Vienna holds public hearing on draft 2026 comprehensive plan; conservation commission asks that two town parcels be rezoned as parks

The Vienna Town Council held a public hearing on the Planning Commission’s draft 2026 comprehensive plan and agreed to leave the written public record open through 9 a.m. on May 11 to accept additional comments.

Director Levy described the document as the Planning Commission’s recommended comprehensive plan, the product of two years of work and public outreach. He urged residents to review the draft and noted staff and commissioners had spread the word through social media, Vienna Voice, Green Fest and other outreach outlets.

Patty Mertz Eswein, chair of the Conservation and Sustainability Commission, spoke for her commission and asked the council to rezone two town‑owned parcels — the Beulah Road and Robinson properties — as parkland to preserve green space. She told the council the Robinson parcel had been the subject of a unanimous commission vote in February 2026 to support a detailed proposal for park development and noted zoning differences: the Beulah Road parcel is currently zoned R‑12.5 (12,500‑square‑foot single‑family lots) and the Robinson parcel is zoned R‑10 (10,000‑square‑foot single‑family lots). “The CSC recommends and requests that the town rezone both properties as parkland as a first step in preserving this valuable green space,” Mertz Eswein said.

Council moved to close the public hearing on the comprehensive plan and to hold the record open for written input until 9 a.m. on May 11; that motion passed unanimously. Director Levy and staff told the council they have scheduled further discussion slots on May 18 and June 1, with a potential adoption on July 6 depending on whether council direction is finalized.

The council encouraged residents to review the draft (posted on the town website) and submit written comments for the May 11 deadline; staff said additional written input will be included in the packet for the May 18 meeting.