Town Council Work Session

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Leesburg Town Council 3h 7m 4 speakers 4 agenda items transcribed 4 days ago official recording ↗

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What is the agenda and purpose of the Town Council Work Session opening?

Unknown 1:44

Kelly Burk 1:49

would like to open up Town Council Work Session September 8th, 2025. A call to order the meeting is our first item for discussion is the County of Loudoun Master Plan for West Park Property. We have Loudoun County staff, Steve Torpey is here today to present along with a couple other people from your department.

Don Breedice 2:27

Good evening, Mayor Burke and council members. Thank you for the opportunity to come and talk to you about West Park. I'm gonna turn it over to Don Breedice with the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure to get us kicked off this evening.

Unknown 2:43

Good evening, Mayor Burke and town council members. The purpose of tonight's meeting is to give you an update on the county's West Park improvement project, which is part of our capital improvement program with the Board of Supervisors. As Steve pointed out, my name is Don Breedice. I'm the Assistant Director of Four Facilities over at the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure. Tonight with me, I have Mr. Logan Baird, who is the West Park Improvement Project Manager. You guys know Steve Torpey, Director of Parks and Rec. And then we have Mr. Ernie Brown, who is our Director of General Services.

Kelly Burk 3:30

Excuse me one second. Eileen, I think we agreed for 15, they have 15 minutes. Okay, thank

Unknown 3:40

you. Okay, so the presentation tonight will review the existing conditions at the park, the conservation, easement, and the current maintenance operations. We'll provide an overview of the park improvements, provide an update on progress, of the capital improvement project, acknowledge some of the common questions that we've been receiving, some of the answers to those questions, and inform the council on how to stay informed on the project. So at this point, I'm gonna turn things over to Logan, and he is going to proceed with the presentation.

Neil Steinberg 4:20

Thank you, Don. The West Park project is located on an existing 134-acre property comprised of an abandoned golf course with an existing stream and central pond. The demolition of two existing golf maintenance buildings and silo structures along Clubhouse Drive occurred in the spring of 2023, soon after the county's acquisition of the property. The perimeter areas of the site are maintained regularly while the whole site is rough cut two times a year in July and October. Residents may currently use the paths but do not have public access to any of the structures, buildings, or water features on site. The site is located within a conservation easement. The West Park property was placed into this conservation easement in June of 2022 prior to the county's acquisition of the land.

Neil Steinberg 5:12

This conservation easement will preserve the natural landscape and imposes certain restrictions on the use of the land in the future, including how it is developed and maintained. The easement restricts various development and site features, including a prohibition of land subdivision, capping the total impervious surfaces and ground area of structures, and limiting roads, utilities, and uses on the property. The easement restricts certain aspects of how the county maintains the property, such as limiting the number of times mowing may occur along Dry Mill Branch and Tuscarora Creek to three times a year. It also restricts the removal of trees and vegetation for maintenance, allowing removal only for reasons related to invasive species, dead or dying trees, or trees that pose a human health or safety hazard.

Neil Steinberg 6:05

in regards to the maintenance of the grassed areas and the paths throughout the site. A swath of grass located approximately 20 feet from the residential property lines where the West Park property grass meets the residents is cut regularly. This regular mowing occurs from April through October and the entire property receives a rough cut mowing in July and October. These are specifically timed to minimize their impact on the animal life and coordinated with the conservation easement. The paths throughout the site, the public is authorized to walk on the paths and utilize the areas throughout the park, even though the park has not been officially opened.