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Regulation changes deferred for development review panel
Leesburg officials decided to hold off on making changes to the town's development review process, which could have enforced a 100-day deadline for decisions on applications in the historic corridor.The town council voted 5-1-1, with Councilmen Kenneth Reid against and David Schmidt absent, to table a decision on June 24.
Town staff is working on changes to Leesburg's zoning and development guidelines, council members said, citing this as a reason to hold off on their decision.
During the past few months, the council has debated changes to the review process used by Leesburg's Board of Architectural Review, a panel that reviews development applications in town’s historic district.
The board has been accused of over-regulating building in the area and drawing out the review process.
The council received recommended changes –including the 100-day deadline and appeal process revamping-- from the town's Planning Commission, which had met June 19.
The Planning Commission had been given a list of suggested remedies to the BAR criticism from Town Attorney Jeanette Irby. One remedy called for eliminating the BAR altogether.
Along with the 100-day deadline, the Planning Commission recommended changes to the applicant appeal process of BAR decisions.
The changes were approved by the Planning Commission 4-3 on June 19.
“All the board members feel this is being rushed through” said BAR Chair Teresa Minchew of the changes to the panel's review process. Many BAR members were at the June 24 council meeting to defend the current review rules used by the panel.
“The BAR was never asked to weigh in on this,” said Minchew, adding that she thought the council would have wanted panelists' input before acting.
Fellow BAR member Dieter Meyer warned council members that changes to the applicant appeal process would allow any and all developers to have a retrial of their application for the historic district in front of the town council.
Minchew agreed, saying, “The BAR will certainly become a stop along the way” and not an echelon of approval.
Council members asked staff to break up the question, separating the 100-day deadline decision from the appeal changes.
A decision could be made as early as the council meetings on July 7 and 8.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com
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