Commission approves White Wing Road church rezoning despite resident opposition; approval limited to applicant, commissioners say

The Loudoun County Regional Planning Commission voted to rezone roughly 13.02 acres on White Wing Road from A-2 (Rural Residential) to Community Facilities District (CFD) to allow a church, after public comment opposing the change and a commissioner motion to limit the rezoning to the current applicant.

Joe Blige (representing the parish) and Marcus Jordan (realtor) told commissioners the parish has an offer on the property and seeks CFD zoning to construct a modestly sized church and parish hall. Joe Blige said the parish’s congregation is "about a hundred and 2 or 200 people" and that the church would be roughly 3,600 square feet with an adjacent parish hall; he said the parish has been in its current facility 15 years and is relocating a short distance.

A nearby resident spoke in opposition, saying the area is "a quiet rural country" road and raising multiple concerns: potential increased traffic on a narrow White Wing Road, stormwater runoff and erosion if land is cleared and paved, and the possibility that if a church failed in the near term the CFD zoning could allow other less compatible uses. The resident urged the commission not to move forward, saying "If you do, it could potentially open up a Pandora's box in the future for our quiet Royal Country Road." (transcript spelling retained for the quoted phrase.)

Commission discussion and conditions: Commissioners asked about the proposed building size and whether sewer service would be available; applicants said there is no sewer connection at the site and that standard drainage/detention measures would be required if land disturbance triggered them. A commissioner proposed approving the rezoning "to the church specific to rezone," effectively recommending that the approval be tied to this applicant and use rather than a blanket rezoning to CFD for any future owner. Another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion passed with one commissioner recorded as voting "nay." The transcript records the outcome as approved with one dissent.

Why this matters: CFD zoning allows community facility uses (including churches) that may differ from surrounding residential uses. Local residents expressed concern about traffic, environmental impacts from site clearing and the precedent a rezoning could set if the property were later sold under the same zoning.

Next steps: The approved rezoning recommendation will move forward according to the county’s adoption process; the transcript shows commissioners and staff noting that site-plan review, drainage/detention design and any required highway-department access permit remain required before construction could begin.