Leesburg Mosque Plan Under Review Posted: Monday, October 15, 2012 1:23 pm An effort by the Muslim Community Center of Leesburg to build a worship center on Sycolin Road near Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park is under review by the Board of Supervisors. Plans call for a mosque for up to 300 people on five acres. County zoning rules require a minimum 10 acres for by-right construction of religious centers and a special exception application has been filed to permit the construction on a smaller lot and to reduce the required parking setbacks. A key concern, however, is the congregation’s request for a permanent pump and haul permit for sewage disposal. The Leesburg’s water and sewer lines do not extend to the property and the lot’s soils cannot accommodate a septic drainfield. Under county policies, permanent pump and haul permits should be used to address existing health hazards—from failing drainfields for example—but not to serve new development. There have been exceptions to that prohibition in the past and the board’s Transportation Land Use Committee is working to determine whether an exception should be made for the mosque. Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin) said he wanted to hear further from the Town of Leesburg on the application, noting the town’s policies in the area do not allow for a religious use. But County Planner Jane McCarter noted that the property falls in the Joint Land Management Area and the county’s plans “take precedence” in that area. McCarter did note that the limit on the number of people the mosque could accommodate does fit the smaller parcel size. In addition, representatives from the mosque said during last week’s public hearing on the special exception application that during most days there will be fewer than 20 people at the mosque and the full congregation is expected to gather only two Fridays a year—no more than 250 people. They also assured supervisors they are putting a plan in place so “whatever the requirement is, we will make sure that the congregation can meet it financially” to cover the cost providing sewage disposal. Supervisor Suzanne Volpe (R-Algonkian) had raised concerns about whether taxpayers could someday be on the hook to pay for the septic system maintenance and operations. While there appears to be little concern among supervisors or the planning staff concerning the special exception application, the pump and haul permit request was reviewed by the board’s land use committee Friday. Members ask for more information about similar requests, including from a number of churches, that prior boards of supervisors had approved. The panel will continue that work at is November meeting.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 03:37:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015