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Purcellville commission opens 2026 comp‑plan review, debates walkability and traffic counts
Summary
At its Jan. 8 meeting, the Purcellville Planning Commission began the five‑year review of the comprehensive plan, introduced new planner Benjamin Sullivan, and debated walkability and traffic challenges — including a citizen-commissioner’s traffic count claiming 29,000 vehicles during morning and evening rush hours.
The Purcellville Planning Commission opened its first regular meeting of 2026 on Jan. 8, introduced new planner Benjamin (Ben) Sullivan and began the five‑year review of the town’s comprehensive plan, with commissioners focusing much of the discussion on walkability and traffic.
Chair called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., announced a quorum and staff assignments, and introduced Sullivan as the planning staff liaison. Sullivan, who described a background in city and regional planning and work for Arlington County and the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission, said he is available to meet individually with commissioners and help with mapping and policy work: “I look forward to working with all of you and helping, make Purcellville a great place to live,” he said.
Why it matters: Virginia code requires localities to review comprehensive plans periodically; the commission’s decisions will guide zoning, sidewalk and transportation investments, and future public review. Chair said the commission is considering roughly two dozen proposed amendments and expects to bundle several items for public review this year.
Walkability, local constraints Commissioners traded firsthand accounts of walking conditions. Commissioner Kathleen Kelly said she and her family moved to the town for walkability and use local sidewalks and trails, but she and others agreed that Main Street and some corridors feel unsafe for pedestrians. Chair noted physical constraints — hills and weather — that limit walking for some residents, and Commissioner Matt Davis said some neighborhoods lack continuous sidewalks.
Sullivan framed walkability as a design question and urged commissioners to think about sources (where people start trips) versus destinations: “How do you think about when you move about town, what are your preferred modes of transportation?” he asked, prompting a discussion about routes to grocery stores and safety improvements.
Traffic counts and scope of the problem Resident-commissioner Lloyd Harding described a small study he commissioned with students to count vehicles at gateway locations during rush hours. Harding said his team measured traffic from 6 a.m.–9 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. and told the commission, “29,000 vehicles pass through this town during those two rush hours every day.” Harding offered to share the spreadsheet and summary report with staff.
Chair and other commissioners framed that volume as evidence of both pass‑through traffic and school‑related trips; they said an interchange project outside town may relieve some northbound congestion but will not entirely eliminate traffic that passes through the center of Purcellville.
Data, maps and next steps Chair distributed county assessment and parcel data and asked planning staff to demonstrate the town’s interactive zoning map. Chair read county figures at the meeting, saying the county data show 1,936 single‑family detached homes, 704 townhouses and roughly 273 vacant parcels (chair attributed these counts to the county assessment packet provided to commissioners). He encouraged commissioners to study the zoning map and the comp‑plan materials ahead of working meetings.
Legal timing and schedule Members confirmed Virginia’s statutory five‑year review requirement and the commission’s plan to complete the review in 2026. Chair said the commission had identified about 21 proposed amendments and that roughly five are ready for public review; commissioners agreed to hold special working sessions to advance the review.
Actions and procedural notes The commission agreed without objection to remove Item 8a (a staff report on a snow‑removal code amendment) from tonight’s agenda. Council‑appointed member Bertaux moved to adjourn at the meeting’s end; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
What’s next: Commissioners were asked to study the comp‑plan packet, the zoning map and the county assessment data distributed at the meeting; staff said it will support targeted working sessions to prepare materials for public review later this year.
