Hyde Park Community Meeting - May 9th

Agreed. That is one shortfall…..parking around the community building. A point that has and will be emphasized as the project goes through the county process.

 

I don't disagree. However, could you shed some light on how the things that can be built by-right in PD-OP ever got into the Zoning Ordinance? As you know, the Zoning Ordinance says this about Planned Development - Office Park (PD-OP):

"Purpose. A Planned Development - Office Park district is established primarily for administrative, business and professional offices and necessary supporting accessory uses and facilities, designed with a parklike atmosphere and environmentally sensitive design to accommodate and complement existing natural features including extensive landscaping, low ground coverage by buildings, buildings of moderate height, and careful attention to such aesthetic considerations as location and size of signs, lighting, parking and service areas and the like."

So, why then are the following things allowed to be built (according to the Ordinance) without any further approval from the BOS?

- Recycling drop-off collection center
- Utility substation
- Water pumping station
- Sewage pumping station
- Telecommunications antenna
- Telecommunications monopole
- And, of course, data center

None of these seem to promote a "parklike atmosphere." I get it, the Zoning Ordinance is not easily changed, and it certainly won't be changed before this application is processed. But it all begs the question of what is really envisioned by an "office park," whether the market for one exists or not.

 

Data Centers originally were not a by-right use in this Zoning District.
If you recall when the first data center type buildings were constructed on Shellhorn Rd, they sat empty for years. Eventually they were occupied. The County saw how much tax revenue could be generated by them, and changed some zoning rules to try to get more data centers to build here.
Well, once the genie was released from the bottle, there was no stopping it.
I don’t think anyone envisioned the demand for data center land in Loudoun county to do what it has.
Now the county is trying to restrict land where data centers can be built. One primary tenet that I believe most. Oats members agree with :
Data centers don’t belong in residential areas.

 

The Loudoun Board of Supervisors is majority Democratic Party, correct? Be prepared for more neighbors.

 

Looking at the drawing (and realizing that the end result may not always mirror), there does appear to be a fair amount of parking along the larger pond as well as near the tennis / pickleball courts, all of which will probably be used by visitors to the amenities. Is it enough? Hard to say, though many folks may walk there or be dropped off.

 

That was my thoughts in the beginning…but I also believe Data Centers should NOT be near residential areas like near Golds Gym on two sides….I know one faces one community and another is facing townhouses like right in their faces and glaringly so. Ugh.

 

I think I found the parking lot…it’s going to be Broadlands Blvd. when all those houses are built!

My problem with this plan is the Density. I’d rather see a couple of streets of single family unattached homes that fits with the Broadlands homes across the street and a small number of townhomes or condos for the ADUs. Or a 55+ development.

As it stands, I still prefer the data center.

 

Dbrow….just out of curiosity, are you in one of the houses across the street from the site?
And have you talked to any of the residents in Cameron Chase or Regency that live across the street from data centers?
I’m guessing if the answer to either question is “yes” you might have a different opinion.
I have found that virtually all of the residents who said “build data centers” don’t leave near the site.
I agree with your comments about some single family homes along Broadlands Blvd and some age restricted units.

 

great discussions here.

has the gears already been in motion for this new complex to join our HOA? or is there still time to vote against it?

looks like they have plenty to keep them busy in their own complex. No need to share our amenities - considering demott and silver are already joining.

 

I am in North Broadlands, but not across the street. I am only pro data center because of the nature of the Hyde Park plans as they currently stand. If there were substantial changes to decrease the volume of residences, I would support it.

 

If approved, it will be part of the Broadlands HOA. In addition to the use of the amenities there, some of which are superior to our existing amenities as well as new amenities we don’t have, we will receive around $3.5 million in annexation fees.

 

Vacliff - what are the annexation fees specifically for? I mean what will the HOA use the fees for and typically why would developers give funds for annexation fees? Is it for upkeep of property or hiring of more staff or what? Just curious how it works.

 

They pay the HOA a fee per residential unit to be part of the HOA. This is also what was done with the Demott and Silver and Hillside sections.
They also completely find the amenities being built in Hyde Park. The HOA will work with the developer to ensure that these amenities are not turned over to the HOA until the number of units built in Hyde Park can sustain it. That way, existing Broadlands residents won’t have their current HOA fees used to fund it.
The annexation fee money can be used by the HOA to fund capital projects without having to increase assessments.