In This Issue: Welcome ♦ South Riding Boulevard/Defender Drive Signal Update ♦ Dulles Airport Runway 30 Noise Mitigation Project ♦ Board Approves Final Northstar Widening Design ♦ Belmont Ridge Road Detour ♦ VDOT Paving Projects Update ♦ Pantovic Property Rezoning ♦ Arcola Center Proffer Amendment ♦ Proposal to Reduce Penalty on Late Tax Payments ♦ Commuter Bus Fare Increase ♦ Announcements | | | |
Happy Thanksgiving
Welcome to the November 2025 edition of the Dulles Direct newsletter. I hope that everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. As always, I am thankful for all our County first responders who were working on Thanksgiving, and I’m also thankful for the opportunity to serve our community.
We had a particularly unfortunate early morning accident on Thanksgiving which resulted in the full closure of Gum Spring Road until about 5:00 p.m. A single vehicle drove into a power line, severing the pole, and damaging several utility lines that needed to be repaired. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident. I want to specifically thank the first responders and the utility crews who worked throughout the day on Thanksgiving to make the repairs and get the road back open.
Election Results
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in our most recent General Election. I want to especially thank the citizens for their votes in favor of Loudoun’s three bond questions, which will allow us access to methods of finance that will save taxpayers money in the long run. I also want to congratulate the new Dulles District School Board Representative-elect, Jonathon Pepper, and thank him and his opponent Santos Muñoz for their willingness to serve on the School Board, which is not an easy task. I believe the District Supervisor and School Board Representative should always maintain good, open lines of communication, which we’ve had throughout my time on the Board. I look forward to spending time with Mr. Pepper and ensuring that continues.
Stone Ridge Annual HOA Meeting
Earlier this month I had the chance to speak at Stone Ridge’s annual HOA meeting. I covered topics like transportation projects close to home, private sector development, data centers, the County budget, and more, then answered questions from those in attendance. I always enjoy attending community meetings to share updates on what’s going on in the community, and hearing what is on the mind of residents. We also heard a very interesting presentation from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office about e-bikes and scooters, which covered some of the details about the current law (and its shortcomings) and the types of vehicles that we are seeing in the community. Any parent that is considering buying one of these as a Christmas present should carefully review the materials prepared by LCSO, including this brochure.
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South Riding Boulevard/Defender Drive Signal Update
As I am sure you have noticed, the traffic signal at the intersection of South Riding Boulevard and Defender Drive is currently under construction. The signal was proffered by the developer of the Defender West apartment community located nearby on Defender Drive. The signal heads are up, so most of the work at this point is on the electrical side.
The developer expects the signal to be energized and placed into flash mode during the month of January. VDOT requires the signal to flash for 72 hours before going into full operation. As that date becomes more certain I will update you on my Facebook page.
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Dulles Airport Runway 30 Noise Mitigation Project
Last week, the Board considered three recommendations to the FAA that came out of the multi-year long Dulles Airport Runway 30 Noise Mitigation Project. Ultimately, we supported two of those recommendations, and voted not to recommend the third on a close vote. I was in the majority on each vote.
The FAA will need to evaluate the recommendations, and then will have its own process for potentially implementing them. Just because the Board is recommending these changes does not mean the FAA will actually implement them.
As background, this projected started when a group of residents from Birchwood at Brambleton expressed concerns about the level of noise they were experiencing in their community. Many of those homes were built during the pandemic when fewer aircraft were taking off. In 2020, the Board adopted new noise contours around the airport as a result of a 2019 Airports Authority Study that looked at the real world noise impacts of the airport, and the Birchwood community is in an area that today would not allow residential construction (called the DNL 65+ noise contour).
Recommendations
First, the design group recommended implementation of Noise Abatement Departure Procedures-1 (NADP-1) for all departures from Runway 30 at Dulles. Currently, departures use a different procedure called NADP-2. The NADP-1 climb profile is steeper and intended to get aircraft higher sooner so as to mitigate noise on the ground below. NADP-1 is likely to result in increased full burn, which is something that the FAA and most likely the airlines that use Dulles will evaluate. The Board voted to endorse this recommendation unanimously.
Second, the design group recommended that the airport implement a “nighttime heading” procedure that requires aircraft to fly runway heading until leaving 3,000 feet above sea level instead of immediately turning after departure to the north or south over densely populated residential areas. This procedure would be used from 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. to prevent undue aircraft noise while residents are trying to sleep in their homes below. This would most likely solve for the 2:00-4:00 a.m. flights to South America that many of us experience today. The Board also voted to endorse this recommendation unanimously.
You might be asking why that procedure cannot be used full time, but according to the consultant, traffic is too dense for that departure pattern during busier periods of the day.
Finally, the design group recommended new northwest and southwest flight paths. The Board voted 6-3 to oppose endorsing this specific recommendation. The vote was really 5-4, but Chair Randall, who supported the recommendation, changed her vote so that she could bring this item back up for reconsideration under the Board’s rules at our next business meeting on December 2. (I do not know if this reconsideration vote will occur.) I opposed this recommendation, along with Supervisors Saines, Briskman, Umstattd and Kershner.
My concern with this recommendation is that it consolidates hundreds if not thousands of flight paths today into just two to the north and to the south. The new routes to the north avoid the Birchwood community in Brambleton, and I understand the logic. However, because of the rules the FAA has about flight paths, a change like this also requires a consolidation of flight paths in the opposite direction, which is what led to this recommendation to the south. So effectively, the southern flight pattern changes were backed into because of the desire to bring relief to Brambleton.
The problem is, I think it is very likely that the new southern pattern will cause a great deal more noise for communities in the Arcola area, namely Briarfield Estates, Winsbury, and South Fork. These are small communities, and they did not have representation in the design group that was formed.
The proponents of the change argued that because the flights would ostensibly be higher due to NADP-1, the increased noise would be mitigated. Perhaps. But this area is still very close to the airport, and putting literally every single flight over the same general area, rather than spreading it out over a much larger area, would almost certainly mean more noise if you live in those impacted communities. At the onset of the process, I said that I would not support a recommendation that shifts noise from one community to another - even if it is from a larger one to a smaller one. The bottom line is that I represent these communities on the Board and I cannot in good conscience vote for something that I think may negatively impact their quality of life.
I would also note that following the new noise maps, and the news that this Arcola area is not in the DNL 65+ noise contour, the Board approved over 200 new homes as part of the Old Arcola Residential project, which includes affordable housing units as an adaptive reuse of the Old Arcola School. We did that to avoid a distribution center which was already approved on the site and would have been very impactful to residences. If we had intended to send all these airplanes over this area, then we should not have approved that housing, and I don’t think we should go back now and change things again.
As I said, this item could come back to the Board on December 2. If you do have an opinion, feel free to share it with the Board at bos@loudoun.gov. Also, you can certainly email me any questions you may have about this, because I recognize it is a difficult subject.
| | Current flight paths in white, with proposed flight paths in red | | A view of the proposed southwest and northwest flight paths | | |
Board Approves Final Northstar Widening Design
Project Details
The project to widen Northstar Boulevard between Tall Cedars and Braddock achieved another milestone on November 18 when the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to endorse the final design and location. Northstar Boulevard will be widened from Tall Cedars Parkway to Braddock Road from an existing two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane median divided roadway with an added shared-use path on the west side of the road. The project’s purpose is to improve north-south mobility for vehicles and complete bicycle and pedestrian facilities from Kinsale Place to Tall Cedars Parkway. The project includes the design and construction of approximately one mile of a new two-lane half-section of roadway from south of Tall Cedars Parkway to south of Braddock Road. The proposed improvements include two new twelve-foot southbound lanes to the west of the existing two-lane Northstar Boulevard roadway, right and left turn lanes at intersections with Braddock Road, Conejo Way, and Sacred Mountain Street, a shared-use path on the west side of the road, stormwater basin facilities, and ancillary drainage systems. The project will also construct a missing segment of shared-use path on the east side of Northstar Boulevard from Kinsdale Place to Braddock Road. In addition, the improvements will include signal modifications at the intersections of Braddock Road and Conejo Way/Mattingly Drive and the installation of a new signal at the intersection of Sacred Mountain Street/Stonecutter Street, which I hope to have accelerated to the beginning section of the project.
The project will also widen Braddock Road at its western approach to the intersection with Northstar Boulevard. Finally, the improvements will convert Lobo Drive to a cul-de-sac since the new shared-use path on the west side of the new roadway section encroaches into existing Lobo Drive.
Next Steps
The County held a design public hearing on this project in July and we had some good discussions about specific issues related to stormwater management and landscaping. With this vote, County staff will now finish final design and preparation of construction documents so that the project can move forward. Following design approval, right of way acquisition and utility relocation work will commence. Construction is estimated to begin in 2028.
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Belmont Ridge Road Detour
A detour will be implemented on Belmont Ridge Road between Arcola Mills Drive and Evergreen Mills Road beginning Monday, January 5, 2026, through Monday, June 30, 2026. The detour is necessary to allow for roadway improvements and utility infrastructure upgrades. During this time, the detour route will be clearly marked to assist drivers in navigating around the construction area.
Please consult the photo below for both northbound and southbound detour routes.
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VDOT has been publicizing information on the closure. Please exercise heightened caution when driving in the area during the months when work will be completed and carefully follow all detour signs.
Please see the graphic below for the ultimate roadway configuration once the improvements are completed.
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VDOT Paving Projects Update
With the completion this month of Stone Springs Boulevard and Northstar Boulevard, all VDOT paving projects in the Dulles District are now complete. Thank you for your patience while the roads were paved and striped.
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Pantovic Property Rezoning
LEGI-2024-0026
Project Details
The Board was scheduled to take up an application to rezone 4.48 acres from CR-1 Legacy zoning to IP for the purpose of constructing industrial uses at our November Public Hearing, but the item was deferred. It will be coming back to the December 10 hearing, so there is nothing new to report. You can read my description of this case and considerations in the October newsletter, which is available here.
If you’d like to speak on this application when it comes back to the Board on December 10, click here for more information. I anticipate that the item will be forwarded to a business meeting in 2026 for final action.
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Arcola Center Proffer Amendment
LEGI-2025-0005
Details
The Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board approve an application from The Shops at Arcola Center to remove a proffer to provide a 200-space commuter parking lot in the southwest portion of the property. County staff concurred with this recommendation and didn’t have any outstanding concerns. The Shops will retain space for a future bus shelter on-site.
I have been in close contact with the developer about this proffer for several years and am supportive of the request. The bottom line is that the commuter parking lot proffer dates back to the original approval of the project in the mid-2000s, and today is negatively impacting the ability of Arcola Center to bring in other tenants, because it uses up too much parking space. The developer has been working with potential new tenants to join Target, but for any of them to be viable, this requirement needs to be removed.
In addition, the model of large commuter bus lots is slowly changing, and there is simply not a need for one in this location. The existing lots in the Route 50 corridor have plenty of capacity, and if there is a desire to run commuter bus service into Arcola Center, we could do so at a centralized stop or stops closer to the existing and future residential communities, rather than further east by the shopping.
This application will come to the Board’s December 10 Public Hearing and I will provide an update on the action taken next month.
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Proposal to Reduce Penalty on Late Tax Payments
Proposal
Loudoun County Treasurer Henry Eickelberg has proposed a reduction in the penalty assessed to Loudoun County taxpayers for late payments. At the Board’s November Finance Committee meeting, we heard Mr. Eickelberg’s proposal to change the current 10% flat penalty to a 2% fee for late tax payments made within 30 days of the initial due date and a 10% penalty for late tax payments made after 30 days.
My View
I voted in favor of this change, which passed the Committee 3-0-2. Tax payments are large, and an automatic 10% penalty for someone who is just a day late due to an oversight is pretty harsh and easily could cost several hundred dollars. Most County residents do pay on time, and there is a larger category of people who are more than 30 days delinquent than those who are under 30. Under the current ordinance, however, all of those circumstances are treated the same in terms of the penalty, although interest does not accrue until 30 days.
Budgetary Impacts
This change will reduce revenue for the County, as several million is collected annually in fees. In addition, the County does collections for the towns, and there may be some concern from them about lost revenue. I do not support subsidizing the towns' lost revenue on this item, however, as the number is relatively small.
Next Steps
The proposal will go to the full Board at our December 2 meeting, where I plan to support it, and I’ll provide an update after the final vote. If approved, the change would take effect for taxes due in May 2027.
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Commuter Bus Fare Increase
Fare Increase
As previously planned and announced, Loudoun County Transit will increase the one-way trip fare by $1 for all commuter bus routes traveling to Crystal City, Rosslyn, The Pentagon, and Washington, D.C. due to rising operational costs. The new fee structure will go into account on December 1, with one-way fare with a SmarTrip card priced at $12 and payments made with cash costing $13. As a reminder, this service used to be entirely fee-offset but no longer is, due to the rapid increase in labor and operating costs. Even with the increase, the service is still being subsidized.
Upcoming Transit Summit
The Board of Supervisors will be holding our annual Transit Summit on December 5, where we will discuss the state and future of our transit programs. The County has been conducting several pilot programs and I'm looking forward to hearing how those have been going. Instead of local fixed-route bus service, we've been running "on demand" (or "micro transit") services in parts of Leesburg. If successful, this could be a model that is extended to other parts of the County, including Dulles South, where we see extremely low ridership on our local bus service. We've also started commuter bus service to several locations outside the County (Frederick, MD and Dale City, VA) in an effort to help bring more outside employees into the County and relieve traffic.
Guaranteed Ride Home Program
I also want to make sure you are aware of the County’s Guaranteed Ride Home Program: commuter bus riders who travel to work at least two times per week are eligible for the program, which provides up to six free emergency rides home per year for illness, family emergencies, and unscheduled overtime.
More Information
For more information about commuter bus service and fares in the County, click here.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hypothermia Shelter
Details
Loudoun’s hypothermia shelter is now operational and will run through March. It is open from 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 a.m. nightly at 16450 Meadowview Court in Leesburg next to the Loudoun Homeless Services Center. The center is open for adults aged 18 and older who need to get in from the cold. Please check in at the Loudoun Homeless Services Center next door when you arrive. Meals are provided.
Shuttle Service
Shuttle buses to the hypothermia shelter depart nightly at 5:00 p.m. from the Loudoun County Transit Bus Route 82 stop across from the William Watters House (22365 Enterprise St. in Sterling) and 5:30 p.m. from the front of the Shenandoah Office Building (102 Heritage Way NE in Leesburg).
Daytime Drop-In Service
There is also daytime drop-in service provided at the Loudoun Homeless Services Center and the Eastern Loudoun Drop-In Center (21641 Ridgetop Cir. Suite 111 in Sterling) Monday – Friday excluding holidays from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Meals, laundry, and shower facilities are provided, as well as information on other community resources such as food, clothing, medical and mental health care, employment opportunities, and more.
Please call 703-777-0420 for assistance.
Heroes for the Holidays Toy Drive
As the holiday season approaches, Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System’s (LC-CFRS) will hold their first “Heroes for the Holidays” Toy Drive in partnership with the Loudoun Career Firefighters Association Local 3756.
How to Donate
Donations of new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at any of the LC-CFRS stations through Sunday, December 7, 2025, as well as fire and rescue headquarters (801 Sycolin Road) and the Training Academy (16600 Courage Court) in Leesburg. For those wishing to make a monetary donation, visit the official website for the Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Foundation (LCFFF),. In the note field, please list the “Heroes for the Holiday” Toy Drive. Any donations collected by the LCFFF will directly benefit the Toy Drive and be used to purchase toys for the Loudoun County non-profits we support.
Hanson Park WinterFest
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) invites the community to celebrate the season at the second annual WinterFest, featuring ice-themed activities, a winter market, free children’s activities, and more.
WinterFest will take place Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park (23394 Endeavor Drive, Aldie). The event is free and open to all; no registration is required.
This family-friendly festival offers activities for all ages, including ice sculptures, miniature train rides, visits with Santa and appearances by winter characters, music by DJ BiFocals and DJ Skylarr, food trucks (food available for purchase), and a variety of retail and craft vendors—perfect for holiday shopping. Visitors can also explore an interactive walking path featuring local nonprofit organizations.
For a complete schedule of entertainment, vendor listings, nonprofit partners, and transportation details, visit loudoun.gov/WinterFest. Please note: In the event of severe weather, WinterFest may be canceled.
VDOT Winter Weather Information
VDOT is responsible for clearing over 60,000 miles of state-maintained roads in the Commonwealth of Virginia during winter weather events. VDOT encourages folks not to drive if it is snowing, and to be safe in the case of a storm. If we do get snow, VDOT's goal is to have one passable lane on every road within 24 hours when snowfall is 2-4" and within 48 hours for 4-6". Over 6" is expected to take at least 72 hours. VDOT will prioritize getting the roadways as safe as possible before moving on to shoulders, ramps, turn lanes, intersections, park and ride lots, and more. If you feel that your street is missed after these time frames have passed, you can use the resources below to get more information on plowing status and/or report your issue directly to VDOT:
Please note that according to the Loudoun County Codified Ordinances, property owners must clear sidewalks in front of their homes within six hours of the end of a winter weather event.
Loudoun Symphony
Loudoun Symphony will be putting on their popular Holiday Favorites concert at two different times and locations this year: Saturday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m. at St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, and Sunday, December 7, at 3:00 p.m. at Lightridge High School in Aldie. The concert will cover a range of seasonal orchestral works, carols, and popular songs, with a singalong led by soloist Millicent Scarlett.
For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
County Channel Number Change on Comcast
Comcast has discontinued programing on the standard definition (SD) local government channel, Comcast Channel 23. Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings will now be televised by Comcast on a high definition (HD) channel, Channel 1075.
There is no change to the County’s channel for Verizon FiOS subscribers, which will remain on Channel 40. The Comcast change also does not impact the live streaming of meetings from the Loudoun website, which will continue normally at loudoun.gov/meetings.
VCE December Programming
The Loudoun chapter of the Virginia Cooperative Extension has programming in December that you may be interested. For more information and to sign up, please email paul.gentine@loudoun.gov.
Donations to Local Food Banks
Dulles South Food Pantry
Thank you to those that helped the Dulles South Food Pantry (DSFP) feed families this Thanksgiving. Even with the holiday over, donations are needed more than ever and 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 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. The pantry is currently looking for plastic bag donations as well.
America’s Soup Kitchen
The Dulles South Soup Kitchen is now America’s Soup Kitchen! Donations to the kitchen can be made on their website or at their location by appointment. Call (202) 930-3775 or email to make an appointment. America’s 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
American Red Cross
To schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets with the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org/give-blood.
Inova Blood Services
Inova Blood Services also takes donors by appointment.
Visit https://www.inovablood.org/ to schedule an appointment.
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