[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6606664,"mediaKeyId","2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16","parentId",2963282,"title","Planning commission approves 152-foot monopole for Belmont Interchange; forwards special-exception to supervisors","audioSeconds",622,"startMs",844000,"endMs",1466000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16&start=844&end=1466","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16/thumbnail_844000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6606664/Virginia/Planning-commission-approves-152-foot-monopole-for-Belmont-Interchange-forwards-special-exception-to-supervisors","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606664-4df5ebdd2e5245da150e9f2155077d58/orig.mp4?Expires=1775058811&Signature=OMi32CgqxqNOiGZRDGsYMt7s44JyipqCF~gSMi3xbc0CzFqlK92~09g1Ik3ybOCB4KTTihJDpQmDKj00s0GB3gD3gYb0Mhj4E~SqHj9rLV27SaoLeULHGS7G7OT4lUfNJpRhHvyqiRI5CtqQh52Y2QpbOzW6gRYVHoiDEnu~p99s2FwthY2JNtOjL2qrPsgcKjKQJbqetJsl7Hu4ZSkfRVN7MTC8o8RlVIggLepZ0lScRIoz59L~8nfc7ZVwDg~r0MU9ZeLkT-O35~DNcU3lQl~rfJSIfSswWKqnx8roqU55S~yU9yVoa0-mPA0yMz31sk8WGreLzjUkGadp-h4MaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Loudoun County","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Loudoun County Planning Commission on April 10 approved a commission permit to build a 152-foot telecommunications monopole at the Belmont Interchange and voted to forward a special exception (SPEX) to the Board of Supervisors with recommended conditions.

Christian Maldonado, a planner with the Department of Planning and Zoning, told the commission staff supported approval and said the proposal “was found to be consistent with county policy.” The applicant, represented by Aaron Swisshelm and the Milestone team, described the siting as a response to a local coverage gap along Route 7 and said the monopole would be built to support up to four carriers.

Why it matters: the proposal sits within the VDOT right-of-way along Route 7 in a suburban policy area and is intended to improve wireless coverage for vehicular and nearby residential areas. Commissioners focused their review on visual screening, alternative rooftop options and how the proposal aligns with the county telecommunications plan.

Commission and applicant details: the application includes an antenna hub and ground-level equipment compound enclosed by a 10-foot chain-link fence with green privacy slats, a 20-foot landscaped buffer (up from 15 feet in the earlier submittal) and additional evergreen plantings. Maldonado noted the applicant shifted the monopole two feet south to accommodate a Dominion Energy easement and added 12 evergreens to increase screening.

Alternatives and co-location: the commission repeatedly pressed the applicant about rooftop co-location and small-cell alternatives. The applicant said a nearby seven-story office rooftop was evaluated but that structural, financial and coverage constraints made rooftop co-location infeasible for the broad coverage the carrier sought; Paul Dugan, an RF consultant, summarized his technical review by saying small cells provide “spot coverage” and are not a practical substitute here for the macrocell solution proposed.

Screening and fence treatment: several commissioners expressed concern that a 10-foot chain-link fence with slats offers limited ground‑level screening and maintenance challenges. Commissioners discussed requiring a more opaque wall (masonry or similar) like those used at some substations; staff said such an enhancement could be included as a recommended condition in the SPEX forwarded to the Board.

Coordination with other agencies: Milestone and county staff said the company coordinated with Dominion Energy, which shifted its easement two feet, and that Inova (the hospital) reviewed the site and had no operational concerns for helipad access. The applicant said there were no current plans for FirstNet or public-safety users to attach to the pole, but the monopole would be built for co-location.

Vote and outcome: the commission voted to approve the commission permit and to forward the SPEX to the Board of Supervisors with conditions. The motion passed 5–3–1 (one commissioner absent). Staff and the applicant will carry the commission’s recommended design and screening conditions forward to the Board.

Next steps and context: the Board of Supervisors will receive the SPEX and the planning commission’s conditions. If the Board approves the special exception, final design and building permits will still be subject to the county’s site-plan and permitting processes and any required VDOT or utility approvals.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Loudoun County - Planning Commission Work Session - Apr 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Loudoun County Planning Commission on April 10 approved a commission permit for a 152-foot telecommunications monopole at the Belmont Interchange and forwarded a related special exception to the Board of Supervisors with staff-recommended conditions.","taxTitle","Loudoun County, Virginia","taxId",5640,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6606660,"Commission recommends approval of Greenfield Farm rezoning with road-credit finding; debate over historic house and credits",7052,3492000,10544000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16&start=3492&end=10544","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16/thumbnail_3492000.jpg","/articles/6606660/Virginia/Commission-recommends-approval-of-Greenfield-Farm-rezoning-with-road-credit-finding-debate-over-historic-house-and-credits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606660-ef1fb8af29245fda179516951822369c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775058811&Signature=AQ-Woxa3j4fGwzc0KTfWebUUZ9d8-LPdeCdt9d9QlnGvn~eg~p7-2sxRLMa5OOSn4~yLi1OTYCyBxyzmU7noYdAhH-YTNVYJODU40EpNKiJcdpdev00RVc~PkodbJHKS4FyB1dDVEnjhveqKhTMuVvwigMjMGW1GDi-vrnYVKTcy1oTDSo7jHfEvkrMObOMd23gTxS5X8trWSw7y4QWDrYGlrGNYHWXJSK7-gfRM~bQn~IJ~nXeSJmSCZuSQhqD40ehuTAV7G4SpnbiOUpeCQmwmg6Az26GnIuh3b4axvLUgh-PwM-0eUn5V313m0h~NPr5zFEdcmK5OPsK70DE29A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Loudoun County Planning Commission on April 10 voted to forward the Greenfield Farm rezoning to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval and included a finding that the applicant’s requested credit for roadwork could be counted against contribution obligations.

Allison Britton of the Department of Planning and Zoning summarized the application: the proposal covers roughly 174.4 acres in the Catoctin Election District in the transition policy area and seeks residential and commercial zoning changes. The applicant’s concept plan shows a total of 518 residential units—496 single-family detached and 22 multi-family attached—and 44,200 square feet of commercial uses. The proposal includes special-exception requests for a convenience/gas use with pumps, a restaurant with drive‑through, and a reduction in minimum lot width for certain lots. The applicant also requested a minor special exception to increase a retail area from 5,000 to 6,000 square feet and several ZMODs (zoning modifications).

Why it matters: the project would add housing and commercial services in a corridor with acknowledged transportation constraints; the applicant proposed to construct or advance critical roadway improvements on Evergreen Mills Road and Crosstrail Boulevard and sought credit against capital facilities and regional-road contributions for some of that work.

Transportation and capital‑facilities debate: staff flagged outstanding issues with capital facilities and transportation credits. The applicant submitted cost estimates and asked for credit toward capital facilities; staff said regional-road credits could be supported under policy, but capital facilities credits required further analysis. In the meeting DTCI (the county transportation staff) said it had received additional analysis late and needed time to validate the applicant’s credit request. The applicant told the commission it would build road segments (a $29 million estimated build for the improvements discussed) and requested recognition of roughly $20 million in credits; the applicant said it was willing to assume costs beyond the credits it receives.

Historic resource concerns: county staff and the Heritage Commission noted a significant heritage resource connected to the Greenfield Farm house adjacent to the development area. The farmhouse was intentionally excluded from the rezoning application; the applicant said the house will be addressed in a follow-up rezoning (Greenfield Farm Phase 2) and that the owner was currently stabilizing and boarding the structure. Commissioners and staff debated whether a proffered ‘‘long-term preservation plan’’ or other commitments should be required now; the applicant said it was not comfortable proffering specific remedies for property not included in the current rezoning.

Other commitments: the applicant committed to a 660-foot buffer (applicant language/reported as “6 60 foot” in the record) around a bald-eagle nest and agreed to provide two unmet‑housing units (the packet described adjustments to the workforce/attainable housing commitments). The proposal also includes traffic‑mitigation phasing and transit/bus-stop commitments.

Vote and outcome: the commission motion to forward the case to the Board of Supervisors passed 7–1–1 (one commissioner opposed; one absent). A friendly amendment to the motion—requested on the dais—explicitly added a finding that the commission agreed the applicant’s road construction should be counted as credits against the applicant’s contribution obligations; the commission accepted that friendly amendment and included it in its referral.

Next steps and context: the Board of Supervisors will receive the rezoning referral and the commission’s findings and will consider outstanding questions about crediting, capital facilities, and any conditions tied to preservation of the historic house. DTCI and staff will continue technical analysis of the cost estimates the applicant provided for the roadwork and report back to the Board.

","The Loudoun County Planning Commission voted April 10 to forward the Greenfield Farm rezoning to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval and added a finding that roadwork the applicant proposes should be considered as credit against contribution obligations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6606654,"Commission forwards Luckstone/Cochrane Mill data‑center rezoning to supervisors after reducing building height; staff flagged stream impacts",265,10809000,11074000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16&start=10809&end=11074","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2963282-42539240f3ddc0b4a85307b6c418cf16/thumbnail_10809000.jpg","/articles/6606654/Virginia/Commission-forwards-LuckstoneCochrane-Mill-datacenter-rezoning-to-supervisors-after-reducing-building-height-staff-flagged-stream-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606654-c389ed63355598061f5af8aa8c7202e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775058811&Signature=gDNvbo5ey6fIWNOgFtdBxJuqzDbQgBGUj51Luvv2zWzAGBuvJf6yojmqsIM1nWh5YJVZmLChVH~NOocAhWmDaFdHmLN8royGWkySguf7B9bxm3LS6cN1cNaPxbP~ERrVTx37Rai07lh3gYAEf2jWHXy0QM~2qWwBDwVP3bwg3Z8eU0IhMNyNE8Wd-Shk95AWKH7NKvoY9HgFiak~xfzAWq~Cb3lSWJYZ8QU4Hh4fGJQnrOvzRd7jUYUzCFvQ1~dN2Q0BJGyghswuZ4MGjYz73uPRzmn-ldjQtRdhRAE-7gBzkWWGS2N46kn4Tkc4-nAEuaqUhwSBJpzIJRnufosbkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission on April 10 forwarded the Luckstone (Cochrane Mill) application to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval after the applicant reduced proposed building heights and committed to enhanced roadway buffering, while staff continued to identify outstanding natural-resource and visual-compatibility concerns.

Allison Britton (Department of Planning and Zoning) summarized the revised submittal: the applicant reduced the maximum proposed building height from a previously-proposed 105 feet to 70 feet, reduced the overall square footage to 989,000 square feet of data-center space and committed to enhanced landscaping and berming along Cochran Mill Road. Staff noted the 2019 General Plan anticipates lower building profiles in this place type (roughly a four‑story/48‑foot equivalent) and recommended additional setbacks and more uniform enhanced buffers where buildings are closest to the roadway.

Environmental concerns: the subject site abuts Sicklin Creek and contains multiple stream channels. Staff advised the commission that proposed building locations could significantly impact stream channels and that the applicant should relocate buildings where feasible to minimize impacts. The applicant told the commission they had removed requests to encroach into the Scenic Creek Valley buffer and had committed to about 22 combined acres of tree conservation and reforestation and to additional low-impact development (LID) stormwater measures.

Visual simulations and screening: the applicant provided sight-line cross sections and computer simulations showing the 70-foot option reduced the visual massing compared with the earlier 105-foot scheme. The applicant also committed to a 60-foot enhanced landscape buffer (with doubled planting quantities and a berm) where the site faces the DC United practice fields; the applicant proposed the standard roadway corridor buffer elsewhere along Cochran Mill Road but said the berm and plantings provide additional screening.

Vote and outcome: the commission voted to forward the rezoning to the Board with a recommendation of approval. The motion passed 6–1–1 (one commissioner opposed; one abstention; one absent). Staff reiterated a site-plan level permitting risk: stream/wetland impacts will require state and federal permitting (DEQ/Army Corps) and, if mitigation options are limited, the final site plan may need to be revised.

Next steps: the Board of Supervisors will consider the rezoning and the planning commission’s findings. County staff and the applicant will pursue permitting work, and the applicant indicated it expects to pursue detailed wetland/stream permitting and to refine tree-conservation and stormwater measures during site plan review.

","The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Luckstone (Cochrane Mill) data‑center rezoning after the applicant reduced maximum building heights to 70 feet; staff warned the site layout would impact intermittent streams and recommended stronger screening and setbacks for buildings nearest Cochran Mill Road.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission approves 152-foot monopole for Belmont Interchange; forwards special-exception to supervisors

Commission recommends approval of Greenfield Farm rezoning with road-credit finding; debate over historic house and credits

Commission forwards Luckstone/Cochrane Mill data‑center rezoning to supervisors after reducing building height; staff flagged stream impacts