October 2026

Welcome

Welcome to the October 2026 edition of the Dulles Direct Newsletter, and Happy Halloween! Please stay safe tonight and be mindful of pedestrians darting in and out of houses. 

Library of the Year Award

I want to start by sharing news that our Loudoun County Public Library system has been named Library of the Year by the Virginia Library Association. Our system was recognized for its innovation, accessibility, and customer service. As someone who was involved in the opening of both the Gum Spring and Brambleton library branches, I am gratified to see such strong community use of these facilities. Congratulations to Library Director Chang Liu and all library staff, and to the Library Board of Trustees, led by my appointee Chair Monti Mercer. 

Hometown Hero in the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays won one game in the World Series, but that win had close ties to our community. South Riding’s own infielder Ben Williamson got the game winning walk-off hit in the 12th inning of Game 4. Ben graduated from Freedom High School in 2019 and went on to play at William & Mary before being drafted by the Mariners and traded to the Rays in the offseason. Ben was a standout player at Freedom, winning regional player of the year honors. Congratulations to Ben and his family. 

Shops at Arcola Update

As you may have seen, leasing progress continues at the Shops at Arcola, which features Target as the first customer. While plans remain on track for an organic grocery store, leasing plans have been updated to include new tenants including the previously announced Cooper’s Hawk winery and restaurant, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Shake Shack, and more. Residents in Dulles South have been asking for more dining options, and I am excited about these new restaurants, all of which I think bring high quality options to our area. 

The team at SJC Ventures continues to work to bring additional tenants as well. I worked with them over the past few years to gain Board approval to modify proffers that would have required a park and ride lot to be built in this location, which cleared the way for this new retail development.  

Northern Virginia Bengali Association Celebrates Durga Purja

I was pleased to join the Northern Virginia Bengali Association for their 35th year of celebrating  Durga Puja at Tuscarora High School last weekend. Festivities included traditional worship, devotion, artistry, cultural extravaganza, and food. The festival brings together the collective spirit of the community in celebrating good over evil and featured well-known performances from India and over 6,000 meals prepared by NVIA’s volunteers.  

Early Voting & Election Day

The last day to early vote at the Dulles South Recreation and Community Center is today, Saturday, October 31. The polling station is open until 5:00 p.m. For the General Election on Tuesday, November 3, voters will vote at their normal polling places, which you can find here. Polls on November 3 are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please bring your driver’s license or other form of ID to vote. Sample ballots are available for your review here before you go vote. Finally, you can watch election results from across the various races here on Election Night. 

Youth in Government Day

Earlier this month, the County held our annual Youth in Government Day event, where high schoolers from across Loudoun join us to learn more about local government. My staff had lunch with several Dulles District students at the Frederick Douglass Community Center in Leesburg, and Kayla Osei Poku – a junior at John Champe High School – joined me on the dais for the October 20 Board Business Meeting. Thanks to Kayla for her help asking questions and making motions, and I hope all the students who came out to Youth in Government Day had fun and learned a lot! It is always great to see students with an interest in giving back via public service, and local government is a great place to work closely with the people you serve. 

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Board recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Recent events have reinforced that domestic violence is a reality even in a safe community like ours. We are fortunate to have many groups and County agencies doing great work to support victims – the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter, Silence No More, Women Giving Back, and many more. These nonprofits offer services for individuals suffering from abusive home life, conduct prevention education, and raise awareness of this issue in our community. There is also a strong partnership with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, both of which have dedicated personnel and resources to address domestic violence cases. If you are in a dangerous situation and need resources to help you out, please visit the County’s resource page here. 

DULLES UPDATES

Route 50 Rush Hour Signal Timing Optimization Complete

VDOT has completed signal optimization updates for Route 50. This months-long process looked at traffic volume and congestion along Route 50 and all of the signals and side streets, and resulted in updated signal timing programs that are in effect throughout the day (there are up to eight). The a.m. rush hour program now starts at 5:30 a.m. based on community feedback and traffic volume. 

Route 50 Paving Continues

I think we’re all ready for the Route 50 paving project between Gum Spring Road and the Fairfax County line to be finished. The estimated completion date is November 20. Extended construction hours have been approved through November 4: 9:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday for the piece of 50 west from Pleasant Valley Road to Pinebrook Road. You can access the paving program map and see the status of various projects here. There have been various concerns expressed about visibility at night and some intersection interference which we have passed on to VDOT. Obviously, the changes in road surface cause delays in certain locations as well, but those are changing constantly as progress is being made.  

DULLES LAND USE UPDATES

Lightridge Park (formerly Dulles South Community Park) 

LEGI-2024-0008

Board Vote

At the Board’s October 20 Business Meeting, we voted to approve the Lightridge Park application. The application is for a proposed 34-acre park adjacent to Lightridge High School. The park will include a cricket pitch, large rectangular athletic fields (including lighting), restrooms and concessions, a playground, a street hockey rink, and more, while the western portion of the property will remain wooded with nature trails, streams, and picnic pavilions. Money for the project has been set aside in the CIP for several years, but the legislative process was still required for land use approval.

Next Steps

A contract award is expected by next summer with construction to commence shortly after. The need for additional cricket and athletic facilities has been well documented in Dulles South and Countywide, and I personally insisted that this land be acquired and kept by the County during the purchase of the Lightridge High School site specifically for this purpose.

I’ll be providing updates throughout the process. I am pleased that the application was approved, and I am looking forward to this great amenity for southern Loudoun residents. We also continue to explore additional opportunities for park space.  

Fox Gate Residential
LEGI-2025-0008

New Information

At the Board’s November 12 Public Hearing, we will discuss an application to rezone 22.68 acres just north of Eastgate View Drive to construct up to 362 multifamily attached dwelling units and 40,000 square feet of commercial use. The development would also include affordable housing units. Open space commitments include a centrally located park with active and passive recreation, a fitness lawn, swimming pool, a social terrace for community gatherings, and a walkable network of sidewalks and trails. The applicant has proffered landscaping and native plantings, signage commitments, architectural guidelines, and more.

Background

The area is currently zoned for up to 1 million square feet of mixed commercial and residential development. That plan has been on the books since before my time on the Board but was never able to become viable. Over the years, various changes to the plans have been considered.

I have spoken with the applicant and specifically discussed my desire for high quality commercial and dining options. There was quite a bit of discussion about site layout and traffic alignments at the Planning Commission that I am also digging into. 

If you’d like to sign up to speak on November 12, please click here. Please note that the public hearing will be on Thursday, November 12 rather than Wednesday, November 11 due to Veteran’s Day. 

Old Arcola Residential

LEGI-2026-0008

Background

The Planning Commission discussed minor modifications to the Old Arcola Residential application, which was approved in October 2023 to build a total of 228 residential units comprising 14 single-family detached units, 81 single-family attached units, and 133 multifamily units. 40% of the units (92) were set aside as affordable units. If you recall from previous discussions, this application includes the Old Arcola School Site, which has been unused for many years and will be repurposed into affordable multifamily housing units. Importantly, the west side of the project was slated to be a data center. At the time, there was community support for the data center instead of the housing, but I did not agree and supported the housing project instead. 

Details

The site will also include a community center, cricket pitch, soccer field, new County recycling facility, and more. The modifications seek to amend proffers associated with that approval, notably a revision to trigger all frontage improvements to the first certificate of occupancy instead of the first zoning permit and to ensure that the right-of-way needed for Stone Springs Boulevard will be dedicated prior to the issuance of the first zoning permit. The new proffers also include updates to the developer’s Capital Facility Contributions, as they would like to take advantage of recent reductions for school contributions.

I will be reviewing these proffer amendments before the application comes to the Board, but I am skeptical that an applicant should be allowed to amend and reduce their Capital Facility Contributions for a previously approved project when there aren’t material changes to the number of units proposed. 

If you’d like to sign up to speak on November 12, please click here. 

LOUDOUN UPDATES

Data Center Pause Vote Deferred for Further Legal Analysis

Vote Deferred

Last month I talked about how the Board would be considering an item to pause data center applications in Loudoun County for 12 months. While that vote was originally scheduled for the Board’s Business Meeting on October 20, it was deferred to the Board’s November 17 Business Meeting following a discussion between the County Attorney and the Chair.

The County Attorney has advised that a blanket moratorium on data center development is not legal, but has advised the Board that a temporary pause consistent with the statutory requirement to take action could be. You can read the County Attorney's memo on the topic here. That opinion has been met with fierce opposition (not surprisingly) from development interests. The legal question involved is not simple, and hinges on language in the Virginia Code that requires a locality to act within 12 months on an application. The central question is when that clock starts - is it when the application is received, or when the Planning Commission finishes with it? The County Attorney is doing additional research on that question. 

How Much Does it Matter?

I’m not sure that a 12-month pause is as significant as the headlines may seem. What we’re talking about here are applications that are coming to the Board of Supervisors for a vote anyway. As you’ll see with the next item, the Board is giving a great deal of scrutiny to data center applications. Many applicants end up asking for a deferral if they think their application isn’t going to get approved and can take a long time to get to us anyways. I will see where the final legal analysis lands on this, but I don’t think it is a particularly big deal either way, because the Board will ultimately have to act on these applications.

Quantum Park Data Center Application Denied

I joined a 7-2 majority to deny a proposed expansion of the Quantum Park campus on Loudoun County Parkway in Ashburn to build over 500,000 sq. ft. of data centers and office in front of the existing building. You may know this as the Verizon campus (former MCI Worldcom). I realize that this corridor has a lot of data centers, but I found this application to be particularly egregious. The space there now has a pond and open space - one of the few visual breaks along Loudoun County Parkway. Must every single square inch of land be a data center? The applicants argued that the data centers in front would help make the office space more viable, which I found to be a ridiculous argument. Why would a tenant rather be next door to a data center than open space?  

Amazon Scraps Data Centers Planned for GW Ashburn Campus, Proposes Housing

Amazon and Chair Randall announced that the company has dropped its plans to build a big data center campus on the existing George Washington University site in Ashburn. This plan was setting up for a major legal fight between the County and Amazon. Amazon was asserting previously vested rights to build by-right data centers, but the County did not agree with that interpretation (for complicated reasons that I won’t get into since the whole thing is now a moot point). Amazon is instead proposing to build between 1,200 and 1,500 homes.

This kind of tradeoff is an example of the discussion that the Board was having a decade ago about data centers. Back then, we had overcrowded schools and an incomplete road network, and a high percentage of the tax burden was being borne by residents. The general feeling was that in many cases, we were better off with data centers than large new home developments like this. 

Obviously, things have now changed. There was major community opposition to data centers in this location. The Board has agreed to a fast track the process for the housing application, but it still will have to go through that process. As part of the Board’s initial action, the County recognized a land value of $65 million for land that will be provided for County facilities as part of this rezoning. I will provide further updates down the road. 

Board Advances Salary Increases that I Opposed

Background

In June, a few members of the Board introduced an initiative to significantly restructure and increase Board member compensation for the upcoming 2028-2031 term. Under Virginia law, elected officials are barred from voting to raise their own pay during an active term, so this structure would not be implemented until next term. I opposed the initial proposal of nearly 40% salary increases, as I found it far too drastic. I was also very concerned with the lack of public notice before the Board discussed the proposed increase. While I acknowledge that Board workloads have increased in recent years, I joined the rest of the Board in voting to table the proposal until it could be ironed out in a reasonable fashion. 

A revised item returned to the Board’s September 1 Business Meeting and the Board voted 6-3 to forward the proposal to the October 14 Public Hearing. I voted against forwarding it in its current state, as the proposal is still higher than I think is appropriate. District supervisor salaries under this proposal would be set to increase to $95,787 in 2028, scaling up incrementally to $104,670 by 2031 compared to $82,955 at the end of the current term. The Board Chair salary would be set to increase to $106,430 in 2028 and $116,300 by 2031 compared to the current baseline of $99,508 at the end of the current term. On October 14, the majority of the Board voted to forward the item to our November 5 Business Meeting for action. I voted against forwarding it since I would like to see the numbers significantly reduced if I am to even consider voting in favor of the item, but I will provide a final update after the Board hears the item next month.  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to Two New Dulles District Businesses

I want to congratulate two new businesses that officially opened in the Dulles District this month. Enginuity Power Systems at Arcola Center Plaza is a company that makes heat and power systems that help businesses reduce energy waste while producing electricity and usable heat with lower operating costs. This new facility will serve as their headquarters and training facility.

5Tool Factory is a newly opened baseball training facility in the same center as Enginuity. 5Tool has state of the art technology and a committed coaching staff to help its players reach their potential. Given the strong state of baseball programs in Dulles South, I am sure it will be well utilized. 

Congratulations to both businesses for opening in the Dulles District, and I wish you both success!

Annual Coat Drive

The Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System, Loudoun Career Firefighters Association Local 3756, and Mobile Hope Loudoun have once again joined efforts with One Warm Coat to collect much needed winter apparel for Loudoun County residents in need.

From Monday, October 19 – Sunday, December 6, 2026, they will be accepting donations of clean and gently used or new coats, jackets, scarves, winter hats, gloves, and mittens at all fire and rescue stations throughout the County, the training academy, and at the Leesburg headquarters (801 Sycolin Road). If you would rather make a monetary donation that will help Loudoun residents, please visit Mobile Hope’s donation page.

Loudoun Water Rate Increase Notification

Loudoun Water’s water and sewage usage rates will increase by 7% starting January 1, 2027 as part of a multi-year plan approved by the Loudoun Water Board in December 2024. Basic service charges for customers will also increase by 7%. Customers with meters larger than 5/8” will see a 7% increase as well. No changes are being made to billing frequency.

The increased rates are being driven primarily by cost escalation of the materials and services required to treat and deliver water and an increase in wholesale costs for water and wastewater services in the region. (I know there is a lot of speculation about data centers causing an increase in rates, but Loudoun Water says that is not the case, and as a reminder, most data centers use closed loop water systems for cooling). For more information is available here.

Upcoming Loudoun County Animal Services Events

Events will be held at the animal shelter: 42225 Adoption Dr. Leesburg, VA 20175. For more information, email animals@loudoun.gov.

Low-Cost Vaccine Clinics

Thursday, November 5

Thursday, November 19

Income Qualified Spay/Neuter Clinic

Thursday, November 12

All About Animals: Pet Sitting Basics

Saturday, November 14

Crochet Club

Wednesday, November 18

After School Animal Care Club

Friday, November 20

Animal Shelter Day Camps

Monday, November 2

Monday, January 25, 2027

Monday, March 8, 2027

Monday, April 12, 2027

Hypothermia Prevention Shelter

Details

The Loudoun County Hypothermia Prevention Shelter, located at 101 Blue Seal Drive SE in Leesburg, will open on Sunday, November 15, 2026, for single adults aged 18 and older in the community experiencing homelessness due to a housing crisis. This temporary shelter, which provides a warm indoor sleeping environment, will be open from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., seven nights a week until Wednesday, March 31, 2027. Loudoun County residents will receive priority for shelter placement. Non-Loudoun County residents may stay in the shelter for one night. Non-County residents will receive supportive services, including case management and transportation to a shelter in their area of residence. Note that the shelter is at a different location than in previous years.

For More Information

More information about services available to those experiencing homelessness in Loudoun County may be found at loudoun.gov/HomelessServices or by calling Loudoun County Information and Referral at 703-777-0420, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For support after hours, call the Loudoun Homeless Services Center at 571-258-3033.

Free Behavioral Health Training Sessions in November

The Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services offers ongoing behavioral health training sessions free of charge. Seats are limited and registration is required, except for Rapid REVIVE! The schedule of upcoming classes for November 2026 is as follows:

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid training teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. The training also teaches the skills that someone needs to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. Two versions of the program — a general adult program and a program for adults who interact with youth — will be offered in November. For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/MHFirstAid.

• Adult Mental Health First Aid

o  Wednesday, November 18, and Friday, November 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (must attend both days)

o  Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services office, 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 210, Sterling

o  Register by Tuesday, November 17, 2026.

• Youth Mental Health First Aid

o  Friday, November 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

o  Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services office, 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 210, Sterling

o  Register by Thursday, November 12, 2026.

Opioid Overdose Reversal

REVIVE! is the opioid overdose and naloxone education program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Anyone who uses opioids or knows someone who is using opioids is encouraged to attend. Loudoun County offers two versions of the program — Rapid REVIVE! and Virtual REVIVE! REVIVE! trainings can also be scheduled upon request. For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/revive.

• Visit loudoun.gov/RapidRevive for Rapid REVIVE! in English.
• Visit loudoun.gov/ReviveEspanol for Rapid REVIVE! in Spanish.

Virtual REVIVE! is a one-hour, scheduled training session that requires registration. Participants who complete the training are also eligible to receive free naloxone nasal spray. They may choose to receive naloxone by mail or arrange pickup.

• Thursday, November 19, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Same-day registration is available.

Suicide Prevention Training

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training teaches three steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Participants learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to refer someone for professional help. A virtual training presentation lasts about one hour followed by discussion and practice opportunities. For details about the training and to register, visit loudoun.gov/SuicidePreventionTraining.

• Monday, November 16, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Same-day registration is available.

For More Information

For more information on the prevention and intervention services offered by the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, visit loudoun.gov/MHSADSPrevention or send an email to prevention@loudoun.gov.

VCE November Programming

The Loudoun chapter of the Virginia Cooperative Extension has some programming you may be interested in this November. For more information on any of the programs, or to sign up, email amy.carroll@loudoun.gov In addition to programs around the County, VCE will be offering the following program locally:

Nutrition for Older Adults

Thursday, November 12

12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Dulles South Senior Center

24950 Riding Center Dr.

South Riding, VA 20152

Dulles Runway Maintenance Ongoing

Remaining in effect at least through November 2026, the center runway (Runway 1C/19C) on Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) property is currently closed for planned maintenance and infrastructure improvements. 

The MWAA runway improvement project includes upgrading the runway lighting system to LED technology and constructing a new taxiway connection to Runway 30: enhancements designed to improve operational efficiency and the overall customer experience.

During this period, some local communities (area residents and businesses) located in Loudoun County and in Fairfax County will experience an increase in aircraft overflights as IAD air traffic is redistributed to the two outer runways. For example, Dulles’ western-most runway (Runway 1L-19R) typically accommodates approximately 6% of Dulles’ total aircraft operations when all four of Dulles’ runways are available. With Dulles’ center runway closed for maintenance now and for much of the 4th quarter of 2026, Dulles’ western runway is expected to accommodate approximately 35% to 40% of total operations. Other runways on Dulles property will additionally see some increased flight activity as this project continues.

This projects’ anticipated runway activity and volume is fully consistent with longstanding, approved FAA-flight paths that Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has widely publicized for many years. Runways require regular maintenance, and this center runway project is required to keep Dulles running smoothly. During this period, the Airports Authority’s Noise Information Office remains fully available to constituents via (703) 417-1204. The Noise Information Office is available to discuss noise concerns Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Belmont Ridge Road Detour Continues

The detour is still in place on Belmont Ridge Road between Arcola Mills Drive and Evergreen Mills Road. The timeline had to be extended due to delays from Comcast relocating a utility that impacts completion of the intersection improvement project. The detour remains clearly marked to help drivers navigate around the construction area.

Donations to Local Food Banks

Dulles South Food Pantry

Donations can be made in person at the Dulles South Food 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

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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