Leesburg planning commission forwards Greenway Manor rezoning to council after addressing traffic and buffering concerns

The Leesburg Planning Commission voted to forward a rezoning application for Greenway Manor to the town council with a recommendation of approval after staff and the applicant presented revised proffers and a new concept plan.

The proposal would redevelop the Greenway Manor property to include a hotel, performing arts space, and a relocated childcare facility, and is accompanied by a conceptual site plan and proffers dated March 14, 2025. Staff summarized changes the applicant made in response to the commission's earlier direction and recommended forwarding the application to council. "This concludes my presentation. I leave you with staff's recommendation of approval and a model motion to that end," Mr. Murphy, senior planner/project manager, told the commission.

Why it matters: the project alters previously approved entitlements and raised neighborhood concerns about traffic, noise, light, and the visual impact of new construction close to existing homes. The commission and staff focused review on traffic impacts, parking management, buffering and lighting, and phasing that moves children out of the manor house into temporary trailers and then into the renovated barn (Building C) and later Building D.

Staff and applicant changes Staff said a revised transportation impact analysis shows a net reduction in average daily trips compared with the previously approved zoning, citing a roughly 1,700-trip decrease in daily vehicle trips under the proposed plan. Staff also told commissioners that the applicant revised proffers to clarify phasing, identify what uses would be developed at each phase, provide additional parking-management details, and confirm compliance with the town's zoning ordinance and other town codes.

The applicant is proposing an 8-foot wooden fence and supplemental landscaping along the property boundary that abuts HOA open space, changes to internal circulation and a right-in/right-out driveway condition on Greenway Drive, and a parking management plan that could include signage, monitors during peak drop-off times, and restrictions on parking during specified hours. "We're going to try to minimize the need for, even coming close to qualifying" for residential permit parking, Mr. Murphy said, summarizing the parking-study criteria (75% curbside occupancy and at least 25% of those spaces used by non-residents would be required to trigger a residential permit program under current policy).

Distances and building placement Staff provided scaled illustrations showing the proposed additions and new buildings in relation to nearby houses. According to staff figures cited at the meeting, the addition to Building A is about 200 feet from the nearest house (measured to the house, not to the property line), the addition to Building C (the barn) is roughly 375 feet from its closest house, and Building D is about 2,200 feet from the nearest residence. Staff also said the proposal reduces the share of commercial gross floor area from 65% in the prior approved plan to approximately 39% under the new concept.

Noise, lighting and historic resources Commissioners asked about noise and lighting mitigation. Staff said the proposal relies on existing zoning standards for noise and on required cutoff lighting fixtures; staff noted the draft proffers call for lighting that directs light downward and aims to limit illumination to 0.5 foot-candles at property lines. The plan will also require separate review by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) for certificates of appropriateness where applicable.

Phasing, temporary trailers and school relocation The applicant explained phasing that would put the childcare program temporarily in trailers behind the manor house (two trailer spots are requested), move children into the renovated barn (Building C) while Building D is under construction, and ultimately consolidate the school into Building D. Applicant representatives said the trailers would be removed within 90 days of occupancy of the new building and that proffers set a five-year maximum for trailers on the site. The applicant indicated an internal schedule that could complete Building C in roughly three years and the larger school building later, but did not set a binding one-step schedule.

Access, the Mead bridge and trees An access bridge to Mead Drive is shown in later phases and sits in an existing easement, Kevin Murray of Tri Tech Engineering told the commission: "The connection from the Manor House over to Mead Drive falls within an existing easement that has been dedicated allowing that connection to be constructed." The applicant said the bridge would primarily serve the hotel and larger events and that some trees identified as hazard trees along the southern border have been flagged in a tree survey; the applicant told commissioners it would not remove healthy HOA-owned trees without coordination.

Concerns raised and commission response Several commissioners voiced remaining concerns about traffic and the proposed hotel. Commissioners also expressed support for preserving and activating the manor house and for the performing-arts uses. After extended discussion, a motion was made to forward the rezoning application TLZM 20180045 (concept plan Greenway Manor, proffers dated 03/14/2025) to the town council with a recommendation of approval on the basis that it meets the approval criteria in TLZO section 3.3.0.15. The motion carried; the recorded vote was reported in the meeting as "5, 1, and 1." The transcript did not attach all individual roll-call names to each vote tally.

What's next The application will go to the Leesburg Town Council for final action. Staff and the applicant will continue site-plan and administrative-review work, submit the parking management plan called for in the proffers, and pursue BAR certificates of appropriateness where required. Additional technical design items including final driveway spacing, sign plans and final lighting/landscaping details will be resolved during site plan and administrative review.

Ending note: The planning commission's materials show staff concluded the applicant has addressed the outstanding technical issues in the work session staff report and recommended forwarding the application; council action remains required to approve any rezoning.