[JYO] Loudoun Board Denies Crosstrail 8-1

Loudoun Board Denies Crosstrail 8-1

 
Molly Novotny, Leesburg Today, July 17th, 2007
 
The Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted 8-1 today to deny the Peterson
Companies' 500-acre Crosstrail project, a surprise to many who had
expected the project to be deferred to at least until September.

"We have been going over this project for a long time ... I think the
one constant of this project has been the discord its created," said
Supervisor Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) who said he generally supports
mixed-use developments.

"At this point, I'm not sure what the use is to continue going down the
road with this project," Staton said. "I don't see a successful
resolution in the future."

Supervisor Steve Snow (R-Dulles) disagreed with his colleagues and voted
against the motion to deny the application.

"If this does get denied, I sure hope that the applicant takes Loudoun
County to court, because here's another case where there's no
justifiable reason for denial," Snow said before the vote. "Leesburg
will suffer for this, if it goes down."

Supervisor Bruce Tulloch (R-Potomac) joined those opposed to the
application, saying the board had given the Peterson Companies countless
opportunities to revise its application to win the board's support. He
said his decision was made up after hearing that all six nearby
homeowners' associations were against the project.

Leesburg District Supervisor Jim Clem also voted against the
application, albeit his warning that the Peterson Companies would likely
restart the dormant lawsuit it has against the county.

In voting against it, he said, "We haven't made any progress to move
forward."

Supervisor Sally Kurtz (D-Catoctin) made the motion to deny the project.
She has repeatedly voiced concerns with the application and has
triumphed the town's concerns of residential being built near the
airport, inadequate transportation proffers and questions over the
utility provider, throughout the review of the rezoning request.

The Peterson Companies had been seeking a rezoning on the property to
allow up to 2 million square feet of office, 850,000 square feet of
retail and 1,020 homes on the land bound by the Leesburg Executive
Airport to the east and the Dulles Greenway to the west. The board
approved a comprehensive plan amendment on the property last year to
make way for the mixed-use development, although there were some
concerns among board members and planning staff that the rezoning
request did not meet the pre-approved mix.

Chairman Scott K. York (I-At Large) reiterated his concerns with the
project.

"I've never been supportive of this application from the very beginning.
It is the wrong project for the wrong location," he said, adding that
the P
Peterson Companies should focus on a project that would support the
airport. 
 
 
http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2007/07/17/news/fp873crosstriail071
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