BOS to Vote on Affordable Housing Zoning Ordinance July 26

As Loudoun County continues its extensive Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project, the Board of Supervisors are set to vote on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite to Chapter 9 (Affordable Housing) on July 26. With this vote approaching, the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR) is taking steps to ensure the zoning ordinance encourages safe development and smart growth in the county.

DAAR, alongside the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and other area organizations, recently signed onto a letter to the planning commission to propose changes to the current Zoning Ordinance draft. The letter detailed two motions which aim to ensure that the lack of flexibility for future attainable, affordable housing projects and excessive parking regulations for affordable dwelling units were addressed in the draft.

While both motions were defeated in the work session on June 1, the planning commission did incorporate some of the business community’s feedback. DAAR will continue to pursue these changes which would allow for the development of more affordable units.

In an in-depth evaluation of the initial draft last year, DAAR pointed out that the Zoning Ordinance draft almost fully disregards the county’s Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan, which in turns discourages the production of affordable housing.

Taking into consideration that Loudoun County has fallen short of its projected production of affordable units over the last two years, it’s imperative that the new Zoning Ordinance is updated properly for the county to get back on track. The projections are set through 2035 and, if fulfilled, would add over 14,000 affordable units to the county.

The Board of Supervisors hopes to have the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite finalized before the end of the year.

DAAR members are encouraged to stay engaged and write to the Board of Supervisors about the changes you would like to see regarding affordable housing and the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. Members of the public will also have the opportunity for in-person public comment at the July 25 meeting. We urge you to join us and make your voice heard!

To stay up to date on Zoning Ordinance Rewrite as well as other advocacy issues, visit DAAR’s In The News page.

Read the full Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance rewrite here.

Read the Parking motion presented to the workgroup here.

Read the Appendix C motion presented to the workgroup here.

For more information, contact Sophia de la Torre, DAAR’s Government Affairs Director, at sdelatorre@dullesarea.com.

June 13, 2023