Planning Commission recommends approval of Shiraz Farm kennel special exception with conditions

The Loudoun County Planning Commission voted Jan. 28 to forward Shiraz Farm LLP’s special‑exception application (Lehi 2023‑0091) to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval subject to conditions dated Jan. 13, 2026. Commissioners discussed operational details, precedent concerns about allowed dog counts, and agreed staff would refine findings and conditions for the Board report.

Christian Maldonado of the Department of Planning and Zoning described the application: the owner seeks a special exception and a minor special exception to permit a kennel use in the AR‑2 rural policy area with up to 50 adult dogs; the request includes reducing the northern buffer from 20 feet to 5 feet and reducing a 100‑foot setback to 5 feet. Staff noted the parcel is roughly 99 acres and subject to a conservation easement held by the Land Trust of Virginia; staff recommended conditions addressing operation, waste handling, and environmental mitigation but flagged concerns about scale and compatibility given the reduced setback.

Applicants Roger and Azita (Leah) Rudy described a longtime family operation that breeds and trains German Shepherds primarily for service and therapy work, said they have passed Loudoun County Animal Services, USDA and American Kennel Club inspections, and described housing, supervised outdoor exercise, and a commitment to not expand facilities or disturb conserved areas. They said current on‑site adult counts are approximately 42, with puppies not counted under the zoning definition (animals under six months are excluded), and that typical adoption/transfer occurs in 8–12 weeks.

Commissioners questioned the kennel definition, how adult counts are applied (puppies are excluded), whether training or off‑site training should be limited, and why the special‑exception area covered about 1 acre of an almost 99‑acre parcel; commissioners noted the conservation easement, low traffic (about 10–15 work trips weekly) and long history of inspections as distinguishing factors. Several commissioners suggested adding a finding that the special‑exception boundary sits on a conserved, non‑subdividable 99‑acre parcel, which acts as a buffer that distinguishes this application from others.

Commissioner Jasper moved—and Commissioner Combs seconded—to forward Shiraz Farm to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval subject to conditions dated 01/13/2026 and the findings in the Jan. 27 staff report, incorporating corrections staff noted (hours of operation, sidewalk language, waste‑handling) and the commission’s requested clarifications on training language and the conservation easement. The motion passed unanimously (9–0). The case will now go to the Board of Supervisors for final action.