Defend The Blue Ridge #2 Uses
Dear Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Loudoun County is in the process of writing a new zoning ordinance. A part of the new ordinance sets regulations for development in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the ordinance this is known as the Mountain Development Overlay District (MDOD) and the regulations are in Section 4.04.
What can you do?
The draft zoning ordinance is open for public comment until July 18th. FBRM as an organization has already submitted detailed information about our concerns: Click here
Now the county needs to hear directly from its citizens – directly from you.
How do you take action?
FBRM has strong concerns about 4 areas of the ordinance we’ll address over 4 weeks:
- Inadequate enforcement in the MDOD
- The uses that would be permitted in the MDOD are inappropriate for the mountain environment
- The definition of the MDOD
- The criteria used to evaluate proposed development in the MDOD
This week’s instructions apply to 2) the inappropriate uses in the mountain environment. We will provide detailed instructions on the other three areas of concern in future emails.
There are four steps to objecting to uses that are inappropriate to the mountain environment.
STEP #1 — Review the following table.
Table #1
FBRM Recommends modifications to Zoning Ordinance Table 3.02.03-3
Principal Use Table for Rural Policy Areas
| CATEGORIES | FBRM COMMENTS |
| HOUSEHOLD LIVING | The negative impact of residential uses in the MDOD is directly related to density. FBRM proposes that residential uses, regardless of the specific type of dwelling, should be limited to no more than one structure per 10 acres. |
| GROUP LIVING | |
| LODGING | |
| RURAL RESORT | A Rural Resort should not be a permitted use in the MDOD. The MDOD environment is too fragile to accommodate the intensity of use associated with a rural resort. |
| ANIMAL SERVICES | FBRM has concerns regarding the density for animal services use. Any facility should be limited to 10,000 square feet per 10 acres. |
| RESTAURANT – SIT DOWN | A sit-down restaurant should not be a permitted use in the MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic and parking associated with a sit- down restaurant. |
| SNACK OR BEVERAGE BAR | A snack or beverage bar should not be a permitted use in MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the amount of traffic, parking and refuse associated with a snack or beverage bar. |
| WINERY – COMMERCIAL | A commercial winery should not be permitted By Right in the MDOD and should only be permitted if in compliance with rigid performance standards regarding traffic generated, parking, noise, lighting, and waste disposal. |
| PERSONAL/BUSINESS SERVICES | Personal/business services should not be a permitted use in the MDOD because the MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic and parking associated with personal/business services. |
| RETAIL | Retail should not be a permitted use in the MDOD because the MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic and parking associated with retail. |
| ASSEMBLY | Assembly uses should not be permitted in the MDOD because the MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic and parking associated with Assembly. |
| AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION OR RESEARCH | Agricultural education or research should not be permitted By Right in the MDOD. The use should be permitted only in compliance with rigid performance standards regarding traffic generated, parking, noise, and lighting. The definition of an Agricultural Education or Research facility does not include any reference to scale or intensity and thus its impact upon the MDOD environment cannot be evaluated. |
| RURAL RETREAT | Rural Retreat should not be permitted By Right in the MDOD. Rural Retreat should be permitted only in compliance with rigid performance standards regarding traffic generated, parking, noise, and lighting. |
| AGRICULTURAL CULTURAL CENTER | Agricultural cultural center should not be permitted By Right in the MDOD. Agricultural cultural center should be permitted only in compliance with rigid performance standards regarding traffic generated, parking, noise, and lighting. The definition of an Agricultural Cultural Center does not include any reference to scale or intensity and thus its impact upon the MDOD environment cannot be evaluated. |
| AGRITAINMENT | Agritainment should not be permitted By Right in the MDOD. Agritainment should be permitted only in compliance with rigid performance standards regarding traffic generated, parking, noise, and lighting. The definition of an Agritainment facility does not include any reference to scale or intensity and thus its impact upon the MDOD environment cannot be evaluated. |
| AMPHITHEATER | Amphitheater should not be a permitted use in the MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic, parking, noise, and lighting associated with an amphitheater. |
| CULTURAL TOURISM | Cultural Tourism should not be a permitted use in the MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic and parking associated with cultural tourism. The definition of a Cultural tourism facility does not include any reference to scale or intensity and thus its impact upon the MDOD environment cannot be evaluated. |
| SAWMILL | A sawmill should not be a permitted use in the MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the noise, traffic, parking, and waste product associated with a sawmill. |
| TRANSPORTATION PARKING | Transportation uses should not be permitted in the MDOD. The MDOD environment cannot accommodate the traffic, and parking associated with transportation uses. |
| COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES | Communication facilities should not be a permitted use on the ridge line. This is current County policy and currently a county zoning restriction. The policy and restriction should be maintained in any amendment to the County zoning ordinance. |
| AGRICULTURE | Agriculture, farm distribution hub, winery, commercial and winery, Virginia farm should not be allowed By Right in the MDOD. Each of these uses has the potential to negatively impact the delicate MDOD environment in a significant way because of associated traffic, parking, noise, lighting, and waste product. Each use should be permitted in the MDOD only in compliance with rigid standards protecting the MDOD environment. |
STEP #2 – Copy and paste Table #1 from this document into a new word document so that you can easily make changes in the wording of table #1.
Make changes to the wording in the right-hand column to make your comments unique – the Zoning Department counts identical comments submitted as one comment.
Please do not make changes to the wording of the categories (the left-hand column). This is the wording in the draft ordinance and it will cause confusion if you propose rewording the use categories. When you have re-worded Table #1 to your satisfaction save the document so that you can paste it into the text of the draft zoning ordinance as will be explained in Step #4.
Step #3 – Go to the submit comment section of the draft ordinance.
- Click here to view the Zoning Ordinance
- That will take you to the entire draft Zoning Ordinance. On the left of the page is the table of contents.
- In the Table of Contents, click on Chapter 3 – Uses, click on 3.02 Use Tables; click on 3.02.03 Rural Use Table
- Once you are at Table 3.02.03 click the vertical comments tab on the left
Step # 4 – Fill out your name and email address on the form.
Copy the table – as you have re-worded it — into the comment section. Hit submit
Congratulations you are done! You have now officially and formally submitted your comments on the uses permitted by the draft Zoning Ordinance in the MDOD.
Instructions on how to comment on the other sections of the MDOD regulations that are of concern to FBRM are contained in subsequent emails over the next 3 weeks.
Questions? Email us at info@friendsofblueridge.org
Thanks so much for making this effort to protect the Blue Ridge!
Peter Weeks
President, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains
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