[JYO] Board Delays Crosstrail Vote

 
Board Delays Crosstrail Vote; Speakers Lash Out Against Project,  Supervisors
By Molly Novotny(Created: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 9:16 AM  EDT) 

    
Whether the dozen or so speakers who raised concerns Tuesday about  the 
Crosstrail development impacted the Loudoun board is unclear, but county  
supervisors said there were still too many questions to merit a vote and  
deferred 
action on the rezoning request until June 5.

During the public  comment period Tuesday morning, speakers said the Peterson 
Companies'  development of the 508-acre property with 1,000 homes, up to 2 
million square  feet of office and up to 850,000 square feet of retail uses 
south of Leesburg  would bring unmitigated traffic, place homes too near the 
Leesburg Executive  Airport and introduce the Loudoun County Sanitation 
Authority 
into an area that  was planned for utility extension from the town of Leesburg.

Although  speakers raised specific concerns about the application, many took 
some of their  three minutes of speaking time to challenge the supervisors who 
have expressed  support for the project.

"You need to show you care about this county and  care about what people 
think," said speaker Gigi Robinson who lives in Leesburg  and has been an 
outspoken critic of the application. Robinson said that 87  percent of the 
speakers 
during the board's November public hearing opposed the  project and that the 
project should be returned to a keynote business use  designation without 
residential uses, as specified in the Leesburg Town  Plan.

Other speakers pointed to the numerous Leesburg homeowner's groups  that have 
come out against the project in addition to the Leesburg commissions,  
council and town staff.

"Virtually everyone has recommended no," said  Airport Commissioner Tom Toth, 
including the town's airport, planning and  economic development commissions.

Toth, saying he was "astounded" that  the development proposal was still on 
the table for consideration asked, "What  in the world is going on?"

If the situation were reversed, Toth said, and  he were proposing to build a 
general aviation airport near an established  community, the board would not 
allow it. The reverse scenario shouldn't be  permitted either he said, as it 
raises safety and logistical  concerns.

Leesburg resident Ann Jansen put the spotlight on Supervisor  Jim Clem (R), 
who she said refused to meet with homeowners who requested a  meeting.

"I have been beyond disappointed," she said, urging the Leesburg  District 
supervisor to "show us that you do represent us" and deny the  application.

Leesburg Councilwoman Kelly Burk also addressed Clem  directly, saying, 
"Supervisor Clem, you, of all supervisors, should be  supporting the town in 
its 
opposition." Burk, a Democrat, is running against  Clem in the November 
election.

Having heard from the speakers, Clem  challenged their assertions, saying he 
didn't take offense to the comments  because, "I know most of them have little 
to no truth." 

He said although  his aide had been contacted about setting up a meeting, 
"time was just not  available. ... I just could not fit it in the schedule."

Clem has been an  ardent supporter of the project, saying again Tuesday, that 
he wanted the  developer to have the time "to show what is good about their 
project for this  community."

Following last month's Transportation/Land Use Committee,  during which Clem 
asked only for the Sycolin Road widening project to be moved  up in the 
development plan, he said the application was a strong one that would  benefit 
the 
town and the airport. This week he said, "If you don't get  Crosstrail, you're 
going to live with a road network out there that is bad today  and is going to 
get worse. There is no doubt in my mind."

In terms of the  airport and whether the proposed development would impact 
it, Clem said that Joe  Delia, a Federal Aviation Administration airport 
engineer at the Washington  Airports District Office, did not express any 
concern 
with the application  during a recent conversation.

"If you want to save this airport, we're  going to need an application like 
this to make it happen," Clem said Delia told  him, adding that Delia said the 
project "would have absolutely no impact on that  airport."

When reached by phone Wednesday, Delia said that the FAA  doesn't like to 
comment on the specifics of applications, but rather comments on  their 
compatibility. In speaking with Clem he said he didn't speak about the  
Crosstrail 
application in general, but rather answered two specific questions  related to 
the 
proposed alignment of Hawling Farm Boulevard and the 18 acres the  Peterson 
Companies is offering for sale for airport use.

Last month,  Delia told Leesburg Today that planes regularly fly over the 
Crosstrail  property.

Supervisors Steve Snow (R-Dulles) and Eugene Delgaudio  (R-Sterling) joined 
Clem in praising the application, saying it was the sort of  project that would 
bring the improvements and services Leesburg residents were  wanting.

"I think Mr. Clem has an excellent perspective of Leesburg and  its future," 
Snow said, adding "this will make it better, I  believe."

Delgaudio continued the praise for Clem, saying, "Supervisor  Clem, this is 
your finest hour. [It's] model work for an elected official." He,  like Snow, 
expressed support for the application.

Four supervisors voiced  skepticism with the project. Supervisors Sally Kurtz 
(D-Catoctin) and Lori  Waters (R-Broad Run) reiterated their concerns about 
utility provision, phasing  of the office and the impact the mixed-use project 
would have on the Leesburg  Airport and area roads.

Waters, who said the Crosstrail application  slowed the development of Philip 
A. Bolen Memorial Park by inserting doubt into  whether the town or LCSA 
would extend utilities to Crosstrail and thus the park  site, is challenging 
the 
county and town plans by requesting utilities from  LCSA.

After asking county staff from which utility provider Crosstrail is  seeking 
service and being told it was the LCSA, Waters said, "that is not  consistent 
with our comprehensive plan that calls for the town to be the utility  
provider."

The Peterson Companies' proffer package continues to say  either LCSA or the 
town could serve the property, but Planning Director Julie  Pastor said 
Tuesday the project's plat identifies LCSA as the  provider.

Supervisor Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) said following the  meeting that the 
discrepancy, which he said he just learned of Tuesday, was  troubling. He 
said he didn't care who provided the service, saying that he would  support the 
one that could get water and sewer to the site fastest and cheapest.  He 
reiterated previous frustrations he and other board members have voiced about  
the 
town's two-tier water rate structure, saying the council should "stop  playing 
games" without out-of-town customers and revise the 100 percent  surcharge 
they are assessed. The town's utility rates are being challenged in  court by 
out 
of town customers.

Staton also challenged the claim that the  park was delayed by this 
application, saying the park was delayed because the  bids came in over budget, 
not 
because Peterson sought utilities from LCSA  instead of the town of Leesburg. 
Peterson Companies' attorney Mike Banzhaf said  the plat and proffers relating 
to 
the water and sewer provider had not been  revised recently and that the 
language had been there for months, if not  longer.

Board Chairman Scott York (I-At Large) and Jim Burton (I-Blue  Ridge) 
challenged the project, saying they were prepared to deny it  Tuesday.

Burton said the project "needs major, major restructuring" so  much that he 
doesn't think it can be improved in such a way as to "make it  work." And York, 
who was the lone vote against deferring the vote, said the  project may be 
nice, but it's in the wrong place and proposed at the wrong  time.

Supervisor Bruce Tulloch (R-Potomac) who held himself out as the  swing vote 
when the application was referred to committee months ago, said he  still had 
several concerns with the project. Without listing specifics, he said,  "Right 
now I'm having major, major issues with the project," which led him to  
question whether the proposal could be saved.

Following the meeting he  said he endorsed Waters' concerns and some of 
Kurtz' and that the developer  needed to work on the phasing, utility 
provision, 
road network and wording of  the proffers. Rather than go into specific 
shortfalls he wanted remedied,  Tulloch said during the meeting that he had met 
with 
Peterson Companies Vice  President Jeff Saxe and Banzhaf and they were aware of 
his  concerns.

Neither Saxe nor Banzhaf had the opportunity publicly to  respond to any 
questions or comments raised during Tuesday's meeting, but  Banzhaf drafted a 
letter mid day in response to the unfavorable county staff  report.







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