Please take a moment to write a personal letter to the Board. Below are key issues and a sample letter to use as reference. More information is also available on the Kincora Page on our website. 

Key issues:

--Approval of the special exception would be premature for the following reasons:

--Loudoun County staff initially outlined 37 issues or problems with Kincora’s application. These unresolved issues related to transportation, the environment, and inconsistencies with the county's Comprehensive Plan & Zoning Ordinance.  However, currently the major unresolved issues which remain deal with the lack of on-site environmental impact mitigation as well as major inconsistencies with the County’s Revised General Plan. See the county staff report.

--The County’s promised Comprehensive Rt. 28 analysis is incomplete.

--The stadium and proposed second phase of development do not match the County’s Comprehensive Plan.

--There are no plans for public transit (metro) for this location.

--Traffic will become more congested in this area, especially if attendance is similar to other minor league teams. Visit the Atlantic Baseball League website to view exact numbers. The Ducks draw over 400,000 fans to their ballpark each season.

-- Financing for Stadium & Roads may be risky. The developer proposes to finance the stadium and associated road improvements with a Community Development Authority (CDA) Bond, which would be paid back through premiums on the Phase 2 residential units. County staff and the Finance Committee have expressed strong concerns regarding the viability of this financing. If the developer is unable to pay back the bond, the County would have to repay the debt in order to maintain their AAA bond rating.

Since this plan seems too risky for the County, the Finance Committee (made up of Loudoun County Supervisors) voted 3-2 to recommend suspending work on the proposed CDA financing. Supervisors Burton, Kurtz, and Miller, were the three that voted to recommend suspension of the CDA to the full Board. If the full Board votes to suspend the CDA next Tuesday, July 21, 2009, the applicant would have to find alternative sources to fund their project.

--The Environmental impacts are substantial—the plan puts development on steep slopes against the Comprehensive Plan, and destroys the drainageways, trees, wetlands & floodplain in this location--without a preservation plan.  A Heron Rookery close by is also at risk.

The parcel with the proposed stadium does not have space for mitigation measures, so they are proposed to take effect on the adjacent parcel planned for Phase 2 development. Since these phases are actually separate applications, the stadium may be constructed before mitigation efforts could take place.

“The Application is a ‘Trojan Horse,’ it looks good on the outside, kind of like a nice gift, but inside this ‘gift,’ a great danger beckons. If this Special Exception is approved, the applicant will later claim that the Board is obligated to approve the forthcoming rezoning to support its vote on the stadium.” 
  
--Adrienne Thomas, Leesburg area resident

Sample Letter:
Below is a sample letter that you can reference when creating your own letter.

Subject Line: Vote Against the Special Exception for Kincora

Dear Decision Maker-

I am writing to express concern about the Kincora development and baseball stadium planned near Rt. 7 & Rt 28 near Dulles Town Center.

Baseball could be a great fit for Loudoun, but it should be planned and built where it would be easily accessible by highway and metro. Not where it means more out-of-county traffic hitting already crowded roads at rush hour, multiple nights a week.

Earlier this year, the Board promised to do an analysis of the Route 28 corridor, in order to figure out what type of development would most benefit the county and its residents. Deciding on this stadium, before the promised analysis has taken place, just doesn't make sense.

As a taxpayer, I also am concerned with the proposed financing for the stadium.  The developer proposes to finance the stadium and associated road improvements with a Community Development Authority Bond, which would be paid back through premiums on the Phase 2 residential units.  If the developer is unable to pay back the bond, the County would have to repay the debt in order to maintain their AAA bond rating. 

In addtion, significant environmental concerns still exist regarding mitigation efforts for this development, such as steep slopes, environmentally sensitive areas, river and stream corridors, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. And since the parcel with the proposed stadium does not have space for mitigation measures, they are proposed to take effect on the adjacent parcel planned for Phase 2. Since these phases are actually separate applications, the stadium may be constructed before mitigation efforts could take place.

Thank you for your consideration. Please vote against the special exception for a Kincora baseball stadium.

Sincerely,Your Name

Background Information:

Kincora's developer wants to move forward with the most popular part of their new development plan first --the baseball stadium. Included with the stadium is 900,000 sq ft of office space and 74,000 sq ft of retail and service uses. The next step is a rezoning request for 1400 new multi-family units, over 300,000 sq ft more of retail and 1 to 2 million sq ft more of office space. None of these uses conforms to the Comprehensive Plan for this location.

--See the County Staff Report on Kincora's special exception (includes project details, maps, etc)

Because the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball wants an answer ASAP, the Board has to vote on the special exception for the stadium before the traffic impact, or the combined impacts of the entire proposal, can be analyzed. And before any proffers have been determined.

We love baseball, but this is not about whether a baseball stadium belongs in Loudoun. It’s about whether the proposed location makes sense for a stadium and whether it conforms to the Comprehensive Plan. Will this type of land use ultimately benefit us, or will we pay with more time in traffic, higher taxes, and environmental degradation?

Early this year, the Board promised to do an analysis of the Route 28 corridor, in order to figure out what type of development would most benefit the county and its residents. Deciding on this stadium, before the promised analysis has taken place, just doesn't make sense.

Baseball could be a great fit for Loudoun where it is planned and easily accessible by highway and metro. But not where it means more out-of-county traffic hitting our already crowded Rt 7 and Rt 28 at rush hour multiple nights a week. There is no plan for transit at this location, even in the long-term.

Loudoun has made poor planning decisions in the past --encourage the Board not to make another one. Send an email to the Board today, letting them know Kincora's special exception is premature.