Commissioners send Quantum Park data-center plan back to work session amid questions on substations, height and open space

The Loudoun County Planning Commission on March 25, 2025 voted to refer the Quantum Park Zoning Concept Plan Amendment (ZCPA) and related zoning modification matter to a planning commission work session for additional review of substation screening, building height and open space commitments.

Darby Metcalfe, a planner with the Department of Planning and Zoning, presented the application and told commissioners the subject property in the Broad Run Election District is 40.19 acres and was previously rezoned for an office campus. “Following the distribution of the packet for tonight’s public hearing, applicant has indicated that they are no longer seeking the zoning modification,” Metcalfe said, referring to an initial request for relaxed height‑setback standards. She flagged outstanding issues related to architectural detail, substation screening, and the timing and tabulation of proposed right‑of‑way dedications for Lockridge Road and Quantum Connect Boulevard.

Why it matters: The applicant’s ZCPA would allow additional data center, substation and office development on a long-established campus on Loudoun County Parkway. Commissioners were asked to weigh changes to an existing campus pattern, proposed design commitments for substations that front on Loudoun County Parkway, and the implications of taller buildings for the Parkway’s existing “open” character.

Most important facts

- Uses and context: The application covers part of the larger WorldCom/Northeast campus that historically included large office and data center uses. The campus already includes multiple data centers and utility substations.

- Building height and modifications: The applicant initially sought a zoning modification to increase allow-able height beyond the 60‑foot limit in the PD‑OP zoning; subsequent materials indicate the applicant withdrew the zoning modification after the packet went to the commission but remains under review for taller buildings as permitted by the current ordinance framework.

- Substation design: The proposal shows a new substation about 75 feet from Loudoun County Parkway with a proposed 12‑foot opaque masonry wall on three sides and enhanced buffers; staff recommended the applicant provide more detailed plant lists, timing for masonry construction, and whether the substation footprint could be reduced in coordination with the electric utility.

- Open space: The applicant proffers 30% open space across the campus, which staff noted in discussion is primarily the continuation or counting of previously approved on‑site open areas rather than newly created parkland.

Discussion and positions

Darby Metcalfe (Department of Planning and Zoning) summarized outstanding items and said staff recommend a work session for additional detail on building architecture, substation screening and proffer language for right‑of‑way dedication.

Tony Calabrese, representing the applicant, emphasized the campus’s long history of private investment and said the applicant is not seeking additional density: “We are not asking for 1 additional square foot. We’re not asking for a zoning modification,” he told the commission. Calabrese said the team planned to provide a “noteworthy architectural treatment and landscaping in the center,” and invited commissioners to tour the campus and the distance between the proposed buildings.

Public comment echoed similar concerns about the Parkway’s character and water quality. Jen Bingle of the Piedmont Environmental Council warned that a cluster of hundred‑foot buildings would change the parkway’s openness and urged stronger, meaningful open space and more comprehensive stormwater measures to address Broad Run’s water‑quality issues.

Points of contention

- Visual impact on Loudoun County Parkway: Multiple commissioners said the parkway’s current sense of openness is important and asked the applicant to show renderings that superimpose proposed building massing on the existing roadway views.

- Substation siting and screening: Commissioners pressed for plant species, berming and a timing commitment for construction of the proposed masonry wall; the applicant agreed to explore pushing the substation footprint back, reducing its area in coordination with the utility, and to add a berm beneath the proposed wall.

- Open space calculations: Staff noted the campus would provide 30% open space overall, but that much of the acreage counted toward that percentage already existed from earlier approvals; commissioners asked for clearer tabulation of new versus existing open space.

Action and next steps

The planning commission voted to forward the Quantum Park ZCPA to a work session for more detailed proffers, updated building and gateway renderings, substation design commitments, and clarification of open‑space tabulations. The motion passed unanimously, eight in favor, zero opposed, one absent (Commissioner Banks). The motion was made by Commissioner Frank and seconded by another commissioner.

What’s next: Staff and the applicant will address the detailed proffer language and provide follow‑up materials for the work session, including superimposed perspectives from Loudoun County Parkway, plant‑list details for the substation buffer, and an updated breakdown of open space across the campus. The referral does not imply final approval and will return to the commission for further consideration.

Speakers quoted in this article are those who appeared on the record and are included in the speaker list below.