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Leesburg patrons and business owners present new downtown plan

Tuesday, Jun. 14 by Laura Peters | 7 comments | Email this story

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The proposed plan which is on King Street in Historic Downtown Leesburg between Loudoun and North streets. Courtesy Photo.

Downtown Leesburg may need a facelift, but Councilman Dave Butler feels it wouldnt make a difference in getting more people to visit downtown. People arent coming downtown because it looks pretty, Butler said. They dont want to come down because of the hours of the shops and the types of shops. They dont want us to waste their hard earned tax dollars for the downtown to just look pretty. A group of business owners, residents and town workers came up with the plan - Voices for an Amazing Place. The group has been meeting since March 31 to create a suitable plan for the revival of Downtown Leesburg. More than 50 stakeholders participated in four design workshops held in April and May. Big participants included Milton Herd of Herd Planning and Design, Dieter Meyer of the Leesburg Board of Architectural Review, Alan Hanson of DBI Architects and Peter Burnett of Burnett and Williams Law Firm in Leesburg. The downtown revival plan is slated to cost $3.8 million, but this proposed first phase does not have a cost estimate as yet. All four presented to council during a work session on June 13 a revised downtown plan that they had spent their free time planning and got more than 100 signatures for the plan. The plan would revitalize South King Street between Loudoun Street and North Street. There would be 10 parking spots with two loading spaces on King Street between Loudoun and Market streets, with 11 parking spots on King Street between Market and North streets. The plan would only lose a total of three parking spots on the two blocks. One controversial item centered on allowing the on-street parking to transform into outside areas for businesses to set tables and chairs or to allow other vendors space during special events. The councils problem with the proposed flex plan of the parking spots was determining who would schedule this change of usage. The flex spots would use underground markers that could be raised when the parking spots were being used for other purposes. It was the parking situation that sent you back to the blackboards, Councilman Tom Dunn said about the new proposed flex spots. Also proposed in the new plan is the addition of seven trees with curb bump-outs that would line the street. The Voices group also wanted to remove clutter from the sidewalk like parking meters, signs and street lights. The plan also calls for the expansion of a sidewalk that would move the courthouses fence back about 10 feet to make a wider sidewalk and a sitting area by
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the sycamore tree on the front lawn. Burnett said that the new area by the tree could be used as a place for the controversial signs on the front lawn of the courthouse. The signs could be framed outside of the courthouse perimeter. The movement of the courthouse fences could be used to present that free speech debacle that is now on the courthouse lawn, this could be a good place to do it, Burnett said. Council thought it may do more harm than good. Im not optimistic that we could move the fence back on the courthouse green. Its going to look even worse if we have a space where we are going to put them out closer to the street, Mayor Kristen Umstattd said about the placement of the signs. Its going to be an eyesore no matter where [its placed]. I do know that conservative moms with small children are not going to feel comfortable [with signs] that spout a liberal position, and liberal moms are not going to feel comfortable around conservative positions. Its not making anyone feel comfortable by sitting there. Street lighting would either be placed on the buildings or closer to the buildings to provide a clear walkway for pedestrians. The plan also included a switch to LED lights, like in Purcellville.
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In addition the plan would have two mid-block pedestrian crosswalks, which council said would present a problem with traffic and safety. Dunns concerns were of slowing traffic down on King Street for pedestrians to cross safely and how the proposed placement of the trees could conceal them from drivers. One popular aspect of the plan is the placement of an emblem at the intersection of Market and King streets that would point in the directions of the National Mall, Dulles Airport and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground. There are some really neat ideas, I love that central marker, its a really memorable part of this, Umstattd said. The plan also states that there would be different material for the sidewalks, street and crosswalks. There are two options for types of sidewalks and parking lanes. One would be a flush sidewalk that has definitive barriers and the other, a rolled sidewalk much like a rolled curb. What concerned council members was the issue of storm water drainage and if the two different types of curbs and sidewalks would affect drainage or cause flooding. The main thing council wanted was definite answers on how much all these additions would cost and if they would exceed the budget. Council also wanted to ensure that every part of the proposal met regulations with the town and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Council concluded it needs more time to figure out how much the plan will cost, regulations of storm water and lights, and what the time line looks like. Despite disagreements with some parts of the plan, council voted unanimously June 14 during a Town Council Meeting to formally accept the plan for review by town staff.
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Comments
Fri, Jun 17 at 10:51 AM by Keith | Report this comment

First of all half the restaurants on South King are owned by the same guy. Most of them are crap. Other than Il Palio and the Wine Kitchen I would not go there to eat. Tuscarora Mill is outside that zone, but Leesburg needs a little face lift. The antique shops are okay, but some are to kitchy. As far as traffic, its the center of town with the county courthouse. If all the idiots that moved out here recently, think Leesburg is a traffic nightmare then move back to the beltway burbs and buy smaller vehicles, youre the reason traffic is a nightmare.
Thu, Jun 16 at 08:24 PM by AllAboutTaxpayers | Report this comment

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The Voices group is comprised of tax payers and business people - citizens, if you will. The process has been very well advertised and anyone with an interest in Downtown Leesburg has been invited to attend. Citizens who want to be heard can attend the meetings and go to Town Council sessions. Note that the article mentions that 50 stakeholders have been a part of the process. For that number to have been higher or become higher - people just need to show up and share their opinions.
Thu, Jun 16 at 07:43 AM by Mkelly | Report this comment

Since tax revenues will be used to revitilize downtown, why not ASK these tax payers how they feel or how they would revitilize THEIR downtown? I lived in Leesburg from 1991 - 2004 and NEVER went downtown because there were no shops or food places of interest just like now (2011). The downtown area of Leesburg has NOT changed since 1991. Town of Leesburg failed on traffic, parking, regulations, ordiances, and how they spent their revenue. Why not have the tax paying citizens come up with plan to revitilize THEIR downtown or is that solution just to easy?
Wed, Jun 15 at 09:49 PM by Henry | Report this comment

My issue is that the traffic is just grinding to get into downtown Leesburg. I dont live far away, but if I want to go to dinner at 5:30 at the Wine Kitchen, it takes me about 20 minutes to go 5 miles. In Leesburg? Isnt that why we live out here? If I wanted to crawl from light to light, Id move back to Fairfax or into Arlington. The last thing someone wants at the end of the day (where many of us just finished a long commute) is to sit in more traffic coming into Leesburg from Route 7. I can get to Ashburn faster than the parking garage in Leesburg, and its twice as far away.
Wed, Jun 15 at 04:43 PM by Aryan | Report this comment

The only plan I see as acceptable is to demolish all of the buildings and re-build. Downtown Leesburg = Crap. I do not go, nor do I plan to go to worthless, run down establishments that do not sell anything of value. In addition, they have some crazy open hours. Most of the time, I am working when they are open and they are closed when I am off.
Wed, Jun 15 at 03:17 PM by waya | Report this comment

When one-third of the buildings are taken up by lawyers or insurance types, one third by antique/junk shops, and a good deal of the buildings are in such poor shape and/or littered with rodents, they should be condemned. With one or two exceptions, the restaurants are garbage. Who wants to go there? Why isnt the town cracking down on the useless money-grabbing landlords?
Tue, Jun 14 at 09:40 PM by Sipin' the Hateraid | Report this comment

The problem in Leesburg is not that it is unattractive, which it is, but that there is nothing in downtown Leesburg worth visiting. The only reason to go there is for court, and you want to get out of there as soon as you are done. The restaurants are not worth going to. The shops are great if you are an old southern lady looking for knick knacks and crafts for around their southern estates. Everything you need in Leesburg is around the outlet mall and in all of the ugly strip malls surrounding downtown Leesburg. How about fixing the congestion on the bypass at Fort Evans and Edwards Ferry roads?

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