What do the residents of Loudoun County see when they picture the future and where progress is going? That was the question at hand last week at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, where about 150 citizens came together to talk about the county’s future. The gathering was one of a quartet of planned “listening and learning” sessions planned by county managers as part of “Envision Loudoun,” a year-and-a-half-long process that will shape the comprehensive plan for Loudoun in days to come.
According to the Washington Post, Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) told participants in the gathering that the plans being made now are part of a “20 to 30 year vision.” He added that, “It’s not only about land use. It’s about quality of life. It’s about economic development. And it’s about fiscal management.” Topics touched on during the meeting included taxes and transportation.
Loudoun’s last comprehensive plan was drafted in 2001. As Buona pointed out, life and technology have changed drastically in the last 15 years, and the county needs a plan that reflects current issues and priorities. He mentioned the fact that nobody would have predicted a Metro stop would be situated in Loudoun back in 2001, and nobody had even heard of a data center. According to the Vice Chairman, the scope of the plan would focus on eastern Loudoun, where the urban and suburban parts of the county were located. The plan will not extend to western, rural Loudoun, but will encompass the “transition zone” in the middle.
Present at the meeting was Greg Dale, a consultant brought aboard by Loudoun to assist in managing the planning process. The Post said that Dale will work with the county “on matters such as development applications, zoning regulations and budgeting for schools, libraries, fire and rescue stations, and other facilities.” To narrow down the residents’ priorities, they broke down into small groups and took turns sharing their thoughts on how to make Loudoun a better community. Popular topics included public facilities like hiking and biking trails, taxation, crime prevention, and the possibility of future Metro stations. While some citizens attending were activists or longtime members of community planning boards, others were complete newcomers. All voices were welcome at the gathering.
Some ideas floated by residents that made it into the Post article included: making eastern Loudoun more bike friendly, building up more of an urban feel around the Metro station to bring amenities closer to commuters, preserving current zoning, and upgrading the transportation plan. There were on hand some citizens from western Loudoun county who expressed that they felt left out by the focus on the more populated parts of the county, saying that a narrow focus would miss out on potential in more rural areas.
