The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 15 approved a request to withdraw roughly 1,200 acres from the new Oak Hill Agricultural and Forestal District to facilitate transfer of the land to a conservation fund and, ultimately, to the Commonwealth for a proposed state park.

The move, approved by a 7-0 vote with two members absent, accelerates the withdrawal process by about six months; the district is set to expire on April 14, 2026. Board members said the withdrawal is a procedural step intended to clear the way for sale and conservation transactions the family and partners are pursuing.

Delegate Gary Higgins, who spoke for the project, said the transfer to a conservation fund is close and that Governor Glenn Youngkin will include the Oak Hill State Park plan in his final budget proposal to the General Assembly for the 2026 session. "He will include Oak Hill State Park Plan in his final budget proposal to the General Assembly for the 2026 session in December," Higgins said. He thanked the board for its support.

Benjamin Lay, representing the applicant, described the withdrawal as a mechanical step toward completion and said it is "neutral to the General Assembly," meaning the removal itself does not guarantee state action. "This is really just an AG district removal to try to move us closer," Lay said.

Staff explained that removing land from an Agricultural and Forestal District primarily affects eligibility for certain land-use assessments and removes a limited additional procedural protection the district provides. As staff described it, the Agricultural and Forestal Districts Act gives properties in a district extra consideration during nearby development reviews and provides a special procedure for certain takings requests; removing the land would not by itself change the property's land-use assessment so long as the use does not change.

Supervisor comments stressed the site's historic value as the farm and home of President James Monroe and urged support for the conservation transfer. Several supervisors thanked the Delashment family and county staff for work on the project and said they would contact General Assembly members in the coming session to support the budget item.

The motion approved Oct. 15 directs staff to process the withdrawal as described in the staff report for public hearing item number 2. Chair Randall announced the motion passed 7-0 with two supervisors off the dais. The applicants plan to transfer the property to a conservation fund that will hold it until the Commonweath accepts it as a state park; further approvals and budget action by the General Assembly will be required before the park designation is final.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve the request for withdrawal (public hearing item number 2, staff report) — Passed, 7 yes, 0 no, 2 absent (Mr. Letourneau and Mr. Saines).