Planning commission to study Leesburg Gateway town plan amendment proposing data centers, flex industrial and parkland

The Leesburg Planning Commission voted June 5, 2025, to move the Leesburg Gateway town plan amendment (TLTPAM‑20240001) to a commission work session in July for further discussion and refinement of policy language after extensive public comment and questioning by commissioners.

The amendment, submitted by property owners represented by Curata Partners and a development team including the Peterson Companies, would add an alternative policy to the Eastern Gateway District small‑area guidance allowing a land‑use pattern that includes data centers, flex industrial (LEHI industrial), and a dedication of approximately 22 acres of parkland rather than the mixed‑use, walkable neighborhood currently envisioned in Legacy Leesburg and the Eastern Gateway Small Area Plan. Staff described the proposal as a deliberate alternative to the current mixed‑use vision tied to physical constraints — notably roadway access changes created by the completed Battlefield Parkway/Route 7 interchange — that would make the higher mixed‑use densities difficult to achieve without additional connections that VDOT spacing standards now limit.

Rich Klusek and Scott Parker (staff) summarized procedural history: the applicant sought a rezoning pre‑application in August 2023; Town Council elected not to initiate a plan amendment; the applicant pursued a town plan amendment in July 2024 and a concurrent rezoning application in August 2024. Town policy requires council action on any town plan amendment before a rezoning can be advertised, so the plan…