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Leesburg planning commission hears proposed 2026–2031 capital improvement plan
Summary
Assistant Director Doug Wagner presented a proposed 2026–2031 capital improvements plan that lists 92 projects, with streets and highways accounting for about 54% of the program; staff asked the commission to be ready to vote on the plan at its Feb. 6 meeting and outlined funding, schedule, and staffing constraints.
Doug Wagner, assistant director of Capital Projects, briefed the Leesburg Planning Commission on the town’s proposed 2026–2031 capital improvement plan (CIP), describing a package of 92 projects and a schedule that staff says requires the commission to be prepared to vote at its Feb. 6 public meeting.
Wagner said, "This year's CIP, we currently propose 92 projects." He told commissioners the town defines a capital improvement as the construction, renovation, demolition or acquisition of property costing more than $60,000 with a useful life exceeding five years.
The CIP matters because it programs multi-year spending, aligns with the town plan (Legacy Leesburg) and funds projects that affect transportation, utilities, parks, drainage and the airport. Wagner said about 54% of the proposed CIP budget is allocated to streets and highways, followed by utilities, general government, parks, the airport and drainage. The plan includes 13 new projects such as townwide electric vehicle charging, a town hall roof replacement, a tennis-court and fence rehabilitation at Idle (Idle/Bridle) Park, a missing-link sidewalk on Lee Avenue, Liberty Lot resurfacing and safety improvements, and a townwide bridge maintenance program.
Wagner described projects removed or deferred: Town Branch stream restoration and a sanitary-sewer pump station upgrade were taken off the list (the stream restoration was removed after resident opposition and council action); some utility work was rolled into private projects (he said Microsoft is handling some data center improvements). He attributed schedule shifts to staffing, funding timing and material availability—citing closed asphalt plants and six- to eight-month lead times for light poles and signal poles.
Wagner also outlined the funding process and schedule. He said staff will apply for state and regional grants (VDOT programs, Smart Scale and NVTA) as they become available and that projects already in land acquisition or construction have dedicated funding. He told the commission the public meeting on the draft CIP is scheduled for Feb. 6, staff will forward commission recommendations to the town manager for a council briefing on Feb. 11, a public hearing before council is expected March 11, and staff hopes to adopt the plan as part of the 2026 budget process on March 25.
Council member Steinberg, who spoke during the discussion about a proposed performing-arts site and Liberty Lot, cautioned about remediation costs for redevelopment and said private enterprise might advance a performing-arts center. He told the commission that the combined cost of excavating and remediating the proposed performing-arts site and building a parking facility "probably approached $30,000,000," and that "the remediation came in at a pretty high price tag," which influenced council’s view about the timing and scale of public investment at that site.
Commissioners pressed staff on priority-setting and budget risks. Staff said the CIP has been run through long-term financial and sustainability models, that projects in land acquisition or under construction are fully funded, and that projects in design may rely on future grants. The CIP team currently lists eight staff members and Wagner said a junior construction manager would start soon to support upcoming work.
Commissioners also asked about park and recreation items (playground upgrades, pickleball facilities, and locker-room rehabilitation at Bridle/Idle Park), downtown projects (Liberty Lot resurfacing tied to potential private redevelopment), drainage projects intended to meet the town’s 2028 TMDL goals, and major highway projects including Evergreen Mills Road widening and the Route 15 bypass interchange, which staff said require coordination with Loudoun County and additional funding sources.
Next steps: staff asked commissioners to submit questions before Feb. 6 so the commission could consider recommended edits and be prepared to vote at that meeting. Staff also said they would provide additional detail on which projects are funded, which are grant-dependent, and the schedule implications of material and staffing constraints.
(Ending) The commission did not take a formal vote on the CIP during this work session; staff requested commission comment and signaled that a formal recommendation and vote are expected at the Feb. 6 public meeting.
