Route 50 Task Force

Recommendations of the Task Force
Latest News
Members of the Route 50 Task Force
Route 50 Study Area

Official Route 50 Task Force Website

In late 2004, the Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisor Snow, established a 15-member task force to examine the key issues facing the Route 50 corridor.

The task force was asked to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the following issues:

1. transportation and infrastructure improvements, including water and sewer;
2. a unified theme for the area's architectural style;
3. economic development initiatives, incentives, and strategies;
4. land use and zoning issues;
5. potential for future development in the area;
6. access and linkage to key historical and cultural sites; and
7. recognition of the area as a gateway corridor.

Citizens have raised questions about the Task Force's recommendations, because developers and property owners with a current financial interest are leading members of the task force. The county is actively considering plans to add up to 28,000 new houses along Route 50.

The possible conflict of interest was noted in a 2/21/06 Loudoun Times-Mirror article:

"Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge)....readdressed his concerns with the makeup of the Route 50 task force that paved the way for such developments.

In many instances, representatives of major developers were the leaders of the subgroups within the task force....an executive of the developer Greenvest, who has many land holdings and development proposals pending in the Route 50 corridor, led one subgroup.

This, said Burton, represents a conflict of interest and he wonders whether the group's recommendations are for the good of the community or for the good of the developers."

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Recommendations of the Task Force

On July 19, 2005, the Task Force presented its final recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.  Read the Final Report (from the county's website; opens as a PDF)

Each of the four sub-area work group made individual recommendations, including:

• From the Segment 1 work group:  "Consider creative ways and alternative mechanisms to extend sewer and water."
• From the Segment 2 work group:  "Encourage property owners to rezone," "Encourage a higher caliber of development by treating extension of water and sewer as a high priority."
• From the Segment 3 work group:  "Initiate Comprehensive Plan Amendment effort to address land use recommendations to include overall land use plan and Arcola area revitalization efforts."

The Task Force also listed implementation strategies for their recommendations, including:

• "Review current land use policies for analysis of possible Planned Development Mixed Use zoning."
• "Initiate Comprehensive Plan Amedment for greater Arcola area."
• "Initiate Zoning Ordinance Amendments to create a PD/Mixed Use Overlay District."
• "Review zoning regulations to address necessary changes to existing districts to accommodate Arcola Village revitalization."
• "Develop sewer and water initiatives with LCSA [Loudoun County Sanitation Authority] and landowners."

Several of these recommendations have raised concerns among citizens.  If implemented, many of these measures could encourage new development in the Route 50 area and make it easier for the Board of Supervisors to approve the Dulles South CPAM.  The Route 50 corridor currently has so many urgent needs, including road improvements and schools, that adding up to 28,000 new houses or more will only make the infrastructure problem worse.  Ideally, the county should implement a comprehensive, community-based planning process to ensure that future development in the area occurs with citizen approval. 

Latest News

October 2005: The Board of Supervisors voted to make implementation of the Task Force's recommendations a priority.  The Board also voted to move forward with the policy changes needed to begin implementation, including work on the "proposed amendments to the General Plan."

September 2005:  The Transportation/Land Use Committee recommended moving forward with the implementation of the task force's recommendations.

July 2005: The Task Force presents their recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.  The Board votes to approve the implementation of the recommendations. 

The Board also directed county staff to develop a work program for implementing the recommendations, which include, but are not limited to:

• A Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) for the Arcola area
• Amendments to the Countywide Transportation Plan concerning alignment issues for various roadways adjacent to the Route 50 corridor
• Creation of a Planned Development Mixed Use Business District zone
• Directing the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee to recommend ordinance language necessary to implement landscape recommendations in the task force report
• Creation of a volunteer, non-legislative architectural advisory board to make recommendations to the Board about design guidelines for the corridor

Members of the Route 50 Task Force

The Board of Supervisors appointed two people for the four sub-area work groups.

Segment 1: Scott Plein, leader; Bernard Durham co-leader
Segment 2: Bill Gilligan, leader; Jay Meadows, co-leader
Segment 3: Bob Buchanan, leader; Chris Riedel, co-leader
Segment 4: Packie Crown, leader; Mark DiLuigi, co-leader

Other members of the task force include:

• Jay Bradshaw and Ed Gorski as Historic and Cultural Group representatives
• Cheryl Kilday as the representative of the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association
• Mindy Williams of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
• John Harris of the Economic Development Commission
• Larry Beerman of the Loudoun County Planning Commission
• Dulles District Supervisor Steve Snow as the Board's representative

Route 50 Task Force Study Area

The Task Force divided the Route 50 corridor for purposes of the study.  A map of the study area is available on the county's website.

1. Segment 1: The area from the Loudoun County line westward to the South Riding development on the south side of Route 50 and to Route 606 on the north side of Route 50.
2. Segment 2: The area on the south side of Route 50 from the beginning of South Riding to the proposed intersection of West Spine Road (currently just east of Route 659).
3. Segment 3: The area on the north side of Route 50 from Route 606 to existing Route 659 and extending northward to Route 621.
4. Segment 4: The area on the north side of Route 50 from Route 659 to Lenah Road and on the south side of Route 50 from West Spine Road to Lenah Road.