Support another East/West Route out of Ashburn

I received the following Press Release for the Kincora Development and their application for a minor league baseball stadium in the area around Rt7/Rt28 - see website for details.
www.kincora-va.com

I as a resident am writing the BOS to support this plan - for the baseball stadium but also for the ROADS that they are offering to build (before the development gets built out). The main road they are offering to build would connect LC Pkwy to Route 28 at Nokes Blvd.

While these roads are on the other side of Ashburn from Broadlands, it should draw traffic from Ashburn Village, Belmont Country Club,etc.. off of Waxpool. Without this type of proffered improvement, there is NEVER going to be a solution to Waxpool other than the Greenway (and I think we all know how most of us feel about this road).

I urge everyone to support this development by writing the BOS and supporting a project that not only is well planned and should bring some additional revenues to the county, but one that promises to help solve some of the traffic nightmare we are stuck in.

******************************************************************

NEWS Contact: Vicki Bendure, APR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 540-687-3360, or
Chris Flynn
540-687-5144

BASEBALL ADVISORY BOARD FORMED IN LOUDOUN COUNTY

DULLES, Va., May 29, 2009 -- The Kincora Baseball Investment Group today announced the formation of a Kincora Baseball Advisory Board. The investment group has proposed a 5,500 seat minor league baseball park close to the intersections of routes 28 and 7 in Loudoun County. The stadium will be the center plate of Kincora, a proposed 400-acre mixed use project which includes 165 acres of parks, trails and open space.

The proposed ballpark will be on the public hearing agenda for the Board of Supervisors on June 8.

The following have been named to the Kincora Baseball Advisory Board: Harmon Killebrew, Peter Kirk, Brooks Robinson, and Dr. Tom Songster. John Horshok has been named chairman of the board. As two of the most recognized names in baseball, Killebrew and Robinson are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kirk is former chairman of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL) and currently has ownership in three Atlantic League teams. He has distinguished himself by designing unique support programs for the communities with which he has partnered. Songster has worked with Eunice Kennedy Shriver on International Special Olympics since the origin of the program in 1968. He helped the program to grow from one country and a handful of athletes to more than 2.5 million participants in 200 countries.

Horshok has been involved with international sports for many years, including ownership and the management of three minor league baseball teams --New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros. He was the first person to be selected by Coca-Cola to direct the strategic development of Coca-Cola being the first corporate sponsor of the International Special Olympics prior to becoming Executive Director for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.

"This is a significant opportunity for all Loudoun County residents. Minor league baseball is unique in offering family affordable fun. To be able to offer it to the community without using any public funds distinguishes this project as a wonderful chance to promote the community in a very special way--minor league baseball is a lightening rod for fun,” Horshok offered, referring to the fact that Kincora property owners are offering to build the stadium without the use of public funds.

Despite the economy, minor league baseball increased its national attendance for the sixth consecutive year and reported nearly 50,000,000 in final attendance for 2008.

Given the significant time constraints the group faces to secure the franchise and build the ballpark in time for the 2011 season, it is necessary that the project receive a green light from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as soon as possible. Additional advisory board members will be named at that time.

“We are delighted to have such a distinguished organization working to bring baseball to Loudoun County,” stated Michael Scott, one of the property owners of Kincora. “The proposed baseball park will provide significant economic benefit to the county and the residents, and will bring a much-needed family venue to the community.”

The Kincora Baseball Advisory Board will serve as a strategic partner to Kincora ownership and will be responsible for evaluating core opportunities and operations to include:

-- Creating a Mission Statement and assemble team ownership
-- Overseeing baseball team acquisition and management
--Managing ballpark design and construction process to insure ballpark is not only built "green" but is sustainable.
--Attracting key corporate partnerships
--Enhancing economic impact by designing strategies to recruit both marketable and grass roots community programs
--Promoting Loudoun County tourism and partnering with the community.


For more information, visit www.kincora-va.com.

 

funny timing on this post- I JUST went to Kincora and signed the petition today!

 

I'm already a supporter of Kincora and I emailed the BOS regarding this. It's a terrific opportunity to explore.

 

How many housing units are planned?

 

1400, but not in this special exception. PLease note that LC Planning commission does not recommend approval of this application since they believe the entire package needs to be submitted at once.
I am personally for Kincora.

 

How will this proposal, if approved, affect Loudoun One?

I would hate to see both Loudoun One and Kincora built and only have partial occupancy because the area can't support both being built at the same time.

 

Well, in theory it would be another mixed use center. But on the good side, we rezone it for an increas of Class A office space instead of industrial flex. Long term, I think both could be supported although Loudoun is getting "town centered out"

 

I just received this email back from Scott York:

Dear xxxx,

Thank you for your email in regards to the proposed Kincora project which includes a minor league stadium. Before you close your mind to this project, I would like to enlighten you to some of the facts of this application. The Kincora Village Center proposal gets us much closer to the vision contemplated by the Comprehensive Plan. The existing zoning and concept plan for this property is PD-IP for “flex” office/light industrial use. The property is administered under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance, not the 1993 Revised Zoning Ordinance because of its location within the Route 28 Taxing District. On the site there is a net of 241 acres of buildable land regardless of the ultimate build out scenario. Under the by-right zoning there is a permitted 4,400,000 square feet of built-out space. There are already two Special Exception applications pending to permit a sizeable manufacturing space and associated infrastructure project should the Kincora Village proposal not be approved. These applications are not “keynote premier office space” that some are saying is desired for this tract.

The planned minor league baseball stadium will have 5,500 permanent seats and be expandable using bleachers to 7,500. A typical new high school stadium in Loudoun County seats 2,730. The majority of the baseball games are planned to be held on the weekend with a few games during the week at off-peak times, with a start time of 7:05 p.m. The stadium will be available for a multitude of uses to include community activities such as high school, college, or little league sports, as well as concerts, festivals, music productions, Fourth of July celebrations and other community programs. However, unlike the current use of the property which has no real significant road improvements associated with it, Kincora Village Center is proposing over $30 million dollars of new road improvements that will complete two very important transportation links in this area.

The study of the Route 28 continues – and will probably be an ongoing work in progress in that the corridor is forever changing. Yesterday we had a briefing on the outreach project which included a results report that summarizes the outcome of the Board Forum (of business and industrial property stakeholders) and the interviews. The BOS voted 8-1 ( McGimsey opposed) to send it to the Economic Development Committee for further conversation. What we have now is an opportunity to contemplate an alternative Smart Growth plan that has a mix of uses, better environmental protections for the Broad Run, increases in tax revenue, as well as vital traffic and public safety infrastructure additions and improvements.

I look forward to taking a closer look at this application and feel optimistic that it could be a very positive thing for Loudoun County.

As always, I appreciate your taking the time to write.

With warm regards,

Scott






Scott.York@loudoun.gov
Scott K. York, Chairman
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

If you would like to subscribe to my e-newsletter, that includes reports on the BOS meetings, please click here.
Please be aware that correspondence sent by or to Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and staff members is subject to Virginia's Freedom of Information Act.

 

Luftinarr - you are supporting but it looks like his opening paragraph is asking u not to close your mind (almost like you wrote saying u didnt support)??

 

I really don't care. Both of these are well financed projects that won't be build out for decades.
Free enterprise and the marketplace will determine how well they do and how long they take to finish them.
The road improvements are proffered up front.
The housing units are condo/apt style.

 

well as long as they don't build a dry cleaner, a burger joint, a bank, a thai restaurant, a chinese restaurant, or a specialty ethnic restaurant- the business should do okay! :rolleyes3:

 

Why not just get each household in Ashburn to put in some cash and we can build out the final route between LCP and 28 ? We can even charge a toll for those non-ashburn residents to recover the funds !!!!!

 

You're right! I received another email from Mr. York saying he inadvertently sent me an email that he was sending out to the numerous emails he received not supporting it:

Dear xxx,

I know I have already written to you, but realized that my email to you was the one that I have been sending in response to a large amount of negative mail I have all of a sudden been receiving on this project. I apologize for the mix up. Thank you very much for your letter of support for the proposed Kinkora. I appreciate your positive outlook and encourage you to talk about it out on the ballfield.

I again apologize for the mix up.

Scott
Scott.York@loudoun.gov
Scott K. York, Chairman
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

If you would like to subscribe to my e-newsletter, that includes reports on the BOS meetings, please click here.
Please be aware that correspondence sent by or to Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and staff members is subject to Virginia's Freedom of Information Act.

 

I haven't seen much on what Kinkora is proffering. Getting my vote will happen if they are proffering land for roads AND land for every child to go to school in that community! Is there a site that outlines the full plan?

 

Heres the website - its in the first post - http://www.kincora-va.com
ROADS is the major thing they are proffering to complete roads that without something like this will probably never happen while we live here.

 

I attended the BoS meeting last night and spoke in favor of the project.
The PEC had their minions out to oppose it.

 

did they present ANY valid arguments against it? were there other people there for it?

 

I don't care what they build as long as they build schools to house the families that will be moving in!! I am tired of this practice moving kids where the schools are instead of building schools where the KIDS are!!