The Town of Round Hill conducted a public hearing Tuesday regarding Richmond American Homes' rezoning application. Approximately 40 people gathered at Town Hall, and a lot of issues were discussed.

Tuesday's meeting was by no means the citizens' last chance for public expression on this issue. Mayor Frank Etro encouraged everyone interested to attend Town Council meetings (held the first and third Thursdays of each month at 8 p.m.) and take advantage of the public comment sessions at the beginning and end of each meeting. He made a special point to invite all residents of the area -- not just those within Town limits -- to attend meetings and keep involved in the public process. The Council is interested in hearing from everyone. 

The following is a list of issues as they were addressed Tuesday:

• The lack of available housing in Western Loudoun county for senior citizens
• The rationale for the orginial zoning of JLMA-1. Why change it if it was just rezoned to this?
• Water supply -- it is not inexhaustible
• The lack of available affordable housing in the area
• Environmental impact concerns, including flood plain, streambeds, trees and vegetation
• Lot sizes -- Richmond American is proposing minimum lots sizes that are 1/2 the size of the average lot in the Villages and 1/4 the size of the average lot in town, all while asserting that their proposal is within keeping with the "fabric of the town"
• Setbacks -- requesting 6 ft. setbacks between houses, which is less than 1/2 distance allowed in town
• Proposed setbacks along front and side yards are too small to allow for mature vegetation/trees, which will create an "urban forest", wasteland
• The fire station had a number of concerns regarding access to the properties including:
  • proposed roundabout
  • steam area flooding
  • increased residential and construction traffic
  • how a proposed dead end water line will affect the water supply
  • improving conditions of Rt. 719 N, as it is one of their primary response routes
  • placement of overhead power lines for utilities
  • proposed density creates a "severe fire suppression" problem due to close proximity of houses
• Building codes: if houses are built so close together, will they be built with the additional materials required by state code to provide for fire safety?
• How the proposed lot sizes and setbacks affect the historic character of town
• Additional traffic concerns; a study that showed an increase of 100% in number of daily trips on Rt. 719 attributable to new construction
• Will RAH provide park sites, school sites, etc. as required in the Round Hill Area Management Plan if they are allowed to build at the proposed density?
• Does the town have the resources to support growth? Before the town accepts a rezoning, it should take a measured look at what is already happening and how much we are capable of growing
• The Revised General Plan calls for a projected 512% growth increase in the next 20 years in Loudoun County
• Mass conversion of all properties involved to a single zoning creates a cookie cutter approach to home building and stiffles diversity. If the land is rezoned, but at various levels of density, it would provide a more diverse landscape that would be more in keeping with the character of the existing town.
• Rezoning of large land areas also forces out the small builder in favor of large national corporations which then take the profits elsewhere. Keep the construction jobs, as well as the profits in the county by supporting the small local builders
• Stress diversity in lot sizes, setbacks, architectural styles, in keeping with the existing fabric of the town
• How will this affect school boundary lines? It's projected that the Round Hill Elementary School will be at or above capacity within 3 years even without this development. (direct contradiction to what's in the application)
• The town of Round Hill does not have the capacity in its water supply to support this change (direct contradiction to what is stated in the application).

There was a representative of Richmond American Homes at the meeting. He spoke briefly at the end of the meeting, saying he'd heard all the comments and was listening and that he hoped RAH could work with the Town to develop the land in such a way to meet as many of the concerns as possible.