Leesburg planners advance Plaza Street sidewalk design while identifying >replacement trees

Leesburg Town Tree Commission members heard a design update Oct. 21 on the Plaza Street sidewalk improvements project, which would install a missing-link sidewalk between Edwards Ferry Road and the Leesburg Police Station and change lane geometry to fit the sidewalk while preserving mature street trees where feasible.

The update, presented by Melissa (town staff), outlined a concept that narrows vehicle lanes (a “road diet”), keeps bike lanes and installs concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street. The design team has surveyed trees along the corridor and found more trees in decline than in the concept plan presented about three years ago; as a result, staff proposed removing some dead or failing trees, replacing several trees and adding new street trees where space and right-of-way allow.

The plan matters to pedestrians and school-route users: Melissa said the corridor sees roughly 300–400 pedestrians per day and includes bus stops and a proposed mid-block crosswalk near the police…