Special Board of Supervisors Business Meeting-Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards, May 4, 2026
Approved: Explore minor special exception for non-residential MOD activities (board member motion), 5-3-1
What happened
On May 4, 2026, Loudoun County approved Explore minor special exception for non-residential MOD activities (board member motion) (5-3).
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on the Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards zoning ordinance amendment (ZOAM 2024-0002), adopting a Resolution of Intent to Amend (ROYA) and directing staff on 57 stakeholder recommendations governing farm winerie…
- Jurisdiction
- Loudoun County, VA
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- May 4, 2026
- Decisions
- 26 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, 5-3-1
Projects in this meeting (5)
Each is its own project; some span multiple hearingsExplore Minor (Loudoun, May 2026)
Approved 7-2Explore residential driveways in highly sensitive MOD without specs
Approved 7-1Use-specific standards framework for winery, brewery, and distillery u
Approved 7-1Spring feature protection setback revision
Approved 7-1Explore 50-foot buffer yard for ABC uses in AR districts
Approved 5-3Free sample: decision 1 of 26
Bulk approval of non-contested TLUC recommendations
Board directed staff to amend the zoning ordinance per TLUC recommendations 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17-19, 21, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 38-49, 51, 52, and 55 — items that passed TLUC and drew no objection from conservation or business groups. Passed 8-0-1 (Umstead off dais).
- Item 19 retained for clarifying language to differentiate private parties from special events, to be reviewed at ZOC/Planning Commission.
The other decisions are listed below. Available full write-ups and conditions are included with Pro.
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Key Decisions (26)
Bulk approval of non-contested TLUC recommendations
Hours of operation for agritourism, lodging, equestrian, and ABC uses
Retain TLUC Recommendation 20 - unlimited private parties and events for ABC uses
Use-specific standards framework for winery, brewery, and distillery uses (Rec 32)
Spring feature protection setback revision (Rec 5)
Minor encroachment in highly sensitive MOD areas (Rec 3)
Relief mechanism for non-habitable accessory structures in MOD (Rec 4)
Driveway washout repair without grading permit in MOD (Rec 8)
Grading permit threshold expansion in sensitive MOD areas (Rec 6)
Explore residential driveways in highly sensitive MOD without specs (Rec 10)
Rural restaurant local-sourcing requirement (Rec 16)
Field parking ratios for private parties (Rec 26)
Separate agriculture use classification (Rec 27)
Separate agritourism from cultural tourism (Rec 22)
Forest retention for non-residential MOD activities (Rec 11)
Bona fide agricultural production verification process (Recs 28 & 29)
Establish agricultural operation use (Rec 29 follow-on)
Split outdoor and major recreation uses (Rec 53)
Reevaluate recreation parking ratios (Rec 54)
B&B and country inn annual party limits (Rec 56)
Tiered standards for large assembly/event uses (board member motion)
Explore minor special exception for non-residential MOD activities (board member motion)
Explore 50-foot buffer yard for ABC uses in AR districts (board member motion)
Countywide consistency of zoning standards
Adopt Resolution of Intent to Amend (ROYA)
Proactive zoning compliance items 1 and 2
Full write-ups and conditions for all 26 decisions in Pro.
Development Activity (2)
Paris Mountain resort proposal
Commercial
Proposed farm brewery on former dump site (Hamilton area)
Commercial
Market Signals (7)
Commercial Demand
Loudoun County hosts 57 wineries with over 1,000 acres of…
Housing Demand
Farm labor largely cannot afford to live in Loudoun County…
Infrastructure
Groundwater supply and quality in western Loudoun is a recurring…
4 additional market signals with full detail in Pro.
Who spoke
30 distinct speakers; 15 identified names.
All speaker roles: 1 Chair, 7 Councilmember, 2 Attorney, 8 Public, 11 Staff, 1 Unknown.
Identified name roles: 1 Chair, 7 Councilmember, 2 Attorney, 5 Staff.
Speaker sample: Melanie Mason, Staff.
14 more identified names in Pro: 1 Chair, 7 Councilmember, 2 Attorney, 4 Staff.
Full speaker roster in Pro
Meeting audio
Listen to the recording and select a timestamp with Pro.
Audio in Pro
Zoning terms (11)
245 recorded timestamps
- zoning (84 timestamps)
- land use (19 timestamps)
- public hearing (2 timestamps)
- setback (40 timestamps)
- overlay district (26 timestamps)
- commercial (15 timestamps)
Decision moments (24)
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Go deeper on this meeting
26 recorded decisions, 12 conditions across 12 decisions. Available full write-ups are included with Pro for Loudoun County.
Full write-up and conditions in Pro
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