Planning commission reviews Greenback High School stadium and gym plans amid public concern over location

The Loudoun County Regional Planning Commission reviewed a commercial site plan submitted by the Loudoun County Board of Education for a proposed football stadium and an auxiliary gym for Greenback High School. The Board’s representative described plans to replace bleachers, update stadium lighting and shift the football field location; commissioners said the application before them included options and that the school board could return with a revised site plan if details change.

A school representative said the current plan calls for moving the football field "10 yards to the right hand side" of the parcel, tearing down existing bleachers and installing new stands and lights. Commissioner questions focused on whether the project would be built on the current school parcel or on the old school site; one commissioner said, "If they don't build on this side, this approval just dies within 12 months. He would have to come for the approval on the office site."

During public comment, resident Kate Hunter urged clarity and criticized shifting information about the stadium’s location, saying the difference matters for student access to a track and for voters after a $110 million bond: "The fact that the stories change, that's very disturbing considering that we have already allocated or approved a $110,000,000 bond issue and a big property tax," Hunter said. Commissioners approved the site-plan recommendation that was before them but made clear that if the school board changes the site plan or location, it must resubmit for commission review and approval; the commission also voted on an auxiliary gym site plan on a separate parcel and recommended approval of that concept.