grapes, agricultural experts were still discouraging the enterprises. However, other state leaders were embracing the nascent industry.

“Even before USDA and the extension service thought it was wise, Virginia passed the farm winery act in in 1980 that intended to both conserve agricultural land and also promote agriculture,” Parker said. “Then—even though none of us knew anything—they hired a state enologist, Bruce Zoecklein, in about 1987 and they hired a state vina culturalist, Tony Wolf. So, there are two highly qualified professionals that they brought in on the state payroll and they certainly were part of a turning point for Virginia.”

Parker also was part of another event that proved critical to efforts to grow

SCC Denied Dulles Greenway Toll Rate Increase

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Lew Parker stands next to one of the first cabernet sauvignon vines planted at Willowcoft Farm Vineyards in 1981.

Virginia’s wine industry, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that started in 2000 as Middleburg winery owner Juanita Swedenburg successfully led efforts to break barriers to internet-era interstate commerce by challenging monopolies of large wholesalers and state laws that prohibited the direct sale of wine from out-of-state wineries to consumers.

If Parker planted the roots of Loudoun’s wine industry, it was operations like Breaux Vineyards near Hillsboro that helped transform wineries into a visitor experience. Winery President Jennifer Breaux recalled her father Paul’s search for land to start a winery.

“He decided that Loudoun was going to be home for him because it was so beautiful,” she said, adding he also recognized the importance of the proximity to the Washington, DC, region. When they bought the farm on the western slope of the Short Hill, the property had three acres of grapes, along with horses, hay, and soybeans.

“When we opened our doors, very quickly we saw that Loudoun was ready for this industry. They wanted a place to go for recreation, a place to go to enjoy the beautiful outdoors,” she said.

Doug Fabbiloi, known as the godfather of Loudoun’s wine industry because of his work training winemakers and grape growers, said that despite the successes, there are challenges ahead. Not the least of those, he said, are the impacts of climate change as grape farmers deal with increasingly severe weather conditions.

But wineries need more local support as well—from local customers and government leaders and regulators, he said.

“The simple economics of winemaking is that we want our wines to be taken home and enjoyed,” he said. “OK, we love to entertain; we think it’s great. But we base our business on our community being our customers and our guests—folks who are going to take that wine home and share it with their family, share it with friends.

We’re proud of what we’re doing.” n

After years of annual rate increases, the State Corporation Commission in September for the first time denied an application by Dulles Greenway owner Toll Road Investor’s Partnership II to raise tolls.

The request would have increased the toll on two-axle vehicles during rush hour from $5.80 to $8.10. During non-peak hours the toll is set at $5.25 and would have increased to $6.40.

The action follows years of debate in the General Assembly over how to regulate fares on the 14-mile privately owned toll road. During the 2024 session, while SCC was conducting hearings on the Greenway application, several bills were introduced to lower the rates or change the way they are regulated including one by Del. David Reid (D-28) that sought to shift regulation from the SCC to VDOT under the commonwealth’s Public-Private Transportation Act. The bill called for a 25% decrease in current toll rates and a switch to distance-based tolling. However, Reid’s bill was stopped in committee.

Another bill by Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-32) would have expanded the SCC’s beyond ruling on rate increase applications to include authority to lower toll rates. However, he decided not to push that bill forward, pending the SCC’s rate review based on legislation he patroned in 2021. That bill tightened the way the SCC evaluates the Greenway’s requests for toll increases, put rules around refinancing of the company’s debt, and prohibited approval of multi-year rate increases.

The SCC denied the increase requested by TRIP II in September, after holding online and in-person public hearings as well as the final evidentiary hearing. The commission ruled the requested increase would “materially discourage use of the Greenway,” in violation the rules included in the 2021 legislation. However, the body also found that the increase would afford the company “no more than a reasonable return.”

On Oct. 4, TRIP II filed a notice that it planned to appeal the SCC denial in court. n

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 7

Education

School, County Staff Unionized, Firefighters Signed Agreement

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

LEA President Kris Countryman leads LEA members into the School Board meeting Aug 13 after a rally in the parking lot. The School Board voted 6-3 to approve the collective bargaining resolution.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov • www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

BY AMBER LUCAS AND HANNA PAMPALONI alucas@loudounnow.org hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

School employees and county government employees unionized last year, choosing representatives to argue on their behalf before county administrators. Fire and rescue personnel signed the county’s first ever collective bargaining agreement.

The School Board voted 6-3 in August to establish the parameters that would allow division employees to participate in collective bargaining and vote on union representation. Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg), Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and Kari Labell (Catoctin) opposed the proposal.

The matter was pushed from the previous school board to the current one, which took over on Jan. 2 of last year, after the Loudoun Education Association urged them to pass on the vote and remove the self-imposed deadline of Dec. 31, 2023, citing to concerns about anti-union legal consultations.

There was also much pushback from the LEA concerning requirements to trigger an election, representing non-union members and changing definitions in the policy. Several work sessions involved implementing changes from LEA letters sent to the School Board.

Over 13 hours of discussion went into the final draft of the collective bargaining

parameters.

After this vote, LEA President Kris Countryman submitted the paperwork to kick off an election and started visiting schools to spread the word. LEA was the only organization on the ballot, and it only had one question: do you want LEA to represent you for the purposes of collective bargaining?

With 4,795 votes cast, the LEA won 96% of the votes among certified, or licensed, personnel, and 91% of the vote among classified personnel, which includes bus drivers and support staff. The division has over 13,000 staff members.

Nine other education associations currently hold union representation in Virginia. Arlington County, Prince William County, and Fairfax County in Northern Virginia are among them.

LEA representatives started conversations with teachers about issues they are facing the day after they got elected.

They plan to continue these conversations and inform the school board of intent to negotiate by March 1.

Vice President Cory Brunet, who joined the organization in 2019, said that she personally would like to tackle polices like the one that changed the retirement benefits policy and made many employees ineligible for free benefits after retirement.

UNIONIZATION continues on page 8

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YEAR IN REVIEW

School Board Imposed Cell Phone Restrictions

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Amid growing concerns nationally about the impact of cell phone use by students, the Loudoun County School Board in April imposed new restrictions with middle school students required to keep them in their lockers and high school students limited to use in between classes.

Students also were prohibited from using their personal devices in bathrooms and locker rooms and parents were discouraged from contacting their children during the school day.

While a change for some, the new policy was aimed at permitting more consistency throughout the school division and setting clear expectations for the use of personal devices.

In July, Gov. Glenn Youngkin de-

clared his intent to impose similar restrictions in schools across the commonwealth.

Following nearly a full semester of implementation in Loudoun, parents and teachers say they’ve seen a greatly reduced use of cell phones throughout the day.

Christy Symons, president of the Watson Mountain Middle School PTO, said that the policy has not raised concerns. She said especially for elementary students moving to middle school, it is not much of a change since they weren’t allowed to have phones there anyway.

Her son, Parker, said that he does see teachers having to stop class to address phone use a lot less.

He said division-provided Chromebooks gives students the access to resources they may have used their phones for during class. Parker said that he and his friends don’t really care about phones

during school, but they are glad they are still able to use phones after school.

“It’s important for it to be there for after-school activities. If [the cell phone] is not there it would be bad,” he said, referring to his Dungeons and Dragons after school club.

Symons also said that, as PTO president, she has not heard of any issues regarding Individual Education Plans allowing cell phone use. One of her friends whose child requires a phone for medical reasons was permitted to have that access.

A middle school teacher also expressed enthusiasm at the policy’s success with a significant decline in cell phone use and consistency in consequences for those violating the policy. While they still see students sneaking it into their pockets, phone use is down and focus is up for the most part. n

Schools Pushed Back Against State’s New Ranking Criteria

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Gov. Glenn Youngkin in August rolled out his new School Performance and Support Framework, which creates new ranking criteria with a goal of increasing transparency.

The Virginia Department of Education also updated its Accreditation and Accountability system. Accreditation will be based on eight categories including promotion and retention policies, instructional program requirements, staffing requirements, facility and safety provisions and parental notification. Accountability will be performance based, and the new framework will further categorize schools based on performance.

Preliminary results from the new framework were released in November, three months after it was implemented. There are four possible categories schools can fall within: distinguished, with scores of 90 and above; on-track, with scores between 80 and 89; offtrack, with scores of 65 to 79; and

needs intensive support, with scores below 65.

In Loudoun County, 33 schools ranked as distinguished, 49 ranked as on-track and 15 ranked as off-track.

One school, Guilford Elementary in Sterling, ranked as needing intensive support.

The framework also features an online “hub” that parents and students can use to see their school’s ranking.

The governor also proposed a plan to invest $50 million to the Virginia Board of Education to support the under-performing schools. The plan would also fund appointment of regional support specialists by the Office of School Quality.

However, school divisions were not happy with the sudden change in the ranking system. Eight Northern Virginia school systems joined forces to ask the Virginia Department of Education to push back the implementation by one year because of concerns about the ambiguity of the new system.

Along with Loudoun County, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Falls Church

City, Manassas City and Prince William County all asked that the new system be more well defined before full implementation.

They also asked to reinstate alternates to the Standards of Learning system, test the new system alongside the old system, and provide information on what support for underperforming schools will be. Vetting for all of the new systems in place, including the supports and criteria to be an underperforming school, were suggested.

Framework implementation after plans for the school year had already been made was also a big concern for the school systems.

“We stand ready to begin working with you and other stakeholders to perfect the framework. Time is an essential ingredient in any educational change. We respectfully ask that our primary recommendation to delay full implementation for at least one year be adopted immediately. We offer this in service of our goal to provide excellent education to all Virginia’s students,” according to a Nov. 18 statement from the school systems. n

JANUARY 2, 2025

Unionization continued from page 7 She also said that higher pay and school start times were big issues discussed during the meetings.

This year, county general government employees also voted to unionize, selecting Service Employees International Union Virginia 512 as their representative.

A four-week election ended the first week of March, with 496 ballots being returned.

Overall, 22% of the eligible employees voted for the representation.

An election was also held for county employees in the labor and trades unit, who did not vote to select SEIU as their representative. Of the 160 ballots mailed, 52 were returned with 30 employees voting against SEIU. The county managers are in negotiations with SEIU over the terms of an agreement.

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3756 submitted a request to begin the collective bargaining process in December 2022. They began meeting with county staff at the end of February and the two groups met 30 times during deliberations.

IAFF Local 3756 President John Myers said a lot of blood, sweat and tears had gone into the agreement and that would help maintain proper staffing.

“It improves the salary and benefits of our members to help the employee retention,” he said. “It improves the county’s ability to be competitive in the regional labor market and ensure the department will continue to thrive and grow as the community grows and thrives itself.”

The terms of the agreement were estimated to cost an additional $11.1 million in fiscal year 2025, $15.8 million in FY 2026 and $20.3 million in FY 2027. It included a 9.4% increase to the uniformed salary scale and an average 3% step increase for uniformed personnel, for a total average uniformed pay increase of 12.4% in FY 2025.

The agreement also included funding for a full-time union representative to oversee business and represent the union at various meetings and serve as the county’s main point of contact, establishes a leave bank of 750 hours for other union business such as conferences and seminars and increases annual leave accrual rates by 0.5 additional hours per pay period, which equates to an average of 13 additional hours per year for full-time employees covered by the agreement and increases the maximum amount of accrued annual leave that can be carried over from 364 hours to 400 hours. n

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 9

Leesburg

New Projects Expected to Transform Downtown 16 years ago helped spur the most recent wave of activity.

“It was a ghost town and then it kind of filled up with retail stores, and then that kind of went away. And then it filled up with restaurants. And that’s kind of where we are right now,” he said.

He predicts it will change again when the hotel opens.

“I’m telling people that as great as Leesburg is right now the day that opens, it’ll be a different place,” Miller said.

Miller’s part will be establishing The Huntōn restaurant using a large open-fire kitchen.

“We’re going to try to have a little wild game in addition to steaks and chicken and all that. We’ll try to bring in some unique elk and venison and quail,” he said, noting plans to carry the hunt theme throughout the experience. “The idea is that we’re on the hunt for the best steak,

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Big changes are coming to downtown Leesburg as work advanced on the ground and in the planning room during 2024.

The anchor of the latest transformation will be Hotel Burg, the South King Street project spearheaded by builder Kevin Ash. Starting with a federal-style building, Ash has teamed up with hospitality veterans PM Hotel Group and restauranter Jason Miller to build a complex that includes a boutique hotel, landmark restaurant, and private club to the historic district.

From its exclusive basement speakeasy-themed bar to its second story conference center to the rooftop entertainment space, the building is designed to be far more than a destination for the weekend wedding parties.

Miller, a downtown Leesburg resident, has seen the ebbs and flows of the historic district. His opening of the Wine Kitchen

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Builder Keven Ash stands in front of the construction site for the Hotel Burg expected to open by this summer on South King Street.

We’re working to meet Virginia’s energy needs.

We’d like your input on the upcoming Golden-Mars electric transmission project in Loudoun County.

Choose the meeting most convenient for you.

Virtual Meeting: Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 12-1 p.m.

In-Person Meeting: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Presentation at 6 p.m.

The Lodge at Hanson Park 23394 Endeavor Drive, Aldie, VA 20105 Learn more at DominionEnergy.com/NOVA Use your phone’s camera or QR reader app to visit the project page directly.

DOWNTOWN PROJECTS continues on page 10

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 10

Downtown Projects continued from page 9 the best mushroom, the best glass of wine, the best cocktail.”

While residents have witnessed the fast pace of construction on the hotel project, another new downtown designation may open even sooner.

Crews are working to covert the 1899 Thompson-Plaster House, better known as the former Black Shutters Antiques building, at the corner of King and Loudoun streets into an 8,300-square-foot restaurant with an expansive outdoor deck.

Two other downtown construction projects spearheaded by Ash were approved this year.

In February, the town’s Board of Architectural Review approved a four-story addition to the rear of the 1895 home that most recently housed the former Black Walnut Brewery owned by Town Council member Patrick Wilt. The project is adjacent to the Hotel Burg property.

Last month, the BAR approved plans for two infill buildings on parking lots near the intersection of King and Market streets. The project, located behind the Lightfoot and Shoes Cups and Cork restaurants, envisions a mix of residential and retail uses and includes the demolition of the former bank drive-thru building along Market Street.

Meanwhile, construction continues, albeit at a slower pace, on the largest redevelopment project in the historic district. For much of last year, crews worked on utility infrastructure for the Church & Market project that includes 116 rental apartments, and more than 33,000 square feet combined of retail, restaurant and office space on the former Loudoun TimesMirror property.

Also this year, construction is expected to start on the first phase of the Virginia Village redevelopment project that was approved in 2022. Located along Fairfax Street and Catoctin Circle just outside the historic district, the overall project includes 643 residential units, office, retail, and restaurant space, parking facilities, and greenspaces on 18 acres. n

JANUARY 2, 2025

Leesburg Annexation Approved by Judges Town Gets Data Center Land, Some Residents Get Lower Utility Bills

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Starting this week, businesses in the Compass Creek commercial center are part of the Town of Leesburg, following a years-long annexation effort.

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

A years-long battle between the Town of Leesburg and the county government ended undramatically in a Loudoun courtroom in November with representatives from both sides supporting the town’s plan to annex 400 acres of data center and retail development along its southern boundary.

That 10-minute Nov. 8 Circuit Court hearing by three judges appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia followed six years of at times acrimonious negotiations between the town and county governments over the future of the Compass Creek property, including a 323-acre Microsoft data center campus and a super Walmart store.

Early negotiations focused on incorporating the property through a voluntary boundary line adjustment, but when those talks broke down, the town in September 2022 filed an annexation suit with the state Commission on Local Government.

The town and county avoided a legal battle following a round of mediation in January and arrived at a settlement

that was agreed to by the Town Council and Board of Supervisors. Following an on-site visit and local hearing in March, members of the commission signed off on the settlement in March.

As part of the deal, in addition to the land annexation and significant additional tax revenue anticipated from the commercial uses and data centers, the town is set to receive $2 million annually from the county government in the form of an economic development grant. That money, subject to a 3% annual escalator, will be used to offset the 40% utility rate surcharge paid by the town’s out-of-town customers mostly living in neighborhoods east of the town limits including River Creek and Potomac Station. The town also agreed to create a separate, lower tax rate for data center computer equipment that would be locked in for five years. In the agreement, the town surrendered its ability to seek city status should the current prohibition be lifted in the future.

The boundary change took effect Jan. 1.

Last month, Mayor Kelly Burk and Town Manager Kaj Dentler sent letters to the owners of land in the expansion

area noting they’ll now receive town services including from the Police Department and pay lower in-town utility rates. The town also will take over responsibility for the public streets in Compass Creek. The businesses will pay town taxes and be subject to town ordinances, although zoning entitlements approved by the county will remain in place.

While the incorporation of the large retail and data center property is expected to provide the town budget with a significant boost, the impact remains unclear, Town Council members were told last month. Staff members estimated that, at the current tax rate, the annexation will generate an extra $1.1 million yearly. The revenue will be higher than that. The staff excluded from the projection the sales tax and personal property tax revenue associated with computer equipment because the value remained unclear.

During the annexation deliberations the town’s budget director calculated that over the next 10 years Microsoft would pay an additional $13.8 million in real estate tax and $68.2 million more in personal property tax to the town. n

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 11

Towns

After a Year of Opposing Viewpoints, Residents Chose Bertaut Slate

Stanley Milan

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hampaloni@loudounnow.org

Purcellville’s political environment was split this year between two groups, best shown by the unofficial slates established for November’s election.

The first was led by incumbent Mayor Stanley Milan with Council Members Kevin Wright and Caleb Stought. JohnMark Gardener and Brian Dean also ran for first terms on the slate.

The second was led by Council Member Christopher Bertaut who challenged – and beat –Milan for the mayor’s seat.

His slate included Planning Commissioner Brian Green, Purcellville Police Officer Ben Nett, Susan Khalil and Jonathan Arnburg.

Milan defended his position on issues last year including allowing the longplanned Rt. 7/Rt. 690 Interchange to move forward, raising utility rates to offset increased debt payments, and supporting

economic revitalization.

Bertaut voted against the interchange and opposed increasing utility rates, claiming there were other ways to pay down the debt.

In January, the council voted to vacate an easement needed by the county to move forward with constructing the whole interchange. Milan said it was necessary to improve safety for the entire community.

“It will also serve to reduce confusion and potential accidents from Rt. 7 commuters,” he said.

Bertaut and Council Member Carol Luke opposed the vote saying it was unfair to members of the Catoctin Meadows neighborhood and amid concerns on the impact to the area’s floodplain.

The Board of Supervisors voted in July to use eminent domain on the remaining parcels needed to build the project. The $52.7 million project is estimated to be completed in 2028.

During spring budget sessions, the council voted to increase water rates by 16% and wastewater rates by 18% after being told by their financial advisors that even with the steep increases, the Water Fund was expected to operate at a $437,150 loss in FY 2025, and the Wastewater Fund would operate at an approximately $1 million deficit.

And, they said, the debt payments are going to increase by an additional $8,000 in water debt service in FY 2025, an additional $227,000 in FY 2026 and a wastewater debt service increase of an additional $1.4 million in FY 2025. Director of Finance Liz Krens said the double-digit rate increases could have been avoided

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if previous councils had raised the rates incrementally years ago.

Bertaut proposed considering rate scenarios that excluded the costs of the utility system’s Capital Improvements Plan.

He said he wanted to use revenue sources other than utility rates such as grants, for capital projects.

A move to revitalize the downtown area was championed by Milan and Vice Mayor Erin Rayner. The town has an income problem, not a spending problem, they said. Bringing new life to the town, especially to 21st Street, would help address that.

But, during November’s elections residents chose Bertaut to be the town’s next mayor, along with Nett and Khalil, who advocated reducing the town staff positions and seeking nutrient credits to offset utility costs.

They also reelected Stought and Wright, who defended their votes increase utility rates, and also identified traffic as a top concern for the town.

The new council began its their term Jan. 1. n

PAGE 12

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

Towns Continued to Struggle Through Water Challenges

BY HANNA PAMPALONI

hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Water quantity and quality remained as one of the top issues Loudoun’s western towns struggled with during 2024.

In addition to enduring two droughts, the Environmental Protection Agency in April adopted new drinking water standards for “forever chemicals” that require testing and will likely require specialized treatment.

A drought that began fall 2023 carried into the early months of 2024, bringing with it mandatory use restrictions. The last of those were lifted by the Round Hill Town Council in February.

But after a dry summer, the county again experienced drought beginning in June. Those moderate conditions expanded to severe in August, again resulting in mandatory restrictions.

Most drinking water for county residents—in eastern Loudoun and Leesburg—is supplied by the Potomac River.

Rural residents and towns rely largely on groundwater wells, which were being impacted by falling water levels and longer recharge times. Potomac River flows, as measured at Point of Rocks, fell below 2,000 cubic feet per second on July 5. That was down nearly 1,000 cfs from a week earlier. Loudoun Water and the Town of Leesburg use the Potomac River as the primary water source for their customers.

The Department of Environmental Quality also downgraded the area’s groundwater status.

Responding to news that the drought was severely impacting local farmers, the Board of Supervisors, through the Department of Economic Development, established a $500 grant for farmers to bridge the gap until assistance could be received from the Department of Agriculture.

The remains of Hurricane Debby brought eight inches of rain to some areas

in early August, improving the drought conditions somewhat. More rain resulted in Loudoun being upgraded to moderate drought status in late August and use restrictions were lifted for a brief period in September, but the county returned to moderate drought conditions in October.

At the same time, town leaders were also testing their wells and other water sources to comply with the EPA’s new standards for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances—synthetic chemicals used to make nonstick cookware, stain, water repellent clothing and firefighting foam.

During testing, Round Hill learned that tests of raw water samples from two of its 13 municipal wells showed concentrations of PFAS chemicals above the newly established federal limits.

Purcellville has been testing for the substance since 2022 and has detected it in a few of the town’s wells, including two at the Nature Park Groundwater Treatment Plant. One of the wells has been taken offline. Public Works Director Jason Didawick told the council in May that no PFAS had been found at the JT Hirst Reservoir.

The Town of Leesburg in April reported that its water sources complied with the new standards. Results from Lovettsville’s test on one well did not yield any signs of PFAS and the town’s staff will continue to test the remaining wells.

The new EPA rules give utilities five years, until 2029, to implement solutions to reduce the chemical levels. The chemicals can be removed using activated carbon absorption, reverse osmosis purification, or ion exchange systems. The town plans to work with the Virginia Department of Health to evaluate treatment options and to identify funding to complete any needed upgrades. The town also plans to join the ongoing national class-action lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers seeking compensation for the cleanup effort. n

What happened?

Local news, online always. | LoudounNow.com

JANUARY 2, 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 13

After Oktoberfest Cancellation, Lovettsville Tries Event Firm Again

Contributed

From left: Lovettsville Mayor Christopher Hornbaker and Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) present Huck Houtz and his owner Jason with the winning trophy for the Blocktoberfest weiner dog races in September 2024.

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After Lovettsville’s 2023 Oktoberfest ended up costing the town money, rather than making a profit, Town Council members decided to try a new approach to throwing the town’s largest community celebration.

In February, the council voted to “strategically realign” the event by outsourcing the majority of its activities.

They hired Bow Tie Strategies after meeting with founder Rusty Foster.

Council members said the event would maintain its past character but take the weight of organizing the event off of the Oktoberfest subcommittee. Volunteers would still be needed to run the event and the Town Council would still manage Kinderfest and the contests on the squirkle.

However, in July the council announced they were canceling the event after Foster told them in June that he would not be able to organize the event due to health problems.

Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said at the time that the council had worked to find another event manager but that they had concluded there would not be enough time to organize Oktoberfest properly.

“While this is a difficult decision, it does not come lightly, especially for folks up here. Nor is it the outcome the town has anticipated. The planning and preparations of beginning for now for the big

return of the fest in 2025,” he said.

The council announced in November that they had agreed to a settlement with Bow Tie Strategies regarding the cancelled event. No further details about the agreement were shared.

But town residents decided they would host their own Blocktoberfest this year, bringing back the smaller feel that the celebration held in its earlier years.

Led primarily by Sue Cangemi and Ann Arena, the event still held the traditional contests such as the wiener dog races, stein hoisting and stein hauling. It also included vendor events, Kinderfest and a traditional German-themed dinner hosted by the Lovettsville Lions Club.

In December, the council voted to hire mb LoGistics to run the 2025 Oktoberfest celebration. The town’s request for proposals envisions mb LoGistics managing most of the event including licensing and permitting, beer and wine sales, food vendors, taxation, musician, stage production, specialty events, marketing, venue preparation and clean up, public safety, staffing and parking.

The mayor will still perform the ceremonial keg tapping, while council members and the Events Committee will still have an active role in Kinderfest, run the traditional contests and be involved in the event’s marketing.

Hornbaker has also stated that there is potential to expand the celebration to two weekends to include one weekend dedicated for Blocktoberfest and the other for Oktoberfest. n

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YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 15

Why We

SUBLIMINAL DOUBT 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com JADE TREMBA 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com THE COLD NORTH 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com GARY SMALLWOOD 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com JET CAPRIEST 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com DAVE NEMETZ 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Route 7 Brewing, 20051 Riverside Cmns Plaza, Ashburn. route7brewing.com BRYAN WILLIAMS DUO 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com THE BRUNO SOUND DUO 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com BETTER OFF DEAD 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com SHANE CLICK 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com RYAN SILL 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford.

8chainsnorth.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 16

LO VE Loudoun

Contributed

Robbyn Dempsey Veil visits Loudoun for relaxation and recharging.

Why I Love Loudoun – Robbyn Dempsey Veil

BY VISIT LOUDOUN Loudoun is home to more than 30 Bed & Breakfasts, which host countless guests each year. They are perfect for both staycations and travelers coming from afar.

This month, we asked frequent Loudoun B&B guest Robbyn Dempsey Veil, of Annapolis, MD, why she loves Loudoun.

Favorite restaurant?

I like Lightfoot Restaurant, The Wine Kitchen and King Street Oyster Bar in downtown Leesburg. There is a great window table at King Street Oyster Bar facing the street and the oysters and tuna with wasabi are amazing.

Favorite place in Loudoun for a craft beverage?

Dirt Farm and Bear Chase breweries.

I first started coming to Loudoun during Covid and Bear Chase had these clear plastic igloos to sit in. It was very fun and I could bring my dog. I also like Crooked Run Fermentation, Wild Hare Cider and Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery. My beer of choice is IPA. I’ve never had a bad one in Loudoun.

Best secret place in Loudoun?

Loudounberry, a tiny farm store on

Rt. 15 north of Leesburg. It has the best fresh-baked pies I’ve ever tasted. You can smell the crusts when you drive up.

I bought seven the first time I went and only six made it home. They sell other items, too. It’s the cutest little place.

What’s a must-see place for an outof-town visitor?

Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park outside Leesburg. I stumbled on it on one trip while walking my dog. It’s a beautiful woodland park along the Potomac River with walking trails and a small cemetery for soldiers killed in a battle here early in the Civil War. Favorite event in Loudoun to go to?

I don’t come to Loudon for events. I come here to shut down and recharge my soul. Being outdoors and seeing the stars at night is my special event.

Where is the best view in Loudoun?

The east-facing view from the lawn at Bear Chase Brewing, which shows the farms, fields and towns in the valley below. It’s extra special with a glass of a Bear Chase IPA in your hand.

When did you first visit Loudoun?

I was going through a divorce in 2020 and looking for a place to recharge and

where I could bring my dog. I like staying in B&Bs because you get to meet the owners and they connect you to local things going on. Plus, they are all such nice people.

Where is your favorite place to stay?

The properties of Waterford Reservations. The owners Donnie and Reagan are so kind and welcoming and you can see they put so much passion into their properties. Their places are always clean and you can text if you have any issues. It’s nice to meet local people when staying somewhere.

Do people in Annapolis know about Loudoun?

I recommended it to everyone I meet.

Jan. 28 is National Plan for Vacation Day. Why should people plan a vacation in Loudoun?

If you’re looking for quality time with a special person, your family or just with your dog, it’s perfect. Time stands still in Loudoun. I love sitting around a firepit looking up at the stars with my golden retriever Fitz next to me. n

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 16

JANUARY 2, 2025

BEST BET

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BETTER OFF DEAD Friday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

HIGH NOON

Deadheads unite to kick off 2025 with a night of improvisational jams, cosmic grooves.

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 15 MELANIE PEARL 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com GARY SMALLWOOD 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com LENNY BURRIDGE DUO 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Lost Rhino Brewing Company, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com DAVE MININBERG 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com SPIKE BURTON 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. facebook.com/doukenie RYAN SILL 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoomas.com

JIM STEELE 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com THE BAND RAE 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com KHALIL NAZAR 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com VICTOR TORRES 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com CARLY ROSE RATCLIFFE 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com U2TOPIA 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com ERIC TUBBS 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com LAURA FARRELL 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

JOE DOWNER 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com ROBBIE LIMON 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com FREDDIE LONG 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewning.com JASON MASI 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8 The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com KEN WENZEL 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

HAPPENINGS WRITING IN NATURE 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 Morven Park Grounds, 17339 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.org LINE DANCING LESSONS 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8 Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com

FIND LOCAL EVENTS GETOUTLOUDOUN.COM

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 17

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ROUND HILL, VIRGINIA

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE The PURCELLVILLE TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing in the Council Chambers of Town Hall located at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following item: APPROVAL OF PUBLIC USE, NECESSITY AND ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY AND TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENTS FOR PUBLIC USE (N. 21ST ST. & S. FORK CATOCTIN CREEK 3-BOX CULVERT) FROM PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS “PARCEL A PHASE 2 CATOCTIN MEADOWS”, FURTHER IDENTIFIED BY LOUDOUN COUNTY PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) 522-10-6773. The Town of Purcellville proposes to enable the construction of a 3-box culvert at the crossing of N. 21st Street and the South Fork Catoctin Creek by Loudoun County. The culvert is associated with the County’s 7/690 interchange project, offered to mitigate proposed limits of floodplain area. As modeled in County FPAL-2022-0020, the culvert is projected to reduce projected floodplain area by 0.87 acres, or 37,897 SQ FT. The necessary acquisition includes both 2,711 SQ FT of Right of Way (ROW), and 5,309 SQ FT of Temporary Construction Easement. The Town and County have not been able to acquire the necessary ROW dedication and Temporary Construction Easement from the property owner, Catoctin Meadows HOA. In order to not jeopardize the inclusion of the culvert, the Town must begin the condemnation process to acquire the necessary Right of Way and required easements for this public use. The proposed action by Council is the approval of the 3-box culvert as a public use and authorization of acquisition of the real property and temporary construction easement by condemnation or other means.

Information related to this project is available for review at the Purcellville Town Hall, 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia by appointment, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. For further information, please contact Boyd Lawrence, Planning Manager, at 540-338-7421 or blawrence@purcellvilleva.gov.

At this public hearing, all persons affected, or otherwise desiring to present their views concerning this matter, will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact Kimberly Bandy, Town Clerk, at kbandy@purcellvilleva.gov, three days in advance of the meeting.

12/26/24 & 1/2/25

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE MIDDLEBURG TOWN COUNCIL The Middleburg Town Council will a hold public hearing beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 9, 2025 to hear comments on the following: Zoning Text Amendment 24-03 An Ordinance to Amend Article II of the Middleburg Zoning Ordinance pertaining to Definitions for Financial Institution and Professional Office.

The hearing will take place at the Town Hall, 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia. The application materials may be reviewed online at www. middleburgva.gov/publichearings or in the Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. Questions may be directed to Deputy Town Manager Will Moore at (540) 687-5152 or by email at wmoore@ middleburgva.gov The Town of Middleburg strives to make its hearings accessible to all. Please advise of accommodations the Town can make to help you participate in the hearing.

12/26/24 & 1/2/25

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

INTENT TO ADOPT CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL ORDINANCE The Round Hill Town Council will hold a public hearing on Wednesday January 8, 2024, beginning at 7:30 p.m. to receive comments and adopt amendments to the Town Water Ordinance to implement a Cross Connection Control Ordinance, as required by the Virginia Department of Health. Copies of the proposed amendments and supporting documents are available for inspection and copying at the Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill Virginia, between the hours of 8:30 am through 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and at the Town website: roundhillva. gov. All interested parties are invited to attend and provide comments. Written comments may be submitted by 3:00 pm on January 8, 2024 to hwest@roundhillva.gov. The regularly scheduled Town Council meeting will begin following the close of the public hearing.

12/26 & 1/2/25

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE The Town Council of the Town of Purcellville will hold a public hearing at Town Hall located at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following item: A Telecommunications Site Lease Agreement for a portion of the Town owned Water Tower property located at 311 North Maple Ave., Purcellville, Virginia.

The proposed lease agreement between the Town of Purcellville, as lessor, and Cellco Partnership doing business as Verizon Wireless, as the lessee, is intended to amend and restate the terms of the original lease agreement dated October 17, 2002.

Additional information regarding this lease agreement is available for review at the Purcellville Town Hall at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia during regular business hours Monday through Friday between 9:00AM – 4:00PM, holidays excepted. For further information, please contact Boyd Lawrence, Planning Manager, at 540-338-7421 or blawrence@purcellvilleva.gov.

At this public hearing, an opportunity will be provided for all persons desiring to present their views on this matter. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Town Clerk at 540-338-7421, three days in advance of the meeting.

12/26 & 1/2/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ049252

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR:

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aiyana Ross Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Marcia Elaine Lowe, Mother

MEDICAL GRADE OXYGEN, IFB No. 670846 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 24, 2025.

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1281 for Aiyana Ross.

If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Marcia Elaine Lowe, Mother, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

12/26, 1/2. 1/9/25

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at: www.loudoun.gov/procurement

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT. 1/2/25

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 18

JANUARY 2, 2025

Legal Notices PUBLIC AUCTION JUDICIAL AND NONJUDICIAL TAX SALE This PUBLIC AUCTION is for the sale of real properties located in Loudoun County, Virginia, for payment of delinquent taxes. Real properties described below will be offered for sale at public auction to the highest bidder in the Dulles Room, 1st Floor of the Loudoun County Government Center, located at 1 Harrison Street, SE, in Leesburg, Virginia on: January 24, 2025 11:00 a.m.

Registration Starts at 10:30 a.m.

Three (3) real properties listed below will be offered at this auction: Two (2) of these properties are auctioned as judicial tax sale of real property under Virginia Code §§ 58.1-3965, et seq, and one (1) real property is auctioned as nonjudicial tax sale of real property under Virginia Code §58.13975.

PUBLIC AUCTION - JUDICIAL TAX SALE This auction is for the judicial tax sale of two (2) real properties located in Loudoun County, Virginia, for payment of delinquent taxes pursuant to the provisions of Virginia Code §§ 58.1-3965, et seq. Pursuant to Orders entered by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia, the undersigned Nicholas J. Lawrence, Special Commissioner of Sale of said Court, will offer the real properties described below for judicial sale at public auction to the highest bidder.

PUBLIC AUCTION - NONJUDICIAL TAX SALE This auction is also for the nonjudicial tax sale of one (1) real property located in Loudoun County, Virginia, for payment of delinquent taxes. Due to this real property’s minimal size and assessed value, the real property qualifies for nonjudicial tax sale under the provisions of Virginia Code §58.13975. Pursuant to Virginia Code §58.1-3975, the Treasurer of Loudoun County, Henry C. Eickelberg (“Treasurer”) will offer the real property described below for nonjudicial sale at public auction to the highest bidder.

TERMS OF SALE FOR JUDICIAL AND NONJUDICIAL TAX SALES: 1.

This terms of sale for the public auction herein advertised refer to both judicial and nonjudicial sales of tax delinquent real properties, unless a difference is expressly stated.

2.

For the judicial tax sales, the sale of any real property is subject to approval and confirmation by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County. For the nonjudicial tax sales, the sale is subject to approval and confirmation by the Treasurer.

3.

The Special Commissioner of Sale in the case of judicial tax sales, and the Treasurer in the case of nonjudicial tax sale, reserve the right to withdraw from sale any property listed and to reject any bid by declaring “NO SALE” after the last bid received on a property.

4.

Any person who wishes to bid on any property during the auction must register with County staff before the start of bidding. As part of the registration process, potential bidders must: (i) have sufficient funds on hand to pay the Minimum Deposit required for each parcel on which they want to bid; and (ii) sign a form certifying that they do not own any property in Loudoun County for which any delinquent taxes are due, or for which there are zoning or other violations.

Commissioner of Sale in the case of judicial tax sales, or the Treasurer in the case of nonjudicial tax sale, at any time prior to the date of auction and held under seal until the date of the auction. If a written bid exceeds the highest live bid received from the audience during the auction, the audience will have an opportunity to bid against the written bid. If a higher bid is not received from the audience, the Special Commissioner of Sale if a judicial tax sale, or the Treasurer if a nonjudicial tax sale, may declare the sale to the proponent of the highest written bid or may reject all bids by declaring “NO SALE.” 9.

For the judicial tax sales, if either a written bid or a live auction bid is approved by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, the balance of the purchase price must be paid in full within 30 days of the Court approval. For the nonjudicial tax sale, if either a written bid or a live auction bid is approved by the Treasurer, the balance of the purchase price must be paid in full within 30 days of Treasurer’s approval.

10.

Once a submitted written bid or a live bid has been accepted during the auction, it cannot be withdrawn except by leave of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County in the case of the judicial tax sales, or by the Treasurer in the case of the nonjudicial tax sale. Any bidder who attempts to withdraw their bid after it has been accepted by the Special Commissioners of Sale in judicial tax sales or the Treasurer in nonjudicial tax sales may be required to forfeit their deposit.

11.

Properties are offered “as is,” with all faults and without warranties or guarantees either expressed or implied. Prospective bidders should investigate the title on properties prior to bidding.

For the judicial tax sales, property bidders are encouraged to review the case file for the civil actions in the Circuit Court. For the nonjudicial tax sale, property bidders are encouraged to review records at the Treasurer’s Office, including real property title certificates. The sale of the properties is not subject to the successful bidders’ ability to obtain title insurance. In judicial tax sales, the sale of real properties is made free and clear only of liens of defendant(s) named in the respective judicial proceeding, and of those liens recorded after the County filed a lis pendens with the Circuit Court of Loudoun County. For the nonjudicial tax sale, the sale of real property is made free and clear of the County’s tax lien.

12.

All recording costs (including but not limited to any grantor’s tax/fee) will be at the expense of the purchaser. All property will be conveyed by Special Warranty Deed from the Special Commissioner of Sale in judicial tax sales and the Treasurer in nonjudicial tax sale.

13.

Announcements made on the day of sale take precedence over any prior verbal or written terms of sale.

14.

The Special Commissioner of Sale and the Treasurer represent that information regarding the property to be offered for sale, including acreage, type of improvements, etc., is taken from tax and/or land records, and is not guaranteed for either accuracy or completeness. Bidders are encouraged to make their own investigation to determine the title, condition of improvements, accessibility, and occupancy status of each property and to bid accordingly. The sale will be made subject to matters visible upon inspection, and to restrictions, conditions, rights-of-way and easements, if any, contained in the instruments constituting the chain of title. Any costs incurred by a bidder to inspect or investigate any property are the bidder’s responsibility and are not reimbursable.

15.

The owner of any property listed below may redeem it at any time before the date of the auction by paying all taxes, penalties, interest, costs (including the pro rata costs of publishing this advertisement and attorney’s fees) incurred through the date before the auction.

5.

The Minimum Deposit required for each parcel is specified below, as part of the property description. For judicial tax sales, the full amount of the Minimum Deposit must be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, at the time the auctioneer declares the sale. For nonjudicial tax sales, the full amount of the Minimum Deposit must be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to the County Loudoun, Virginia, at the time the auctioneer declares the sale.

Below is a brief description of each property to be offered for sale at the auction. More detailed information for real properties subject to judicial tax sales may be obtained by examining the files in the Clerk’s office of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, or by contacting Nicholas J. Lawrence, Special Commissioner of Sale at (703) 777-0307. More detailed information for the real property subject to nonjudicial tax sale may be obtained by examining the files at the Treasurer’s Office or by contacting Ian Roberts, Deputy Treasurer for Collections at (703) 771-5656.

6.

In lieu of attending the auction, bidders who want to bid on real properties listed below for judicial tax sale, may submit written bids to Nicholas J. Lawrence, Special Commissioner of Sale, at the address listed below. All written bids must be accompanied by the applicable Minimum Deposit, which shall be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County. Written bids must also be accompanied by a certification that the bidder is not the owner of any property in Loudoun County for which delinquent taxes are due, or for which there are zoning or other violations. A written bid form, which includes the required certification, can be obtained from the Special Commissioner of Sale or the Treasurer’s website.

REAL PROPERTIES SUBJECT TO JUDICIAL TAX SALES:

7.

In lieu of attending the auction, bidders who want to bid on the real property listed below for nonjudicial tax sale, may submit written bids to the Treasurer, at the address listed below. All written bids must be accompanied by the applicable Minimum Deposit, which shall be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to the County of Loudoun, Virginia. Written bids must also be accompanied by a certification that the bidder is not the owner of any property in Loudoun County for which delinquent taxes are due, or for which there are zoning or other violations. A written bid form, which includes the required certification, can be obtained from the Treasurer’s website.

8.

Written bids (with the required deposit and certification) will be received by the Special

THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN v. ELIZABETH COOK, et al.

CIVIL ACTION NO. CL 24-2941 LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX MAP NO. /48//12C11237/ PIN 189-36-5685-015 Nicholas J. Lawrence, Special Commissioner of Sale Minimum Deposit Required: $28,488.00 The subject real estate is a residential condominium which contains 0.0 acres, more or less, with improvements, located at 108 Prosperity Avenue, SE #A, Leesburg, VA 20175 and is further described among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia as:

Continues on next page

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 19

Legal Notices Unit Numbered 237, Phase XI, FOX CHAPEL AT TUDOR KNOLLS CONDOMINIUM, as shown on the plat attached to the Condominium Declaration recorded in Deed Book 882, at page 309 among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia; as amended, along with an undivided percentage interest appurtenance to the Unit in all Common Elements of said project, as described in said Declaration and subsequent amendments. Subject to the reservations, restrictions on use and all covenants and obligations set forth in said Declaration, and the By-Laws of the Unit Owners Association, as amended.

THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN v. HEIRS AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF EMORY PETERSON, et al.

CIVIL ACTION NO. CL 24-3519 LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX MAP NO. /53////////45/ PIN 653-37-8652-000 Nicholas J. Lawrence, Special Commissioner of Sale Minimum Deposit Required: $10,890.00 The subject real estate is vacant land which contains 0.64 acres, more or less, located in Bluemont, Virginia 20175 and is further described among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia as: Loudoun County Tax Parcel 653-37-8652-000, is part of a parcel originally conveyed unto Robert Peterson, by virtue of a Deed dated February 15, 1883 and recorded in Deed Book 6-T, at page 315, containing 1.63 acres of land, more or less, less and except the following:

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Deed dated June 5, 1931, Robert L. Peterson, et al conveyed .25 acres, more or less, to Alvinia Peterson, by virtue of a Deed recorded in 10-0 at page 419.

Said abatements leave an aggregate of 0.64 acres of land, more or less, of the original parcel.

In a Deed dated March 26, 1941, and recorded June 14, 1946 in Deed Book 12-G at page 10, Lucas K. Philips, Special Commissioner, conveyed the property to Emory Peterson.

REAL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO NONJUDICIAL TAX SALE: GREAT FALLS FOREST JOINT VENTURE LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX MAP NO. /82/C/3/////X/ PIN 007-37-5410-000

Case No.: JJ047165-03-00

Case No.: JJ048304-04-00 Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Ivory Green.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 28, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

12/19, 12/26, 1/2 & 1/9/25

The subject real estate is vacant land containing .02 acres, more or less, NO SITUS ADDRESS, unbuildable, and is further described among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia as: GREAT FALLS FOREST SEC.3 PARCEL X. Subject to matters set forth on the plat attached to the Corrected Deed of Dedication, Subdivision, Easement, and Vacation recorded in Deed Book 847 at page 1559. subject to the reservation of easement(s), maintenance assessments, and building restriction line(s).

The object of this suit is hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

1/2, 1/9, 1/16 & 1/23/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ049330-02-00 Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Bimen Aziz a.k.a. Bemin Radi Fathi Aziz Azab Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Mariam Welson Henin, Mother The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1281 for Bimen Aziz a.k.a. Bemin Radi Fathi Aziz Azab.

Henry C. Eickelberg, Treasurer of County of Loudoun, Virginia Minimum Deposit Required: $949.44

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ivory Green Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

Deed dated November 30, 1922, Robert L. Peterson, et al conveyed .33 acres, more or less, to John Peterson by virtue of a Deed recorded in Deed Book 10-E, at page 146.

Deed dated November 30, 1928, Robert L. Peterson, et al conveyed .41 acres, more or less, to Douglas Peterson, by virtue of a Deed recorded in Deed Book 10-F, at page 320.

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Mariam Welson Henin, Mother, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 28, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No.: CL24-0795 Loudoun County Circuit Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Yakub Yilmaz, through next friend, Tulay Yilmaz, v.

Tanya Casey, et al.

The object of this suit is to recover money damages as a result of tort/negligence.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Tanya Casey appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 24, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

2/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/3/25

12/12, 12/19, 12/26, 1/2 & 1/9/25

Nicholas J. Lawrence Special Commissioner of Sale Senior Assistant County Attorney Office of County Attorney #31 1 Harrison Street, SE PO Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000 (703) 777-0307

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FISCAL YEAR 2026-2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-2239, the LOVETTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers, 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia, to solicit public comment on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Henry C. Eickelberg Treasurer, County of Loudoun, Virginia Henry C. Eickelberg, CPA, JD, LLM 1 Harrison St. SE, 1st floor, MS #31 Leesburg, VA 20175-3102 (703) 777-0288

The CIP will be included in the Town Manager’s Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget scheduled to be presented to Town Council during their regular meeting the evening of January 23, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting.

Copies of the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2030 CIP with a complete list of projects are available for review at the Town Hall between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 for more information or visit www.lovettsvilleva.gov. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened at the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

1/2/25

1/2 & 1/9/25

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 20

JANUARY 2, 2025

Legal Notices NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION- January 7, 2025 Loudoun County will hold a Special Election for the Senate of Virginia District 32 as well as the Virginia House of Delegates, District 26. Only voters who live in these districts can vote in this election.

The polls – which are listed below – will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Officers of Election will take the name of any qualified voter who is in line at the polling place by 7:00 p.m. and all such voters will be permitted to vote.

627 Ashbrook, Ashburn Elementary School, 44062 Fincastle Drive, Ashburn (Multipurpose Room) 628 Moorefield Station, Moorefield Station Elementary School, 22325 Mooreview Pkwy., Ashburn (Gym) 629 Discovery, Discovery Elementary School, 44020 Grace Bridge Dr., Ashburn

107 - Little River, Little River Elementary School, 43464 Hyland Hills Street, Chantilly

630 Croson, Moorefield Station Elementary School, 22325 Mooreview Pkwy., Ashburn (Music Room)

108 - Mercer, Mercer Middle School, 42149 Greenstone Drive, Aldie

631 Marblehead, Ashburn Senior Center, 20880 Marblehead Dr., Ashburn

112 Freedom, Freedom High School, 25450 Riding Center Dr., South Riding (Auditorium)

701 Sully, Sully Elementary School, 300 Circle Dr., Sterling

114 Dulles South, Dulles South Recreation & Community Center, 24950 Riding Center Dr., South Riding

702 Park View, Park View High School, 400 W. Laurel Ave., Sterling

119 Arcola, Arcola Elementary School, 41740 Tall Cedars Pkwy., Aldie 120 Lunsford, J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, 26020 Ticonderoga Rd., Chantilly 121 Town Hall, South Riding Town Hall, 43055 Center St., South Riding 122 Hutchison Farm, Hutchison Farm Elementary School, 42819 Center St., South Riding 123 Cardinal Ridge, Cardinal Ridge Elementary School, 26155 Bull Run Post Office Rd., Centreville 124 Liberty, Liberty Elementary School, 25491 Riding Center Dr., South Riding 126 Goshen Post, Goshen Post Elementary School, 24945 Lobo Drive, Aldie 312 Briar Woods, Briar Woods High School, 22525 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn 313 Pinebrook, Pinebrook Elementary School, 25480 Mindful Ct., Aldie 314 Legacy, Legacy Elementary School, 22995 Minerva Dr., Ashburn 319 John Champe, John Champe High School, 41535 Sacred Mountain St, Aldie

703 Rolling Ridge, Rolling Ridge Elementary School, 500 E. Frederick Dr., Sterling 705 Forest Grove, Forest Grove Elementary School, 46245 Forest Ridge Dr, Sterling 707 Claude Moore Park, Claude Moore Recreation Center, 46105 Loudoun Park Lane Sterling 710 Sterling, Sterling Middle School, 201 West Holly Ave., Sterling 711 Guilford, Guilford Elementary School, 600 W. Poplar Rd., Sterling 712 Stone Hill, Stone Hill Middle School, 23415 Evergreen Ridge Drive, Ashburn 713 Carter, Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School, 43330 Loudoun Reserve Dr., Ashburn 714 Rock Ridge, Rock Ridge High School, 43460 Loudoun Reserve Dr., Ashburn 715 Oak Grove, Oak Grove Baptist Church, 22870 Dominion Ln., Sterling 716 Ridgetop, Loudoun County Office Building, 21641 Ridgetop Cir., Sterling 808 Stone Bridge, Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Rd., Ashburn

321 Brambleton Middle, Brambleton Middle School, 23070 Learning Circle, Ashburn

810 Cedar Lane, Cedar Lane Elementary School, 43700 Tolamac Dr., Ashburn

322 Buffalo Trail, Buffalo Trail Elementary School, 42190 Seven Hills Drive, Aldie

817 Sanders Corner, Sanders Corner Elementary School, 43100 Ashburn Farm Pkwy., Ashburn (Multipurpose Room)

324 Madison, Madison’s Trust Elementary School, 42380 Creighton Road, Ashburn 325 Creighton, Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, 23171 Minerva Dr., Ashburn 326 Independence, Independence High School, 23115 Learning Circle, Ashburn (Only those voters residing on Horse Barn Lane or Upper Hartland Lane are in the 32nd Virginia Senate District and qualified to vote in the Special Election. All other voters in this precinct are in the 31St Virginia Senate District.)

328 Hovatter, Hovatter Elementary School, 41135 Collaboration Dr., Aldie 329 Lightridge, Lightridge High School, 41025 Collaboration Dr., Aldie 615 Hillside, Hillside Elementary School, 43000 Ellzey Dr., Ashburn 616 Eagle Ridge, Eagle Ridge Middle School, 42901 Waxpool Rd., Ashburn

818 East Broad Run, Broad Run High School, 21670 Ashburn Rd., Ashburn (Room 522) 819 West Broad Run, Broad Run High School, 21670 Ashburn Rd., Ashburn (Room 512) 820 Belmont Station, Belmont Station Elementary School, 20235 Nightwatch St., Ashburn

Underlined denotes shared voting locations with space designated within the school for each precinct.

All absentee ballots received by mail can be hand delivered to the Office of Elections or any Loudoun County polling place no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Election Day, to be counted.

All absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day (January 7, 2025) AND be received by noon on Friday, January 10, 2025.

621 Dominion Trail, Dominion Trail Elementary School, 44045 Bruceton Mills Circle, Ashburn

Inquiries concerning the election and questions regarding registration status may be directed to the Loudoun County Office of Elections, 703-777-0380, located at 750 Miller Dr. SE. Suite150, Leesburg 20175. Please visit www.loudoun.gov/vote for additional information.

622 Farmwell Station, Farmwell Station Middle School, 44281 Gloucester Pkwy., Ashburn

Authorized by:

623 Weller, Steuart W. Weller Elementary School, 20700 Marblehead Dr., Ashburn

Judith A. Brown, Director of Elections

625 Mill Run, Mill Run Elementary School, 42940 Ridgeway Dr., Ashburn

Loudoun County Office of Elections

620 Russell Branch, Ashburn Elementary School, 44062 Fincastle Dr., Ashburn (Multipurpose Room)

626 Ashby Ponds, Farmwell Hall, 44755 Audubon Sq., Ashburn

FIND LOCAL EVENTS - GETOUTLOUDOUN.COM

1/2/25

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 21

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, January 15, 2025, in order to consider: AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 852 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Motor Vehicle License Fee

LEGI-2024-0069, OAK GROVE: ZMAP-2019-0021 (Zoning Map Amendment)

In 1997, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors enacted Chapter 852 of the Codified Ordinance of Loudoun County (the “Ordinance”) in accordance with Virginia Code § 46.2-752 to allow the collection of license fees on motor vehicles. Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.21427 the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage amendments to Chapter 852, Motor Vehicle License Fee, of the Ordinance. Except as provided under Virginia Code § 46.2-755, the proposed amendment would reduce the annual license for motor vehicles from $25.00 to $0.00, effective January 1, 2025.

Following the Final Order entered October 21, 2024 in the Loudoun County Circuit Court case GFC Properties, LLC v. Board of Supervisors (Case No. CL 21-4052) (the “Order”), in which the Court remanded the rezoning application to the Board of Supervisors for further action consistent with the Order, GFC Properties, LLC, of Leesburg is seeking a zoning map amendment for 4.73 acres located on the north side of Hall Road (Route 788), east of Davis Drive (Route 868) and east of Oakgrove Road (Route 824) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

A complete copy of the proposed amendments are on file and may be examined at the Office of the County Administrator Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by calling the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200 to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

LEGI-2024-0017, STERLING MOTORCARS: ZMOD-2024-0010 (Zoning Modification) Lithia VA Real Estate, LLC has submitted an application for a zoning modification for approximately 6.64-acres of land located north of the intersection of Waxpool Road (Route 625) and Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036) and west of Sully Road (Route 28) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 21826 Pacific Blvd, Sterling, Virginia, PIN: 043-28-9166-000, and Tax Map # /80//18//26A2/. For ZMOD-2024-0010, the applicant seeks to modify the signage requirements approved in ZMOD-1998-0002, Dulles 28 Centre Sign Plan, and the applicable provisions of Section 523 of the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (1972 Zoning Ordinance), to allow an increase in the number of signs, total sign area for an individual sign, and the total aggregate sign area on-site, in the PD-CH (Planned Development – Commercial Highway) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance.

LEGI-2023-0102, CENTURY CORNER AT GOOSE CREEK VILLAGE: ZCPA-2023-0009, SPEX-2023-0035, SPEX-2023-0036, & ZMOD-2024-0006 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Zoning Modification, and Special Exceptions) ZD Acquisitions LP has submitted applications for: a zoning concept plan amendment, zoning modification, and special exceptions for approximately 3.84 acres of land located west of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and north of the Dulles Greenway (VA 267) in the Ashburn Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as PIN 154-48-3700-000 and Tax Map /78/S/1CM///6/. For ZCPA-2023-0009, the applicant seeks to increase the number of Independent Living Units from 80 to 120. For SPEX-20230035, the applicant seeks to modify the plat design and layout associated with SPEX-20160007, Continuing Care Facility, Assisted Living. For SPEX-2023-0036, the applicant seeks to modify the building and parking layouts previously approved with SPEX-2016-0008, Continuing Care Facility, Nursing Home use. For ZMOD-2024-0006, the applicant seeks to reduce building setbacks from 90 feet to 70 feet, and parking setbacks from 25 feet to 20 feet along Belmont Ridge Road, and to reduce building setbacks from 50 feet to 20 feet along the Dulles Greenway. The applications are being processed under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution, dated December 13, 2023.

PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

TAX MAP NUMBER

024-46-1074-000

117 Dominion Lane, Sterling, VA

/95////////13/

024-45-8235-000

N/A

/95////////15/

024-45-9931-000

N/A

/95////////9/

024-46-1245-000

N/A

/95////////10/

024-46-2653-000

N/A

/95/////////11/

024-46-2062-000

N/A

/95////////12/

For ZMAP-2019-0021, the applicant seeks to rezone the property from the R-1 (Single Family Residential-1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 50 single family attached units at a density of 10.6 dwelling units per acre. The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023, and the Order.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, and amendments for each land use application listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center.

Meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40.

Meetings also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on January 3, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on January 15, 2025. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room.

If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF:

PHYLLIS J. RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 12/26 & 1/2/25

YEAR IN REVIEW

PAGE 22

JANUARY 2, 2025

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VEHICLE AUCTION MD Repo Vehicles For Public Sale at ADESA Washington, DC. All Makes and Models Running Weekly Details can be found at www.adesawashingtondc.com Terms: State and local orders will be strictly enforced at the sale, including social distancing and limits on the number of people permitted to gather in certain areas. All attendees must comply with such procedures or will be required to leave the premises. We strongly recommend that all attendees wear face coverings for the protection of themselves and our staff. Bidder agrees to register and pay a refundable $500 cash deposit plus a non-refundable $20 entry fee before the Sale starts. The balance of the purchase is due in full by 5:00pm on sale day. vehicles are AS-IS and are subject to a buy fee based on the sale price of the vehicle. Only cash or certified funds will be accepted. No vehicle will be released until Payment is made in full. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted.

VEHICLE AUCTION ADESA WASHINGTON DC 705-996-1100 44475 OLD OX ROAD DULLES, VA 20166

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale monthly on Wednesdays. Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may preview/inspect vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops.

All results will be final by 5:00 p.m. Terms: Cash or Certified Check.

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 23

Post your job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online.

Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only.

EOE/ADA.

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs.

Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications.

All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

Regular Full-Time Positions Position

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Cataloger/Reference Librarian

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Communications Technician (Police Dispatch)

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Police Officer (Entry Level)

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Police Officer (Virginia Lateral)

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Police

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JANUARY 2, 2025

Opinion Getting on the bus?

Published by Loudoun Community Media 15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 703-770-9723 KURT ASCHERMANN Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org NORMAN K. STYER Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

This week, the county government rolled out its fare-free bus service to residents in much of Loudoun.

Historically, the buses circulating on the fixed-route loops have been notable for one thing—the prevalence of empty seats.

It is doubtful that the $1 fare has been a substantial barrier to ridership, but it also provided a negligible revenue source compared with the expense of providing the service. One supervisor described the revenue as “chump change” with unfortunate accuracy.

Indeed, if the county had moved forward with planned upgrades to its outdated collection system it would have taken more than two years just to recoup the equipment costs at the current revenue level.

With the offer of fare-free rides, county leaders finally will learn once and for all whether Loudoun can become a transit-oriented community. With a history of low ridership on its buses and still-sparse use of Metrorail’s Silver Line it would seem to be an unlikely outcome.

Over the course of the experiment, what may result is a much nimbler system that can better respond to actual demand for the service. The buses should follow the passengers with the goal of filling as many seats as possible on each trip. That may result in even better service for neighborhoods where it is needed most and an abandonment of areas that generate mostly empty travel miles.

Or we could confirm that mass transit buses just aren’t our thing and pass along the fleet to another community where they will be valued.

EDITORIAL AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org ADVERTISING SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county.

Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

Current News

Supervisors to Establish Preferred Corridors for Transmission Lines

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After a year of controversy on where electric transmission lines should be permitted, county supervisors are set to spend part of 2025 addressing just that through a Comprehensive Plan amendment.

While authority to designate where lines are built lies with regional and state entities, the board is looking for a way to hold more sway over where they are allowed.

The amendment process would look to adopt mapping, text, and policy amendments identifying ideal transmission corridors within the county.

The proposal stems from a report on the state of electric infrastructure within Loudoun delivered to the board’s Transportation and Land Use Committee.

During the Oct. 17 meeting, Kimley-Horn Consultant Michael DeNichilo said the county has approximately 37 miles of 500 kilovolt lines, 125 miles of

230 kV lines and 2 miles of underground 230 kV lines – a total of 164 miles of transmission lines in Loudoun.

The demand for power is expected increase as more data centers are brought online, which will result in the need for more infrastructure, he said.

Because of that, the consultant recommended identifying and siting preferred transmission corridors to be considered

by PJM Interconnection, the region’s power coordinator and the State Corporation Commission, which give final approval on power projects.

A plan to do that was adopted by the board earlier this month. The project is divided into two phases – the first is estimated to take 10 to 12 months and will focus on developing a map of all existing and approve high voltage transmission line corridors and the preferred location for development of future lines.

Phase one will also include updates and amendments to the electrical policies in the 2019 General Plan supporting collocation, design and aesthetics of high voltage corridors.

The second phase is planned to begin after phase one’s completion and is estimated to take 12-14 months. It will focus on long-term planning for the expansion of the county’s electrical infrastructure and the identification of potential routes for new corridors to address future load growth. It will also consider map amendments to the phase one map and identify new high voltage transmission corridors designated by the county.

The estimated cost to hire a third-party consultant to support county staff with the project is approximately $212,000.

As a Comprehensive Plan amendment, the changes will be reviewed by both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors and undergo two public hearings.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) said identifying the corridors places the county in a better position to argue for or against projects.

“Of course, the SCC decides where to approve these, but that gives the local municipalities a little bit more clout in those discussion,” he said. n

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

READERS’ poll

PAGE 25

CHIPshots — By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

What is your top wish for the New Year?

• 40.5% Good health • 19.0% Better economy • 16.5% World peace • 15.2% Better civic leadership • 6.3% Travel/Vacation more • 1.3% More time with family • 1.3% Better job THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Last fall, most poll responders predicted a mediocre season for the Commanders. What factor is most driving this year’s success?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

Loudoun Learners Program to Launch IT Careers A new partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is expected to help fill the gaps in the Loudoun County government’s IT workforce while helping residents start on rewarding career paths.

The Loudoun Learners program kicks off next month when six candidates will be selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants to participate in a two-year internship when they will be full-time COG employees while working in Loudoun government agencies and gaining experience in coding and software engineering.

The application deadline is Jan. 6.

Steve Cooper, COG’s director of workforce innovation, said the program is intended to address the shortage in technologists needed across the government and to provide Loudoun County residents with a new and lucrative career path.

County supervisors approved $1.03 million in funding for the program, which includes having four COG staff members working as contractors in the Department of Information Technology to mentor the selected participants.

Cooper said a key obstacle to filling many of the county’s vacant IT positions is the frequent requirement that applicants have a least two years of experience.

At the end of the program, participants

will hold that qualification and could join the government or pursue opportunities in the private section where their skills also would be in high demand.

The Loudoun program was built on the experience of a similar internship program in Arlington County that provided 25 participants with 12 weeks of IT training. One of the graduates of that program now works for COG and will be a mentor to the Loudoun participants, Cooper said.

As of Monday, 94 applications have been filed. Cooper expects that to double before the Jan. 6 deadline.

In addition to a requirement that candidates be Loudoun residents, the selection team will be looking for candidates from underrepresented demographics with a passion for technology. Cooper said that could be demonstrated through activities such as working with video games, designing webpages or building computers. The panel also will be looking for strong collaboration and communication skills that are critical to working in a team environment, Cooper said.

The selected candidates will have fulltime jobs with a salary of $48,120 through mid-2026.

To learn more go to mwcog.org and search for "loudoun learners." n

Gabriella’s Work Continues: Funding Extended for Childhood Cancer Research Effort In the legislative jockeying to avert a pre-holiday federal government shutdown a Loudoun County-inspired effort to dedicate more money to childhood cancer research successfully emerged.

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 reauthorizes federal funding for a special National Institute of Health program that supports research of treatments and cures for childhood cancer.

The program was created in 2015 when Congress appropriated $12.6 million annually for the effort.

It is named after a 10-year-old Leesburg girl who died from a rare brain disease in 2013. In the year before her death, Gabriella Miller raised national awareness about childhood cancer and inspired the creation of the Smashing Walnuts Foundation, referencing her walnut-sized brain tumor. The foundation, founded by her parents Ellyn and Mark, works to secure funding for the Kids First Research Fund and other programs aimed at eradicating devastating childhood diseases.

The reauthorization was approved by the U.S. Senate in the early hours of Friday morning after it was removed from a bipartisan continuing resolution to provide funding for government operations amid opposition from President-elect Donald Trump and his advisors.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) led the effort on the Senate floor to win unanimous support for the reauthorization, which previously was approved in the House, albeit for a shorter term and at a lower funding level than proposed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. That version included a 10-year extension with escalators that would raise funding $25 million per year. The House legislation provides $12.6 million per year for five years.

“While it’s not everything I hoped, and it’s not everything that the Senate HELP Committee did in a bipartisan way, it would continue this important program,” Kaine said.

CANCER RESEARCH continues on page 26

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YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

Home Explosion

Power Crunch

continued from page 3

continued from page 3

that you will willingly lay down your life selflessly for others” and said Brown was “a beacon of light” that could not be extinguished.

“This moment, as immensely tragic as it is, is not the end, but holds hope for green shoots to emerge from these tragic ashes,” he said. “Trevor’s legacy will live on through all the lives he touched. The community of brothers and sisters will grow closer and therefore the fabric of our commonwealth and of our country will grow stronger.”

The explosion was determined to be caused by a leak from a buried 500-gallon propane tank on the Silver Drive property. A former Southern States employee is being charged with manslaughter in Brown’s death.

According to court documents, Roger Bentley and Michael Litten, both working for Southern States at the time, were called to service the tank earlier that day when the homeowner smelled gas.

According to the document, at approximately 2:30 p.m. Litten showed up at the home and started filling the tank.

Litten began smelling propane and asked the homeowner why her tank was “locked out and unhooked” and he seemed “very frantic.”

Litten said he had contacted his supervisors at the company and that the tank would need to be dug up, or have remaining propane pumped out of the tank. He said the leak was likely attributable to the age of the tank.

Two hours later, Bentley arrived at the home. After assessing the tank, he told the homeowner he had decided to let the tank leak out the remaining propane and to “let it seep out of the ground and be on their merry way.”

The conversations between Bentley and the property owner were captured on the home’s doorbell camera, according to the warrant.

According to indictments handed up by a grand jury in October, Bentley handled propane without proper certification.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the involuntary manslaughter charges.

A three-week trial is scheduled to begin July 7.

The explosion also launched a Significant Incident Review, which was conducted by Frederick County, MD, Fire Chief Tom Coe with assistance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The detailed third-party review is intended to reconstruct every aspect of the incident to determine whether the system had appropriate plans, policies, and procedures and whether crews on the ground followed them. The final report will determine which elements of the response went well, which didn’t, and suggest policy and procedural improvements, if needed.

According to LCFR Public Information Officer Laura Rinehart, that report is in the process of being finalized by System Chief Keith Johnson and will be released to Brown’s widow, Laura, and the Board of Supervisors before being released to the public in late January. n

concerned about the industry’s impact on the grid, and residents’ voiced concerns such as noise, environmental impacts and viewshed disruption.

That was shown through an application by residents who live along Hiddenwood Lane in Arcola and sought to rezone their land to allow data centers on their properties. Once a rural farming area, two dozen data centers have been approved to be built around the neighborhood, making their area industrial and placing them in a construction zone, they said. Allowing the construction of data centers on their land would provide enough money to the residents to sell their homes and restart elsewhere. That was opposed by residents of Briarfield Estates, which backs up to the properties on Hiddenwood Lane. Allowing even more data centers would only shift the burden to them, they said.

Without majority support from the Board of Supervisors, the Hiddenwood Assemblage withdrew the application and is working on another proposal which envisions and industrial use on the property.

In July, the Board of Supervisors endorsed Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance reviews with the goal of removing data centers as by-right uses in the county. This would require all applications to pass before the Planning Commission and the board for final approval.

That project was slowed as commissioners were hesitant to recommend the blanket change, instead looking for a more in-depth review of where data centers are suitable and where they are not. Ultimately the commission denied recommending the change but did provide specific proposals if the board decided to move forward with it anyway. Those included grandfathering in some existing applications, removing data centers as by-right in some locations and performance standards.

Turner published a white paper which called for a dramatic re-thinking of the industry, community collaboration and

innovative solutions to the problems facing data center growth. The solution will require all forms of generating energy such as wind, solar, and possibly nuclear, with on-site power generation being key, he said.

Reconductoring existing transmission lines, with upgraded conductors that can transfer more power, is also an important step, according to his white paper.

His concerns about the growth of power demand were mirrored in the JLARC report which was released to the General Assembly Dec. 9. It represents “unprecedented challenges,” according to the report.

Unconstrained data center growth will require 150% more in state generation capacity, 40% more transmission and 150% more energy importing, the commission found.

It will also require adding new solar facilities at twice the expected rate, adding large natural gas plants every year and a half, more offshore wind sources and some nuclear power, which is not expected to be viable in the form of small modular reactors until 2035.

But the report also found that the economic benefit of data centers within the state are significant.

“In recent years, the industry supported 74,000 jobs on average, including direct jobs building or working in data centers, and the indirect jobs created to support those workers in sectors like retail and housing,” report Project Leader Mark Gribbin told the commission. “Altogether, industry-related jobs brought an estimated $5.5 billion in annual labor income, and the industry added $9.1 billion to the state's economy.”

In 2025, county leaders will look to revisit the proposal to make data centers by-right as well as possibly consider removing the incentive for data centers to be fast-tracked through the administrative review process. State legislators will take their cues from the JLARC report, possibly looking to implement some of the report’s eight recommendations and 10 policy considerations. n

more than $125 million in research into pediatric cancer, he said.

The program was also a priority of Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10th) and securing its continuation before she left office at the end of the year was among her final legislative goals.

“For as long as I have been serving in Congress, I’ve been fighting to pass

the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 and extend critical funding for childhood cancer research,” Wexton said in a statement. “I’m so proud that we’ve finally gotten this lifesaving bill through Congress and on its way to be signed into law. This bipartisan bill will build on the groundbreaking work of the Kids First program and deliver much-needed re-

sources to better understand, treat, and hopefully one day cure childhood cancer.

No family should have to face the fear and pain of their child’s cancer diagnosis, and I’m grateful for the partnership of Senator Tim Kaine and the remarkable advocacy of Ellyn Miller and the Miller family in honor of Gabriella and her fight, to build support for this bill.” n

Cancer Research continued from page 25 Kaine noted that when the Millers started their campaign less than 1% of federal medical research focused on pediatric cancer. The first 10 years of the Kids First program has produced

Contributed

The scene of a Feb. 16, 2024, home explosion on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling.

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 2, 2025

PAGE 27

A Loudoun Moment

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Fog sweeps in over the Potomac River at sunset near Lovettsville.

Early Voting Expands as Special Elections Approach

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

With less than a week left before the Jan. 7 special elections that will have some eastern Loudoun residents picking a new delegate and a new senator, some have already cast their ballots through the county’s early voting opportunities.

As of Dec. 23, 1,090 residents had voted early in person, with an additional 2,177 mail-in ballots received by the

Office of Elections.

Voters will have a chance this Saturday and on Jan. 4 to vote early at two satellite locations – Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling and Dulles South Recreation Center in South Riding. Early voting is also available at the Office of Elections in Leesburg Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of New Year’s Day. Two races are being held concurrently for House District 26 and Senate District 32.

Democrat Kannan Srinivasan and Republican Tumay Harding are vying for the 32nd District, which covers part of Ashburn, Sterling, Brambleton and South Riding. The seat is currently held

by Suhas Subramanyam, who was elected to the House of Representatives in November.

After earning his party’s nomination, Srinivasan resigned from representing the 26th House District, effective Jan. 7, prompting the second special election.

Democrat JJ Singh is running for the seat

against Republican Ram Venkatachalam.

The district covers parts of Brambleton and South Riding.

Although both districts have been Democratic strongholds in recent elections, Republican wins would tip control of the General Assembly.

The last day to request a mail in ballot is Friday, Dec. 27 at 5 p.m. Voting will be open at all precincts Jan. 7. Learn more at loudoun.gov/voteearly. n

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JANUARY 2, 2025