The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to allow the School Board to use a plot of land in the Broad Run area that was originally intended for a middle school to instead become the future home of an elementary school.
The elementary school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2005, will be built on a 36-acre parcel of land near the Belmont Country Club development, which is south of Route 7 and east of Belmont Ridge Road.
By approving the School Board’s request to permit an elementary school as opposed to a middle school, the school will have a better chance of opening on time, said Sara Howard-O’Brien, a planner representing the school board.
Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Bruce Tulloch (R-Potomac) said he supported changing the plan primarily because it expedites the process and fulfills a dire need among the area’s growing population.
“They have a pressing need for an elementary school and they’re under a very tight time frame,” Tulloch said.
Scott York (I), chairman of the board, said he supported switching from a middle school to an elementary school because it will mean fewer children, smaller buildings and less traffic.
The county Zoning Administration staff determined in December that the School Board could not build a middle school on the site. Tuesday’s action by the board overturns that decision.
Supervisor Jim Burton was the only member of the board who voted against allowing the School Board to use the site for an elementary school rather than a middle school. Because the parcel of land has always been designated as a middle school site, there is no room for interpretation, he said.
“If we’re going to expect the development community to follow our rules, then we need to follow the rules ourselves,” Burton said.
ALSO TUESDAY, the board officially notified the public about an increase in annual assessments of real property value in the county that is greater than 1 percent. The purpose of the notification, required by Virginia law, is to adequately inform citizens about upcoming changes in the county-wide tax rate.
Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Leesburg) took the opportunity to also notify the public that the board will be investigating the possibility of substantially lowering the tax rate.
Specifically, Delgaudio said he will request data from the county that will illustrate the impact of rolling back the real property tax to either a 99 cent, $1.02 or $1.07.
A third item the board discussed Tuesday was a proposal to change the preference of who receives housing vouchers in Loudoun County.
As it stands now, the county gives a preference to disabled applicants who live or work in the county over non-disabled applicants. The proposed change would give Loudoun’s low-income families and the elderly an equal opportunity.
The board will decide on this issue next month.