Evening star., 1951-12-17
Loudoun' slack
OF BiIIboards Is
Result Of zoninq
Two Highway Signs
In County Up Before
Enactment of Low
BY james BirehfieId
Ssor Stcff corre.pondeny

able business In Loudoun County
one of the few in the State who's,
highways are not cluttered with
signs.
There are only two highway bill.
boards in the county. Both ar,
located on Route SO, which con.
meets Washington and Winchester
and both were there before plan.
ming and zoning law was adopted
10 years ago.
The absence of roadside signs i.
one illustration of the effectiveness,
OF the county's zoning regulations
and observers who have seen thu
county's progress over the last de.
cade believe Loudoun will not fal
into the pitfalls that have beSet
some of her more urban neighborS
Drew Model Codes.
For 10 years ago county leaders
after seeing what was happening
in other Virginia counties, drew
up planning and zoning code.
that have become a model fol
many other communities all over
the country.
These codes were enacted with
no formal opposition. The ordi-
nance establishing the Loudoun
County Planning Commission was
passed In 1941 by the Board OF
Supervisors with two opposing
votes. The records of the board
give no reasons for this opposi-
tion and the opponents are no
longer members of the board.
The planning commission then
drew up the coming ordinance,
which was passed by the board.
Several years ago, at the request
OF the board. It drew up a SUBJ
division ordinance for the county.
A subdivision is defined as the
division of any tract into two OF
more plots at one time, or over
an extended period, for the pur-
pose Of selling or renting the lots
for residential or business develop
ment.
1t excepts. however, the division
OF land into 10-acre plots and to
the partition Of any tract under
court order.
The law also limits the lot
sizes, so the lots in an area with
out sewage and water facilities
must have at least an 80-foot
frontage, and must contain not
less than 10000 square feet.
Town Rules Apply.
1t is also provided that if a sub
division lies within two miles Of
an incorporated town having a
stricter control law than the
county, then the rules of the town
shall prevail. Plats OF all subdivi-
sionS are required.
Planning and zoning in Lou
doun County was spearheaded by
Mrs. Robert S. Pickens, at that
time head of a Garden Club Com
mittee on roadside Identification
She since has become chairman
of the planning commission, and
her work has drawn praise from
planning officials throughout the
country.
Raymond v. Long, former direc-
tor Of the Virginia Planning
Board, and presently commissioner
of the State Department of Con-
servation and Development, said
that Loudoun has become a mode.
for other rural counties through
out the State and Nation.
Mr.. Longs statement Is borne
out by correspondence received al
most daily at the Office of Mrs
H. c. Wanner, county zoning ad.
ministrator. In almost every mai
come requests from localities ovel
the Nation asking for particular,
Of the Loudoun setup.
Montgomery County, her neigh.
Dor across the Potomac in Mary.
land, however, has made no effort
to study the Loudoun system.
Montgomery now Is attempting
to prepare a coming ordinance fol
the upper, or rural. section of tht
county.
Latest Test of Code.
While much of the credit TO
Loudoun's law goes to Mrs. Pick
ems and her group, members of tn
Board of Supervisors also hat
seen the need of planning ant
coming at about the same time.
The latest test of the law in
wolves a request for approval of {
third plat In the Broad Run Farm
subdivision on the LeeSburg pike
seven miles southeast of Leesburg
Two plats in the subdivision
were approved by the planning
commission and were certified b,
the Zoning administrator, but tn
third was turned down after tn
county health officer failed to Civ
his approval.
An appeal to the commission
resulted in a tie vote, whicl
turned down the appeal, and at
torneys for the subdivision hav
asked for a ruling from the at
torney general on the legality o
the health officers approval o
subdivision plats.
But while this is test Of on
section of the law, even the pro
moters Of the subdivision hav
gone on record as approving tn
county's planning and zonin
laws. #n
Under the law, the county
divided into six districts-rura
highway residential. highwa.
agricultural. highway commercial
village residential and village com
mercial.
Through the maintenance q
these Districts. residents are reas
onably assured that they will nc
find themselves, overnight, mex
door to dance hall or beer taverl
Loudoun County also has kel
abreast Of new developments
planning and zoning. At the IL
stigation Of Mrs. Pickens, IL
county sponsored legislation
the General Assembly to provie
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