Annexation could mean more control for town
By Holly Hobbs
Leesburg Town Council could vote Oct. 10 to move forward with plans to annex land south of town between the Dulles Greenway and Route 7.If approved, the motion on the council's agenda would be the first step in annexing about 2,500 acres of county land into the town's limits.
Part of that property belongs to the developers of Crosstrail, Peterson Cos. Of the 550 acres belonging to Peterson Cos., 400 to 450 acres could be annexed into the town.
Peterson Cos. is suing the county for voting against the development plans for Crosstrail in July. The case, filed with the Loudoun County Circuit Courts, is still pending.
Leesburg Town Council also largely opposed the development, which would have brought 1,020 homes, 2 million square feet of office space and another 850,000 square feet of retail to the land between the Dulles Greenway and Leesburg Executive Airport.
If the land is annexed from the county to the town, Leesburg could decide the future fate of Crosstrail, if it resubmits plans.
“I see a battle on the horizon,” said County Supervisor Jim Clem (R-Leesburg). “Peterson [Cos.] could say it doesn't want to be annexed” because the town has been against the development.
The Crosstrail development is an example of how the town could have a greater say in what goes on around it, Clem said.
“It allows them to control their own destiny,” he said. “If they elect to do nothing for the time being, it doesn't hurt anything.”
Leesburg Councilman Kevin Wright agreed.
This would absolutely benefit the town, he said. “The town is the one who has been looking at the land for a long time ... for economic and commercial development.”
Council members Wright and Fernando “Marty” Martinez represent Leesburg on the joint Annexation Area Development Committee between the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County.
Supervisors Jim Clem (R-Leesburg) and Sally Kurtz (D-Catoctin) represent the county on the committee.
There is at least one voice of opposition to the annexation plan on Leesburg's Town Council.
“I'm generally very skeptical of land annexation,” said Mayor Kristen Umstattd. “The more territory you annex, the harder it is to protect that small-town feel.”
Umstattd said proponents of the annexation plans believe this area would be used for commercial space. The area that is now Potomac Falls was also zoned commercial, she said, but was later rezoned for residential.
“The argument originally was the same one I'm hearing now, that the property would be largely commercial,” said Umstattd, which is why she doesn't favor the annexation plans.
For Clem, he says the big question is “What if?”
“If the county government center moves out [of Leesburg],” there will be an economic hole and the local businesses will feel the “pinch,” he said. “[Council members] need to find some other avenue to generate revenue if the county government should leave.”
Loudoun County has outgrown its Leesburg government center at 1 Harrison St. and is looking at locations for a new government center. Only two of the top five sites are in Leesburg.
Clem said the property south of Leesburg could draw biotech firms and/or hospital and university campuses.
“I think there are six people [on the Leesburg council] who are ready for annexation” and one holdout, Clem said. “If you are interested in annexation at all, then let's do it.”
Wright agreed.
“At some point the land is going to be developed,” he said, adding it would be better for the town to have a say in how the land is developed.
If plans are approved Oct. 10, the next step is the Board of Supervisors would vote on a resolution mirroring the town's decision, said Wright.
Clem predicted that the first round of public hearings and stakeholder meetings would begin in January or February 2008.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com