Leesburg planning staff present alternatives for 101.9‑acre Leesburg Gateway site; no rezoning decision

The Leesburg Planning Commission on July 17 received a staff briefing on a proposed amendment to Legacy Leesburg and a concurrent rezoning application called Leesburg Gateway that would allow data centers, industrial flex buildings and new public parkland on three parcels totaling 101.9 acres north of Route 7 and south of Potomac Station Drive.

Staff planner Scott Parker, Planning Project Manager for the Town of Leesburg, told the commission the site is surrounded by the Leesburg Outlets to the west, the Potomac Station Marketplace (where a Giant supermarket operates) to the east, and the Sycamore Hill residential neighborhood to the north. Parker said the application proposes an alternative to the current Legacy Leesburg Land Use designation of “innovation center” and would add policy language specific to data centers, buffering, parkland acquisition and site design. “The fundamental question being asked here is, can data centers and flex industrial be designed to be compatible with the surrounding area and avoid negative impacts on local residents?” Parker said.

Why it matters: The proposal raises trade‑offs for Leesburg policymakers. Staff identified potential benefits including additional public parkland, increased tax revenue and lower traffic generation compared with certain mixed‑use development. Staff also flagged possible downsides: impacts on housing goals, aesthetics and character, utility and infrastructure demands, and noise, light and truck traffic near residences.

Key details from staff and public comment

- Site and proposal: The property comprises three parcels totaling 101.9 acres north of Route 7 and south of Potomac Station Drive. The applicant proposes alternative policy language to allow data centers, flex industrial and parkland in place of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan’s envisioned mixed‑use employment center.

- Noise and emergency generators: Staff noted the town code currently sets a maximum continuous noise level of 55 dBA measured at the property line. Commissioners asked how that standard would apply during emergency conditions such as rolling brownouts; staff said emergency operation of generators is likely treated as an emergency and could be exempt from the ordinance but offered to confirm the code citation and return with a definitive answer. A member of the public referenced recent local brownouts and diesel generator use and asked what repercussions there would be if generator noise exceeded the standard.

- Buffers and visual mitigation: Staff recommended that any rezoning application demonstrate that landscape buffers are “maintained in perpetuity” and proposed additional policy language requiring commitments to maintain and replace plantings as necessary and to demonstrate mitigation of visual, noise and vibration impacts given the site’s topography.

- Transportation and Cardinal Park Overpass: Staff discussed an alignment long shown in town plans for a Cardinal Park Drive overpass and said an updated travel demand model would be required if the overpass were removed from the plan. The presentation noted VDOT access‑management spacing rules likely would affect proposed driveway locations from Route 7 and Battlefield Parkway; waivers or modifications could be required but have not been pursued.

- Utilities and capacity: Town utilities staff are preparing a semiannual plant capacity and flow projection update that Parker said is expected to go to the Town Council on Sept. 8, 2025. Power supply and demand issues were described as matters the applicant is coordinating with Dominion Energy.

Public comment

- Olga Hanava, a Leesburg resident, opposed allowing data centers on the site. “The fast growth of data centers in this area is putting a lot of pressure on our power grid,” Hanava said, and she warned that constant noise from cooling systems and backup generators, bright lights and increased infrastructure needs would harm neighborhoods and wildlife. She told the commission the applicant’s rezoning materials request waivers and argued the proposal would conflict with the town plan and the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan.

- Jen Bingle, representing the Piedmont Environmental Council, urged a more holistic public‑planning process before changing the town plan for the area. “If the community wants a different vision, let’s look at this area holistically,” Bingle said, urging fuller public engagement rather than an ad hoc amendment for a single applicant.

Process and next steps

The planning commission did not take a vote on the rezoning or plan amendment at the July 17 work session. Staff told commissioners the rezoning application would be evaluated against any revised policy language, and that park master planning and detailed transportation review would be expected if the land were acquired for parkland. Parker said staff could return with deeper detail on transportation questions at a future meeting. The meeting earlier opened with routine procedural votes to permit two commissioners to participate remotely and to adopt the agenda; both motions were presented and approved without individual roll‑call tallies given in the transcript.

The record shows the application has been in staff review for about a year; Legacy Leesburg began in 2019 and was adopted in 2022. Commissioners asked staff to provide additional documentation on emergency generator exemptions, the traffic analysis, the proposed buffer commitments, and how any rezoning would affect the town’s housing and economic development goals.

Ending: The commission will consider the staff recommendations and additional technical information in future sessions; no council action or rezoning approval occurred during this meeting.