Fauquier supervisors approve St. Patrick Orthodox Church campus after hours of testimony and debate

The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 on Feb. 12 to approve a special exception and associated waiver allowing Saint Patrick Orthodox Church to build a multi‑building parish campus on an 11‑acre property in the Village of Liberty.

Staff described the proposed campus as a combined place of worship with a roughly 300‑seat sanctuary, a parish hall and an 8,400‑square‑foot primary school intended for 150 students (135 primary and 15 preschool), plus a 6,500‑square‑foot activity building and 153 parking spaces. The applicant submitted a 2,400‑gallon‑per‑day dose septic design and asked for a three‑year period to establish the use to allow time for fundraising. Staff said the Planning Commission had recommended denial in August 2024 but that the applicant revised the plan—moving the primary entrance from Old Marsh Road to Route 17 (Marsh Road) and withdrawing objections to staff‑proposed conditions.

Why it mattered: the project drew extensive public comment and board scrutiny because of its size and location inside a village designation. Neighbors and a dissenting supervisor said the proposal’s scale and density are out of character for the village; supporters said the campus reflects existing parish growth, community service, and local economic ties.

Supporters urged approval. Jim Scruffani, who said he is staff at Saint Patrick’s, asked the board to approve a phased, responsibly designed campus “that honors the rural integrity of Fauquier County” and described the parish as a community of local families and small‑business owners. Parishioners and youth spoke about community service, a growing local congregation and plans to donate produce to the Fauquier Community Food Bank. Katie Neuberger, parish administrator, described Sunday routines and said roughly 40 percent of parishioners are under 19.

Opposition focused on scale and precedent. A dissenting supervisor said the proposed 55,000‑square‑foot footprint (as presented) would be “the largest church in Fauquier County” and argued it is “a lot of building for 10 acres” that could set an undesirable precedent for large institutional buildings adjacent to village areas. That supervisor urged the applicant to downsize or relocate to a service district to avoid adverse impacts on the village character and traffic.

Conditions and staff assurances: staff emphasized several conditions that will be required if the board’s approval stands: access improvements (including a right‑turn lane if required by VDOT), limits on hours of operation, screening and lighting requirements, design and material consistency with the special‑exception plat, a minimum 2,400‑gpd septic system (the applicant’s submitted design), emergency vehicle access and posting of occupancy loads. Staff also noted that the zoning administrator will review whether the applicant is “diligently pursuing” the use if the three‑year establishment timeframe is used.

The vote and next steps: after public comment and deliberation, the board approved the special exception SPEX‑24‑021411 and waiver 25‑026001 by a 4–1 margin. The applicant will proceed to site plan and permit reviews and must satisfy the enumerated conditions before commencing the proposed uses.

The board’s action does not change the Planning Commission’s prior recommendation; it indicates the supervisors accepted staff’s conditions and revised access plan as sufficient to address the project’s most‑pressed concerns.