Ashburn District Newsletter - October 2013

October 2013 

Happy autumn friends and neighbors!  

Football season, cooler temperatures and LOTS of board meetings have been ushered in. Make sure you check out one of Loudoun's many rural businesses during the upcoming Fall Farm Tour. We have already begun budget discussions for the FY15 budget year. As those discussions become more specific, I will provide updates in this newsletter. In this issue, I will discuss economic development; a new elementary school; Metro parking garages; the SCC investigation into Greenway tolls; updates on road construction projects; and some recent residential development applications.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of these issues, please let me know. My door is open. It is a pleasure to serve the residents of the Ashburn District. What a great place to live!

Warmest Regards,

Ralph

Economic Development

Digital Realty

I am pleased to report that economic development in Loudoun is still going strong! On Tuesday, 1 October, we cut the ribbon on a new 400,000 square foot data center building in Ashburn. Digital Realty is investing approximately $250M to build a two-story 400,000 square foot building that will ultimately house 22 data centers and support up to 25.6 megawatts of IT load. The project will create approximately 30,000 square feet of office space, which could easily support 60 or more employees. In addition, the construction work that is ongoing will add 250 temporary construction jobs. Upon completion of the building, over 25 permanent on-site jobs will be created for management and security and engineering, in addition to approximately 90 employees supporting the existing campus. Digital Realty has had great success leasing in the Ashburn market, with over 95% of the development pre-leased. This investment is another that signals Loudoun's tax and development policies are working.

Education
Discovery Elementary

The Ashburn District now has seven elementary schools physically in the district and another four that are in adjacent districts but our children attend. Discovery Elementary School will hold its Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, 4 October. This school is accessed off of Ashburn Village Boulevard near the Farmwell Hunt Community. The principal is Mr. James Dallas and their mascot is the "Trailblazers". I am certain this will be another fine school that our children will be proud to call their own. 

Residential Development

In general, I do not support adding any new residential units to the county's already large pipeline of previously approved residential development. As I regularly state, the cost of residential is a net drain on Loudoun's resources schools, hire more teachers and build other needed infrastructure to support the service demands the new residents bring. This board is facing a very large number of residential rezoning applications requesting an increase in density or a rezoning from another use (often commercial) to residential. I have already told several developers not to waste their resources filing an application because I did not see an overall benefit to the county, and thus, would not support the application. However, some still choose to apply and work through the process with county staff and the Planning Commission. Usually, by the time the application reaches the Board for discussion and a vote, the applications have improved, however, this does not mean I will support them.

The board recently acted on two residentially related items. The first is in the Ashburn District and was actually a proffer appeal in the Leisure World community. It was a complicated case, but the end result was a net reduction of approximately 1,000 previously approved residential, multi-family, age-restricted units. Instead of building an additional 1,045 units, 120 townhome style homes will be built. This community will share amenities with the existing Leisure World community, saving both parts of the development money in the long-term. I was pleased to have close to unanimous support from the residents of Leisure World on this decision.

The owners of a commercially zoned parcel in University Center in the Algonkian District were recently before the board asking to change the use from Planned-Development Office to residential. The application was carefully researched and vetted by staff and the Planning Commission and did improve over time. In the end, it was still not enough positive improvement to convince me it is wise to rezone commercial ground to build an additional 95 townhomes. The final vote was 5-3-1, and I was one of the dissenting votes.

Transportation

Greenway Tolls Investigation/SCC

Loudoun has officially been added as a respondent in Delegate David Ramadan's investigation into the Greenway's onerously high and not distance-based tolls. I hear from constituents on a daily basis that they "boycott" the Greenway due to its high tolls. Part of the Greenway's agreement states that the toll price cannot "materially discourage" drivers from using the roadway. Further, Virginia Code specifies that toll rates on the Greenway 'shall be set at a level which is reasonable to the user in relationship to the benefit obtained; which will not materially discourage use of the roadway to the public; and which will provide the operator no more than a reasonable return as determined by the Commission.

I recently testified at one of the SCC run hearings and cited the overall burden the high tolls have on Loudoun residents. I am encouraged by the SCC's decision to allow Loudoun to officially be a "respondent" in the investigation. I will continue to fight for the Greenway to be more transparent with their financials with the end-goal of lower tolls and higher Greenway usage, which will result in less cars/congestion on Waxpool Road and Route 7.

More information can be found here.

Metro Parking Facilities (Garages)

The Board is still in the process of determining the best way to finance, construct and operate the three parking facilities (garages) associated with the two Silver Line Metro stations in Loudoun. We learned this summer that our decision point was accelerated from December 2014 to December 2013. 

On 15 November, 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) outlining commitments pertaining to Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project between Loudoun County, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Association, Fairfax County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Included in the MOA was a commitment from the county to use its best efforts to secure additional funding sources that will be sufficient to fund the cost of the design and construction of the parking facilities.

On 16 November, 2012, the county issued a Solicitation for Conceptual Proposals through the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 for Loudoun County Parking Facilities (SCP). We received three conceptual proposals as a result of the SCP but, at the July 17, 2013 Business Meeting, determined that none of the responses fit our needs.

On 3 September, 2013, Loudoun County issued a new call for proposals to build the three parking garages that will serve the two Silver Line Metro stations in Loudoun. Bids are due on 30 October and we plan to make a final decision in the late November/early December timeframe to meet the new deadline.

The proposal and related information is online.

Russell Branch Parkway

While not officially in the Ashburn District, the section of Russell Branch Parkway between Ashburn Village Boulevard and Ashburn Road is a much needed improvement to benefit Ashburn area residents. The Board recently approved a proffer amendment allowing for a cash contribution which will accelerate the completion of this missing link. This connection will help alleviate some of the congestion on Route 7 by giving local drivers an alternate route. The project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2014.

Waxpool Road Widening

Well, the day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Construction has begun on the Waxpool Road widening project! The contract was awarded in mid-September and the construction team is mobilizing - you should see "dirt moving" any day now. The project is expected to be complete in spring 2014.

• Waxpool Road will be widened to four lanes from Unbridled Way (near Verizon Business) to where Waxpool Road becomes Faulkner Parkway at Ladyslipper Square.
• There will be a five foot sidewalk on the south side and a ten foot multi-use path on the north side.
• There will be a traffic signal at the Waxpool Road/Ashburn Village Boulevard intersection.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure

My office recently met with Farmwell Hunt's HOA leadership team. Among the many topics discussed was the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along Ashburn Village Road adjacent to the east of their community. The Morley Corner Development is proffered to build a Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail along Ashburn Village Boulevard between Romans Road and Michener Drive. From there north to Farmwell and south to Waxpool, there are existing trails on the east side. The developer plans to complete the installation of this trail segment by the first part of December. The county is committed to improving our bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and is in the process of prioritizing projects so that we can appropriately allocate funding.

Action Reports

The Board's 4 September BOS Business Meeting and Public Input Session, the 11 September BOS Business Meeting and the 18 September BOS Public Hearing Action Reports have been posted on my Facebook page.

Calendar Updates

The Board of Supervisors holds their regular business meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, beginning at 4:00 p.m., with public input beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Board's monthly public hearings are on the second Wednesday of the month, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Board schedule for October is as follows:

2 October
4:00 p.m.

BOS General Business Meeting
(with public input as early as 6:00)

9 October
6:00 p.m.
BOS Public Hearing

16 October
4:00 p.m.
BOS General Business Meeting
(with public input as early as 6:00)

Board meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40. The meetings are available for viewing through the webcast system at www.loudoun.gov/webcast. Board meeting documents are posted online at www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.