Peter Weeks Memo to ZOAM Representatives

Memorandum for Agriculture / Conservation Representatives

You have been selected to represent Agriculture / Conservation interests at the first public input meeting of the Transportation Land Use Committee (TLUC) regarding the Western Loudoun Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOAM 2024-0002). The first meeting will address “Liveries, Stables and Outdoor Recreation”.

This ZOAM is exceedingly important. It will establish the regulations governing development in Western Loudoun including the Blue Ridge Mountains for decades to come. The Blue Ridge Mountains are an incredible natural resource of worldwide significance. We have an obligation to ourselves, to future generations, and even to the world community to preserve, protect and celebrate them.

ZOAM 2024-0002 is one important tool for doing that.

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains has serious concerns regarding commercial development in the Mountain Overlay District (MOD). With this memorandum we would like to tell you of our concerns and ask you to strongly express these concerns to members of the TLUC, the planning commissioners and to the Planning and Zoning staff in your upcoming meeting.

The newly enacted Loudoun County zoning ordinance still permits new commercial development in the Mountain Overlay District (MOD).

While we acknowledge that the new ordinance imposes more restrictions on commercial development in the MOD than the previous ordinance, new commercial development is still permitted. Permitted uses include sit-down restaurants, general retail, amphitheaters, rural retreats, commercial recreational operations, sawmills and many other activities.

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains opposes any new commercial development in the MOD. Our opposition extends to commercial recreational facilities such as RV parks, arenas, country clubs, rural retreats, agritainment and associated parking. Regardless of the site and environmental restrictions the zoning ordinance imposes, these types of new commercial development are inappropriate for the steep slopes, thin soils, and heavily forested areas of the MOD.

Commercial development means traffic. Traffic creates air pollution. More importantly, more traffic creates the demand for “improved” roads and more parking. “Improved” roads attract more traffic. More parking reduces tree cover and interferes with storm flow. It is a perpetual, unbreakable cycle.

Friends has done a rough estimate of the impact of clearing approximately 30 acres of mountain forests for any of these commercial uses.

We estimate that the impact on the environment would be:

• ¨ Approximately 1,500 trees would be eliminated from the mountain tree canopy.
• ¨ Approximately 195 tons of oxygen per year would not be produced because of the loss of tree cover.
• ¨ Approximately 36 tons of CO2 per year would not be removed from the atmosphere because of the loss of tree cover.
• ¨ Approximately 4.5 million gallons of precipitation per year would not be slowed by the tree canopy or filtered by tree roots before flowing into Loudoun County’s rivers, streams, wells, and ultimately the Chesapeake.

This does not include the impact of increased traffic associated with commercial development.

Certainly, the exact impact will depend upon the specifics of the site.

Our rough estimates are based on readily available public data from the US Forest Service, EPA, the Nature Conservancy and similar sources.

Please contact me if I can provide any further information about Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains or our thinking regarding new commercial development in the MOD.

We hope that you will strongly communicate our concerns in your upcoming public input meeting with the County commission.

Thank you for your consideration.