Loudoun County Government: Board Of Supervisors Adopts Resolution Of Intent To Amend Zoning Ordinance

Ashburn VA

19 November, 2021

5:16 PM

Description

Press release from the Loudoun County Government: November 19, 2021 The Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project has reached a significant milestone. At its November 16, 2021 meeting, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted a Resolution of Intent to Amend (ROIA) for the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The ROIA is a formal resolution adopted by the BOS publicly announcing the intent to amend the entire Zoning Ordinance; adoption of a ROIA is a necessary step in revising the ordinance. The Board's action marks the official referral of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite to the Planning Commission for review and recommendations. The completion of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan provided the impetus for this major rewrite of the Revised 1993 ordinance. Key goals for the rewrite include: Implementation of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan vision, including the Urban Policy Area, which involves new place types with densities, standards, building forms and infrastructure that have yet to be realized in Loudoun County. Modernization: revising land uses and definitions to reflect the current marketplace, reevaluating parking ratios and calculations, updating lot and building standards, and aligning how the county administers planned unit developments with modern practice. Consistency audit: analyzing existing standards and striving for consistency within the document and across zoning districts when feasible. Structure and flow: improving the document structure, making it user-friendly and clear. Opportunities and challenges: evaluating input from stakeholders about the current Zoning Ordinance and making improvements where appropriate. Legislation: incorporating changes based on new or revised provisions of the Code of Virginia, court cases and best management practices promoted by the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials, Urban Land Institute and American Planning Association. As part of the rewrite process to date, the county's Department of Planning and Zoning and the Zoning Ordinance Committee have discussed possible new and revised land uses, definitions and performance standards; improvements to parking regulations; renaming of zoning districts; and changes to process. Potential ordinance changes are intended to implement the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan and respond to input from the public, community groups, advisory bodies, and subject matter experts. Potential Changes Progress to date includes the potential for: Areas still to be addressed in the rewrite process include attainable housing, lot and building standards, signs, landscaping and zoning processes and procedures. Code Audit As part of this project, a code audit was completed to evaluate the county's approach to zoning; the audit, which can be found at loudoun.gov/zoningordinancerewrite, outlines alternatives and recommends changes to structure, organization and content. This press release was produced by the Loudoun County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.