As the county grows, the potential demolition of hundreds of historic structures and other cultural and natural resources could be stopped with a few pieces of paper.
"Loudoun County is growing so fast that many people in the county have no idea or are not familiar with the history and heritage of the county [and] the resources that are here," said John Merrithew, project manager and division manager for land use review. "We see a lot of properties and resources disappear through new development. We need to set up a strategy that protects the resources or incorporates the resources in [the] development."
Hence, the Countywide Heritage Resources Preservation Plan, which will help preserve the county's historical, cultural and natural resources as recommended under the Revised General Plan adopted in July 2001. The resources are considered a part of the county's green infrastructure of environmental, natural and heritage resources that will guide land development and redevelopment, explained more specifically in chapter 5 of the General Plan.
"Historic preservation makes for a better quality of life and helps us to understand what life was like in the county," said Supervisor Mark Herring (D-Leesburg).
THE GENERAL PLAN calls for an inventory of the county's historical resources. The inventory is being conducted through three surveys that will provide a database of information for the preservation plan and a possible tool for evaluating land use applications.
Each survey follows the criteria set by the National Register for Historic Places and identifies structures at least 50 years old that have historical, local or architectural significance. The surveys include:
* A countywide survey of 750 post-Civil War residential, commercial and agricultural structures, as initiated in January. Up to 200 of the structures will be in the Dulles South and Transition Policy areas, which are at the most risk for redevelopment. One hundred of the structures will be selected for a further, more intensive survey that will include floor plan and site plan sketches and a study of the roles they played in the county.
* A survey of 200 structures tied to the county's African-American heritage.
* A preliminary information form survey in several towns, including Hamilton, Lovettsville, Purcellville and Round Hill, to provide an overview of historic structure locations.
EACH SURVEY will assess the condition of the structures and identify if similar structures remain in the county to help determine whether or not the structures are worth saving.
"If you're going to save something, you have to know what you have first," said Planning Commissioner Chairman Kathryn Miller (Leesburg). She is a member of the 13-member board-appointed citizens advisory committee tasked with developing the plan and determining how it should be implemented.
"This is stewardship of our cultural and natural resources. If you're going to have smart growth, you need to take care of what you have, which is good stewardship," Miller said, adding that good stewardship can be carried through a variety of methods and programs, which the committee will consider for recommendation to the board.
The programs could encourage and provide incentives for residents and developers to preserve their properties and protect and use the resources that are on those properties. Two such programs include a heritage landmarks program to identify and protect historic structures, scenic and natural areas, and archeological sites and a heritage tourism program to operate with existing tourism efforts. Both of the programs would be implemented independent of the preservation plan.
SEVERAL NATIONAL programs are in place to protect historic structures, but standardized tools are lacking to define cultural, scenic and architectural resources. "We are working to develop our own tools," Merrithew said.
"Hopefully this will result in some advance notice of what's on the property, so it doesn't become a last-minute fight," Herring said.
The citizens advisory committee is scheduled to submit the draft preservation plan to the Planning Commission this fall. The Board of Supervisors plans to consider and take action on the plan by the end of the year. If adopted, the plan will become an amendment to the Revised General Plan and could allow the county to pursue local certified government status for additional access to funding and grant sources.