In recent months, our area has seen a flurry of development activity including a 30-home subdivision in the historic village of St. Louis; an ill-fated attempt to put a hotel/event center near Marshall; the possibility of a housing subdivision next to Mt. Zion Church in Aldie; and, the prospect of two breweries bookending the town of Middleburg. The real estate market appears to be hotter than at any time in recent years with farms, land and homes selling quickly. Our area is experiencing significant development pressure which will increase because of continued growth in the already developed areas to our east, and the rising appeal of a rural life style given the COVID-19 pandemic.

The biggest and most immediate threat to Middleburg and nearby areas is Banbury Cross Reserve (BXR), a proposed development of 38 homes on 571 acres on the edge of town, stretching a mile along Route 50 from Sam Fred Road east to Carter Farm Lane. Likely the largest development in western Loudoun on agriculturally zoned land (AR2), BXR has the potential to impact negatively the town, open space, agricultural lands and scenic views in one of the most pristine parts of the county. What could be most at risk is the availability of clean water for nearby homes and farms from an aquifer that is Middleburg's only source of water.

Risks to the Water Supply

Based on concerns about adequate water supply, Concerned Citizens Opposed to Banbury Cross Reserve hired independent technical experts to review the hydrogeological study submitted by the developer. These experts concluded that this study was technically flawed; did not meet some of the county's minimum requirements; and that the BXR project has the potential to adversely impact water quantity and quality. The Middleburg Planning Commission (MPC) at their June work session repeatedly raised concerns about the BXR's potential impact on the town's water resources.

The group's hydrology expert determined that the methodology used by the developer's firm oversimplified the complexities of the groundwater system. The BXR analysis did not account for the location of all of the development's wells and the likely movement of water through the aquifer. The BXR report even cautioned that the well-testing results should not be used for predicting water level declines caused by the new wells, but that's how the pumping test results were used. In addition, the county staff raised concerns in a memo to the county's health department that the new wells drilled for the development might not provide enough water initially and could go dry. The county even indicated that a contingency water supply plan was needed. Unfortunately, there is no plan, and if the development goes ahead and actual well-water problems occur, the developer will be long gone, and the town and those around BXR will be left with a huge problem.

The water situation could become even worse. If the subdivision is approved, the developer could decide later to put event centers, wineries or breweries on one or more of the 10 larger lots where a like number of homes are currently planned. These changes, which would increase water demand and wastewater treatment requirements, would be "by right," meaning that county would be required to approve these commercial uses as long as technical requirements were met. This is not an unrealistic scenario. Earlier plans for this property envisioned incorporating what had been known as the Banbury Cross Polo facility and a resort, hotel, clubhouse and spa.

One last technical point. Loudoun County's zoning ordinance clearly calls for soil structure to be evaluated, yet this was not done. The soils at BXR do not drain well, which contributes to the low perc rates and the need to install special septic systems for almost 80 percent of the development. These complicated systems have an increased risk of failure and must be inspected annually to avoid damage to the watershed, including Goose Creek, an important source of water for Loudoun County.

Further Loss of Farmland

This is another major problem with the BXR subdivision. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Loudoun County lost 20 percent of its farmland between 2002-2017. And that loss could reach 50 percent by 2040 based on the county's projection of new residences in western Loudoun. Keep in mind that Loudoun's recently approved comprehensive plan stresses the importance of retaining farmland in the western part of the county.

Approximately 37 percent of the 571 acres at BXR consists of prime agricultural soils. As currently proposed, this farmland would be lost and the development could spur the loss of even more farmland. According to the American Farmland Trust, farms that are adjacent to low-density housing are many times more likely to be developed.

The Loudoun County Supervisors appear to be concerned about this issue. In June they unanimously approved a Board Member Initiative (BMI) to limit the loss of more farmland. While the supervisors should get credit for this action, it may be a case of too little, too late because the BMI is too late to have an impact on the BXR application, and too little because conservation groups thought the BMI should have included a reduction in the number of homes allowed for cluster developments.

There are other issues with this development. A large portion of the site was Mt. Airy plantation and residences and cemeteries for enslaved persons could be there. A site survey of the entire 571-acre parcel should be completed to assess if previously unrecorded cemeteries exist. The site also contains portions of battlefields associated with the Civil War battles at Aldie and Middleburg and both battlefields have been determined to be potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. BXR could threaten their eligibility.

Given that this development puts so much at risk, members of the community should plan to share their concerns at the MPC meeting on July 27th. You are also encouraged to contact town officials as soon as possible to request that they reject BXR by sending an email to the Middleburg Planning Commission via Will Moore, Deputy Town Manager (WMoore@Middleburgva.gov.)

If there ever was a time to weigh in on a local land use issue, this would be it. A strong outpouring of public opposition might just be the community's last best chance of stopping this unfortunate project. For additional information, you can email ccabbx@gmail.com.