Kevin Wright - Leesburg Town Council

Governor Reverses Freeze on Local Composite Index

After extensive lobbying by local officials, our state delegation, and residents Governor Bob McDonnell announced yesterday that he will support updating the Local Composite Index. By allowing the update to the index Loudoun County will receive it's fair share of state funding for education. If approved by the General Assembly, the estimated additional $34 million in state funding for education should provide some relief to the proposed county tax rate.

Please find the Governor's Press Release below...

Snow Emergency Remains in Effect - Tuesday Council Meeting Time Changed

As the Town continues to dig out from this weekend's record snowfall a snow emergency remains in effect until further notice. This means no parking on the Town's snow emergency routes of North/South King Street, East/West Market Street, and East/West Loudoun Street.

In anticipation of the next round of winter weather Tuesday night the Town Council meeting originally scheduled for 7:30 PM has been moved to 5:00 PM in order to allow the Council to conduct business prior to the onset of our next round of snow.

South King Street Widening Project - Status Update

In my last email to constituents (Download Newsletter excerpt - South King Street) I provided an update on the progress of the South King Street Widening project. As many residents have expressed concerns about the Town's focus on finding alternatives to address concerns regarding the stormwater management pond design and access issue for the Linden Hill community I wanted to pass along the update we recieved today from our Town Manager, John Wells, on the progress.

From: John Wells
To: Council

Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 2:29:03 PM
Subject: Update on South King Street Widening Project

Madam Mayor and Council,

Several members of Council and members of the public have inquired about the status of issues (storm water pond and Linden Hill access) related to the South King Street Widening Project.  Below is the status of work and attached are the options under consideration as well as the plan moving forward to work with the residents in these areas.  So as to insure everyone has the same level of information, the following information can be reviewed at tomorrow’s meeting at your discretion.

General:The ultimate project improvements consists of widening South King Street to a 4 lane divided boulevard from Governors Drive to Virts Corner, and includes a pedestrian/bike trail on the west side of the road. Due to a lack of funding for the entire project, the initial phase of construction will be between Governors Drive and Greenway Drive .

The Final Right of Way (ROW) authorization for the project is expected any day. The authorization comes from the Federal government through VDOT since Stimulus funding is involved. Once approved, staff will be working with more than 10 different property owners to obtain the necessary ROW. This process will not be concluded until the end of the calendar year.

In the meantime, utility relocation is expected to start this fall, and actual construction is expected to start the spring of 2011. Construction will take approximately 16 months to complete.

Key Outstanding Issues:  In order to receive final approval of construction plans, two key issues must be resolved….location of the necessary storm water management pond and access in/out of the  Linden Hill community. In November 2009, Town Council approved the endorsed the design plan for the project in order to meet the Federal Stimulus deadlines, but directed staff to work with the Greenway Farms community on the location of the proposed storm water management pond, and also directed staff to work with the Linden Hill community on the access issue.

Storm  Water Management Pond. The proposed location is behind the residences on Deermeadow Place in Greenway Farms which is a wooded area between South King Street and Deermeadow…south of Meade Drive . See attached map. The respective property is owned by Pete r Kalaris and he is agreeable to the construction of the pond at this site. Per the direction of Council, staff has been reaching out to the Greenway Farms community to seek alternatives and/or to mitigate the impact.

As a result, we met with representatives of the HOA in late January and have talked with several residents since then to explain the matter. Staff has also reached out the Neely Law, Chair of the EAC, to receive her input. Staff is currently in discussions with the Center for Watershed Protection, and they have offered assistance as part of an EPA grant.

At the request of the residents, staff staked the approximate limits of the storm water management pond near Deermeadow this week to help visualize the potential impact. On Sunday, February 21^stat 1pm, staff will walk the site with the residents and talk about the issue.

In summary, there are at least 7 design alternatives under consideration including the pond near Deermeadow. Each alternative has its pros and cons…as there is no easy solution at this point. Over the next 30 days, staff intends to identify the top 2 or 3 options and make recommendations to the community and to Council. For your convenience, the options are attached.

Linden Hill Access.  Residents of Linden Hill desire a traffic light at their entrance way to South King Street . In November, Council expressed its desire for a median break to accommodate northbound left turns out of the community.

During the design, the traffic engineers and design consultants have not been comfortable with such access and are evaluating various options. A final report with recommendations is due within the next 2 weeks. Upon receipt of the report, staff will schedule a meeting with the community as previously promised. The meeting is expected to be held in late February or early March.

Attachments:

Download SWM Option Comparison

Download Stormwater Management Pond Exhibit

Here We Go Again: SNOW EMERGENCY DECLARED

Leesburg is set to get another significant snow fall this Friday and Saturday.  In anticipation of the storm the Town of Leesburg has declared a Snow Emergency Effective 10 AM on Friday 2/5.  Under a Snow Emergency no parking is allowed on the Town's snow emergency routes of East/West Market Street, East/West Loudoun Street, and North/South King Street.

Drivers are also asked to refrain from parking on other roadways in order to facilitate plowing.  Driving conditions are expected to be extremely hazardous from noon on 2/5 through the weekend.

As with any winter storm event, salting and plowing operations on all Town-maintained roads will commence as soon as snow begins to fall.  Primary roadways and thoroughfares will be cleared first, followed by secondary and subdivision roads.  Priority is given to major arteries to allow for traffic flow.  Secondary streets will be cleared as soon as the main roadways are cleared. 

Residents can assist in the efficient and expeditious removal of snow by doing the following:

§ Remove parked vehicles from streets and public rights-of-way.

§ Remove basketball hoops and other equipment from streets and cul-de-sacs.

§ Avoid shoveling sidewalks and driveways into the street, as this may result in snow plows pushing additional snow back into driveway areas.

§ Avoid travel unless absolutely necessary during snow and ice events.

Residents are reminded they are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their houses within 24 hours after snow has ceased to fall.  If snow or ice cannot be removed, it should be covered with sand, kitty litter or similar material to make it safe for pedestrians. Given the amount of snow accumulation forecast for this storm, the Town requests that residents assist with clearing snow from fire hydrants as they clear their driveways and sidewalks.

 

 

UPDATED: Downtown Host's First Friday - Moved to Feb. 12

Downtown Leesburg's First Friday events have been rescheudled in anticipation of tommorow's winter storm. First Friday will occur on Feb 12 with a wide range of events, music, comedy, and art on display throughout Historic Downtown Leesburg. More information is available on their website www.leesburgfirstfriday.com .

The Leesburg Public Art Commission welcomes a new art display to Leesburg Town Hall beginning on Friday Feb. 5, 2010. The Countryside Quilters will have an array of quilts on display at Town Hall through April.

Campaign Season Kicks Off

Town elections are coming up on Tuesday May 4, 2010. I am seeking re-election to the Leesburg Town Council and will formally kick-off my campaign with an event at 12 Noon Monday February 15, 2010 at Ida Lee Recreation Center lower level meeting rooms.

I hope you will be able to join me and my family and will appreciate your vote on Tuesday May 4, 2010.

As the campaign continues I will continue to update this website with news about the campaign as well as continue to provide updates on events and issues impacting Leesburg.

Every campaign needs a lot of support, if you are interested in helping out please visit our support page to let us know how you can help.

January Council Meeting Highlights

Council took action on several key issues during our Council meetings in January including design of the downtown improvements, allowance of A-Frame signs for businesses, revision to the BAR appeal process, and revisions to the ordinance to address residential overcrowding.

Downtown Improvements -During the FY2010 budget process the Town Council added Downtown Improvements Phase I to the Town's Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). The project is in response to feedback from the Downtown Improvement Association with assistance from a report by the Urban Land Institute for a variety of infrastructure improvements to the downtown area.  Some of the improvements envisioned include street trees, additional sidewalks, and bump outs from traffic calming and wider sidewalk areas, etc.  The council awarded the design contract for this project at our January 12, 2010 meeting to AECOM.  AECOM will now commence Phase I of the design which will consist of development of an overall plan of the various elements to be accomplished under the project. This work will include preparation and evaluation of alternative design concepts, establishing reliable budgets for various improvements, and setting development priorities. This phase will also include extensive public outreach to obtain stakeholder consensus regarding improvements. The Phase I design is scheduled to be completed in July 2010.

BAR Appeals Process Change - Also at our January 12 meeting the Town Council again took up the issue of the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) appeal process. The original BAR appeal process held to a very strict standard for Town Council Review. That standard was that the Council, in reviewing an appeal, would need to find that the BAR decision was contrary to law or is arbitrary and constitutes an abuse of discretion. (cont.)

Town of Leesburg Hosts Tree Care Summit

The Town of Leesburg is sponsoring it's annual Home Owner Association Tree Care Summit and you are invited.

When, Where, Who

February 16, 2010 7:00 PM

Ida Lee Recreation Center - Lower Level

Open to the Public - (Note that although the summit is advertised towards HOA's the topics discussed are relevant for everyone: Homeowners, Landscape Professionals, Environmentalists, Public Officials)

Topics of Discussion:

• Proper Planting, Staking, Mulching, and Pruning
• Specifications, What are They?
• Speaking Landscaper Speak
• The Management of Trees

To reserve your seat please RSVP to: jbanks@leesburgva.gov  ; more information is available on the Tree Commission section of the Town's Website.

FY 2009 Annual Report Available

Residents wishing to review the Town's annual financial report can now access the report on the Town's website. Previous years reports are also posted for review.

http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=263

Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration - January 18th

This year's annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration events will be held on Monday January 18, 2009.

March- This year's march will begin at the Loudoun County Courthouse in Downtown Leesburg at 10:00 AM processing to the Douglas Community Center on Market Street in Leesburg. Following the march there will be refreshments and a program at Douglas Community Center with guest speaker Kevin Locke.

Health Fair - Organizers of this year's Martin Luther King Day Event have also added a Health Fair as a community service. The fair will run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Douglas Community Center.

Blood Drive -During the same time frame as the Health Fair the event will include a Blood Drive. Those wishing to donate blood are encouraged to make an appointment, however walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment visit inova.org/donateblood and use sponsor code 2630 or call 1-866-256-6372.

During the course of the day there will be entertainment, slide show, and art display for those who are unable to attend the march. The theme of this year's event is "The Dream' Unity in Diversity". The event is organized by the "I Have A Dream" MLK Committee March and Celebration, Loudoun NAACP, Loudoun/Douglas Alumni Association, Bluemont Concert Series, and Baha'I Community of Loudoun.