Commissioners Weigh Merits Of Revised Ridgewater Proposal

After shifting the location and changing the name of its latest mixed-use project, Lansdowne Development Group still has not zeroed in on the final details of the project, which would occupy about 638 acres along Sycolin Road south of Leesburg.

Originally billed as Creekside, Lansdowne representatives changed the name to Ridgewater Park after the board of supervisors expressed no interest in swapping its Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park site for land along Goose Creek. The residential plans have also been scaled back from about 4,200 homes to 1,998, of which 235 would be affordable dwelling units, according to a presentation at a Loudoun County Planning Commission work session Monday.

The plan also calls for about 650,000 square feet of office uses and about 150,000 square feet of retail development. A large portion of the office would be for the Inova LIFE Center, viewed as a medical education and research facility.

The proposal no longer calls for a land swap, but also no longer includes a proffer to construct both phases of the park, including a recreation center. The county is now working on just the first phase of the park construction, which has been scaled back because of cost overruns, and utilizes local taxpayer money. The first phase includes ballfields and trails, while the second phase calls for a recreation center.

In addition, proffers for regional road construction have been reduced in the revamped plan. For example, the developer has eliminated plans to pay for the widening of Rt. 659 from Rt. 7 to the Dulles Greenway. However, plans remain to pave portions of Sycolin Road that are now gravel.

While the county's planning policies call for a voluntary 1,300-foot buffer between new structures and Goose Creek, Lansdowne representatives said they were offering just a 500-foot buffer with promises that, on average, the distance would equal 900 feet when the contours of the development are factored in.

Earlier this month, the board of supervisors directed the Loudoun Planning Commission to develop a comprehensive plan amendment with proposed policy changes to accommodate Lansdowne Development Group's request to rezone that land. The developer suggested simply moving the area into the Suburban Policy Area, which otherwise lies east of Goose Creek, and out of the Transition Policy Area, which calls for lower density development projects.

"I think it's simplistic, if anything," said Commissioner John Elgin (Leesburg), who supported Lansdowne's proposal to amend county planning policies and said it would create an opportunity to provide nearby residents who have failing well and septic systems with public water and sewer. "Here's a perfect opportunity to take care of them."

However, Commission Kevin Ruedisueli (At Large) said Goose Creek serves as a dividing line for the scale of development permitted in Loudoun.

"If we allow the suburban growth area to reach Leesburg, then Leesburg loses its identity," he said.

Elgin expressed concerns about homes located near the Luck Stone quarry property because of expansion plans there. While measures have been considered to mitigate some potential noise impacts-both on the part of Luck Stone and the developer, which offered to require construction measures that would reduce exterior noise inside homes-Elgin said those who enjoying their yards may not be protected.

"People don't live inside all the time," he said. "What the [decibel] level going to be with a guy barbecuing out there?"

Representatives from Lansdowne were expected to provide more details about transportation proffers as well as Inova's proposed LIFE Center during a work session next week. Those representatives said they would take comments made by commissioners and tweak the proposal where necessary.