Leesburg planners review proposal to reclassify 101.9 acres for data centers, industrial flex

The Leesburg Planning Commission on July 17 held a work session on a rezoning and plan‑amendment request known as the Leesburg Gateway that would allow data centers, industrial flex buildings and parkland on three parcels totaling 101.9 acres north of Route 7 and south of Potomac Station Drive.

Planning Project Manager Scott Parker summarized staff analysis and responses to questions raised at the public hearing and in prior commission meetings, saying the applicant proposes an alternative land‑use policy for the site that departs from the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan's mixed‑use vision and would permit data centers and industrial flex uses alongside parkland.

The proposal is concurrently being processed as a rezoning application, Parker said. Staff listed potential benefits — including increased parkland and tax revenue — and trade‑offs such as reduced housing capacity, aesthetic impacts, and higher energy demand. He told the commission the town code and zoning ordinance would regulate noise and that “there is a maximum continuous noise level of 55 dBA at the property line in this case.”

Nearby residents and environmental groups urged the commission to…