The Loudoun County Planning Commission voted Feb. 12 to recommend approval of the Valley Commerce Center proposal, a rezoning and development request for a 117-acre parcel in the northeast quadrant of the Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Purcellville Road intersection, adjacent to the Town of Purcellville within the Purcellville Joint Land Management Area (JLMA).
The application seeks to rezone the property from JLMA-3 to Planned Development Industrial Park (PDIP) to allow up to 986,000 square feet of industrial and business park uses, along with associated zoning modifications related to road, water, and wastewater standards. County staff maintained its recommendation of denial, stating the proposal is inconsistent with the 2019 Comprehensive Plan place type for the JLMA and raises concerns related to land use compatibility, water availability, transportation, and environmental and heritage resources.
During the presentation, staff highlighted ongoing concerns about the Purcellville North Collector Road (PNCR), traffic patterns along Purcellville Road, potential impacts to off-site wells, and the scale of development relative to surrounding rural and residential areas. Staff noted that while the applicant proffered 24 months of off-site well monitoring for neighboring homes and mitigation measures if impacts are identified, the proffers do not explicitly require drilling or deepening affected off-site wells.
Representatives for the applicant said multiple revisions were made since the July public hearing and the Nov. 13 work session, including reducing building heights to 32 feet on the western side and 40 feet on the eastern side, reducing overall square footage, adding design commitments and additional renderings, committing to rural economy uses, proposing a Mayfair left-turn lane, and offering traffic contributions such as $500,000 for traffic signal at purcellville road and Hirst intersection along with construction traffic planning. The applicant also presented information on proposed on-site wastewater treatment and water usage estimates for different tenant types.
Commissioners spent a significant portion of the discussion on water usage, traffic impacts, and the scale of the proposed nearly one million square feet of development. A hydrogeologist retained by the applicant stated that hydrogeologic studies and pumping tests indicated no expected impact to nearby town wells and suggested the proposed industrial use would be regulated in its water withdrawals compared to potential by-right residential development.
Despite the revisions, some commissioners voiced continued concerns.
Commissioner Barnes cited traffic as a primary reason for opposing the project, stating, “My concern is the traffic. That road is only two lane, and from Purcellville to Hillsboro, it is always crowded in the evening… this is not going to help that. It’s going to create more trouble for that two-lane road.” Barnes added that based on personal experience traveling the corridor, he did not believe the proposal sufficiently mitigated congestion.
Commissioner Frank also opposed the motion, pointing to inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan and the project’s scale. “This property’s on the edge of town, in a JLMA, and it really should serve as a transition to lower density and more rural development,” Frank said. While acknowledging design changes and the proposed tree save area, he stated the scale remained inappropriate for the location, adding, “This scale isn’t appropriate for where it is… it’s still too much.”
Frank further expressed concern about impacts to residents on the eastern side of the property, saying they would not benefit from the same buffering and reduced building heights proposed along other edges. “They’re not going to have a big tree buffer… it’s going to be right there,” he said, noting that even with additional plantings, visibility and compatibility concerns would remain.
Other commissioners voiced support for the application, citing the need for additional business and warehouse space in western Loudoun and the applicant’s revisions related to design, traffic contributions, and environmental commitments. Several commissioners also discussed the alternative by-right residential development scenario and the potential for multiple wells and septic systems on the site.
Ultimately, the Planning Commission voted 6–2–1 to recommend approval of the Valley Commerce Center application, with a friendly amendment incorporating a tree save area consistent with the staff report’s suggested conservation area. Commissioners Barnes and Frank voted against the motion, and Commissioner Jasper absent for the vote.
The application will now move forward to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors for final consideration.