Leesburg council approves three special exceptions for drive‑thru and commercial uses

The Leesburg Town Council on July 8, 2025, approved three special exception applications affecting retail and auto-service uses in town: a drive‑thru at Shenandoah Square, an Enterprise car rental facility at Fort Evans Road, and a two‑lane drive‑thru expansion at the McDonald’s on East Market Street. Each measure passed by a 7-0 vote after staff presentations and Planning Commission recommendations.

Shenandoah Square Drive‑Thru (TLSPEX2024‑0016): Rich Klusick, the town’s land use manager, said the application seeks permission for a drive‑thru serving up to a 5,000‑square‑foot eating establishment in a 10,000‑square‑foot building within the Shenandoah Square Shopping Center. Although the parcel is mapped B‑3, staff administers it under Old Town B‑2 because of a 1981 rezoning; the gateway overlay does not apply because of proffers. Staff reported the site meets parking and loading requirements and that proposed building elevations meet the spirit of the Gateway District. Klusick said the Planning Commission approved the application 5‑0 with two members absent. The applicant was unable to attend the hearing but had told staff they had no objection to the three conditions in the staff report. The council approved the special exception by voice vote, recorded as seven in favor.

Enterprise car rental (TLSPEX2024‑0017): Klusick described the proposed Enterprise facility on Fort Evans Road as including about 3,290 square feet of office space and a 2,350‑square‑foot wash bay. Staff said the project would remove existing operations on the parcel, improve buffering adjacent to Fox Chapel Condominiums, and represent a visual improvement for the corridor. The Planning Commission recommended approval 6‑0‑1 with conditions. Staff and the applicant agreed to conditions restricting deliveries and heavy truck movements, prohibiting on‑site vehicle sales and service, limiting employee parking to the number provided (five spaces), restricting hours, and barring on‑site storage of inoperable vehicles. Michelle Rosati, zoning counsel for the applicant, said Enterprise agreed to the staff conditions. The council approved the special exception 7‑0.

McDonald’s drive‑thru expansion (TLSPEX2024‑0013): Klusick said McDonald’s seeks to add a second drive‑thru ordering lane and reduce required parking from 40 spaces to 30. Staff noted two requested modifications: a parking reduction and a loading‑zone modification; conditions include limiting deliveries to off hours and a requirement that one drive‑thru lane be closed to allow large delivery vehicles to load without blocking circulation. Council members raised questions about site circulation and whether the second lane would impede vehicles exiting parking stalls; staff walked through the proposed bypass lane and clearance dimensions and said the layout meets drive‑aisle widths. The Planning Commission recommended approval 6‑0‑1 and council approved the special exception by a 7‑0 vote.

All three items were approved subject to the conditions and substantial‑conformance language recommended in staff reports and accepted by applicants or their representatives. Planning Commission votes and staff recommendations were cited for each application during council deliberations.