Leesburg planning panel approves special exception for Shenandoah Square drive‑thru

The Leesburg Planning Commission on May 15 recommended approval of special exception application TLSPEX2024‑0016 to allow a drive‑thru eating establishment at Shenandoah Square Shopping Center.

Brian Boucher, Deputy Director of the Town of Leesburg Department of Community Development, presented the application and said the request would permit “an up to 5,000 square foot eating establishment, fast food with a drive thru facility” as part of a proposed 10,000‑square‑foot building in the center. Boucher said the property is mapped B3 but is administered under the Old Town B2 General Business District because of an earlier rezoning, and that the site lies in an area the town plan designates for transformation to a more walkable, mixed‑use center.

Boucher said the applicant met minimum stacking requirements for the drive‑thru lane, provided a required loading space, and would rely on an existing cross‑parking agreement that serves the shopping center. He told the commission staff recommended three conditions: substantial conformance with the special exception plat, adherence to the elevations submitted to staff, and a requirement that no waivers be allowed for elements not requested. Boucher also noted a traffic review attached to the full site plan found no mitigation measures were required.

Commissioners questioned hours of operation and site landscaping. Commissioner McAfee said a proffer limiting late‑night hours would be her preference; Michael Watson, the town’s zoning administrator, told the commission “there aren’t restrictions on the hours of operation” attached to prior special exceptions and that operating hours are typically the owner’s choice unless the commission finds a specific need to mitigate impacts.

Bob Mitchell, the property owner and applicant, addressed questions about potential tenants and hours. Mitchell said he has no tenant currently under contract and did not want to commit specific hours because future tenants could vary by type (for example, a grocery versus a coffee shop). He told the commission he supports activating the center and aims to follow the town plan’s long‑term goals for increased density and mixed uses: “I want to build density and I want to build up just like the Leesburg town plan calls for on my property.”

Commissioners also asked whether interior parking‑lot landscaping could be increased and whether shrubs could be changed to trees; Mitchell said small trees could be added in the parking islands without blocking visibility to tenant signage. Staff said some areas east of the paved lot contain easements and steep grades that limit planting opportunities.

After discussion the commission moved to recommend approval “on the basis that the special exception meets the approval criteria of TLCO section 3.40.12 and the proposal will serve the public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good planning practice,” with the conditions summarized in the May 15 staff report. The motion carried; the commission chair announced the application would go forward to the Town Council with the commission’s recommendation and the enumerated conditions.

The approval requires substantial conformance to the special‑exception plat revised through May 7, 2025; adherence to the submitted elevations; and that no modifications or waivers be granted for elements not requested by the applicant. Staff estimated, using a conservative restaurant footprint under 3,000 square feet, roughly $89,000 in annual tax revenue would be generated by a typical tenant at that size, and noted the site previously contained a fully serviced Walmart.

The planning commission closed the public hearing and sent the recommendation to Town Council. The town staff presentation and the applicant’s remarks remain part of the public hearing record.