Leesburg planning commission continues in‑depth review of zoning ordinance rewrite — uses and standards

The Leesburg Planning Commission continued an in‑depth review of the town’s zoning ordinance rewrite on May 15, focusing on Article 3 (uses) and the draft standards in divisions 11 through 16.

Staff framed the effort as advancing the Legacy Leesburg town plan by modernizing use categories, clarifying limited‑use and special‑exception standards, and aligning the code with the town’s character designations. The rewrite replaces detailed, itemized use lists with character‑based categories; staff asked commissioners whether proposed standards should be relaxed, tightened, or supplemented.

Commission discussion covered multiple use categories and standards. Commissioners raised format and clarity issues, including whether limited‑use standards should appear separately from special‑exception standards and whether redundant text could be consolidated. Commissioners asked staff to ensure that where a use is not permitted in a district the text and tables do not create ambiguity.

Group living and congregate housing: Commissioners asked why congregate housing language appears in sections that do not permit the use in residential districts. Staff explained the draft organizes…