Committee splits on lodging rules; staff to return with options on setbacks, noise, scale and event caps

A lengthy April 24 discussion at Loudoun County’s Transportation and Land Use Committee brought lodging uses in Western Loudoun into focus but produced no final code changes. The committee and invited stakeholders debated whether the county should standardize rules for bed‑and‑breakfast homestays, bed‑and‑breakfast inns, country inns and rural resorts — addressing hours for outdoor music, setbacks, event caps, parking and wastewater capacity — and directed staff to return with draft ordinance options.

Stakeholders: safety, neighbor impacts and economic viability

Multiple owners of small inns, farms that host events, and farm‑based lodging operators described the sector as a key revenue source that helps sustain farms. Sarah Brown, who operates Oakland Green Farm Bed and Breakfast, said the primary concern for operators is guest safety and community impacts: "They should be able to do it safely," she told the committee, adding that high‑attendance events on narrow one‑lane roads create dust, traffic and noise impacts for neighbors.

Operators asked for flexibility in the…