Board Defers Crosstrail Vote Until July

The board of supervisors wants to meet with Leesburg town council members before they vote on the Crosstrail rezoning application, a meeting or series of meetings they want to happen during the next six weeks.

In voting to defer the application today-a vote was scheduled after a delay from two weeks ago-supervisors said the project was still laced with concerns. The application calls for building 1,000 homes, up to 2 million square feet of office and up to 850,000 square feet of retail uses on 500 acres just south of Leesburg.

"We've got some serious problems out there that need to be addressed," said Leesburg District Supervisor Jim Clem (R) in suggesting a joint meeting between the town and county.

"The town has not been forthright in bringing forward a lot of the issues that we need to be aware of," he said.

The town council has sent the board at least two letters and filed two staff reports with the county enumerating its concerns with the application, according to Leesburg Senior Planner Scott Parker.

Supervisors Sally Kurtz (D-Catoctin), Clem and Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) will represent the board on the three-member committee to meet with town representatives. The supervisors' motion also calls for town and county staff to attend the meetings; some advocated for Peterson Companies representatives to sit at the table as well.

Attorney Mike Banzhaf, who represents the developer, said if not invited to officially participate, they would be in attendance at the minimum. He said he would speak with his client about the deferral, since the developer must technically extend the time period by which the board must vote on the application. The state law requires that action be taken on rezoning applications within a year; Peterson Companies has already extended the review timeline.

The meeting between the two elected bodies must occur before the board's second meeting in July, with some supervisors arguing for a definite time frame so the application does not continue to linger.

Clem had originally asked for a six-month extension, but the majority supported the six-week window.

Supervisor Bruce E. Tulloch (R-Potomac) who has held himself out as the swing vote said he previously supported many the overall project, but "If I'd vote on this today, I'd vote no. ... I've changed my view."

He cited broad concerns with the proffers, saying, "I don't think we're there yet," and asked where the aviation component that was originally proposed went.

"I heard today from [Airport Commissioner] Tom Toth and other members of the Leesburg Airport that they want an aviation community," Tulloch said, asking if that couldn't be renegotiated.

"If people think I'm fully behind this application, they're wrong. If they think I'm fully opposed, they're wrong," Tulloch said.

Supervisor Steve Snow (R-Dulles) also asked for the airport-related uses discussed earlier for the eastern most portion of the property to resurface.

"[It's a] neat, neat jewel concept," about creating a corporate hangar environment, that "got lost," he said.

Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) was the lone vote against the deferral and joint meetings.

"I think we're wasting everyone's time. ... I think it's time to vote," Burton said about the application he says is plagued with problems.