Opponents of One Loudoun Stadium Launch Website

New Loudoun Resident November 14, 2012 at 03:14 pm

Having just moved to Loudoun county recently, I cannot support the stadium being built in its current proposed location. While I'm all for progress, the increase in traffic on an already over-congested Route 7 and the impact on the surrounding residential communities will definitely take away from the "neighborhood feel" that first drew us (and so many others) to Loudoun. Should the impact of the Silver Line not be taken into account when looking to fund it via taxes on stadium patrons? It would be much more easily accessible which would then also increase ticket sales and, ultimately, help the stadium pay for itself more quickly. Not to mention, the land along the Greenway/Silver Line is also not filled with as many established residential neighborhoods.

Paul November 14, 2012 at 03:42 pm

If you moved into eastern loudoun county hoping that progress would build you a home, and then development would stop, you are going to be sorely disappointed. One Loudoun is coming, and it will provide plenty of traffic and noise, the stadium will just be a drop in a very big bucket.
If you wanted a home in a quiet suburb, you needed to go further west, or find an area that is already fully built, not something near a big empty field surrounded by construction signs. It seemed to take a very long time to get started, but big fields like that don't stay empty forever in an area like this. The same forces that brought you here, haven't stopped, and development will continue. Block the stadium and you will get some big box stores, or some other retail property that won't be any less traffic or noise.

Bob Teeter November 14, 2012 at 05:37 pm

I live near a High School in Eastern Loudoun - noise, lights, safety and traffic aren't concerns there, this will be more organized and professionally run. Why would it be a problem here? Makes no sense to me.

Dylan M. November 14, 2012 at 05:41 pm

This 5,000 person "stadium" is being made out to be on the same levels of FedEX Field and other 80,000+ person venues. Look at minor league "stadiums" across the country and you will see Loudoun County fits with its demographics perfectly to be able to handle this and then some. Why fight a good thing?

New Loudoun Resident November 14, 2012 at 05:51 pm

You make great points and I actually believe that we both are coming from a similar direction... we both want Loudoun to continue to grow and flourish. It is for that reason that, by no stretch of the imagination, am I looking for development to stop. I more than support the One Loudoun development as I believe that it will enhance the community through it's shopping and entertainment options.
As for your other point, I completely agree that if the stadium is not built in the proposed location, the space will most certainly be used for other development (as it should be). That being said, I would rather have a big box store rather than a stadium as I have not yet encountered a big box store which has a commercial public address system, stadium lights, or fireworks.

Eric November 14, 2012 at 06:23 pm

Minor League baseball is GREAT for the community traffic is minimal. There is no better way to spend a great night out with the family at a low cost

Bob Teeter November 14, 2012 at 06:33 pm

Dylan you are right. The perception that this a gigantic STADIUM is incorrect. Its a community-sized ballpark.

Brambleton76 November 14, 2012 at 09:11 pm

Soccer may be the most popular sport in the world, but not in USA. While I love soccer, I think having a second rate league franchise in Loudoun will be disastrous. The amount of money to build a stadium, the roads, traffic will be unbearable, especially for folks living in Loudoun One subdivisions. The fill soccer stadiums for home games will be a challenge i believe. DC United have a super hard core following in the NOVA/DC area, and they will go to RFK. I doubt NASL can match the level of play, attract top talent like MSL, thus, the interest in this team will be low.

SeasonedCitizen November 17, 2012 at 11:03 pm

Bob, Dylan, & Eric, please do some research. Bob Farren, owner of the Hounds has been stating publicly for years that he wants his stadium to be a local Jiffy Lube Live and now that he is being challenged he says that he will host "symphonies". The permits are for a 10,000 person stadium with 5,500 fixed "infield seats". That is a big difference from a typical minor league stadium. His own website states that they are aiming for 200 events per year by year three, and the transportation board made him go back and re-do all of their traffic studies when it was being built at Kincora because they were using a best case scenario of 3.4 people per car. They came back with 1.2 people per car for a 10,000 person event. You guys are smart so do the math and see how many cars that equals. The bottom line is this thing has never been about baseball, they aren't even part of the Atlantic League yet. It is about a very large multi-use stadium and shady back-room deals with the current Loudoun BOS. Farren & company contributed a cool $65K to York and his fellow board members. Nobody protested it going in over at Kincora, they could avoid a fight altogether and some bad publicity by simply going back to the original location.

Dan A November 19, 2012 at 01:55 am

I find it 'interesting' that when you go online to look at the rezoning application, they are asking for the maximum height restrictions that are now at 45 feet be increased to 175 feet. Hmmm, that's one tiny little ball park? If my math is anywhere near correct, that equates to a 17 story building. What exactly is going to be built on this land after it get's rezoned for a little old ball park?