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Leesburg council rejects supervisors’ request to close Church Street, votes to keep it open
Summary
After a closed-session discussion, the Leesburg Town Council voted unanimously July 22 to keep Church Street open, saying closure would not advance safety and could worsen traffic for residents.
The Leesburg Town Council on July 22 publicly recorded a unanimous vote to maintain Church Street as an open thoroughfare after considering a request from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to close the road.
Mayor Burke told the council that the Board of Supervisors had sent a letter asking the town to close Church Street for safety reasons. "After thorough discussion, this council decided that closing the street did not satisfy safety issues and made traffic more difficult and residents less safe," Mayor Burke said. The council said it had discussed the matter in a closed session the night before and then took the public vote.
Council members emphasized the vote was not taken lightly; the mayor said the unanimous outcome represented the council acting in the "best interest of our residents." The meeting transcript records the vote as unanimous (7-0).
The mayor and council did not provide detailed technical findings at the July 22 meeting in public about traffic modeling or alternate safety measures; staff and council members indicated they will continue to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions and stakeholders on roadway safety and access.
Separately at the meeting Deputy Town Manager Kate Trapps was commended for her management of the recent meeting process, but no further action related to closing Church Street was recorded.
