August 2022

Welcome to the August 2022 edition of the Dulles Direct newsletter. I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. I want to start by wishing all Loudoun County students, teachers, staff, and parents a smooth transition back to school for the 2022/23 academic year. The last few school years have been challenging, but I hope this year is productive and exciting for students and teachers alike. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released a video on back-to-school pedestrian and traffic safety. You can watch the video here. I encourage you all to be vigilant when driving, as many students walk to school each day.

As a reminder, the Board of Supervisors was in recess this month – meaning we didn’t hold any of our regularly scheduled Business Meetings or Public Hearings. However, my staff and I were still busy. We will be back to our normal schedule in September, starting with our Business Meeting on September 6. At that meeting, I will present our annual resolution recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Loudoun County (check out the announcements section at the end of the newsletter for ways you can get involved).

Earlier this month, I attended South Riding’s National Night Out, which focuses on public safety in our communities. I was joined by Sheriff Mike Chapman and many members of the Sheriff’s Office and Fire-Rescue Department. Thanks to the South Riding Proprietary for making the event a success.

WMATA continues to perform final testing on the Silver Line before it opens to riders this fall. Bringing Metro to Loudoun was the first major vote I ever took on the Board of Supervisors in 2012, and I’ve been part of a group working hard over the past 18 months to finally bring it to fruition. 

Ahead of the Silver Line opening, Metro conducted a large joint training exercise earlier this month at the Ashburn station. Over a hundred fire and emergency personnel took part in a full-scale emergency drill on August 17. Metro conducted the exercise in coordination with Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The exercise allowed local emergency personnel to familiarize themselves with the rail system and Metro cars so they can respond to incidents efficiently in the future.

I was very excited to welcome new Metro GM Randy Clarke to Loudoun earlier this month. I met with Randy at Loudoun Station and we then toured the new Dulles Railyard with his team. We had a great discussion about the future of the Silver Line and WMATA. I look forward to working with Randy for many years to come.

Finally, congratulations to two Loudoun South Little League teams that represented our state and community well on the big stage. The LSLL All Star American team won the Virginia State Championship and competed in the U.S. Southeast Regional in Georgia, advancing all the way to the Regional Championship game before falling just short. The Loudoun South Juniors All Star team won their district and state championships and competed in the Juniors World Series in Michigan. The legacy of excellence from our local Little League continues! Congratulations to the players, coaches, parents and supporters.  

Ribbon Cutting at Conklin Park Bike Trail

Tonight, we are cutting the ribbon on our new bike trail at Conklin Park. The trail was built as a partnership between South Riding Proprietary, which paid for construction, and the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, which handled an extensive permitting process (which required both County and federal permits with the Army Corps of Engineers) and will operate the facility. If you happen to read this in time, we’ll be at Conklin at 6:00 p.m. tonight (August 31) to officially open the trail. You can watch the trail video here! 

Braddock Road Widening

As I have shared with you in the past, the County has split the widening of Braddock Road into phased projects that are more manageable from a time and cost perspective. We currently have three active projects in various stages:

• Supreme/Summerall Intersection: This segment of the project will widen Braddock from Kilkeen Way to just west of Royal Hunter Drive. It includes turn lanes and a signal at the Supreme and Summerall intersection as well as a shared use path on the north side of Braddock.  Acquisition of the needed right of way was finalized this summer and utility relocation work has started. Washington Gas is onsite relocating a gas line that would conflict with the project. We expect their relocation to be completed by October. In November, the Board will consider an agreement with Van Metre to construct the project as part of their proffered widening of Braddock further to the east. Combining the two projects under one contract should reduce costs and create efficiencies. We expect construction to begin by next spring.

• Royal Hunter Drive to Gum Spring Road: Van Metre is proffered to widen this segment of Braddock Road as part of the Hogan Kent Greene development approval. They are currently working through securing the needed right of way and finalizing design plans. As stated above, we will be considering an agreement to couple this project with the widening at Supreme/Summerall for cost savings and time efficiencies. Construction is expected to begin next spring.

• Paul VI eastern entrance to Loudoun County Parkway: The design for widening this segment of Braddock is currently progressed to about 30% and has been submitted to VDOT and Loudoun Building & Development for initial review. A virtual Public Information Meeting on the design has been scheduled for September 29, 2022. I will share access information as soon as it is available. After design is completed, the County will need to secure necessary right of way from property owners along the route. Funding for land acquisition is available in FY24 and FY25. Utility relocation is funded in FY26 and construction funding will be available in FY27. I was able to move up the funding for construction by one year during last year’s Capital Improvement Plan development process.

Dulles Landing and Concerns with Residential Construction in the AIOD

Earlier this month I sent out an email in response to a campaign from Dulles Landing (Beatty Company) opposing adoption of the Airport Impact Overlay District. I felt that the mailing and campaign by the developer was quite deceptive, and I’ve received a lot of feedback from constituents in agreement. Dulles Landing is seeking to build 600 apartment units at the shopping center, and is fighting adoption of the updated AIOD because it will not permit residential in such a high noise impact area. I am not supportive of that request, and believe that we should adopt the updates to the Overlay District to accurately reflect current and future airport operations. 

I strive for accuracy in my communications, so I do wish to correct one mistake I made in my writings. I stated that Runway 30 was added since the last AIOD was done in 1993, but that is not correct. Runway 30 was original to Dulles and has been there since it was opened in 1962. Runway 1L/19R is actually the newest runway, which was opened after 1993. 

The Planning Commission will hold a work session regarding the proposal to update Loudoun’s Airport Impact Overlay District in order to reflect current and planned flight traffic around Dulles on September 8. Following that work session, the issue will come to the Board later this fall for action. Adopting these proposed contours does not set flight paths; it only recognizes noise levels from existing and planned traffic at the airport. The FAA directs the route that planes take to reach their destination. Our overlay district is purely a tool to keep homes out of the noisiest areas around the airport and ensure that other homes have proper attenuation.

I will update you with the action from the Planning Commission and schedule for Board review next month.

Chipotle Coming to Dulles South

Speaking of Dulles Landing, but on a much more positive note, Dulles Landing is now publicly listing Chipotle as a future tenant. When I last met with Beatty earlier this summer, they were finalizing a deal, so I’m pleased that it has come to fruition. I have long been pushing for Chipotle to come to Dulles South and I’ll be happy to assist Beatty with anything they need from the County to get this built. The pad site is located just north of Walmart, near Dulles West Boulevard.

Northstar Boulevard – Route 50 to Tall Cedars Parkway

Construction is progressing on our project to complete the missing link of Northstar Boulevard between Tall Cedars Parkway and Route 50. As you can see from the photos below, work on the bridge over the Broad Run is progressing and the intersection at Route 50 is beginning to take shape. Estimated completion for the project is currently late 2023 or early 2024.

Construction Begins on Poland Hill Senior Apartments

Construction has begun on the affordable senior apartments approved as part of the Poland Hill community. The building will house 78 age restricted (55+) affordable apartments and is located within Poland Hill on the west side of Poland Road. The site plan was approved by the County in May and the developer got started on the project this month. Construction is expected to be completed in fall of 2023 and leasing information should be available for potential residents next summer. 

Arcola Boulevard/Dulles West Boulevard

Progress continues on the developer proffered project to complete Arcola Boulevard from Route 50 to Loudoun County Parkway and Dulles West Boulevard from Arcola Boulevard to Dulles Landing. The Arcola Center developer is currently estimating another 3-4 weeks is needed to complete the tie-in at Route 50, including the addition of a right turn lane from westbound 50 onto northbound Arcola Boulevard. They had to pause work due to some interim maintenance of traffic issues with VDOT. Those issues are now resolved and they are back to work.

Once that tie-in is complete and the signals are finalized, they plan to open Arcola Boulevard from Route 50 to Dulles West Boulevard and Dulles West to Dulles Landing for traffic. I will share more information on a planned opening as soon as those details have been established. We remain in contact with the developer on progress updates.

At my request and the request of the Sheriff’s Office, Arcola Center has finally sealed off access to Dulles West Boulevard until it is open. I recently inspected this myself to ensure that it was sealed off. We had some unsafe situations happening with cars using the road despite it not being ready. It should be opened back to traffic once the rest of the road network is open this fall. 

Ticonderoga Road Paving

VDOT expects work to begin on paving Ticonderoga Road within the next week. Crews have been onsite staging materials and installing signage in preparation for the project. They plan to close Ticonderoga to through traffic while working in order to complete the project quicker. They will have approximately 90 days to complete the project though it is not expected to take that long.

Mountain View Residential

ZMAP-2020-0012 & SPEX-2021-0020 

At our September 6 Business Meeting the Board will discuss and vote on an application to develop up to 41 single-family attached residential units (townhomes) on about 6.33 acres located on Mountain View Drive north of Tall Cedars Parkway and west of Poland Road.

We heard many concerns from residents at our two public hearings about traffic along Mountain View Drive, ranging from parking, water management, consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, and general concerns about the development. These types of applications with new development proposed adjacent to established neighborhoods are always difficult. With a staff recommendation of approval and an 8-0-1 vote in favor of the project from the Planning Commission, the application has a lot of support on the Board. That said, I understand why current residents in the vicinity are not excited about it. 

However, as always, the Board must evaluate each application based on the law. Given the strong recommendations of support and finding by staff that the application was consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, I believed that the best strategy for me on behalf of the community was to work to improve the application as much as it could given the likelihood it would pass, and I’m pleased to report that we did make a great deal of progress. Most notably and for the first time in recent Loudoun County development history, the applicant has agreed to a hydrologic analysis of their property and the surrounding area, as well a drainage study for properties in the drainage shed of the development. The Mountain View area has long had major drainage issues, and this study will both ensure that nothing is made worse by this development and that it has a proper stormwater management plan; it will also give us a roadmap for potential improvements to the entire community. The Board of Supervisors is considering a Stormwater Management Program to assist existing communities plagued by these types of issues, and down the road I believe this area could be a candidate, especially if a study has already been done. 

Beyond that issue, the proffers have been updated to provide a sidewalk extension down Mountain View Drive and through the first sharp curve. This will provide safe passage for neighbors walking toward Poland Road or the public recreation space that the proposed development would provide. This would also help with cleaner site distance for drivers on Mountain View. The applicant also added parking spaces so that they are providing a total of 5 per unit. Also, the applicant has committed to engaging VDOT to establish no parking areas along Mountain View Drive.

I will be reviewing the final proffer language when it comes out this week. Assuming that it reflects everything that we’ve agreed to, I will support this application as a reflection of the good faith negotiation I engaged in with the applicant, despite my personal misgivings about the density. This is one of those cases in which if I were king for a day, this development would look different. But I have to operate within the confines of the law and our jobs on the Board. To me, these types of cases are the hardest that we have.   

Freedom High School Milestone Monopole Under Consideration by the School Board 

Last month, I wrote that a wireless developer known as Milestone Towers is in discussions with Loudoun County Public Schools about a 150-foot telecommunications monopole on the Freedom High School campus as part of a larger wireless network expansion program in the greater Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. The monopole will primarily house AT&T equipment and will be used to bolster cell and internet coverage in the region. The location was chosen based on analysis conducted by AT&T that shows this area as having a need for better coverage.

No land use application has been officially filed with the County yet. LCPS must first decide whether to enter into an agreement with Milestone, and then the application would be filed with the County. The Finance and Operations Committee of the School Board has been discussing this issue and will be hearing an update from Milestone and discussing the project at their September 6 meeting. For information on how to participate in the meeting, please click here.

Surveying, geotechnical analysis, and various environmental studies have already been conducted. LCPS held a community meeting on July 18 with Milestone to answer questions and address comments regarding the project.  I have spoken with School Board Chairman Jeff Morse about the project; he told me that he is still reviewing it and waiting for some followup information.  

I have been contacted by residents asking me to oppose the project. It would be premature for me to do so given that there is not yet an application. If/when there is, I will evaluate it. I will remind residents that the County Attorney has advised the Board of Supervisors that under federal law, the Board cannot consider any concerns about the health impacts of cell towers when making decisions. Our review must solely be focused on the land use aspect of the project.

If the School Board approves the agreement with Milestone, the project will undergo review by County staff, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.  

For more information on the proposal as well as the approval process, please click here. Information on the LCPS process can be found here. 

Redistricting Plan Certified by Attorney General

I am pleased to announce that Loudoun County’s redistricting plan has officially been approved by Virginia Attorney General Miyares. Next, County staff will work on creating new precincts and polling places and redraw some existing precinct lines to line up with the new County districts. There will be a Public Hearing in December on all precinct and polling location changes, and I’ll provide more information on that meeting in the coming months.

The Board approved our redistricting plan on June 7 of this year. As a reminder, the revised Letourneau-Turner plan creates a large western district that encompasses everything north and west of Leesburg. The town of Leesburg will be a district by itself, with a district south of Leesburg covering Middleburg, Aldie, Brambleton, and most of the Transition Policy Area. There will also be a district east of Leesburg and an Ashburn area district south of Route 7 stretching from Moorefield Station to One Loudoun, and east to Kincora. The new Sterling area district under our plan will include Dulles Town Center and the Loudoun Valley Estates communities. Our (southeastern) district will include the airport as well as South Riding, Stone Ridge, and communities east of Gum Spring Road and south of Route 50. The area north of 50 (Arcola Center, Dulles Landing, StoneSprings Hospital, etc.) will be included in our new Dulles district. We will be keeping the name Dulles for our district. All the districts will retain their current names except Blue Ridge – which will become the Little River District.

Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park

Phase two of light-level testing at the athletic fields is now complete. Work at the onsite historic Hanson House is ongoing, with ceilings being installed and mechanical equipment being tested. Crews are continuing to complete construction punch list items throughout the park and conduct final inspections. Construction is substantially complete, with the Parks Department readying the park for its public opening. More information on a date to come.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Childhood Cancer Awareness and Fundraising Events

As I mentioned in the introduction, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month both locally in Loudoun County and nationally. There are several events going on in the County to raise awareness and funds for research into childhood cancer.

USA Softball will host a “Playing Funds the Cure” benefit tournament at Bolen Park on September 17 and 18. Funds raised will go toward the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. For more information on the tournament, click here.

Lost Barrel Brewing in Middleburg and the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research will host a fundraiser day on September 18 to raise money for the Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center. For more information, click here.

Ellie’s Hats, a local childhood cancer awareness group, will be hosting their Fall Classic golf tournament on Friday, October 7 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the South Riding Golf Course. You can click here to learn more and to register for the tournament.

Keep an eye out for more opportunities to get involved in the fight against childhood cancer as we enter September!

Fill-the-Boot for Muscular Dystrophy 

Labor Day weekend, members of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System and the Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Association Local 3756 will join the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to collect donations for the 2022 “Fill-the-Boot” campaign. 

Firefighters will be hitting the streets across Loudoun County between September 3 – 5, 2022 to support the MDA’s mission and give the Loudoun community the opportunity to make a difference.

The Fill-the-Boot drive is the result of a partnership between MDA and the International Association of Fire Fighters. All funds raised by Loudoun County firefighters assist local families affected by one of the forty-three neuromuscular diseases. These donations provide families with a network of specialized clinics, financial aid for assistive equipment, support groups, informative publications, and accessible summer camps for kids. 

If you miss us or would rather make a secure online donation to our 2022 MDA campaign, please visit https://bit.ly/FTBLoudoun3756. For more information about the Muscular Dystrophy Association and to learn how your generous donations help these amazing kids, please visit www.mda.org. 

Dominion Energy Public Input Meeting

Dominion Energy would like to invite you to a community meeting from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 8 at John Champe High School (41535 Sacred Mountain Street). At the meeting, subject matter experts from Dominion will be providing information and taking questions about their project to construct two new substations and 500 kV and 230 kV transmission lines in Brambleton. The project is part of Dominion’s larger electric transmission infrastructure buildout in the region, which is intended to enhance the local electric grid and improve service. Preliminary routing maps will be present at the meeting for public feedback. 

Loudoun Seeks Comments About Board of Supervisors Public Input Process 

Loudoun County is seeking input from the community concerning the process for providing public comment to the Board of Supervisors.

Members of the public are invited to fill out a brief online survey to answer questions about the current process for providing comments to the Board, including questions about the advance sign-up procedure and what their preferred language to provide comments would be. The survey results will be used by the Board as it considers changes to its Rules of Order related to the procedures for accepting public comment in languages other than English during Board meetings.

• Take the online survey in English
• Take the online survey in Spanish

Changes previously considered by the Board would allow speakers who wish to provide comments in a language other than English to use the allotted time to deliver comments in a language other than English and provide the Board with a transcript of the comments or allocate the full time to an interpreter to deliver comments in English on the commenters’ behalf.

The survey will be active through close of business on Monday, September 12, 2022. To request the survey in a language other than English or Spanish, email publicaffairs@loudoun.gov.

The Board of Supervisors encourages people to sign up to speak during public comment periods at its meetings. Members of the public are typically given at least two minutes to speak. Speakers have the option to deliver comments in person or remotely.

Details on the current procedures for public comment at Board meetings may be found online at loudoun.gov/signuptospeak.

Monkeypox

There are about 325 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the Commonwealth of Virginia, mostly in the northern region.

The Loudoun County Health Department and other northern Virginia jurisdictions can now provide monkeypox vaccines to residents at high risk of exposure in addition to those who are close contacts of those infected. Here is the link to an online vaccine request/screening form. The CDC and VDH are currently not recommending widespread vaccination for monkeypox. Instead, vaccination is recommended for specific populations who are at increased risk. The Health Department will screen all requests to identify those who are eligible for vaccination at this time. 

COVID-19 Information

The Loudoun County Health Department will host its last weekly vaccination clinic at its Leesburg location on Friday, September 2, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Vaccinations are by appointment only and are for children aged 6 months and older. There is no charge for the vaccine.

The CDC and VDH recommend that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine formulation approved for this age group is recommended in multi-dose series depending on the type of vaccine provided:

• Moderna: Two-dose series administered 4 weeks apart. Previously, this vaccine had been authorized for use in adults 18 years of age and older.
• Pfizer-BioNTech: Three-dose series with the first two doses administered three weeks apart and a third dose at least two months after the second dose. Previously, this vaccine had been authorized for use in individuals 5 years of age and older.

Some providers may choose to offer both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, while others may decide only to offer one. Loudoun County health officials encourage parents and guardians to talk to their health care providers for specific information about which vaccine they will be offering as well as about the CDC recommendations.

Parents have other options for getting their children vaccinated:

• Pediatric and Family Practice Medical Offices: Doctors and staff in these offices are accustomed to providing vaccines to very young children and are aware of any medical concerns and other special considerations for this age group.
• Retail pharmacies for age 3 and older: Pharmacies may be a good option for children 3 and older. Parents and guardians should call first to check availability and the age groups that may be vaccinated in these locations. Pharmacists in Virginia are restricted by law from administering vaccines to children younger than 3 years old.

The CDC has strengthened its recommendation that everyone who is eligible should receive a second booster dose at least 4 months after their first dose. Vaccine providers can be found at vaccines.gov.

The dates of the initial series and boosters are on your vaccination card issued at the time of the shots. If you received your shots in Virginia and have misplaced the card, you can find the date by searching for your vaccine record online. If you need assistance over the phone, call 866-375-9795. Assistance is available Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

The Virginia Department of Health has included a scannable QR code on vaccination records. The technology allows anyone vaccinated in Virginia to show proof of vaccination with a digital or printed QR code instead of a paper card.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at pharmacies in Loudoun County, including CVS, Walgreens, Giant, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, and others. Call your local pharmacy or visit their website to make an appointment. You may also search for available COVID-19 vaccines at vaccines.gov. The County is no longer operating a distribution pod site. If you have questions or need assistance finding a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, you may call the COVID-19 information line at 703-737-8300, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Every home in the United States is eligible to order free at-home COVID-19 tests courtesy of the federal government. To order yours today, please click here. If you need help placing your order, call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Loudoun County encourages everyone to stay informed about COVID-19:

• Sign up for email and text updates about Loudoun’s response to COVID19 at loudoun.gov/coronavirus.
• Opt in to receive text message updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic: English: Text LCCOVID19 to 888777 Spanish: Text LCCOVIDESP to 888777
• Follow the Loudoun County Government Facebook page and @LoudounCoGovt on Twitter

For additional information about COVID-19, visit loudoun.gov/coronavirus, call the Health Department's information line at 703-737-8300, or email the Health Department.

Donations to Local Food Banks

Donations to the Dulles South Food Pantry (DSFP) can be made in person at the pantry at 24757 Arcola Mills Drive on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or on Mondays from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., or online. DSFP provides food assistance up to twice a month to any person who resides in the attendance zones for the following high schools: Freedom, John Champe, Lightridge, Independence, Rock Ridge, and Briar Woods. Call 703-507-2795 or email info@dsfp.org to schedule an appointment. See the pantry's website for information on how you can help fight local hunger.

Donations to the Dulles South Soup Kitchen can be made on their website or at their location by appointment. Call (202) 930-3775 or email to make an appointment. The Dulles South Soup Kitchen distributes fresh and nutritious hot meals to anyone in need within Loudoun County every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the StoneSprings Hospital Center parking lot by Route 50. Registration is required on their website.

Blood Donation

There is a need for blood in the County, especially Type O and platelets. To schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets with the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org/give-blood.

Inova Blood Services also takes donors by appointment. Visit https://www.inovablood.org/ to schedule an appointment.

The Arcola Volunteer Fire Department will host a blood drive on Wednesday, September 7 from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the second floor meeting hall at 24300 Stone Springs Boulevard in Sterling. All donors will receive a drink tumbler as a thank you for donating blood. To book your appointment today, click here, call 1(866) 256-6372 (sponsor code 8584), or email dbennett@arcolavfd.org.