Council backs VDOT design-waiver request for Norbo site, citing downtown character

The Purcellville Town Council voted Sept. 23 to authorize the mayor to sign a letter supporting a VDOT design waiver and access-management exception for the Norbo (Loudoun Valley Professional Associates) in-fill site at 441 East Main Street.

Planning staff described the proposed new building as a three-story, roughly 48,000-square-foot medical-office structure behind the existing Norbo dental building. Staff said the applicant's traffic study shows the site would generate a PM peak-hour turning volume ("their peak hour is 109 cars proposed in the PM") and that the project can provide a left-turn lane but is seeking a waiver of the VDOT requirement for a right-turn lane because the site's 200-foot driveway throat and on-site parking to the rear reduce the likelihood of queuing onto Main Street. "VDOT has requested support from the town council," staff said, while recommending council endorsement as consistent with the downtown master plan's objective to keep the Main Street right-of-way narrow.

Council members raised pedestrian-safety concerns about a nearby crosswalk and asked staff to explore additional measures (flashing signs, striping, or relocating crossings). After discussion, a motion to affirm support for the design waiver and authorize the mayor to sign the attached letter passed; recorded votes on the motion included yes votes from Council members Khalil, Luke, Wright, Raynor and the mayor. Staff said the applicant expects a full build-out by 2027 and that VDOT is the ultimate approving authority for the waiver.