Leesburg council approves Greenway Manor rezoning to expand Destiny School, build 350-seat theater and 40-room inn

Leesburg Town Council on April 22 approved a rezoning for the 8.8-acre Greenway Manor site and a related minor special exception that will allow Destiny School of the Arts to expand, create an on-site 350-seat performing arts theater and build a 40-room boutique inn. The rezoning passed on a 6–0–1 vote (one abstention); the council later approved the minor special exception by the same margin.

The vote followed a lengthy public hearing in which supporters — including parents and staff from Destiny School — described the need for a permanent performance space, and neighbors raised concerns about traffic, parking, noise and security. Council members and staff said the approved plan is substantially different from and less traffic-intensive than the by-right commercial development that could be built on the property under prior entitlements.

Council and staff described the approvals as conditional on a set of proffers and management measures the applicant agreed to during the hearing. Those commitments include a written proffer that the hotel and associated commercial operations will not host outdoor events or outdoor wedding receptions; a parking-management commitment preventing the school and other on-site venues from holding simultaneous events that would push attendance above the property—s available on-site parking; and additional plantings in the buffer area between the proposed inn and nearby homes. Planning staff said the final proffer language will be incorporated into the ordinance before the…