Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Briefs: Donated land, sports complex, roadside solicitors, gun club, heard saying
Family donates land to county for parkWaterford's Dennis and Linda Virts said they are donating nearly 24 acres of land near Hamilton to the county to be used as a community park outfitted with playing fields.
The family also has agreed to sell an additional 11 acres to Loudoun to bring the size of the future park to 35 acres.
The Virts are donating the land in honor of their nephew, Christopher Scott Jenkins, who was killed while jet skiing on a private lake in Hillsboro in May 2007. The park will be named after him.
"Our family is thrilled to finally see our dream come true for this land to be turned into a youth sports park," Dennis Virts told the Board of Supervisors July 1.
The initial phase of the project, which includes a baseball field and a parking lot that will be available to commuters, will be completed in two years. Construction costs for this phase are estimated at $1.8 million.
The donation will become official once the sale of the 11 acres is finalized.
Sports complex
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing July 7 on a plan to build a sports complex in Ashburn.
Play to Win LLC, of Leesburg, is the company proposing the facility, which will have six outdoor playing fields – four of which will be artificial -- and three more inside.
The complex is slated to be built on 40 acres along Belmont Ridge Road. During a hearing in front of the Planning Commission this spring, several residents from Ashburn said they were concerned the complex would create too much noise and congestion.
The hearing is the last of 13 scheduled for the night. The board will not get to it until 8:30 p.m. at the earliest.
Roadside solicitors
The Board of Supervisors moved forward a proposal July 1 to ban the practice of selling goods or soliciting donations from motorists stopped at intersections throughout Loudoun.
The board voted 9-0 to ask that state lawmakers give it the authority to create a local ordinance that would regulate roadside sales and solicitation.
Supervisors said solicitors and peddlers pose a hazard to themselves and motorists by standing so close to moving traffic.
Certain charities will be able to apply for an exemption, if the request is approved by the General Assembly next year.
Gun club
The Board of Supervisors approved a request July 1 to build a private gun club in the Beaumeade Corporate Park in Ashburn. The 64,000-square-foot facility will feature three indoor shooting ranges, an executive lounge, a gym and an area where law enforcement agencies and private security firms can conduct simulated training. Members will be subject to background checks.
Tax bills
Despite these uncertain economic times, most Loudoun residents are paying their county taxes on time.
According to data from the county's Treasurer's Office, the percentage of personal property and real estate tax bills that are delinquent in 2008 is about the same as this time in 2007.
Personal property taxes are those that the county assesses on vehicles. Payments are split in half, with due dates this year on May 5 and Oct. 5. About 20 percent of these accounts are now delinquent, which is average, according to the Treasurer's Office.
As for real estate taxes, which are assessed on homes, buildings and land, about 4 percent of the payments are late, which is almost unchanged from 2007. In 2008, payments were due June 5, and will be due again Dec. 5.
"We are hearing a lot more stress in people's voices," said Loudoun Treasurer Roger Zurn of the people who call to complain about their tax bills. "No question, it is the economy."
Heard saying ...
"We are to the point where every school or [Sheriff's Office] substation we propose, resistance is automatic."
-- Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge), July 1, on public opposition to the county constructing more municipal buildings in Loudoun
You must be logged in to post a comment.