ZMAP 2013-0001, THE GREENS SOUTH AT WILLOWSFORD

The Board of Supervisors is holding a public hearing this evening on a proposed rezoning application- ZMAP-2013-0001, The Greens South at Willowsford. This application is a request to rezone approximately 737 acres within the Transition Policy Area from TR-3UBF (Transitional Residential - 3, Upper Broad Run Upper Foley) to TR-1UBF in order to increase the development potential from 245 to 802 single-family detached residential dwelling units-over 3 times the planned density.  The County’s budgetary plans have neither anticipated nor programmed additional school capacity, public facilities, and transportation infrastructure necessary to serve the estimated population increase which would result from the approval of this rezoning request.

 As you may recall, Willowsford is a 4,245-acre residential community which is on the property of the former Greenvest proposals is currently planned and approved for up to 2,175 single-family detached homes, approximately 50 percent open space, community facilities, recreational facilities, and a farm. It is divided into four geographically separated communities including The Grange, The Grant, The Grove, and The Greens. The Grange and The Grant are north of Route 50 and west of Evergreen Mills Road. The Grove and The Greens are south of Route 50 and separated by Braddock Road. Construction is in process for the Grove and the Grange, including areas on the east side of Lenah Run, which include utilities, roads, community facilities, and residential lots.

 As part of their justification for the approval of the rezoning request the Applicant hired the Robert Charles Lesser (RCL) company to perform a fiscal impact analysis on their proposed rezoning. The Willowsford fiscal impact study compared the impacts of the by-right development scenario to the proposed rezoning scenario on the County budget. The RCL analysis determined that a net (negative) fiscal impact of -$2.6 million over a 20 year period would result from the by-right scenario while it calculated that a net (positive) fiscal impact of $0.9 million over the same 20 year period for the rezoning scenario would result.

 PEC had serious reservations about the validity of the RCL study and as a result Michael Siegel, with Public and Environmental Finance Associates (PEFA), who has previously performed a variety of fiscal analyses for Loudoun, was hired to prepare the attached analysis of the RCL analysis for PEC. In it he determined that the RCL analysis contained a number of errors, which when corrected, demonstrated  that the rezoning scenario would generate a substantial net (negative) fiscal impact and deficit to the county of -$33.million over the same 20 year period as in the RCL analysis, while the by-right scenario would generate a net (negative) fiscal impact and deficit of -$10.8 million again over the same 20 year period as in the RCL analysis.   

 Therefore, the Piedmont Environmental Council STRONGLY recommends that you contact the Board of Supervisors (BOS@loudoun.gov) and urge them to DENY ZMAP 2013-0001, THE GREENS SOUTH AT WILLOWSFORD for the following reasons:

 1.    The proposed rezoning is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed density is three times what the Revised General Plan envisions for the Upper Foley Subarea of the Transition Policy Area. The active and pending residential applications in the Transition area could effectively amend the land use plan for the Transition area without the benefit of a broader comprehensive evaluation and public discussion of the issues and benefits.

2.    The proposed increased density would result in a development pattern with clusters ranging from 50 to over 150 units, rather than the Transition Policy Area’s objective of distinct groupings of 5 to 25 residential units separated by open space as the predominant visual element. The proposed development pattern mimics a suburban pattern and scale of development, which would be incompatible with the existing and planned residential development patterns within the Transition Policy Area.

 3.    The Applicant is proposing up to 350 age-restricted units in an area of the County where residents would not be able to conveniently walk or take a bus to a senior center, doctor or dentist’s office, library, pharmacy, place of worship, or other necessary daily public service or personal need. According to the Revised General Plan, the “preferred” location for age-restricted residential is within areas planned for Residential land use in the Suburban Policy Area and within Joint Land Management Areas surrounding incorporated towns due to the proximity to services, amenities, transit, and other support services.

 4.    The County’s budgetary plans have neither anticipated nor programmed additional school capacity, public facilities, and transportation infrastructure necessary to the serve the additional population growth proposed by this application. The proposed rezoning scenario will generate a negative fiscal impact on the county budget of approximately -$33.6 million over a 20-year period in constant 2012 dollars.

 5.    The Applicant’s proposed capital facility contributions do not offset the continuing and unplanned fiscal impacts generated by the proposed additional residential density.