[0:20] I call to order the September 3rd, 2020 sex meeting of the Leesburg Clinic Mission. Please rise for the pledge of legions.

[0:40] All

[0:44] right. Let the record reflect that we do have a physical quorum. Do I hear a motion to allow chair Campbell to remote participate in the meeting? Do to medical excuse?

[1:01] your motion. So moved to a second. Seconded. Okay. I have a motion in a second. Mr. Campbell,

[1:08] what are you on?

[1:10] Yes, I am. All right. I'm going to jump ahead. Any chair statement from

[1:14] you, sir?

[1:18] I'm about at the time. Thank you. All right. For the agenda, do I hear motion to adopt

[1:23] the agenda for today's September 3rd as submitted? So moved? All right. Any questions,

[1:30] changes the liberation. All right, all in favor?

[1:36] Five. Aye. Mr. Campbell. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

[1:41] Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes of the August 6th, 2026 meeting?

[1:46] So moved. Aye. Aye. Any changes or alterations?

[1:50] No. Aye. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

[1:55] Mr. Campbell. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

[1:58] You must be slow.

[2:00] Disclosures.

[2:01] Looking to my left.

[2:03] Disclosures.

[2:05] None.

[2:06] OK.

[2:07] Stair chair statement already done.

[2:10] Any petitioner signed up?

[2:13] Nobody signed up.

[2:14] OK.

[2:14] I don't see any petitioners in the audience.

[2:16] So I will skip ahead.

[2:18] Today's work session is the zoning ordinance

[2:20] rebrite state code updates.

[2:22] Solar facilities and portable solar devices.

[2:25] I'm speaking today, we have our WV Town Attorney, Tina Newton,

[2:31] Zunning Administrator, Mr. Michael Watkins,

[2:33] and of course Director David, the floor is yours.

[2:36] Great, thank you, Mr. Vice Chair.

[2:39] So tonight is our second work session

[2:42] where we are discussing recent state code changes

[2:46] that trickle down to the need to revise our local zoning ordinance.

[2:51] and the commission is spending this time to create recommendations based on that new state

[2:58] legislation to forward to the council for consideration as they go through the larger zoning

[3:03] orders rewrite. And so tonight's item is focused on solar legislation and just bear with

[3:13] us as we try to get the audio visual up here. But if you're following along with your staff

[3:20] report, that's how I'm going to walk through these topics.

[3:25] So the solar related legislation is HB-711 and SB-250 and recall that deputy town attorney

[3:36] Ms. Newton gave you a pretty thorough overview of these couple meetings ago, so I'll just

[3:41] be brief with the intent of the legislation and then we'll talk about the draft recommendations.

[3:47] So, HP711 recall that focuses on solar photovoltaic projects.

[3:54] It basically requires localities to allow solar photovoltaic projects either by right or by special exception.

[4:02] And it has a certain applicable special exception criteria for an energy storage project.

[4:10] There's definitions of the solar photovoltaic projects.

[4:13] there's definitions of ground-mounted solar as well,

[4:17] and then there's certain special exception criteria

[4:19] that staff has reviewed and incorporated into our draft

[4:24] recommended edits.

[4:27] Might be my machine, so if you just want to pull up

[4:29] the packet, that's great.

[4:33] Okay, in addition to HP711, we have SB250,

[4:39] and what SB250 does is it changes the title of this section

[4:43] local regulation of solar facilities and adds the term small portable solar generation

[4:49] devices.

[4:51] And then basically says there's a new definition and it prevents the locality from prohibiting

[4:56] the small portable solar generation devices on residential structures provided that they

[5:00] Back in other property development standards.

[5:03] HB711 also authorizes the locality to allow an energy storage project, and then there's also SB443,

[5:13] which influences an impacts HB711.

[5:18] So staff looked at all that recent state code and came up with the following proposed changes.

[5:25] One would be to modify the table 921 in the residential districts use table to add accessory

[5:35] solar facility and portable solar generation device subject to codified standards.

[5:44] And we have that up on the screen, good timing is Boeing.

[5:48] So that's what you see there up on the screen is the proposed modification to table 921.

[5:54] one, so you see accessory solar facility with the L's across the board and residential districts,

[6:01] which denotes limited use and implies there are use standards associated with it,

[6:08] and then portable solar generation device with L's across the board and the residential

[6:12] districts as well as a link to the use standards.

[6:15] If you could scroll down to 922, please.

[6:20] This is the non-residential mixed-use district's table.

[6:26] You'll see there that we've also added accessory solar facility, portable solar generation

[6:32] device as well.

[6:35] And because this is non-residential and mixed-use, we've added solar photovoltaic project and

[6:41] battery energy storage project.

[6:45] Since those two uses are a little bit larger in scale, especially the solar photo will take

[6:51] project, we put those in special exceptions, subject to legislative review, for the battery

[6:57] energy storage, those are proposed as limited uses with codified standards.

[7:04] We allow it accessory solar facility across the board in the non-residential mixed use

[7:09] districts, but we were a little bit more selective with the portable solar generation

[7:13] device, we've proposed limited use in commercial neighborhood mixed use downtown and innovation

[7:21] center, and then with the solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage projects, you

[7:27] see here that it's not in the districts that have residential components necessarily.

[7:34] You've got it in the industrial research innovation center, which does allow some residential

[7:39] and then government center and the airport district.

[7:45] And the final section of the tables that we are proposing

[7:49] a modification is the Crescent District use tables.

[7:53] And here, similar to the residential use table,

[7:56] we've added accessory solar facility,

[7:58] portable solar generation device,

[8:00] as a limited use in those Crescent District

[8:03] sub-districts that have a residential component.

[8:05] So we wanted to make sure that we're complying with state code

[8:08] you have to allow these things where residences are allowed.

[8:12] We also added accessory solar to the Crescent District Government Center.

[8:18] Okay, I'm just pulling if you could just go a little further down.

[8:21] Now we start to see the draft use standards, which remind me of the zooming in if you can a

[8:25] little bit.

[8:26] Thank you.

[8:29] So here are the use standards.

[8:30] There's a lot of this language comes straight from the state code and we've inserted

[8:35] the state code references as applicable.

[8:37] So here are the use standards for solar photovoltaic project, setbacks 100 feet from any road,

[8:45] 150 feet from any residential public institutional civic use, 50 feet from wetlands and

[8:50] perennial streams. Fencing again per state code has to meet energy code if you could scroll down

[8:57] a little bit please. Screening, this comes from the state code as well, opaque, vegetative screen,

[9:05] The 35-foot wide buffer yard height cannot exceed a maximum height of 25 feet.

[9:13] And again, when we talk about solar voltage, we're talking about largely like brown-mounted

[9:19] solar arrays for the purpose of generating enough electricity to sell back to the grid,

[9:25] or to sell to other users, right?

[9:27] So this is a little bit more commercial and operation.

[9:31] Viewshed analysis, we've got those use standards in there as well, because the state allows

[9:36] us to evaluate impacts on public park, scenic rivers, biways, historic structures, and

[9:43] historic places.

[9:45] There's some standards about lighting, as well as about stormwater compliance impervious

[9:50] surface.

[9:51] We minimize your impervious surface.

[9:53] There's a bunch about land disturbing activities.

[9:56] Again, this is all coming from the state code.

[9:58] There's additional standards we keep scrolling about wildlife corridors trying to

[10:01] Avoid impacting wildlife corridors. There's even standards about labor laws. I know that's not your typical zoning type issue, but we felt like, hey, put it in there. It's in the state code. Might as well have it in our local code, decommissioning as well as airport impacts. Battery energy storage. You've got additional standards.

[10:25] And again, this is a more commercially designed project that is accessory to and approved

[10:33] solar photovoltaic project.

[10:36] So they're generating that solar power with the hopes of selling it back to the grid and

[10:41] they need a place to store it.

[10:42] They can have an accessory battery storage project on site as well.

[10:46] And so those standards are listed here to make sure that we're mitigating some of the impacts.

[10:51] It's the same setbacks, keep these battery energy cells

[10:54] with the structures equipped with cooling ventilation

[10:57] fire suppression.

[10:59] All right, if you can scroll down a bit further,

[11:01] now we get into the accessory residential standard.

[11:04] So we're talking about accessory solar

[11:08] and more specifically accessory solar facility

[11:10] and portable solar generation device.

[11:12] So we're talking about smaller and scale,

[11:15] primarily designed to serve the needs of that property

[11:19] and that property alone.

[11:20] So, think photovoltaic panels may be on top of a roof or somewhere around your property.

[11:29] So, standards here got to comply with the underlying zoning districts, set back requirements.

[11:36] If the panels are on the rooftop, you have to comply with the underlying districts structure height.

[11:41] If ground mounted, got to comply with the accessory structure height.

[11:45] Also, I have to comply with overlay districts and get way all of historic overlay districts

[11:52] that are architectural control districts and then put your battery cells in a primary

[11:59] or accessory structure.

[12:02] Reportable solar rate generation device, again, thanks small scale, mainly to serve the

[12:08] thermal or electrical needs of that property, similar standards here.

[12:12] meet your setbacks, comply with our architectural district guidelines, meet any other applicable

[12:19] state codes for those devices.

[12:23] And because we have accessory solar allowed in non-residential

[12:28] mixed use, we repeat those standards again here to make sure that we're covered in both the

[12:34] accessory residential and accessory non-residential mixed use sections of article,

[12:39] sorry, section 11. And if you keep going, it's Boeing. Now we get to our definitions.

[12:48] Straight from the state code. Accessory solar facilities are roof-mounted or ground-mounted solar

[12:53] power system to serve the electricity or thermal needs of the property upon which such facilities are

[12:58] located for the property. Battery energy storage project, accessory use, located within the

[13:09] photovoltaic project to have the better energy storage project and that solar photovoltaic

[13:16] project needs a special exception and has a rate of storage capacity that is not exceed

[13:21] a hundred percent of the nameplate generating a capacity of the associated solar energy

[13:26] facility against right out of the code and then finally movable photovoltaic generation

[13:32] device that's the portable device. Oh sorry there's one more solar photovoltaic project.

[13:39] Per that section of the state code, ground-mounted solar facility with a generated capacity of one megawatt

[13:43] or more designed to serve or serves the electricity or thermal needs of any property other than the property

[13:49] where such facility is located.

[13:51] So, think commercial use.

[13:55] So, that covers what we have for you tonight in terms of recommended changes to the council

[14:00] for the Zoningordas rewrite.

[14:03] Staff is supportive of these changes, feels like solar is a good sustainable practice, and

[14:09] And welcome any discussion questions or recommendations.

[14:15] Looks like we have a bird in there.

[14:18] Chair Campbell, would you like to kick us off?

[14:21] Yeah.

[14:23] No, I don't have any questions at that time.

[14:28] All right, thank you, sir.

[14:31] Council Member Steinberg, would you like to ask any questions of the content?

[14:35] Thank you.

[14:37] And I apologize if I miss this in the previous discussion.

[14:40] was this the first time you've had this specific discussion.

[14:44] First time, because this came from the more recent 2026 Virginia General Assembly.

[14:50] Oh, in the event of a development that basically falls into the regulations of an HOA.

[14:58] How much of this becomes moved if the HOA regulations for bid or cash.

[15:00] And they forbid solar installations within a project. And since most of what we're likely to see, in terms of redevelopment, would indeed probably have some kind of HOA.

[15:19] The question comes, are they able to supersede state regulations with their own HOA regulation?

[15:28] So, our zoning ordinance cannot supersede the private restrictions that an HOA would impose.

[15:39] I appreciate that.

[15:41] I'm just wondering, can there regulation supersede what the state says property owners can do?

[15:50] Or within the auspices of an HOA, all of that becomes new?

[15:53] Right.

[15:54] So the new legislation does not contain anything that tries to supersede HOA regulations.

[16:04] Conceivably, the general assembly could try to limit what can be contained in HOA restrictions

[16:15] or declarations if they wanted to go back and retroactively do that to try to influence restrictions

[16:24] that already exist, there will be other issues with that.

[16:28] There will be taking issues, for example.

[16:32] Most of the legislation you see that talks about the rights of a tenant or a landowner

[16:39] has a disclaimer that it does not, it does not supersede the rights that are granted

[16:47] by the private covenants.

[16:51] We're a residential development to occur, and it falls on the auspices of an

[16:57] nature where they could decide to allow solar, and if they do, then they would have to apply

[17:04] this law to the decisions they made in their covenants and so on, I'm just, let's say yes,

[17:12] you may have rooftop solar in this development, and it is everything you do is guided by

[17:20] state law as opposed to what we can hope to accomplish.

[17:25] Well, I'm not sure I totally understand that question.

[17:31] I think where you started was sort of the

[17:36] converse of what you're asking now.

[17:39] So, if our zoning ordinance allows

[17:42] the rooftop solar, for example, the HOA

[17:47] covenants could still restrict it.

[17:49] I understand that.

[17:51] But I want to say as you have a residential development that will have an HOA and the HOA

[17:59] will permit solar installations on individual rooftops.

[18:07] In doing that must they then follow the state guidelines.

[18:11] They cannot fashion their own guidelines within the HOA regarding solar installation.

[18:22] I'm just, you know, it just occurs to me this could come up and so I'm just, I want to be sure where we stand there.

[18:31] So if the question is, could the HOA say we allow solar that is a different format than is allowed by our zoning ordinance?

[18:45] I don't know what that would be, but just hypothetically, the HOA is trying to allow

[18:50] something that goes beyond what our ordinance allows?

[18:55] No.

[18:56] Let's think of that.

[18:56] I'm just saying they can't supersede whatever the state prescribes, and allowing,

[19:03] and creating it, allowing solace.

[19:04] The HOA did not proceed, solar.

[19:08] No, I'm saying they're developing a project, and they will allow solar within the project.

[19:12] They're developing it now.

[19:16] Let's say they're going to build it.

[19:18] Okay, so the HOA has not yet been approved between the town and the HOA people, in which case it hammer out the zoning stuff for solar if that was part of their HOA agreement, right?

[19:34] Because you reviewed that before it stamped on new developments.

[19:39] We do review the property owners association documents to make sure they comply with the zoning ordinance and state law.

[19:49] Well, presumably our ordinance is going to comply with state law.

[19:55] We're, I mean, we're enacting legislation so that we do comply with state law.

[20:00] Okay. There's specific example of scenario like, don't have one. I mean, I'm just trying to anticipate this example. Let's say you're going to build the townhouse development.

[20:12] And it's going to, and in this particular development, if the, therefore, purchase and the property owner could install solar on their roof within the auspices of an HOA.

[20:26] can the HOA in any way restrict what that property owner could do in that particular development

[20:35] that would run a foul of state law?

[20:38] I'm guessing not.

[20:39] I'm guessing not.

[20:40] I'm guessing not.

[20:41] So they are able to, they are able to restrict what is allowed on the roof and our zoning

[20:52] or I mean this the state law does not purport to overrule the restrictions that the

[21:00] owners association imposes I guess what I could they could say we don't allow rooftop

[21:08] solar in this I understand that yes I understand that entirely okay so I I'm so sorry

[21:14] I'm not I'm not following this the quote sense you have potentially portable or whatever

[21:23] languages for a solar, they might allow that in one form of fashion.

[21:31] I think we're good. At some point, we may see the question may arise, and then we'll see how it plays out since this is all new.

[21:39] We'll have a better hypothetical, yeah.

[21:42] Okay. Do we know all there is to know about battery storage facilities?

[21:46] Because I assume we could get an application for a battery storage facility that is not related

[21:55] to an actual solar project. Is that correct?

[22:04] Oh, working. Yeah. I mean, the self-example, let's say you have a data center, and they

[22:10] are going to use battery storage to a certain extent for backup. This, that's an entirely

[22:16] This is a separate conversation from this one since these particular

[22:19] battery storage is related to solar projects as opposed to any other kind.

[22:25] Correct.

[22:25] This is only accessory to an approved special option for a solar project.

[22:31] All right.

[22:31] So that we are entitled to, we are enabled to enact a battery energy storage project that

[22:40] is free-standing, Mike can talk about that, but we, the staff did not recommend that.

[22:48] The only recommended, what is required by the other code, there's another different code

[22:55] section that basically says we can't prohibit the battery energy storage that is accessory

[23:01] to the approved solar vote.

[23:03] All right.

[23:04] Okay.

[23:04] Thanks.

[23:06] I'm

[23:15] trying to figure out how this will apply, for example,

[23:24] the people, the control, for example, shopping center, let's make a giant, and they want to put in parking structure latticework in order to put solar panels on.

[23:43] Do they simply come in with a picture on limited use saying, this is what I'd like to do and this is the areas of the parking lot that I'm going to put it on, how would something of that nature work?

[24:02] And then, is there anything within our zoning that precludes a certain

[24:13] take down if they want to then, is there specific rules for taking the solar down when they want to do reconstruction?

[24:26] I'll start and then pass it over to Mr. Watkins, but the way we have it currently proposed

[24:32] is accessory solar facility would be allowed in all of our commercial districts that

[24:38] allow a shopping center. So they could do it, but they'd have to demonstrate to the

[24:44] zoning administrator that they're compliant with those limited use standards that we

[24:47] went over. So it could be a picture. Could be people can do this. Correct.

[24:53] Okay, and then at the end of their useful life.

[24:58] I don't believe we added decommissioning standards.

[25:00] Can we really add other than they'd be required to remove it when they're done using the facilities?

[25:04] Nothing.

[25:07] Anything in them that we have to be careful of disposing?

[25:12] The burden would be on the property owner to dispose of them properly.

[25:17] But we don't tell them how to do it.

[25:22] Do for a larger for the solar photovoltaic project, special exception, they are required to submit a written decommissioning plan with that.

[25:35] Okay,

[25:38] and if I do a parking lot like the giant, obviously I really don't want to fence it in, I'd like them to park underneath this lattice work.

[25:49] Are there certain things that is I bring in the project?

[25:54] Don't apply within this zoning, fencing, etc.

[26:02] So we'll go back to that PDF.

[26:05] You can scroll up to PDF page five.

[26:09] Yeah, right there, perfect.

[26:11] So we don't have any fencing requirements when it's accessory solar.

[26:15] And I believe that's what you're describing Commissioner Robinson.

[26:18] Okay,

[26:22] so goes under 113 versus 103. Correct. Okay. Under 113.

[26:29] Lester on this, on 112, 113. It says the underlying zoning districts and their requirements

[26:40] blah, blah, blah, blah. Since this is not a flat file and this is this new gizmo where

[26:48] just go in and I point and I click. Why don't I have those requirements right here?

[26:57] I could put a hyperlink over to the zoning districts.

[27:01] This will pull it up the zoning

[27:05] district requirements. Well, we could go to the article two, but the user would still have to

[27:12] know what district they're in to go find out there and set back requirements. And that's my concern.

[27:18] If I gone to something that's a point and click,

[27:20] why isn't the information duplicated as I need it throughout?

[27:25] It's not a flat file anymore.

[27:27] Right. Hopefully.

[27:30] Without making them tree, I'm in a this, I'm in a that.

[27:34] Now I got to go here, I got to go here, I got to go here.

[27:38] You should be pulling this together if we're trying to make this user friendly.

[27:43] Okay, we will explore some cross preferences here.

[27:48] Okay, thank you.

[28:07] I'd like to not two red lights.

[28:09] You might need to really take that and jam that.

[28:19] Am I on now?

[28:20] Can you hear me now?

[28:23] The only concern I was thinking about was the airport,

[28:27] but then because solar and messing with our pilots coming in and out of the airport

[28:36] but then I was thinking there's nothing big enough that we could make large enough

[28:40] arrays so never mind.

[28:46] Mr. Barnes?

[28:47] Thank you.

[28:49] I'm just a small one.

[28:50] I've been reading about portable generators for homes.

[28:58] And they are solar and you can run the whole house off of it, you know, they are battery pack.

[29:06] And you have to have, I have a genre of my own, but that's a genre of natural.

[29:12] So, I was thinking about changing to that.

[29:17] I don't know how would that be.

[29:19] How long that battery will last? I have no clue.

[29:22] You know, because when the value goes down, you lost a house, right?

[29:28] So where do you put the panels of that?

[29:30] You know, like, so it won't, it's a temporary thing.

[29:33] You can carry around put in different places.

[29:36] There's portable generator.

[29:41] So where do you put the screens, you know,

[29:44] to put solar, solar screens to facing towards Sun?

[29:48] Where would they put it on a ground?

[29:52] Or do you have anything about it and how far or where in the house you can put it?

[29:59] I'm in the Ronda house.

[30:00] 56-5968 for a portable solar generation device was there any detail on the device or how it's utilized.

[30:01] When you Mr. Rockins, when you looked at the state curve,

[30:09] No, okay.

[30:10] There's detail about the device itself.

[30:13] It's not where you place the panels.

[30:15] Okay. It doesn't look like maybe the state code silent on how you orient the panels.

[30:20] Just you carry a lot of builders.

[30:22] You know, workers, you know, they have a portable generator, but the solar.

[30:27] Yeah, this isn't a portable generator per se. It's portable solar generation. Yeah, they're going to generate it because it's not not not not like a regular generator. No, it's just a battery pack.

[30:42] And they call it a solar generator.

[30:45] be a location requirements are still like if you refer to 11 to C to A it's still gonna be

[30:54] subject to Seth Axon height I see it's gonna have to be pretty small yeah it's not going to

[31:02] do much thank you and that's what I was just a fool

[31:11] I'm sure for Torachach I do have a

[31:16] this should be relatively quick under 10, 3, u, 3, d is and delta. There's height to Commissioner Robinson's

[31:27] question. You know, if there was a parking lot that wanted to take advantage of these and

[31:35] sort of also provide shade to the parking lot when it says when the arrays are at full tilt,

[31:44] does that mean they're allowed to move to point at the sun?

[31:51] Okay, then that leads me to my next question,

[31:53] which I think maybe Jennifer was going for under F for lighting.

[31:59] Is there anything about reflection?

[32:04] If they tilt, let's say it's the outlet mall,

[32:09] and they put it in the parking garage, and they tilt,

[32:12] and all that, like, reflects directly at what used to be TGI Friday's, is there anything

[32:17] that says it can't tilt to a certain extent if the reflection is below a, you know,

[32:27] 90 degree angle, paragraph E, paragraph E. That's a view shed analysis, and then there's

[32:33] also the lighting standards. I'm also not sure that you're going to get the, the, the photovoltaic

[32:41] project, there's a size threshold, so this is not a small project. It's probably not on the garage

[32:54] in the outlet mall or something like that. It's got to generate what one megawatt.

[33:01] Okay, and that was my last question was off of what Commissioner Browns asked.

[33:10] There's

[33:11] portable solar kit, so the wattage limit is the one megawatt, is what applies.

[33:16] For a solar photovoltaic project, that's the small portable solar generation devices,

[33:24] have a maximum power output of 1200 watts, so they're literally small.

[33:34] But to that point, what if someone decided to just string them all up in a line and get,

[33:40] You know, it doesn't have them.

[33:45] So, it does say, the state code does say,

[33:49] a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts per customer,

[33:55] or in the case of multi-family housing,

[33:58] per residential building unit.

[34:01] So we don't necessarily have to allow those in other places, right?

[34:05] We have to allow it in residential,

[34:08] and then these limits apply per residential unit.

[34:11] Okay, I'm not that I think it would happen, but I'm just trying to think worst case scenario.

[34:18] What if somebody tried to jury rig their own version of Tesla home and they just string all the batteries in their garage and use these camper solar panels to do it if they combine all of them is there a threshold where, you know, that's not allowed.

[34:38] So I might, maybe stepping on your toes here, but I think that what is allowed is something

[34:47] that meets the definition of a small portable solar generation device, and if they try

[34:54] to string them all together, that doesn't meet the definition because it's more than the wattage.

[35:00] It was,

[35:01] And the last one was, I should have noted where it was.

[35:04] sorry, the very last thing, the definition of solar vote, vote, vote, vote, tag, project.

[35:14] Like, just near the thermal needs of any property, other than the property, where such facility is located,

[35:20] what if they own multiple parcels, and it's on one parcel feeding into the adjacent.

[35:32] Quick, look, I think it's, I think it's by the parcel.

[35:35] I mean, this project is also going to be subject to this special exception, so the property would be defined in the special exception as well.

[35:45] The two parcels could be one property. Okay, that's the answer to my question.

[35:52] Chair Campbell, back to you. Any follow up questions?

[36:00] Thank you. No, I think all of your questions are concerned.

[36:07] And I got down to some of the idea of the path of the ability to, I think the full extent

[36:14] of understanding will be our first pass and one of these projects.

[36:21] Thank you.

[36:24] Thank you.

[36:25] All right.

[36:27] Any other questions?

[36:31] Director David, next steps?

[36:33] The motion on the screen.

[36:35] Mr. Vice Chair.

[36:38] All right.

[36:38] are there any alterations that we are seeking or we're looking to move the motion as drafted?

[36:47] I'd ask about the inclusion of the specifications with that we've done.

[36:53] Yeah, I've got some ideas for cross-reference into the district standards.

[36:58] Thank you.

[37:01] All right, if there are no further questions, do we have a motion?

[37:06] Anyone volunteer to read?

[37:07] I move that the recommended revisions to the zoning ordinance rewriters presented in the planning commission staff report dated September 3rd, 2026, and included a disattachment one,

[37:18] before to the town council with the recommendation of approval on the basis that the revised

[37:24] language implements the following legislation passed by the 2026 Virginia General Assembly,

[37:31] further objectives of the town plan, and serves a public necessity, convenience,

[37:37] general welfare, and good zoning practices. One, hb711, local regulation of solar facilities,

[37:45] special exception, as impacted by SB443, citing a battery energy storage projects, commercial

[37:56] solar, photo, voteic, generation facilities, permitted accessory use, and SB2250, electric

[38:07] utilities, small portable solar generation devices, devices, and local regulation.

[38:16] we have a motion and a second yeah that was probably one of the hardest motions

[38:24] and for the discussion or questions all right all those in favor say aye

[38:31] chair Campbell all right thank you kindly sir all right mr. Watkins thank you for

[38:39] time. I think you're excused. Comprehensive planning? Anything? Not at this time. Staff and committee

[38:48] reports. Yes, I've got two points to make tonight. One is you probably noticed the press release

[38:58] that one of our longstanding and cherished staff members Mr. Brian Bushay has retired.

[39:08] He

[39:08] spent a lot of time he was the heart and soul of planning and zoning in the town of Leesburg

[39:13] and we think that his efforts have made Leesburg a better place to be and so we wish him the best

[39:20] and just wanted to bring that up here with the planning commission and I know he's not watching

[39:24] from home because he has moved on but if he ever watches this tape hope Mr. Bush

[39:38] knows that we appreciated all his efforts and we will miss him dearly and he was able to sit

[39:42] in for you in the last one so we got a brief goodbye at that time. But you had just an absolute

[39:48] encyclopedic knowledge of historical context of what has happened in the town and went and why.

[39:54] Absolutely. Yes. Thank you Brian. And he did warn me that he might be making some appearances at the

[40:04] All right. Well, the second point is a slight change to the forecast.

[40:12] The special exception for the Islamic

[40:14] Center is actually ready to go a little bit sooner. So we'd like to put that on the September 17th

[40:21] agenda and then swap it with the final discussion from the state code about affordable housing

[40:29] incentives and faith-based nonprofit housing, so would like to move that to October 1st

[40:34] and then move the special exception for these LOMIC Center up to September 17th.

[40:42] And those are my two points.

[40:45] Chair Campbell, any feedback on swapping out those items?

[40:52] No, I'm in favour, since I have to participate remotely on the 17th,

[40:57] I will be back in person for the affordable housing discussion.

[41:06] All right, thank you.

[41:09] Anything for BAR report

[41:14] that's usually, that's usually run, right?

[41:17] Yeah, nothing.

[41:18] Nothing at this time, all I can do is say a burst of the minutes

[41:24] in their meetings and what they're going through.

[41:26] I know there's a lot of development.

[41:28] Obviously projects in the downtown area

[41:31] I've got to make some impact on parking and building heights, but it seems that things are

[41:37] getting done.

[41:38] I think we just stay abreast of the impact on the challenge.

[41:46] I know that there was a lot of talk about the development application there by the courthouse.

[41:54] Town Council is on report.

[41:59] Nothing specific. We are proceeding with our review of the draft zoning ordinance at all

[42:08] status. So we've now had our third session with that.

[42:12] It must be done, it must be done, exactly. So we have a ways to go yet, and we'll see

[42:21] how the rest of the council reacts to all the good work that this commission has done.

[42:28] And I wish everyone a safe and sane holiday weekend.

[42:33] Thank you, Kylie.

[42:35] Any old business?

[42:38] New business?

[42:40] Yes.

[42:41] Yes, sir.

[42:44] Thank you.

[42:45] I said an email to Russell Schimoard,

[42:50] allow them, at least for a economic development director,

[42:53] asking basically for kind of a five-year history,

[42:59] the types of businesses that we have,

[43:01] where the growth is anticipated,

[43:04] and the types of businesses that we've lost.

[43:06] And I've kind of proposed it as a,

[43:09] a land use issue, if we are obviously in a situation

[43:14] where we have limited land available,

[43:17] So we look at mixed youth projects, as well as residential, other types of concerns, I know

[43:23] that we have.

[43:25] That's within Leedsburg Legacy.

[43:28] What is our economics development landscape telling us about the growth settings, about

[43:34] retail, vertical office space, light industrial, what's really, you know, driving energy in the sense

[43:45] of what he's hearing and seeing.

[43:47] And so I'd like to ask, and I have asked him,

[43:50] but I'd like to ask this commission and direct the David,

[43:57] for the viewpoints on having a presentation,

[44:01] by Mr. C. Moore, to us, as to how economic developments

[44:06] see the land use from growth opportunities in the Leesburg.

[44:11] And I know it's something I've asked all over the year,

[44:14] if people know it's not helpful, but I think they're probably prepared to give us an insight

[44:22] and maybe even some direction if you look at a limited land that's available, the businesses

[44:30] and are opening where it's a globe, and a little bit losing business. I thought it was

[44:36] a good conversation for our commission, so I guess I'd like to get at least four people to agree

[44:44] and then we can arrange director-dated what's a proper date and out schedule.

[44:52] Mr. Seymour has has agreed to come before the commission.

[44:59] She's looking to see if there is agreement in the value of set presentation from the commissioners.

[45:00] All right. I would be in agreement. Mr. Robinson?

[45:10] To have Mr. Russell Seymour presents basically if there's any big

[45:15] of a behind commercial real estate, you know, based upon growth values, what we're economic

[45:24] development is highlighting and helping to direct.

[45:33] All right, Chair, you do have full support from the commission.

[45:40] Thank you.

[45:42] And I would ask Director David to get with Mr. Schimoire and see where it would fit in on

[45:50] the agenda.

[45:53] We'll do.

[45:55] Thank you.

[45:56] Thank you all.

[45:58] Thank you.

[46:01] Thank you.

[46:01] Yes.

[46:02] Any other new business?

[46:06] All right.

[46:08] App?

[46:09] Nothing.

[46:10] Let's go.

[46:11] All right.

[46:12] Ron, I hope you feel better.

[46:15] Thank you.

[46:16] on the road to recover, appreciate it.

[46:18] Thanks.

[46:19] Thanks, everyone.

[46:22] Good night.

[46:42] Good night.

Planning Commission Meeting

Agenda

Transcript